Paris is renowned for its culinary scene, and one of the most iconic dishes of French cuisine is steak frites. From cozy bistros to upscale brasseries, the city boasts a plethora of restaurants offering this classic dish. But with so many options, it can be difficult to know where to go for the best steak frites in Paris.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the city’s top spots for this mouth-watering dish, sharing our favorite places to indulge in perfectly cooked steak and crispy golden fries. A select few of the restaurants on our list of best steak frites restaurants in Paris even have Eiffel Tower views.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler to Paris, you won’t want to miss out on these unforgettable dining experiences. So join us as we explore the best steak frites in Paris and discover the true essence of French cuisine.
How to Order Steak Frites in Paris
Understanding the different cuts of steak
When ordering steak frites in Paris, it’s essential to understand the difference between each cut of meat on the menu. The most popular cuts of steak that you will find in restaurants in Paris are as follows:
- Entrecôte – Referred to by North Americans as a boneless ribeye, the Entrecôte has the most intense flavour of all steaks. It also has a great deal of fat which may be unappealing to some people.
- Faux Filet/Contre–Filet – Faux Filets, also called Contre–Filets, are similar to the North American sirloin steak. They offer a lovely rich flavour with a great deal of fat.
- Filet Minion – Filet Minion is a mildly flavoured steak with a soft buttery texture. It is typically the most expensive cut of beef on the menu.
- Rump steak – Flavourful and tender, rump steak is a fairly inexpensive cut of steak.
- Skirt steak – Skirt steak is one of the cheapest cuts of steak yet it is still quite flavourful.
- Flank steak – Flank steak is flavourful, although chewier than other cuts of steak.
- Onglet – Known as hangar steak by North Americans, Onglet is rich and tender. It was the original steak used to prepare steak frites in France.
Ordering a perfectly cooked steak
When placing an order for steak frites in Paris it’s essential to know how you would like your steak cooked. Chances are, if you ask for it prepared “moyen” or medium, you will be sorely disappointed. Familiarize yourself with these terms so the chef knows exactly how you want your steak cooked.
- Bleu – Bleu refers to a steak that is extremely rare, almost raw.
- Saignant – In North America, saignant would be comparable to rare.
- À Point – Meaning “just right,” steaks cooked à point are less than medium-rare, but not quite rare.
- Entre à Point et Bien Cuit – Ordering a steak entre à point et bien cuit would resemble a North American steak cooked medium.
- Bien Cuit – Bien cuit, meaning close to well done, and très bien cuit translating into “very well done,” will most likely result in a leatherlike steak sure to ruin any meal.
Choosing a portion size
Restaurant menus in Paris occasionally list different portion sizes for their steaks. Faux filets and flank steaks are generally 8–10 ounces, while more delicate cuts like filet minion are usually in the 6-ounce range. For reference, an 8-ounce steak equals half a pound of meat.
What about the sauce?
Certain restaurants in Paris serve steak frites with sauce. The most popular ones are béarnaise sauce (a creamy herb sauce), bordelaise sauce (a tangy red wine sauce) and peppercorn sauce, all of which perfectly complement the rich flavour of the steak.
