Best Paris Restaurants near the Louvre Museum

When I first visited Paris's Musée du Louvre on a chilly, overcast January morning, I hadn't even thought about where to find cafes or restaurants inside the museum or nearby.

Instead, I planned to dash through the Louvre to find da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting, take a photo to show I'd been there, and then spend the rest of the day exploring Montmartre.

But once I passed through the Porte des Lions entrance, supposedly the closest to the Louvre's Italian Renaissance section, I promptly took a wrong turn and that's how I first discovered the museum's many treasures from numerous periods and countries.

My quick visit lasted over four hours.

I'd been so mesmerized by the Louvre's spectacular Greek and Roman sculptures, medieval stained glass and tapestries, Egyptian mummies, crown jewels, ancient Mesopotamian pottery, and countless masterpieces by da Vinci and other Renaissance artists that I hadn't stopped even for a quick coffee at any of the museum's cafes or snack bars.

When I finally emerged, ravenously hungry and still slightly stunned from all the amazing art I'd experienced, I had no idea where to find a place to eat near the Louvre. So I crossed Rue de Rivoli near the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre metro station, and headed straight to the first cafe I spotted - Le Nemours, overlooking Place Colette and Palais Royal.

Although Le Nemours' interior looked cosy and appealing, the sun had emerged from behind the clouds. I couldn't resist claiming an outdoor table where I devoured what tasted like the world's best soup, a croque monsieur, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate while enjoying superb people-watching.

Since that time, I've visited the Louvre many times and have enjoyed meals and drinks at numerous cafes, bistros, and restaurants inside the Louvre, in Tuileries Garden across from the museum, and in the nearby neighborhoods.

This article, a guide to the best Paris cafes and restaurants in and near the Louvre Museum, includes my curated recommendations and personal favorites - including Le Nemours, which continues to be one of my favorite spots.

Aside from a few splurge-worthy spots, including a couple with Eiffel Tower views, most are reasonably budget-friendly, considering their close proximity to the Louvre - the world's biggest, best, and most-visited museum.

If you're planning a visit, check it out!

Here's what you'll find in this article:

Best Cafes, Bistros, and Snack Bars in the Palais du Louvre and Jardin de Tuileries - Perfect if you want to continue your exploration of the Louvre, visit the Decorative Arts Museum in the Palace's north wing, stroll through the beautiful Tuileries Garden, or see Monet's water paintings at the Orangerie
Right Bank Bistros, Tea Rooms, & Brasseries - Convenient if you're heading to the luxury designer boutiques along Rue Saint-Honoré, Palais Garnier (the Paris Opera House), Palais Royal Garden, Galerie Vero Dodat, the Pinault Collection at Bourse de Commerce, or even the kitchenware stores near Les Halles
Île de la Cité Restaurants near the Louvre - Consider these places if you're heading toward Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame Cathedral
Left Bank Restaurants near the Louvre - Is the Orsay Museum, just across the Seine from the Louvre, your next destination? We recommend nearby bistros

Top photo: Terrace seating at LouLou by the Museum of Decorative Arts in a wing of the Louvre, (c) Paris Discovery Guide®

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Cafes, Bistros, & Snack Bars in the Louvre Museum and Gardens (Plus a Hidden Food Court)

In addition to three special food and beverage options within the Louvre Museum, our recommendations include a couple of popular restaurants elsewhere in the Palace, several casual spots in Tuileries Garden, and even a hidden food court for when you're in a rush.

3 Special Places within the Louvre Museum for a Quick Drink, Snack, or Meal

Have you ever noticed how spending even an hour looking at art can leave you craving a break, preferably including a beverage and a snack?

Fortunately, the Louvre offers eight or nine coffee bars, cafes, and even a casual bistro scattered through the museum where you can buy a hot or cold drink and perhaps a sandwich, fruit, or pastry and take them to a nearby table.

Most of them are convenient but not particularly memorable.

However, three of them give you a special experience: sweeping views from a balcony terrace, tasty French bistro classics, or the chance to savor the most famous hot chocolate pastries in Paris.

Here's where to find them:

Le Café Mollien - Spectacular Terrace Views

View of the opposite wing of the Louvre and Tuileries Garden from Cafe Mollien's Louvre-side terrace

Although the food at Cafe Mollien hits the mark when you want a quick snack or light lunch, the compelling reason to find this almost-hidden spot are the fantastic views of the Louvre's Glass Pyramid, Tuileries Garden, and Paris rooftops.

