12 must-try locavore restaurants in Paris

Here is a small Parisian restaurant as we like them, with bistro chairs, parquet floors and mouldings, bright but well hidden in a quiet street in the 14th arrondissement, not far from Montparnasse. At the stove, Chef Martin tickles the taste buds by combining classic French cuisine with flavours brought back from his travels. In his bag, nothing but local, fresh and seasonal products. The vegetables are grown in the Ile-de-France, the bread, brioche and cheeses come straight from the stalls of neighbouring traders. It's a treat for less than 40 euros and well worth the Bib Gourmand 2020 awarded by the Michelin Guide.

Bistrotters

"Choosing the finest products and cooking them with humility" is the credo of chef Bruno Verjus, who is not afraid to add: "The way we eat determines the world we live in". Just a stone's throw from the Aligre market, one of the oldest in Paris, his restaurant Table, which has a Michelin star, invites exceptional products from all over France. On the menu, there is no set recipe, but, depending on the season, dishes inspired by the tangy orange of a carrot from Perche, in Normandy, or the rounded shape of a langoustine from Guilvinec, in Brittany. Simply beautiful and good.

Table

Between République and Canal Saint-Martin, this is much more than a restaurant, it is a militant table, claiming a committed cuisine for the benefit of all the "resistants", these producers defenders of a peasant and sustainable agriculture... Here, in a cosy atmosphere, 100% of the products worked on are "sourced". Beef from Limousin, corn from Touraine, clementines from Corsica... From butter to salt, from meat to vegetables, from charcuterie to cheese, you know what you are eating and drinking, where it comes from, who made it and how. A charter details the commitments of the three childhood friends behind the project. Vote for it!

The Resistants

Did you say locavore? Frame Brasserie and its American chef are taking the concept to the extreme by offering produce from their rooftop vegetable garden... facing the Eiffel Tower! On 600 m², fruits and vegetables, aromatic herbs, edible flowers, but also eggs from the henhouse and honey from the beehives rise up in the middle of Paris before reaching the plates... by the stairs. All the more reason to savour the ultra-design and contemporary decor of this brasserie, which, in fine weather, has an outdoor terrace.

Frame brasserie

Don't look for Charlotte! In this charming restaurant in the 9th arrondissement, David and Adrien, two brothers who are passionate about healthy, plant-based and gourmet cuisine, are the only ones in charge. Their motto, "The right product, at the right time, with the right taste and at the right price", guarantees a vegetarian menu, 100% home-made with the closest possible sourcing. The carbon impact of each recipe is even calculated! A carefully thought-out basket of natural flavours that are sublimely talented.

Charlotte's vegetable garden

If Septime is a Parisian restaurant distinguished by a Michelin star and renowned beyond the borders, it is above all for its epicurean creativity, its locavore ethic and the accuracy of its chef Bertrand Grébaud's cooking. Representative of a new generation of naturophiles, his passion for local and seasonal vegetables is beautifully expressed near the Place de la Bastille, in a décor that reflects all the codes of the moment, a workshop atmosphere with a large glass roof, raw wood tables and metal beams. Given the success of the event, you'll just have to make a reservation in advance...

Septime

Just a stone's throw from the Bon Marché, Dupin has changed chef several times but has kept its chic and warm decor, as well as its eco-responsible approach. Fruit and vegetables are bought in the Ile-de-France region, organic waste is processed, water is filtered on site, homemade bread is baked... Chef Nathan Helo and his brigade only cook fresh and local produce. A respect for nature and the French way of life is also reflected in the wine list, which draws exclusively from the vintages of producers who respect their land.

Dupin

A refined Scandinavian-style decor and tables overlooking the large open kitchen. At Caillebotte, you are at the show, just a stone's throw from the Opéra and the Grand Boulevards. The stars of the show are courgettes, carrots, rhubarb, chard, salads, onions, tomatoes or shallots, all 100% local... Everything that grows in Ile-de-France in the course of the seasons is masterfully cooked. To accompany a roast pigeon from the Vendée or a loin of farmhouse pork, you can trust the virtuosity and creativity of Franck Baranger, the chef who also works at Pantruche, in Pigalle.

Caillebotte

Inaugurated in 1904, the Petit Rétro is one of the last true Parisian bistros, to be discovered in the 16th arrondissement. A reference, therefore, and even a historical monument (with typical Art Nouveau tiles!) which does not prevent the place from being at the cutting edge of fine local cuisine, locavore and in tune with the times. The chef only works with the best products from Ile-de-France. The Brie cheese comes from Meaux, the bread from Poujauran and the early vegetables from the best market gardeners around. As for the sorbets, they are signed Pedone, the cream of the ice-cream makers, in the Val de Marne.

For shopping, the Galeries Lafayette is not far away but it would be a shame not to take a gourmet break in this brasserie which claims to be "the first with a locavore trend" in Paris. The place has indeed had a makeover, while keeping its codes, and the new team asserts its desire to cook only sustainable food with products sourced as close as possible, in short circuits and 100% French. On the menu, the hake is from Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Basque Country, and the vegetables are guaranteed to be grown in the field by Christophe Latour, the renowned market gardener of south-west France.

The Braisenville is not only original for its seasonal dishes served in the form of "raciones", a kind of generous tapas. In this restaurant, not far from the Sacré-Coeur, everything is also cooked in a large charcoal oven, a curiosity in Paris. This tasting experience has the good taste of putting in your mouth only products mainly selected from producers and market gardeners in the surroundings of the capital. Asparagus from Argenteuil, potatoes from Maurice Charraire... We love the numerous recipes based on squash and cucurbits. Braised cooking suits them so well!

Braisenville