12 Super Affordable Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Paris
When you think of a Michelin-starred restaurant, you also think of an empty bank account. Lunch at such a highly acclaimed restaurant simply costs a fortune. Good news: it really doesn’t always have to be that way. In Paris, for example, you can enjoy an incredibly affordable meal at many starred restaurants. A study by Chef’s Pencil shows the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. Here are the top 12.
Even better news if you’re going to Paris in the coming weeks for the Olympic Games: many of these restaurants still have availability. Book now, while these Parisian gems are known around the world!
1. Benoit
The cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris for lunch is Benoit. You pay just €32 for a starred lunch there. That’s practically nothing, right? Benoit could easily be the setting for a scene in hit series Emily in Paris —and as it happens, one of the characters is also called Benoit. With wine-red awnings, dark wooden furniture and white tablecloths, the restaurant has a romantic and historic character. The menu might include pork pâté en croûte with pickled vegetables. Délicieux.
20 Rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris, benoit-paris.com
2. Quinsou
Chef Antonin Bonnet is at the helm of Quinsou. He has an inventive approach and loves working with local, fresh ingredients. What can you expect? Duck pâté en croûte with Armagnac, delicate amontillado jelly and tamarind spices, for example. Add another dish from the lunch menu and you’ll pay just €40.
33 Rue de l’Abbé Grégoire, 75006 Paris, quinsourestaurant.fr
3. Auguste
Restaurant Auguste is a refined place where you can immerse yourself in the elegance of Paris. The restaurant has a popular lunch menu, offering impressive creations with a local twist for €47. And that’s three courses! For example, choose the catch of the day, straight from the French coast.
54 Rue de Bourgogne, 75007 Paris, restaurantauguste.fr
4. Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire
If you love fish, you should book a table at Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire. Their menu is packed with it—including at lunchtime. For €48, you can have a main course from the lunch menu. Add a starter or dessert and the total comes to €59. Culinary indulgence really doesn’t have to be unaffordable.
6 Rue de Saint-Simon, 75007 Paris, restaurantgaya.com
5. La Scène Thélème
A main course and dessert for €49 at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris? It’s possible, at La Scène Thélème. If that hasn’t surprised you already, just wait until you see what you’re served. Almost too beautiful to eat, with all those colorful flowers and herbs as finishing touches.
18 Rue Troyon, 75017 Paris, lascenetheleme.fr
6. LOUIS
It gets even better. For just €51, LOUIS—the restaurant of star chef Stephane Pitre—serves a three-course menu. Yes, really. The chef takes you on a culinary journey to his roots in Brittany. The ocean’s bounty plays a leading role. A journey that’s not only deliciously surprising and surprisingly delicious, but affordable too.
23 Rue de la Victoire, 75009 Paris, stephanepitre.fr
7. Frédéric Simonin
Just a few streets from the Arc de Triomphe you’ll find Frédéric Simonin, the restaurant of the eponymous star chef. For €55, you can indulge in his culinary works of art. Works, indeed, because for that price you get two dishes. Think, for example, of a tomato and oregano tartlet with jelly, coriander cream and green mustard sorbet. You have to come up with that.
25 Rue Bayen, 75017 Paris, fredericsimonin.com
8. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Étoile
Joël Robuchon has several restaurants around the world. There is one in Paris too, on the Champs-Elysées, no less. Yet it hasn’t gone to his head, and you can still have a very affordable lunch there. A lunch menu with an amuse-bouche, starter, main course and dessert costs just €52. And you’re also sitting on the Champs-Elysées. A bargain, right?
133 Avenue Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, atelier-robuchon-etoile.com
9. Contraste
Restaurant Contraste in Paris is incredibly fancy. It’s like dining in a small ballroom, with elegant wall moldings, gigantic chandeliers and velvet curtains. They’re a starred restaurant and they want you to know it. Yet that doesn’t show on the bill. A lunch menu costs just €55 here, and you even get three courses.
18 Rue Anjou, 75008 Paris, contraste.paris
10. Alan Geaam
Lebanese chef Alan Geaam isn’t afraid to experiment with textures, flavors, colors and unusual presentations. His daring approach earned his restaurant Alan Geaam a Michelin star. You can taste his talent for cooking and creating in his affordable lunch menu, with starter, main course and dessert, for just €58. Tip: the Arc de Triomphe is within crawling distance of the restaurant.
19 Rue Lauriston, 75016 Paris, alangeaam.fr
11. Tomy & Co
At Tomy & Co, there’s no frills or fuss. What they do serve are absolutely fantastic flavors. You can sample them during lunch. For €59, you get a starter and main course or a main course and dessert. During the Olympic Games, there’s even a special menu, available to order until August 10 at the latest. A little preview: roasted sea bream with zucchini blossom, confit tomatoes and preserved lemon.
22 Rue Surcouf, 75007 Paris, tomygousset.com
12. Fleur de Pavé
Fleur de Pavé is a popular Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris. It has been recommended in many magazines, including the famous Vogue. And—of course, at least equally famous—here on FavorFlav. Why is it so popular? Because chef Sylvain Sendra knows how to create exceptional dishes. Rustic yet refined: it’s simply impressive. You can get a four-course menu (!) there for just €59. But note: this only applies on weekdays and not during holiday periods.
5 Rue Paul Lelong, 75002 Paris, fleurdepave.com
P.S. Did you know that the Netherlands also has plenty of affordable Michelin-starred restaurants? So you don’t necessarily have to go to Paris—although, of course, there’s always a reason to head that way. Like the Olympic Games right now.
Also read:
- It’s been researched: a Michelin star ruins restaurant reviews
- Mais non! French fries banned during the Olympic Games in Paris
- A non-alcoholic beer after exercising: does it actually help with your recovery?
Source and image: Chef’s Pencil
