Breakfast in Paris, or , is no longer as petit as it once was. The classic coffee and croissant combo has some serious competition, as the city is home to an ever-growing international buffet of Greek and Hong Kong-inspired cafés, hangover-busting pancake houses, and vegan-friendly meals with a meditative twist. Whether you’re looking to amuse your bouche with blinis and caviar or detox with a green juice, you’ll be spoiled for choice thanks to our list of the best breakfast and brunch spots around the city, from classic crêperies to lavish hotel spreads.
Below, read the guide to the best breakfasts in Paris. Bon appetit. Beloved for their sourdough bread, pastries, and specialty coffee, Ten Belles helped pioneer the city’s new-wave coffee scene, opening just off the Canal Saint Martin in 2012 and later expanding with outposts in the 6th and 11th arrondissements.
Their original location is a tiny, two-story gem that’s packed with regulars in the morning; opt for a take-away café glacé and a sweet treat (think a cinnamon roll made from croissant dough), or a fresh, veggie-packed sandwich on homemade focaccia, best enjoyed along the canal. There’s much to love about Café Méricourt—their cheery green facade, friendly service, specialty brews from French roasters, and brioche-bun breakfast sandwiches have earned a loyal following—but the real draw is their famous shakshuka. (Also, they’re open seven days a week—a rarity in Paris.
) Breakfast here ranges from pastries to pancakes, with lighter options like yogurt and granola topped with figs, stewed apricot, and quince compote, or heartier fare, like green eggs with feta and herbs. Homesick for her native Hong Kong during the pandemic, food photographer Davina Chang set out to bring a taste of her childhood to Paris. Bing Sutt is an ode to the casual coffee and tea houses of Hong Kong, serving up milk tea, silky egg custard tarts, and sweet or savory pineapple buns for breakfast (courtesy of pastry chef Julia Cheung), plus lip-smacking savory dishes like char siu rice (Cantonese-style barbecue pork, bok choy, and a fried egg over rice) for lunch, which is served from noon.
The siren call of a proper Greek frappé is hard to ignore, even amid the general din of the bustling Rue des Martyrs. Yorgo Tloupas’ tiny café and terrace—with its white tiled interior and handful of Aegean blue tables—recently expanded their hours, now serving Mediterranean breakfasts like tomato and feta toast topped with a fried egg, or Greek yogurt drizzled with honey and walnuts. Locals spill out onto the street as the day goes on, smoking and sipping retsina into the evening.
I’m a Breizh Café loyalist. Specializing in sweet and savory buckwheat galettes, Bertrand Larcher’s popular chain is my go-to breakfast spot in Paris. The food, inspired by his childhood in Brittany and love of Japanese culture, is consistent and comforting.
You can’t go wrong with the Complète Oignons: artisanal ham, aged comté, and a sunny-side-up egg layered with cider-caramelized onions. Of the dozen outposts around the city, I find the locations in the Marais or along the Canal Saint Martin to be the most charming. You can’t talk about the evolution of breakfast options in Paris without giving Holybelly its due.
There’s been a perpetual line down the block since this lively, canal-adjacent brunch spot opened in 2013, churning out hangover-curing servings of fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs, and steaming mugs of coffee for locals and travelers alike. Service is warm and the ambiance is familiar—a French diner of sorts, serving brunch from 9 a.m.
until 4 p.m. every day.
Behind the Burgundy façade of this former liquor store in the 11th, you’ll find a cheeky, retro bistro with tiled floors and a cherry-red bar serving up what might be the best brunch in Paris. Superb, seasonally-inspired dishes elevate standard brunch fare to mouthwatering heights—think pumpkin brioche French toast swimming in creme anglaise and studded with kumquats, or eggs benedict with sumac-dusted butternut squash and crispy pancetta. The addictive polenta fries are the star of the show: go for the savory, smoked pepper aioli version, laced with chimichurri and fried rosemary, or snag the special, which is smothered in harissa-drenched whipped feta.
Hiking up hilly Montmartre is one way to work up an appetite—luckily, Hardware Société offers a vibrant, veggie-focused alternative to the surrounding tourist traps. Bircher muesli, baked eggs, and fried brioche stuffed with passionfruit curd are a fitting reward for your morning cardio, while the more indulgent among us can spring for the breakfast blinis with caviar. For breakfast befitting a royal, there’s no place like the Ritz Paris.
The promise of over-the-top opulence lures travelers to this iconic property every Sunday, where €205 earns you entrance to a lavish buffet inspired by French, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisine. A raw bar, sprawling cheese cart, and dazzling display of French pastries are just a small sampling of what’s on offer. While you’re sure to be sated, plan to ride out your mimosa buzz with a bit of (window licking—the French term for window shopping) around the chic Place Vendôme.
If I had to pick one restaurant in Paris to eat at every day, it would be Mokonuts. Breakfast is a simple and comforting ritual in this bright and cozy café, where regulars and in-the-know visitors pop in for crunchy toast with homemade jam, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a chat with owners Moko Hirayama and Omar Koreitem, a Japanese-Lebanese couple whose warmth pervades the open kitchen and tiny, mosaic-tiled space. I’d tell you what to order, but the menu changes daily, and you truly can’t go wrong.
If you’re lucky enough to get a lunch reservation, it’s worth doubling back just to taste Moko’s famous cookies. An all-you-can-eat buffet may not be on your Paris bingo card, but Benoît Castel’s boulangerie in the 20th is an unexpected delight. The lauded pastry chef runs a lively weekend brunch out of an airy open kitchen, dishing up his signature breads with homemade salted butter, plus French classics like roast chicken, quiche, and delectable desserts like clafoutis and lemon tarts.
It’s a great way to try a wide range of French fare without breaking the bank. Escape the city bustle at this Zen-like vegan hideaway, where locally sourced, plant-based dishes are designed to nourish you from the inside out. Tucked inside the yoga-focused HoY Hotel in the 9th, the skylit Mesa de HoY is like a cocoon, decorated in soothing neutral tones and soft woods that are easy on the eyes.
The Latin American-inspired dishes run the gamut from quinoa croissants to mushroom congee, cornflower pancakes, and banana bread drizzled with miso caramel; wash it down with a fresh green juice, charcoal latte, or adaptogen-infused mocktail..
