By Anne McCarthy
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will be here before we know it! And many soon-to-be Olympic visitors are preparing for their trips to the City of Light. Today, we’re looking at where to eat when you’re in Paris for the Olympics this summer.
If you’re still in the planning phase and need some guidance on hotels to book for the Olympics, check out our blog post: Best hotels to book for the Paris 2024 Olympics. And our Paris 2024 Olympics How to Get Around the City post is also a great one to explore.
If you’re coming to the city for the festivities, come visit us at Fat Tire Tours Paris! We would love to host you on one of our many tours. We have many different tours, including bike tours, walking tours, Segway tours, Versailles tours, and more. Our Paris Day Bike Tour and Paris Night Bike Tour are bestselling favorites. Both tours lead you around the city with an expert guide, allowing you to see some of the city’s most beloved and photographic monuments, all while having an unforgettable experience on a bike in Paris.
For an Olympic-inspired adventure through the City of Light, join our Paris Day Bike – Limited Olympic Edition. Tour highlights include visits to the Eiffel Tower, the outside of the Louvre, Napoleon’s Tomb, the Tuileries Gardens, the Orsay Museum, and more. This tour also includes a stop for lunch at a French café.
And while we’re on the topic of food…
Here are some restaurants that will sate the appetite well while you’re in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics:
Substance
Located in the 16th arrondissement, Substance draws a foodie crowd who are fans of chef Matthias Marc. (Marc was a former contestant on Top Chef). Substance boasts a top-shelf champagne menu that includes over 180 options from well-known names to small, local producers.
Fun fact, this is the only restaurant in Paris that serves Jacques Selosse Initial Brut cuvée, so if you’re looking to celebrate being in Paris for the Olympics, this is an especially good place to go, because you’ll have your pick of champagne and can celebrate in style with a flute of bubbly. CN Traveler recommends the potato emulsions with trout eggs and pickled onions, the plant-based dishes, and the goat cheese and beetroot cannelloni. This modern fare will have you full and ready to enjoy the rest of the games!
Address: 18 Rue de Chaillot, Paris 75116
Allard
Allard in the 6th offers a classic style gourmet bistro that offers reliably good food in a bistro setting. Among Allard’s hits with customers are the duck with green olives, duck foie gras, and poached turbot. (And if none of those dishes are familiar to you, why not go out of your comfort zone while you’re in town for the games?)
Address: 41 Rue Saint-André des Arts , Paris 75006
Benoit Paris
In the 4th arrondissement, you’ll find the charming Marais neighborhood. There, you’ll also find Benoit Paris, a historic restaurant that opened in 1912. If you’re looking for some classically French dishes, like the ideal cheese course, delightful escargots soaked in butter, and crêpes, then look no further than Benoit Paris.
Address: 20 Rue Saint-Martin, Paris 75004
Juveniles
Juveniles is a wine bar plus bistro and it offers patrons delicious French comfort food and good wine without much fuss. Juveniles’ founder is Tim Johnston, a Scottish wine seller and Paris expat. Today, his daughter Margaux runs Juveniles alongside her French boyfriend, Romain Roudeau, who helms the kitchen. Juveniles’ motto is “We always deliver the goods,” and visitors can expect nothing less. The menu changes with the seasons, so during the summer Olympic games you can expect lots of fresh, in-season foods.
Address: 47 Rue De Richelieu, 75001 Paris, France
Au Pied de Cochon
Au Pied de Cochon is a famous brasserie in the heart of Les Halles, and it has been operating since 1947. Saint Anthony, the patron saint of charcutiers, is named for one of the brasserie’s famous dishes, the Tentation de Saint-Antoine (The Temptation of Saint Anthony). The dish includes breaded pig’s foot, a muzzle, ears, and a pig tail with bearnaise sauce. If you’re feeling daring, order this dish, and enjoy it amid Au Pied de Cochon’s convivial atmosphere. The oyster trays here are also crowd-pleasers, and so is the French onion soup.
Address: 6 rue Coquillières, 75001 Paris
Parcelles
Parcelles is one of the newer restaurants on our list. It opened in May 2021, and has been a hit since the moment it opened. This Marais-located hotspot is typically crowded with foodies who appreciate the hospitality of proprietress Sarah Michielsen and the masterful work of chef Julien Chevallier. Parcelles offers a rotating menu featuring new dishes regularly. It’s been dubbed “stylish comfort food” here at Parcelles, and after a day of Paris sightseeing, stylish Parisian comfort food sounds like a beautiful end to the day. The wine selection here is top-notch, too, and is headed by sommelier Bastin Fidelin.
Address: 13 rue Chapon, 75003 Paris
Ciel de Paris
Looking for a tucked-away hidden gem? You’ll need to journey to the top of Montparnasse to find it, but Ciel de Paris is worth the trek and arguably offers the best view of the city. While the Eiffel Tower is the most popular way to get a good view of the City of Light, Montparnasse Tower offers the best view. Ciel de Paris is a stunning (albeit somewhat challenging to find) small champagne bar where you can sip bubbly among the stars and marvel at the gorgeous view of Paris.
Address: Tour Maine Montparnasse, 56 ème étage, 33, avenue du Maine, 75015 Paris
Anne McCarthy is the Editor in Chief of the Fat Tire Tours Blog. She is a contributing writer to the BBC, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Wired, and many more. She splits her time between the U.S. and Europe.