Plus, the experience of relaxing on this terrace carved out of one of the Louvre's balconies gives you a well-deserved break, especially if you plan to explore more of the exhibitions later.

Finding the cafe and its terrace, located on Level 1 of the Denon Wing, can pose a challenge the first time you try it.

If you're on the ground floor, walk up the Grand Staircase and you should easily spot a sign for it. Or, if you're already on the second floor, walk through the French paintings galleries including the one where the Mona Lisa resides, and you should see it.

What's also not so obvious is the entrance to the terrace - in fact, it's almost hidden. Here's how to locate it: after you get your food and pay for it, look past the cashier toward the windows. The entrance is almost behind a panel. Walk over, and you'll see how to slip past onto the balcony.

The terrace is seasonal, but for colder and/or rainy days, the cafe offers a lovely indoor seating area, made special by enormous pink globe lights which seemly float against the walls.

The cafe's reasonably-priced menu includes hot and cold drinks (including wine and beer) plus an assortment of light dishes and snacks (quiche, soups, salads, chips, pastries) - but the real show-stopper is the view.

Open: 9:45am - 4:45 pm, Wednesday through Monday

Bistrot Benoit - A Classic French Bistro Menu

Located under the Glass Pyramid on the Louvre's -2 level, Bistrot Benoit offers a reasonably-priced menu of French classics in a Belle Epoque-style setting featuring brass, zinc, red velvet, and warm wood paneling.

Get ready to enjoy escargots (snails), salad niçoise, and simple bistro-style plats (main courses) featuring chicken, beef, fish, and even classic Lyonnaise frog quenelles, plus a family-friendly children's menu for museum visitors under 12.

Open: 11:45am - 5:30pm, Wednesday - Monday. Since the kitchen closes an hour before the restaurant, you should actually arrive by 4pm or earlier to have time to place your order

Angelina (Café Richelieu)

If you don't have the chance to go to the original Salon de Thé on nearby Rue de Rivoli (or even if you do), you can enjoy the same specialties at the Angelina's Tea Room tucked away near Napoleon III's Apartments on Level 1 of the Richelieu wing.

Order Angelina's famous hot chocolate, a mouth-watering Paris-Brest or other pastry, or even onion soup or quiche, and enjoy spectacular views of the glass Pyramid from your bistro table.

Open: 10am - 4:45pm

Need Tickets for Your Visit to the Louvre?

Save time and skip the ticket line (essential at the Louvre, where waiting in line can take hours) by booking your Louvre visit in advance. Here are 4 popular options:

2-Hour Louvre Museum Guided Tour - Our favorite small-group tour - limited to 6 participants
Skip the Line Ticket & Guided Fast-Path to the Mona Lisa - Just want to see the Mona Lisa? This "guide" whisks you quickly through a guide-only door and then through the crowds
Louvre Museum Timed Entrance Ticket - Get in fast and explore the museum on your own
Louvre Museum & Seine Cruise - Get a timed-entry ticket to the Louvre and a 1-hour Seine River cruise

A Hidden Food Court in the Palais du Louvre? Mais Oui!

Although you have to leave the Musee du Louvre (meaning you can't get back in unless you have another ticket) to get to this almost-hidden food court, it's a super-convenient place to stop for a quick bite when you're on your way out.

Restaurants du Monde Food Court at the Carrousel du Louvre

The Restaurants du Monde food court in the ritzy Carrousel du Louvre shopping center is something of a hidden secret which many visitors miss, but it's super-easy to access and worth discovering if you're looking for inexpensive fast food options or even just a quick coffee and croissant.

To find it, exit the Louvre at the Carrousel entrance, and you'll see signs pointing toward Carrousel du Louvre, which is the name of the mall. Once you enter the mall, walk inside and ride the escalator up to the food court. (Or, if you get distracted by the appealing shops, browse for awhile and then take the "up" escalator.)

Once you're there, you'll discover an assortment of international choices. Although they change from time to time, current options include a couple of Italian places, a Parisian bakery, a French brasserie, a Thai restaurant, McDonald's, and a Starbucks.