Le Relais de l’Entrecôte
3 Locations (see below)
Steakhouse
Cost: €21-40
The Relais de l’Entrecôte owes its reputation to a unique formula: a green salad with walnuts, followed by an extra-tender beef tenderloin and its famous secret sauce accompanied by delicious homemade matchstick potatoes. Source: http://www.relaisentrecote.fr/
15 Rue Marbeuf (8th Arr.) +33 1 49 52 07 17
Hours: Monday – Friday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday 12 pm – 2:45 pm and 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Line 9 – Alma – Marceau, or Line 1 – George V
20 Rue Saint-Benoit (6th Arr.) +33 1 45 49 16 00
Hours: Monday – Friday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday 12 pm – 2:45 pm and 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 4 – Saint-Germain-des-Pres
101 Bld du Montparnasse (6th Arr.) +33 1 46 33 82 82
Hours: Monday – Friday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday 12 pm – 2:45 pm and 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 4 – Vavin
Le Bistrot Paul Bert
18, rue Paul Bert (11th Arr.) +33 1 43 72 24 01
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Their menu is torn straight out of the classic bistro playbook, with options like steak frites, andouillette, soufflé and tarte Tatin. Compared to many other bistros, Paul Bert shines bright because of superb ingredient sourcing and careful cooking. Owner Bertrand Auboyneau is a real wine lover and supporter of vignerons, and his list is a joy to drink from. Source: parisbymouth.com/
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12 pm – 2 pm and 7:30 pm – 11 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 8 – Faidherbe-Chaligny, or Line 9 or 11 – Charonne
Au Bœuf Couronné
188, avenue Jean Jaures (19th Arr.) +33 1 42 39 44 44
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Entirely renovated in 2016, Au Bœuf Couronné has been known since the beginning of the 1930s for the excellence of its meats and its vast array of sizes and cuts. Its fantastic location across from Parc de la Villette and the Zénith concert halls and the Music and Philharmonic Concert Centre of Paris, make it a must for fine dining. Source: www.boeuf-couronne.com/en
Hours: Daily 12 pm – 3 pm and 6:30 pm – 12 am
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 5 – Porte de Pantin
La Bourse et la Vie
12, rue Vivienne (2nd Arr.) +33 1 42 60 08 83
French Restaurant
Cost: €35-53
This bistro run by an American chef is a runaway success. The recipe? Very French dishes, which the chef tweaks slightly, quality ingredients, and flavours that hit the bull’s eye. Source: www.viamichelin.com/
Hours: Monday – Friday 10 am – 3 pm and 7 pm – 10 pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Line 3 – Bourse
Café du Commerce
51, rue du Commerce (15th Arr.) +33 1 45 75 03 27
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Unique in Paris, the Café du Commerce welcomes you along its 3 floors decorated with plants and open to the sky of Paris. The Café du commerce serves excellent, traditional cuisine, with a selection of authentic recipes for you to discover including their poireau vinaigrette (leeks in vinaigrette), oeuf mayonnaise (eggs and mayonnaise) and of course, their exceptional beef from Limousin. Sources: www.lecafeducommerce.comen.parisinfo.com
Hours: Monday – Friday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7 pm – 12 am
Saturday – Sunday 12 pm – 3 pm and 7 pm – 12 am
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 10 – Emile Zola, or Lines 6 or 8 – La Motte Piquet Grenelle or Commerce
La Maison de l’Aubrac
37, rue de Marbeuf (8th Arr.) +33 1 43 59 05 14.
