7 authentic restaurants for a Parisian Mother’s Day
For Mother’s Day, forget the old-fashioned bouquets. This year, treat her to a truly charming Parisian interlude. Iconic terraces, immaculate tablecloths, cascading snails or lobsters in butter dresses… Where can you book a sincere, elegant and 100% Parisian Mother’s Day? Here are our favorites.
Chez Julien, intimacy, charm and history
A veritable Parisian institution with timeless charm, Chez Julien boasts an idyllic, flower-filled setting. The restaurant’s terrace is the ideal place for lunch, brunch or just sipping a cocktail… Especially as it offers 3 completely different atmospheres. While the first terrace overlooks the small pedestrian square on rue des Barres, the second is bathed in sunshine. The ideal option for those who want to fill up on vitamin D! The latest addition is very intimate, promising its 120 guests a quiet, incognito lunch, far from the hustle and bustle of Paris…
📍1 rue du Pont Louis Philippe, 75004
Congrès Maillot: the Parisian brasserie where the art of living is savoured
What is it that makes a restaurant a trusted address, one that you recommend without hesitation, one to which you return with the impression that you’ll never tire of it? Congrès Maillot is just that. A reassuring institution, discreet but essential, which since 1975 has preserved a certain idea of the Parisian brasserie. A plush decor, a seafood bench that would make the ports of Brittany pale. But above all, a solid menu and service that knows its regulars.
📍80 avenue de la Grande Armée, 71017
Magdalena: a festive brasserie with a Belle Epoque feel
Brasserie Magdalena opened its doors in winter 2024 on Place de la Madeleine, on the historic site of Café Pushkin. This new venue offers traditional French bourgeois cuisine. Under the direction of chef Sylvain Bouzard, a team of twenty cooks work to delight you at the table. A menu dedicated to French classics. The menu features emblematic dishes. You’ll find beef bourguignon and sole meunière. But also more sophisticated recipes like linguine with lobster and rack of lamb.
📍16 place de la Madelaine, 75008 France
L’Auberge Dab, the safe bet in Paris
Is it still possible to enjoy a Parisian brasserie without the fuss but with all the codes of chic? With its spectacular seafood bench, elegant decor and cuisine as generous as it is refined, the Auberge Dab has been fulfilling this promise for over 40 years. Facing the Palais des Congrès, this institution founded in 1980 by Gérard Joulie continues to seduce lovers of classic French gastronomy. And without ever giving in to fashion.
📍161 avenue de Malakoff, 75116
La Brasserie des Arts: Paris is rocking!
Those of you who think Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a dull place need not worry. The Brasserie des Arts is the place to spend the night! It’s also the place to eat. The most chic (and scoundrelish) brasserie in Paris. Located on rue Saint-André-des-Arts (as you’d expect), this brasserie draws its inspiration from the cultural history of the area, which has seen the likes of Oscar Wilde, Pablo Picasso and Albert Camus pass through its doors. All of them artists, dreamers and a little bit crazy. Architect Jessica Mille has breathed an Art Deco spirit into the place, with green velvets, glass fixtures and poetic frescoes. The must-have? The heart-shaped chairs specially designed for the space. Named Love, they come in marble and onyx.
📍28 rue Saint André des Arts, 75006
L’Escargot Montorgueil, an institution of excellence for 200 years
L’Escargot Montorgueil has been a Parisian institution since 1832. Located in the heart of the capital, in the lively Rue Montorgueil, this listed restaurant has stood the test of time, retaining its charm and authenticity. Frequented by such illustrious figures as Sarah Bernhardt, Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Dalí, it perpetuates a culinary tradition in which the escargot is king. Its sumptuous decor and generous cuisine make it a must for lovers of traditional French gastronomy.
📍38 rue Montorgueil, 75001
Le Wepler, the legendary 18th-century meeting place
Some places have a soul, others a memory. Le Wepler has both. Leaning against the Place Clichy since 1881, this century-old brasserie has become much more than a simple gourmet address. At the crossroads between Montmartre and Pigalle, it embodies an entire section of Parisian cultural life. From its very beginnings, the Wepler was more than just a drinking establishment: it was an artistic and festive complex. Grill, American bar, dance hall… And above all, an extraordinary clientele. Apollinaire, Picasso, Modigliani and Toulouse-Lautrec all stopped off here. Even Henry Miller set the action of his famous Jours tranquilles à Clichy here.
📍14 place de Clichy, 75018
Also read: La Toile à Versailles: a gastronomic springtime of nuances