McDonald's presence here has been controversial - but that's another story. If you're an American who's craving a taste of home, this is the closest Micky D's near the Louvre. Perhaps thanks to France's strict regulations pertaining to food quality, additives, agricultural practices, etc, the burgers seem to taste better here than those in the U.S.

Pre-pandemic, Restaurants du Monde offered a much wider range of international cuisines, including a wonderful North African stall. Fingers crossed that at least some of these return going forward!

If you're coming from outside of the Louvre, you can access the mall and food court through a street entrance at 99 Rue de Rivoli.

Hours: Open daily from 9am to as late as 8:30pm, although several spots close at 7pm.

Two Bistros in the Palais du Louvre with Spectacular Terrace Views

Bakery kiosk near the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel — Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel du Louvre

The Palais du Louvre's north wing includes a couple of upscale restaurants, Cafe Marly and LouLou. Even though both are located within the Palace, they're not part of the Louvre Museum, so you need to exit the museum in order to access them.

Both offer contemporary bistro-type cuisine, popular outdoor terrace seating as well as elegant indoor dining rooms, and, fair warning, price points well above what you'd pay at other more casual spots nearby, such as those in Tuileries Garden.

But to be clear: although (in my experience) the food in both places is generally very good-to-excellent, what you're paying for is the location, the ambiance, and the experience of lingering over one last drink while gazing at distant views of the Eiffel Tower until the early morning hours.

To easily find both of these bistros, exit the Louvre through the glass pyramid and walk in the direction of Tuileries Gardin and Place de la Concorde. You'll spot them on your right, immediately before and soon after you pass by the ornate Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel du Louvre.

Le Cafe Marly

Seating inside Cafe Marly during the Christmas season

Tucked away in the arcades of the Palais du Louvre across from I.M. Pei's iconic glass pyramid, Cafe Marly offers sweeping views from its elevated outdoor terrace and serves up elevated brasserie-type fare. A stylish dining room under indoor arched arcades provides a cold-weather alternative.

Although menu choices do include a few casual options such as croque monsieurs/madames, omelets, and cheeseburgers until 6pm, the culinary focus is on the bistro-style cuisine.

Three courses plus wine and coffee will probably run you at least €100/person, maybe more. Apéritifs and/or digestifs will increase your check even more. A spritz or other cocktail will be over 20€. Do not expect fast service; Marly caters to clientele who want to linger over a fine dining experience in an iconic spot.

Reservations are always a good idea, especially during the warmer months and the Christmas/New Year holiday season.

Address: 93 Rue de Rivoli; Open: Daily, 8am - 2am

Loulou

Located in the Museum of Decorative Arts in the northwestern wing of the Palais du Louvre, Loulou Paris occupies a prime location overlooking the tranquil Jardin du Carrousel garden and in the distance, the Eiffel Tower.

Although the bistro's chic indoor dining room provides a lovely experience during inclement weather, you may far prefer one of the coveted outdoor tables under white umbrellas on the spacious terrace due to the relaxed vibe and spectacular views. Unfortunately, not all tables have an umbrella for shade; the unshaded ones can get sizzling-hot on a summer day, so keep that in mind (and don't forget sunscreen).

Also, don't make the mistake of expecting a quick, casual dining experience simply because of the outdoor setting.

Loulou is where to come when you have time for a leisurely meal with perhaps a frosty drink plus at least a couple of courses accompanied by wine and ending with coffee, and the prices on the menu reflect that.

(If you want a quick snack or a more casual meal or even a greater chance of sitting in the shade on hot days, you'll find better options in Tuileries Garden - more about those in a moment.)

Loulou's Italian and French Mediterranean cuisine offers a high quality bistronomic experience, worthy of being savored at a leisurely pace, especially during the evening dinner service.

A three-course meal with a glass or two of wine and coffee will easily add up to over €100/person - a bargain, given the quality of the food and the lovely setting, if you have the time and money to spend. With a cocktail or two, your check will be even higher. Think of it as the price of your entire evening, not just the food, and it will feel like more of a bargain.

Reservations are always a good idea here, and usually a necessity, as Loulou is popular with Parisians who work in the nearby fashion showrooms or who live in the area.

Open: 12 noon-2:30pm, 7pm-11pm, Monday - Sunday
Address: 107 Rue de Rivoli - but enter through the garden for lunch

Casual Cafes & Snack Bars in Tuileries Garden

After you leave the Louvre and pass the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel du Louvre, you'll soon be in Jardin des Tuileries. This lovely large park dates back to 1564 when Queen Catherine de Medici, the wife of Henry II, created an Italian-style garden in a space once occupied by tile factories ("tuileries").

