Travel Journal

6 of the Best Places to Eat in Paris’s 6th Arrondissement

©Brass

From morning bread runs to classic Parisian brasseries, Italian dinners and cocktails in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, these are six addresses we currently love in Paris’s 6th arrondissement.

September 1, 2026

There are some parts of Paris that we return to constantly, and the 6th arrondissement is certainly one of them. We spend a lot of time here, whether meeting friends for lunch, shopping around Saint-Germain, looking through galleries and antique shops, or simply walking from one appointment to the next.

And naturally, we have accumulated quite a few favourite places to eat along the way.

The 6th has no shortage of famous cafés and restaurants, but for this guide we wanted to share a mix of addresses we genuinely enjoy and would happily recommend to friends visiting Paris. There is somewhere for a good loaf of bread in the morning, a casual glass of wine and a few plates at the counter, classic French brasseries, Italian food and, because this is Paris, somewhere particularly good for a cocktail before dinner.

©Cravan

Cravan

For cocktails, and much more, on Boulevard Saint-Germain

Cravan is probably the most unexpected address on this list. Set inside a 17th-century building at 165 Boulevard Saint-Germain, the Maison stretches over four floors, with three different cocktail bars and a Rizzoli bookshop. The interiors were designed by Ramy Fischler, who took inspiration from the building itself as well as the literary history of Saint-Germain.

We would come primarily for the cocktails, but it is also a very good address to know for lunch. The current menu includes dishes such as a lobster roll, sando, roast chicken and fregola risotto, alongside a proper cocktail list and some very good non-alcoholic options.

It feels very Parisian but not remotely old-fashioned, a good choice when you want somewhere a little more contemporary without leaving Saint-Germain.

165 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

©Brass

Brass

A new-generation Parisian brasserie

Just a few minutes away at the Carrefour Mabillon is Brass, a brasserie that takes all the things we love about the traditional Parisian version, banquettes, mirrors, a proper bar, a terrace and long lunches, and gives them a more contemporary setting.

The interiors were designed by Dorothée Meilichzon, with mosaics, caramel-toned woodwork, velvet and a piano in the main dining room. It is open every day from midday until 2am, which also makes it an extremely useful address to have saved when your Paris schedule doesn’t quite fit traditional French dining hours.

We particularly like Brass when meeting friends in Saint-Germain: central, lively and easy, but still special enough to make a lunch or dinner feel like an occasion.

131 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

©Poilâne

Poilâne

For one of Paris’s great loaves of bread

Not every food address needs to involve sitting down for a meal.

The original Poilâne bakery on rue du Cherche-Midi has been here since 1932 and remains one of those places we think everyone should visit at least once. This is still the heart of the family business, with its distinctive brick façade and breads, biscuits and bakery pastries made around the wood-fired oven.

Of course, the sourdough loaf is the reason most people come. If you’re staying in an apartment in Paris, pick one up to take home with good butter and cheese. We also rarely leave without a packet of their little butter biscuits.

It is a very simple pleasure, but also a very French one.

8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris

©Le Petit Lutetia

Le Petit Lutetia

For a proper Left Bank brasserie

When what you want is a classic Parisian brasserie, Le Petit Lutetia is a very good answer.

The dining room on rue de Sèvres has retained its gilded mouldings and painted frescoes for more than 40 years, and the menu stays firmly rooted in generous French brasserie cooking.

This is somewhere to order the classics. Depending on the season and menu, that might mean sole meunière, chicken with morels, frog legs, smoked salmon or profiteroles.

We like it because it gives you that unmistakably Parisian brasserie experience without needing to cross the river, particularly useful after an afternoon around Le Bon Marché, which is just nearby.

107 Rue de Sèvres, 75006 Paris

©Cherry

Cherry

For an evening that starts with dinner and continues at the bar

Cherry is a newer addition to our Saint-Germain address book and quite different from the classic French restaurants on this list.

Hidden on rue du Sabot, it combines Italian-American cooking with a cosy, slightly New York-inspired dining room and cocktail bar. Think dark wood, velvet, low lighting and a distinctly evening atmosphere. The restaurant opens every night from 7pm.

We’d save this one for dinner rather than lunch, particularly if you want to stay for a drink afterwards. The bar serves classics including Dirty Martinis, Negronis and Old Fashioneds alongside signature cocktails, with antipasti if you only want something small to eat.

It isn’t traditional Saint-Germain, and that’s precisely why we like having it on the list.

1 Rue du Sabot, 75006 Paris

©Localino

Localino

Our Italian stop near Odéon

Finally, when we want a break from French food, we head to Localino.

Tucked away on rue de l’Odéon, its name translates roughly as “little restaurant” in Italian. The interiors by Rodaa Studio are intimate and warm, with a marble counter in the first room and a cosier second dining room beyond.

Pasta is the reason to come. The menu changes, but the cooking stays rooted in straightforward Italian flavours, accompanied by a wine list that moves between France and Italy.

It’s exactly the sort of neighbourhood address we like to have up our sleeve: small, good-looking without trying too hard, and an easy recommendation when a friend asks us where to have Italian food around Odéon.

10 Rue de l’Odéon, 75006 Paris