Where To Eat In Paris—With Your Kids

Let’s get real: It’s never been harder to book restaurant tables in Paris. Not only is tourism booming (a projected 37.4 million visited Greater Paris in 2025, according to the tourist office ), but spending levels are higher . As for spring break this year: both AAA Travel and Priceline booking data already show Paris among the most-booked international destinations for American travelers.

Translation? If you don’t speak French or aren’t plugged into the social fabric of this high society, it’s very likely you’ll be ushered toward eateries relegated to the “tourist trade” (read: mediocre and overpriced). It’s the plastic English menu ketchup packet default position, found too often in popular quartiers. In my view, as a former Paris resident and working travel journalist, this is a grave and unforgivable insult. So, I’m here to help you dodge it.

Because Paris is always a good idea. Even (and especially!) for children who don’t eat frog legs, snails or foie gras. It’s the gastronomic capital of the world, and if you know where to eat, it’s one of the world’s best places to teach children to be curious about food, cooking and culinary culture. Expose young palates to this kind of food, eaten without the presence of screens, and you might actually escape the pizza-french fry parent trap once and for all.

Take it from the legendary French chef Alain Ducasse, who writes in his 2017 book Manger Est Un Acte Citoyen : “It is first through the mouth that [children] learn the world. And learning the world is tasting it, digesting it, absorbing it, and then being able, in turn, to put it into words.” He goes on to say that the first time children realize there are other things to eat than mother’s milk, it’s the beginning of a grand adventure. (Michelin stars not required).

In February, I spent four days trying to impart my passion for Paris to my daughter; so she could experience the real meaning of joie de vivre . And though I had grand plans for monuments, museums and historical tours involving everything from the Revolution to Molière to the modern multi-party political system, it immediately became apparent that food is the best way to hold her attention. Luckily, getting around was remarkably easy since Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is reaching the end of her second term, ushered in the pedestrianization of riverbanks and the creation of more bike lanes. It seems like every living urban biker and jogger got the memo. Even in winter, everyone was running everywhere! In neon vests! And at all hours! This energy is contagious, which means you might end up chasing your kids through the streets at full tilt. Mine had me sprinting behind her up to the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré Coeur steps. Just thinking about it makes me want to sit down; specifically in the following booth:

The 5 Restaurants to Book Now

To nab great tables, you’ll need to connect with one of the city’s Clefs D’or (Golden Key) concierges, who act as reservation brokers at the highest level for their guests. Some of the most powerful key-bearers in Paris — made recognizable by the insignia of two small, golden keys worn on their lapels — can be found in the Hôtel de Crillon, Hôtel Plaza Athénée and at the Saint James Paris hotel in the 16th arrondissement, where we chose to stay. Is it kid friendly? Yes, in the sense that Saint James is not a typical street-side hotel. It’s a neoclassical château set far back behind a gorgeous, gated entrance that encloses an acre of secret gardens, creating a sanctuary for families within walking distance from major landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe and the Trocadéro. The minute you drive up to the entrance, you feel like you’ve entered a 19th century period romance, and you forgot to wear a corset. Your arrival has been anticipated, your baggage promptly whisked away, and your children greeted with age-appropriate toys. Since 1991, this hotel has catered to royalty, celebrities and Heads of State, so looking after the littles is not really a challenge. If asked, they can create highly customized itineraries with your family in mind.

For this trip, I consulted with Pascal Leneveu, Head Concierge at St. James Paris, where he has worked for 37 years, with white hair to prove it. An unassuming and very kind professional, he is full of simple tips, like avoiding flea markets in the rain, where to find the best vintage shops around Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which boat rides on the Seine are good for kids, and which restaurants take walk-ins. But I know he’s “branché” (well-connected) when he’s able to book my top tables on short notice, including: Chez Georges , L’Ami Jean , a corner booth at Les Deux Magots , Chez Janou and its sister property Le Petit Italien . Little does he know the city of light is about to meet its harshest restaurant critic: a five year old.

Chez Georges du Mail, Best Bourgeois Bistro

1 Rue du Mail, 75002

It’s absurdly wonderful that her first night in Paris is spent at the iconic French bistro Chez Georges, run by restaurateur Jean-Gabriel de Bueil. It’s an old-school, red leather booth institution (open since 1964) that is beloved by artists, writers, designers, locals and tourists-in-the-know. My daughter is too young to appreciate how cool it is that the menu is hand written, and that there is a pot brimming with cornichons on each table, but she happily peruses the à la carte menu, which includes crowd-pleasers like frisée salad with bacon, Pavé du Mail (steak with a cognac, mustard, and cream sauce) and tarte tatin. For parents, à la carte is a big thing because tasting menus are just too much for tots. She orders the sole meunière (which we split, with a side of fries). Splitting mains is another survival tip for parents, as it goes without saying: kids menus are for amateurs.