One hundred years later, the famous landscape architect Andre Le Notre, a favorite of King Louis XIV, redesigned Tuileries in a formal French style. Although the garden you see today is less formal (and labor-intensive), it retains Le Notre's broad paths, shallow pools, fountains, shady groves of trees, and beautiful flower beds.

The park opened to the public after the French Revolution and continues to be filled with lush flowers, lots of statues, several shallow pools and fountains, lots of chairs for relaxing, and even a team of goats who keep the grass neatly trimmed.

Modern additions include a children's playground and carousel, a seasonal carnival and very popular Christmas Market, and most important if you leave the Louvre hungry, a bakery kiosk and several informal cafes where you can get snacks or enjoy a casual meal.

Here's what you'll find:

Bakery Kiosk

Almost immediately after you walk past the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and toward Jardin des Tuileries, you'll spot a bakery kiosk on your right selling freshly made pastries, sandwiches, and coffee.

If you need a quick snack or affordable sandwich for lunch, this is your best choice in the park because it's fast and convenient. Stroll a bit farther, and you'll find plenty of benches and chairs where you can sit and enjoy your repast.

As you continue walking down the garden's broad central path called the Allée Central, you'll pass one of the larger pools and then soon come to two cafes tucked away under the trees, one on your left and and the other on your right.

About 500 feet further along the Allée Central, you'll spot two more, also almost hidden by the trees.

All of them offer plenty of outdoor tables under awnings and umbrellas, and serve casual fare such as onion soup, escargots, quiche, charcuterie and cheese boards, sandwiches, meal-sized salads, and simple bistro dishes (chicken, beef tartar, pasta, steak, fish) along with coffee, other drinks, and of course wine.

Although at first glance you may think they're all similar, in fact they each have different owners and offer different menus and emphasize different types of dishes. Prices are about the same as what you'd pay at neighborhood brasseries - in other words, in the affordable range.

Since they're all fairly close together, walk around and check the menus to find the selections you like best - or if you're super-hungry, head to the closest one, because you really can't go wrong.

Two of them, Cafe des Marronniers and Pavillon des Tuileries, have websites where you can see the menus online if you want to check them out ahead of time.

They do get very crowded, especially around mid-day, so if that's the case, pick the one where you can get a table.

During the busiest periods, service can be slow - although there's also the cultural expectation that you'll enjoy relaxing over your meal and perhaps lingering over a coffee and dessert at the end.

If you're in a rush, you'll be happier if you head back to the bakery kiosk and grab a sandwich.

Right Bank Bistros, Tea Rooms, & Brasseries near Musée du Louvre

You can easily find dozens, maybe even hundreds of places within 2-3 blocks of the Louvre and Tuileries Garden on the Right Bank.

I've enjoyed meals and drinks at many of them through the years - so I'm going to take you on a quick tour of some of my favorites, starting at Place de la Concorde at the western end of Tuileries and then heading east:

Le Village Restaurant in Le Village Royal

Entrance to Le Village Royal on Rue Royale — Entrance to Le Village Royal from Rue Royale

Le Village Royal (sometimes called Cité Berryer) is a hidden passageway between Rue Royale and Rue Boissy d'Anglas that dates back to 1746. Today, it's a lovely enclave lined with Dior, Chanel, and other designer boutiques but when you're hungry, the real draw is Le Village Restaurant.

To get there from the Louvre, walk through Jardin des Tuileries, exit at the end next to Place de la Concorde, walk one and a half blocks up Rue Royale, and look for the double-arched entrance sandwiched between Chanel and Dior boutiques.

Le Village terrace tables on a sunny November afternoon

Le Village serves modern bistro cuisine from breakfast through dinner. Look for dishes such as tomatoes and burrata, tartare de thon (tuna), foie gras, calamari, lobster salad, and grilled steak.

The plush indoor dining room provides a refuge on rainy days, but otherwise, the appealing terrace is the coveted spot for people-watching and soaking up a bit of sun.

Tip: If your Paris shopping list includes a high-quality French culinary knife, you'll find a Laguiole store almost directly across the street to the right from Le Village Royal's entrance on Rue Boissy d'Anglas.

