Montparnasse has been famous for ages for its restaurants and bars. It was the place for dancing, singing, drinking, show and parties. It’s still a very goof place for eating and drinking. But there are soooo many restaurants… I’ve been living in this area for many years and I can recommend the best of the best around there.
Classic French restaurants in Montparnasse:
N°1 classic pick: La Coupole (102 Bd du Montparnasse), an iconic Art Deco brasserie. Frequented by famous artists and writers, it’s the perfect spot for a photo with its stunningly preserved 1920s decor. La Coupole was a popular haunt for writers ansd artists during the 1920s. A very good place to have a classical (and good) French meal at a correct price (40 to 50€ per person with one dish, a dessert and a glass of wine).
Maison Edgar (232 boulevard Raspail) offers very classical French bistrot cuisine, with a very pleasant terrace in Spring + Summer. French fries are delicious and breakfast is nice too. A great place to work of for meeting during the day too (you can meet me there from times to times in front of my computer).
Le Boa (127 boulevard du Montparnasse) : very nice restaurant and bar with a good amiance thanks to its many students. You can spot sometimes some singers, actresses or writers (many have their kids in Ecole Alsacienne, a famous private school nearby). I love their desserts. Perfect for work meetings (I live very close so you can spot me there sometimes as well). Very nice terrace, though sometimes a bit noisy.
Petit Bouillon Vavin (119 boulevard du Montparnasse), a cheap but good adresse to eat great French cuisine classics at affordable prices. Passes the dessert test without a hitch (chocolate mousse not too sweet and good texture). My favourite dessert here is île flottante (baked eggwhite on custard).
Le Petit Josselin (59 rue du Montparnasse) and Chez Jeanne (58 rue du Montparnasse) are the best crêperies. A crêperie is a restaurant for crêpes (French thin pancakes). A delicacy from Britanny, coming in two versions: salted or sweet. Salted version is made with buckwheat flour (with little or no gluten, according to the recipe) and you can have many different toppings. My favourite is complete with cheese, ham and egg. As for sweet ones, try the chocolate crepe, the salted caramel cream (wonderful), or the simple crêpe au beurre salé (with only butter and sugar) which is the simplest one (and the best from my point of view).
Bistronomy restaurants in Montparnasse:
N°1 bistronomy pick : La Table des copains (16 rue de la grande chaumière), a creative restaurant, in a pleasant atmosphere. Don’t miss profiteroles au chocolat, a very very good dessert with its puff pastry filled with ice cream and covered with hot chocolate sauce.
Les Deux cigales (8 Rue Bréa), a small but delicious restaurant, perfect for children with a tasty kids menu. Don’t miss the wonderful tataki de thon (tuna tataki) and the burger.
Les Fauves (33 boulevard Edgar Quinet), just in front of Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse tower), hosts very creative dishes. The best restaurant close to Montparnasse train station, so pretty crowded: arrive early or make a reservation! A bit pricy but really good.
Asian restaurants in Montparnasse:
As a fan of Asian food, I’ve tried pretty much all restaurants in Montparnasse. Here are my best picks…
Chao Sapa (150 boulevard du Montparnasse), a quiet place and pleasant vietnamese food. Their lunch menu is a great value for money. I love their Bo bun.
My Noodles (129 boulevard du Montparnasse) : a small but great Ramen place. They make the noodles on-demand, in front of the entrance. Their nems and ravioli are great too. Lots of taste for ramen lovers.
Sushi Gozen (22 rue Delambre) : a true japanese restaurant with real japanese great food and good quality sushi, sashimi and maki. Most japanese restaurants in Paris are run by Chinese of Vietnamese people, but this one is a true one (the only one in the area). Very, very good. You can also order to take way. They sometimes have wagyu (Japanese tender beef). Sooooo good!
Himalaya (22 rue de la Gaîté) : the best Indian restaurant in the area and maybe one of the bests in Paris. Go for their eggplant curry, butter chicken or chicken tikka massala. Cheese naans are a great treat too there.