English
Hipsters are welcome in Paris. After all, we also have ours. We call them bobos (bourgeois-bohemians): same beard, same glasses, same outfit, and same culinary habits. And regardless of whether you are actually a hipster yourself, you will have to admit that our French bobos have good tastes. So let’s follow them in their usual canteens. Here is a list, from a (non-hipster?) local, of the top 5 hip restaurants in Paris.
5.) 1K
Looking for a stylish restaurant? This one is designed for you! The interior decoration is very refined: dark blue walls and orange furniture, amazing lighting, intimate table setting… 1K actually stands for Inca, so the food is Peruvian-fusion. It is beautiful on the plate, and delicious in the mouth: the chef has won a very popular cooking contest. You would better book a table, especially on evenings!
It is quite expensive though… 30 to 40 euros for lunch, 50 for dinner.
13 boulevard du Temple, metro station Filles du Calvaire on line 8.
4.) Dersou
You would not dream of a more appropriate décor for one of our top 5 hip restaurants in Paris: shucked paint on the walls, driftwood bar and flooring, pipes on the ceiling. As for the food, it is vegetable-focused, Asian-inspired, colorful and… delicious. On mornings, it is a coffee shop, serving Cataldi coffees and homemade cakes. At noon, it is the neighborhood’s canteen where you can have a nice soup, rice with a crunchy potato and squash “croquant”, or a Japanese chirachi. And on evenings, it becomes even more interesting with electro pop ambiance and good cocktails.
20 to 30 euros a meal.
21 rue Saint Nicholas, metro station Ledru-Rollin on line 8.
3.) Môm
Opened recently, this trendy restaurant had to be on our list of the top 5 hip restaurants in Paris. It is also a bar-lounge and DJs are present three evenings a week. The indoor/outdoor terrace is very pleasant, but you might need to book a table. The food is all about rediscovering our French culinary traditions: a parmentier de canard (duck with potatoes) or a juicy beef and béarnaise sauce, and then a simple but perfect chocolate cake with Bourbon vanilla ice cream. The 18.5 euros lunch formula is great with the today’s special followed by a gourmet coffee and its little pastries.
4 rue Pierre Demours, metro station Ternes on line 2.
2.) Mama Shelter
This hipster shelter is not second of this top 5 hip restaurants in Paris by accident. You will probably get to see a bunch of beards and plaid shirts there. The décor is ultra trendy: dark paint, chalk graffiti on the ceiling and lots of weird things scattered all over the place. As for the food, the choice is vast: pizzas, salads, but also lots of meat, including a delicious steak tartare. Interesting today’s menu at noon: 21 euros for two dishes, 26 for three. And do I have to say a word about their Big éclair (a typical French dessert, an oblong pastry filled with cream and topped with icing) made with Nutella macaron? Leaves you pensive, hum?
109 rue de Bagnolet, metro station Alexandre Dumas on line 2.
1.) Le Perchoir
Deciding that Le Perchoir would be first of our top 5 hip restaurants in Paris was not easy. I have to say it is quite a controversial place: some love it, some hate it. You have guessed it, I am part of the first category, but there are several things you need to know before you go there. It is not a regular restaurant. As an ultra hip place, there might be a nightclub-looking selection of customers on evenings, so you would better have worked a bit on your outfit, which is a very hipster thing, after all.
Then, it is quite expensive (about 50 euros for the menu), but I personally think it is worth it. Indeed, you are going to pay for at least twothings, the very good food, and the beautiful view, whether you chose to have a sit in the restaurant under the roof, or on the terrace at the very top. And I do not speak about the music and the perfectly hipster décor! In short, if you are interested in having a real hipster, or better, a Parisian bobo moment, you have to go there, otherwise, be prudent.
14 rue Crespin du Gast, metro station Ménilmontant on line 2 or Rue Saint-Maur on line 3.