Address: 25 Rue Royal, 8th arrondissement

Angelina Paris Tea Room

As you head east on Rue de Rivoli, you'll quickly spot Angelina, the most famous tea room in Paris - the perfect spot to enjoy tea and a patisserie after your visit to the Louvre.

With its glamorous Belle Epoque decor, a gracious afternoon high tea service, and legendary fans such as fashion designer Coco Chanel and novelist Marcel Proust, Angelina embodies elegance and (literally) good taste.

Although best known for its super-thick hot chocolate made from a secret recipe using three types of African cocoa and its Mont-Blanc dessert composed of strands of chestnut cream, crunchy meringue, and whipped cream, Angelina serves a variety of other exquisite pastries, savory treats, and other beverages.

Getting a table almost always involves a wait, especially during summer months, but Angelina delivers a memorable experience.

Tip #1: Unless you know that you love the flavor of chestnut, consider ordering one of the other pastries.

Tip #2: A retail space selling pastries and drinks to go as well as other branded items occupies the front of Angelina's Rue de Rivoli location, and the tea room occupies the back. There's a separate line for each space - so make sure you get in the right one.

Address: 226 Rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement

Marché Saint-Honore

Terrace seating at Le Nemours — Some of the restaurants along the Marché Saint-Honoré plaza

As you continue to walk east along the arcades on Rue de Rivoli, you'll pass a couple of unassuming cafes tucked away among the souvenir shops. They're fine for a quick bite, but tend to be crowded and the masses of people crowding the sidewalk along this stretch mean you'll hear a fair amount of noise.

For better choices in a secluded spot with a more relaxed vibe, turn onto to Rue du 29 Juillet, which you'll spot about a block and a half past Angelina. You'll almost immediately begin to see an assortment of small cafes on your right. This is an old market area called Marché Saint-Honoré.

In a couple of blocks, you'll come to a large modern-looking building. Follow the narrow lane around to the right. You'll see numerous small bistros and restaurants, and even more behind the building.

You really can't go wrong with any of them - just check out the menus, find the one you like best, and get a table. Prices are generally reasonable, and the food, although simple, is good quality.

Cafe du Louvre

Cafe du Louvre, located on Avenue de l'Opera about a 1-minute walk from Rue de Rivoli, is somehow easy to overlook but is an excellent place to indulge in classic bistro fare and comfort food: cheese omelets, foie gras, sardines, escargot, big salads, ribeye steak with bernaise sauce, croques monsieurs, burgers.

It's open every day until 2am and attracts both locals working in the area as well as tourists. Prices are reasonable, and the wine list is good. My favorite lunch here: eggs mayo and onion soup with a glass of Crozes Hermitage.

Rue Saint-Anne Asian Restaurants

If you walk two very short blocks past Cafe du Louvre on Avenue de l'Opera, you'll spot Rue Saint-Anne on your right.

Rue Saint-Anne has been famous for the past three decades as the Parisian epicenter of affordable and delicious Japanese food, and in the past 10 or 15 years, the mostly-small (and surrounding streets, all the way up to Rue des Petit Champs culinary offerings have expanded to include other Asian countries.

For awhile, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine dominated the "other" category, but for the past decade, Korean places have been wildly popular, and right now, Chinese food is trendy.

Le Nemours

Le Nemours, a quintessential grand Parisian café set inside Galerie de Nemours (which is part of the covered arcade along Palais Royal next to Comédie Française near the Palais-Royal Garden), offers continuous service and high-quality, reasonably-priced casual fare. It's a long-time personal favorite.

Look for freshly-prepared French brasserie classics - salads, soups, quiche, sandwiches, and cheese and charcuterie platters. In the afternoon, relax over a refreshing drink.

When the weather is good, choose a terrace table under the long arcade and watch le monde go by, or head inside to the chic (and air-conditioned) dining room.

After your meal, stroll through the Palais Royal courtyard and garden (the entrance is to the left of Le Nemours). You'll first pass by the photo-worthy striped Colonnes de Buren (Buren's Columns) and then beyond that, you can relax in the flower-filled gardens.

Movie trivia: Le Nemours served as one of the filming locations for the American romantic thriller "The Tourist," starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.