Steakhouse
Cost: €21-40
Since 1997 Christian Valette, a beef cattle farmer in Laguiole, has run this showcase for Aubrac produce, just off the Champs-Élysées. His delicious cuts of beef, cooked in every way (carpaccio, tartare, burger), are served with aligot (Aubrac’s cheesy mashed potato specialty) and good wines from Languedoc or Roussillon. Source: www.viamichelin.com/
Hours: Sunday – Tuesday 12 pm – 1 am
Wednesday – Thursday 12 pm – 7 am
Friday – Saturday 12 pm – 8 am
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Lines 1 or 9 – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Le Voltaire
27, quai Voltaire (7th Arr.) +33 1 42 61 17 49
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
With its perfect riverside setting, the Voltaire might be just another tourist-led Parisian bistro, but past the velvet curtains, after maître d’ Antoine has escorted you to one of the cozy tables, you realize that this is a genuinely chic spot whose regulars treat it like a private club – at lunch, many of the ladies were greeted by a kiss on the hand. From a delicate nibble to a serious feed, Le Voltaire caters to everyone. Source: www.timeout.com/
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Line 12 – Rue du Bac
RER C – Musée d’Orsay
Robert et Louise
64 rue Vieille du Temple (4th Arr.) +33 1 42 78 55 89
Steakhouse
Cost: €21-40
This authentic tavern, with its open fireplace crackling merrily and bare rustic furniture, reconnects us with our carnivorous, hunting instincts and our taste buds go wild. Your hosts offer the tastiest grilled beef ribs, cooked on the fire (for 2/3 people), a hearty black pudding, delicious goose rillettes, and duck breasts are cooked to perfection, tender and delicately scented. Source: http://www.parismarais.com/
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 7 pm – 11 pm
Saturday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7pm – 11 pm
Sunday 12 pm – 11pm
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Line 8 – Saint Sébastien-Froissart or Lines 1, 9 or 11 – Hôtel de Ville
Sacrée Fleur
50 rue de Clignancourt (18th Arr.) +33 1 42 51 66 18
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Sacrée fleur is a restaurant of traditional cuisine, located at the foot of Montmartre. The menu always focuses on fresh produce, quality meats, and gourmet desserts. Source: http://sacreefleur.e-monsite.com/
Hours: Monday – Friday 11:45 am – 2 pm and 7 pm – 10 pm
Saturday 7 pm – 10 pm
Closed Sunday
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 4 – Château Rouge
L’Entrecôte de Paris
29 rue de Marignan (8th Arr.) +33 1 42 25 28 60
Steakhouse
Cost: €21-40
Armand Champvert, the founder of L’Entrecôte de Paris, invented this well-known sauce more than 30 years ago. Made up of 17 ingredients, his recipe remains a well-kept secret. Famous all over Paris, this delicious and tasty sauce with succulent meats is the delight of the gourmet. http://www.lentrecotedeparis.fr/
Hours: Daily 11:30 am – 12:30 am
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Lines 1 or 9 – Franklin. D. Rosevelt
L’Aller Retour
5 rue Charles-François Dupuis (3rd Arr.) +33 1 42 78 01 21
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Located a few steps from the Carreau du Temple, L’Aller Retour has for some time already proved its worth against lovers of good meat. Recognized for the quality of its barbac and its fine wine list, this intimate restaurant is a delight for gourmets who are fond of good drinks and avid for fresh and authentic products. Source: www.lebonbon.fr/
Hours: Monday – Friday 12 pm – 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm – 12:30 am
Saturday – Sunday 7:30 pm – 12:30 am
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Lines 3, 5, 8, 9 or 11 – Republic
Santa Carne
3 Boulevard Richard Lenoir (11th Arr.) +33 1 42 72 03 07
Argentinian Restaurant
Cost: €29-50
Imagine the best meat in the world prepared in the purest Argentine tradition and accommodated with all the French culinary excellence. At the Santa Carne restaurant, the menu gives pride of place to the wines of Latin America. The meat comes from Argentina, is cooked with charcoal and prepared on a parrilla. Source: www.restaurantsantacarne.fr/
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 7:30 pm – 11 pm
Friday – Saturday 7:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 5 – Bréguet – Sabin, or Lines 1, 5 or 8 – Bastille
Café des Musées
49 Rue de Turenne (3rd Arr.) +33 1 42 72 96 17
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Founded in 1924, the place has kept the heritage of the Parisian cafés of the 30s, with its mosaic, wood panelling, and open kitchen that offers a unique view of the work of chefs in the kitchen. The menu offers a traditional and homemade bistro cuisine, from fresh products directly imported from selected artisans.