But first, I start with a small plate of classic, garlicky escargots, plucked steaming from their hot buttered shells with the help of a silver snail fork and tongs. These slippery suckers create enormous entertainment for my mini-me, given how they zip freely across the table, totally unaware of the sophisticated conversations being held by the chic Paris-New York crowd around us. Our waitress, Sylvia, with her no-nonsense salt and pepper bob is clearly weary of the American invasion. But she is polite and swift all the same. A waft of roasted bone marrow fills the air and my girl is drawing pictures of the Eiffel Tower, which makes me tear up with joy and order a second glass of St. Emillion. There is no music but for the satisfying clink of plates and glasses, chatter and laughter that could double as a “French bistro” soundtrack — that I wish could play forever.

L’Ami Jean | Best Rice Pudding

27 Rue Malar, 75007

This is a tiny, but warm and convivial wooden chalet-style restaurant with vintage mirrors and brass fixtures aged to the perfect patina. I first patronized l’ami Jean as an exchange student in the winter of 2009. I’ve returned many times for the bœuf bourguignon, ris de veau (veal sweetbreads), vin rouge and deep bowls of creamy rice pudding served with fresh hazelnuts and homemade caramel (another kid-favorite). Each time I return, I’m amazed to find chef-owner Stéphane Jégo, himself, orchestrating a full dinner service, now 17 years later. Personally plating, wiping his brow, peering through the fog of his glasses, and shouting out the names of each rich dish, piping hot and ready to be passed from the metal bar-top of his half open kitchen. From any vantage point in this room, you can watch the whole show as the sizzle of freshly buttered meat comes out smoking with the glowing embers of his torch (final-touch torching is big for him), just one of the tools he wields like some valiant medieval butcher with an axe to grind. I wonder who his rivals are…

He’s one of the most interesting chefs in Paris, for his sheer stamina, and one of the most successful, because he embodies the kind of consistent hustle and professionalism we can all aspire to. But what I love most as a mother is its Ratatouille spirit. Forget the tourist-trap Ratatouille-merch restaurants elsewhere; this, my Francophile friends, is the real thing.

Les Deux Magots | Best People Watching

6 Place Saint Germain Des Prés, 75006

A waiter outside greets us by taking our family picture together. Again, hustle and professionalism: two reasons this place has lasted since the end of WWII. Here, career waiters still wear bow ties, starched shirts and aprons, and can switch between French and English with ease. Again, red leather banquets and brass railings stand like sentinels of French authenticity. But it’s the paperback books in every corner and folded newspapers on walled racks that really make you feel like any moment Ernest Hemingway might turn up to his old literary haunt and be asked not to smoke.

I’m taken aback as my girl happily chows down on the little pot of olives on the table, being careful to avoid the pits. Next, she’s engrossed in the Deux Magots’ salad with egg, ham and comté cheese. For the first time, she doesn’t ask for her usual coloring crayons. Instead, she watches the parade of pedestrians saunter by on Saint Germain des Prés. She is becoming more conscious of restaurant behavior and café culture. I laugh as she delicately sprinkles her salt, then sniffs and swirls her water glass, like she’s mocking us (deservedly) with a Château Lafite Rothschild. But simply being and eating together in a room with people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe is what I hope will sink in.

A.Lea | Best Value in Montmartre

39 rue Lamarck, 75018

Where do we eat in Montmartre? It’s a tough question, because the choices vary widely and it’s all-too easy to get sucked into a tourist trap around here. That said, I’d send any friend to A.Lea restaurant just down the hill from the Sacre Coeur, because it feels like Paris for people who already know Paris. The bright, minimalist dining room is polished but approachable — quite serious about its gastronomy, but otherwise informal enough to wear jeans and sneakers.

Go for lunch, where you can comfortably introduce kids to new dishes and exciting flavors. (Watch their Instagram videos and you’ll see what I mean). The best part? For 27 euros, you can get a starter, main and dessert with modest portion sizes that carry a fundamentally French message: moins et mieux — eat less, but better. Think succulent lamb breast with puréed potatoes and braised carrots. Think Saint-Jacques scallops sautéed in a hard cidre jus, served with sunchokes and black lime. For dessert, roasted apples with chantilly cream and caramel. Everyone leaves happy, but not stuffed. It’s an unsubtle life lesson on how to eat.

La Cuisine Paris | Best Cooking Class

80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004

It would be a shame to go to this culinary capital and not try your hand in the kitchen. Yes, this may be as touristy as a guided tour to the Louvre, but it’s also a fantastic on-ramp to French cooking, regardless of your age or skill level. La Cuisine Paris offers food tours, group cooking classes and private classes in English. (It’s necessary to book a private lesson if anyone in your group is younger than 13). Don’t let that put you off. These guides can not only teach you how to make amazing dishes that turn into fun, sit-down luncheons or dinner party experiences — but they can also take you shopping beforehand. That means you’re getting a tour of the best cheese shops, butchers, and produce purveyors that real Parisian cooks trust. For us, that meant running around Ile Saint-Louis taking a lot of pictures of cheese. Now, I can proudly say that my at-home repertoire includes a beautiful coquelet rôti (roast chicken) with roast vegetables, onion jam, and an almond cream tart. No translation needed for the five year old. She gives me five stars.

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