Address: Place de Colette; Open: Monday-Friday 8am-midnight, Saturday 9am-midnight, Sunday 9am-8pm

Brasserie du Louvre

View of the Eiffel Tower from Musée du Quai Branly's garden — Shaded terrace at Brasserie du Louvre

Brasserie du Louvre, a Paul Bocuse restaurant at the 5-star Hotel du Louvre located directly across Rue de Rivoli from the Louvre, features a tranquil, almost secluded terrace across from the plaza near the Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre metro station - ideal for people-watching.

The menu leans heavily toward traditional French bistro classics (escargot, foie gras, sole belle-meunière, French onion soup topped with gratinéed cheese, and Lyonnaise-style pan-fried veal liver, beef tartar) but you'll also find a few modern international favorites such as ceviche and burgers.

Address: 1 Place André Malraux (inside Hotel du Louvre); Open: Daily - breakfast: 7am-10:30am, lunch 12 noon-3pm, snacks 3pm-6pm, dinner 6pm-10:30pm; Reserve: Online (although you can usually get a spot without reservations)

Le Fumoir

You can find one of the best Paris restaurants near the Louvre, Le Fumoir, directly across the street along the museum's east side. Thanks to its Swedish chef, the bistro's menu features a mix of contemporary French and Scandinavian favorites made with fresh locally-sourced products.

The vegetarian-friendly menus change weekly. With breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and a Sunday brunch plus a very cool bar with a wonderful wine list, cocktails, and a big selection of fresh-pressed juices on offer, you'll find a lot to love here.

Service during lunch is usually fairly fast, but you should plan to linger over your dinner.

Address: 6 Rue de l'amiral Coligny; Open: Daily, 9am-midnight; Reserve: Online

Brasserie du Louvre

If you're looking for Paris hotels near the Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars, take a close look at Le Derby Alma, a chic 4-star boutique hotel located in a charming part of the upscale 7th District, just a 5-minute walking distance to the "Iron Lady" and and the Quai Branly Museum.

Brasserie du Louvre

Best Places to Eat between Palais Royal & Les Halles

Bistrot Valois

Brasserie du Louvre

Île de la Cité Restaurants near the Louvre

Rue Cler market street, home to Hotel Cler(upper right) — Terrace seating in front of La Rose de France Brasserie at Place Dauphone

If you're planning to visit the Orsay Museum or Sainte-Chapelle after your visit to the Louvre, cross over the Seine to the Left Bank or to Place Dauphine on Île de la Cité and try these nearby restaurants:

3 on right bank

La Rose de France

La Rose de France Brasserie (24 Place Dauphine; continuous service from 10am - 10pm, Monday - Sunday) - Casual brasserie offering a tourist-friendly menu with a few classic French starters such as foie gras and escargot, meal-sized salads, burgers (including vegan), and main dishes with French, Italian, and Asian flavors. Seasonal terrace. No reservations necessary.

Le Paul Restaurant

Restaurant Paul (15 Place Dauphine; lunch and dinner, Monday - Saturday; lunch only on Sunday) - Home-style traditional French cuisine - in other words, comfort food such as mimosa eggs and chicken with mushrooms and even (for those who like it) beef liver creatively prepared. The menu usually includes a vegetarian option. Whatever you order, you'll probably wish you weren't in public and could lick your plate. Try the excellent baba aux rhum for dessert. Seasonal terrace. Reserve online.

Fun Fact: Actors Simone Signoret and Yves Montand once had a tiny pied a terre apartment here where they stayed whenever they were in Paris, and they dined regularly at Le Caveau du Palais (below), which now has the same owners as Restaurant Paul.

Le Caveau du Palais

Le Caveau du Palais (19 Place Dauphine; dinner, Monday - Saturday) - Creative "gastronomic" (ie, gourmet) renditions of traditional French cuisine, mostly centered around fish, poultry, and meat, plus a vegetarian option. Don't overlook the "cream vegetable soup of the day," which is always worth ordering - recently, this was a refreshingly chilled fresh pea purée laced with mint, basil oil, and a creamy burrata. Seasonal terrace, plus 3-4 gorgeous period-style dining rooms inside. Reserve online.

Left Bank Restaurants near the Louvre

La Rose de France

Le Paul Restaurant

Fun Fact: Actors Simone Signoret and Yves Montand once had a tiny pied a terre apartment in Place Dauphine where they stayed whenever they were in Paris, and they dined regularly at Le Caveau du Palais (below), which now has the same owners as Restaurant Paul.