Source: https://www.lecafedesmusees.fr/
Hours: Monday – Thursday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7 pm – 10:30 pm
Friday – Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm and 7 pm – 11 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 8 – Chemin Vert
Anahi
49 rue Volta (3rd Arr.) +33 1 83 81 38 00
Argentinian Restaurant
Cost: €35-60
Since it opened, this restaurant has been the place to eat in the Haut Marais area. The meats, grilled over hot coals and seasoned with an excellent herby marinade, are exceptional. In the 1920s the premises was a butcher’s, and the stunning Art Deco glass ceiling and period ceramic tiles hark back to that time. Source: www.viamichelin.com/
Hours: Friday – Sunday 7 pm – 11:30 pm
Sunday – Thursday 7 pm – 11 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 3 – Temple, or Lines 3, or 11 – Arts et Metiers
Atelier Vivanda
3 Locations (see below)
Steakhouse
Cost: €35-50
Owned by Two Michelin Star Chef Akrame Benallal, Atelier Vivanda is the perfect restaurant for meat lovers. Atelier Vivanda is a casual French restaurant with signature dishes like Presillé Black Angus and Sliced Smoked Beef Matured 50 days. Source: www.openrice.com/
18 rue Lauriston (16th Arr.) +33 1 40 67 10 00
Hours: Monday – Friday 12 pm- 3 pm and 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Line 6 – Kléber
20, rue du Cherche Midi (6th Arr.) +33 1 45 44 50 44
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12 pm – 3p m and 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Lines 10 or 12 – Sevres – Babylone, or Line 4 – Saint-Sulpice
82 rue des Archives (3rd Arr.) +33 1 42 71 48 07
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Wheelchair Accessible: No
How to get there: Metro Line 3 – Temple, Line 3 or 11 – Arts des Metiers, or Line 8 – Filles du Calvaire)
Les Grillades de Buenos Aires
54 rue du Montparnasse (14th Arr.) +33 1 43 21 56 74
Argentinian Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
This establishment with refined decor makes your taste buds travel with the flavours of the country. It is the haunt of lovers of good red meats. To raise your steak, let yourself be tempted by the various crudités or fries with parsley. And why not take a herb sauce to accompany your meat? The service and the welcome are up to the flavours of the dishes. The wines are excellent. Source: www.thefork.com/
Hours: Monday 7:30 pm – 11 pm
Tuesday – Friday 12 pm – 2 pm and 7:30 pm – 11 pm
Saturday 12 pm – 3 pm and 7:30 pm – 11 pm
Closed Sunday
Wheelchair Accessible: Partial
How to get there: Metro Line 6 – Edgar Quinet
Le Petit Châtelet
39 rue de la Bûcherie (5th Arr.) +33 1 46 33 53 40
French Restaurant
Cost: €21-40
Le Petit Chatelet is a relaxing place to enjoy rustic and gourmet cuisine. Inside, the room is charming and offers a unique visual treat. On a plate, you are overwhelmed with pleasure with the many lovingly concocted specialties such as crayfish salad with hazelnuts, pan-fried mushrooms with garlic or duck confit, and fried potatoes. A delicious chocolate terrine comes to gently close your meal. Source: www.thefork.com/
Hours: Daily from 12 pm – 2:30 pm and 7 pm – 10:50 pm
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
How to get there: Metro Line 10 – Cluny – La Sorbonne or Line 4 – Saint-Michel
RER B or C – Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame
In conclusion, Paris is a city that offers some of the best culinary experiences in the world, and steak frites is undoubtedly one of its most famous dishes. From the perfectly cooked steak to the crispy golden fries, there’s nothing quite like indulging in a plate of steak frites in one of the city’s top restaurants.
We’ve explored some of the best places to enjoy this classic dish in Paris, from traditional bistros to modern brasseries, and we hope that our recommendations have inspired you to try some of these unforgettable dining experiences. So, if you’re looking for the best steak frites in Paris, be sure to try out some of the places we’ve recommended, and savour the incredible flavours that this Famous French dish has to offer. Bon appétit!
Additional Sources: https://www.tastingtable.com, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/, https://www.mychicagosteak.com/, https://behind-the-french-menu.blogspot.com/,
PIN IT FOR LATER – Best Steak Frites in Paris
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