Top unusual restaurants in Paris

Today in this article, I am sharing a small selection (which I hope to expand later) of Parisian restaurants with unique concepts or located in unusual settings. This might give you some ideas if you want to get off the beaten path or discover places that are out of the ordinary in Paris. Of course, as usual, I will complete my selection as time goes on and as I make new discoveries.

Table of Contents

Lunch like at the Elysée at Maison Elysée

The Café de la Maison Elysée, located just across from the “real” Elysée, offers a glimpse behind the scenes of the Élysée with a free museum, a boutique dedicated to the French art of living with products made in France, and finally a café which has been offering a lunch menu since July 2025 featuring quiches by MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) Christophe Haton, which we came to test with my favorite photographer. For dessert, there are exclusive pastries made in the kitchens of the Élysée Palace, based on recipes by the Palace chef Fabrice des Vignes (MOF and Bocuse d’Or). In short, a wonderful way to discover French table art and pretend you are truly at the Elysée in this annex of the Presidency of the Republic!

La Maison Élysée menu with the French President's coat of arms.

Quiches and salads served at Maison Elysée Paris. A glass of drink.

Bright interior of the Maison Elysée Paris restaurant with colorful stained glass on the ceiling and seated guests.

Colorful pastry at Maison Elysée on a plate, unusual lunch in Paris context.

Woman enjoying a pastry at Maison Elysée, Paris.

Signage: The Maison Élysée Museum with an arrow pointing left.

Decorated desk in a luxurious room at Maison Elysée with Paris 2024 flags.

Maison Élysée uniform, French and European flags, in a display case.

Maison Élysée souvenir shop with teddy bear, "The Elysée Palace" book, and merchandise.

Tested in 2025 - Invitation

Maison Elysée
88 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris
Price: quiche + salad formula 18€ / quiche + salad + pastry of the day + espresso + iced tea (which we had) 30€

Dinner in an Orient Express carriage at Le Wagon Bleu restaurant

Le Wagon Bleu is a restaurant set in an authentic 1925 Orient Express carriage saved from destruction. A true journey back in time for an unusual dinner in the 17th arrondissement. Regarding the food, the address offers generous, family-style Corsican cuisine such as Buglidice, fresh goat cheese fritters (10 €), or Storzapretti, brocciu balls gratinated with Corsican tomme (11 €). To accompany all this, there is also a lovely selection of wines from the Island of Beauty. For the main course, we tried the pulled pork with figs cooked at low temperature (23 €) and these pasta carbonara (19 €) with bulagna (pork cheek), which I found truly super tasty. For dessert, we opted for indulgence once again with this chestnut fondant (9 €) with a nice gooey center. In short, a lovely timeless evening perfect for a romantic dinner.

Interior of Le Wagon Bleu restaurant in Paris with guests.

Wagon Bleu Paris restaurant interior with Étoile du Nord posters, set tables.

Bottle of San Michele Corse-Sartène 2023 wine held in hand.

Golden table lamp in the ambiance of Le Wagon Bleu restaurant Paris.

Cozy interior of Le Wagon Bleu restaurant train carriage at night.

Creamy rice fritters or arancini shared, served on a decorative plate.

Smiling woman eating pasta at the unusual Wagon Bleu restaurant in Paris.

Le Wagon Bleu restaurant in Paris, night, yellow lighting on the sign.

Le Wagon Bleu restaurant in Paris at night with luminous sign.

Art deco poster Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée: Calvi Beach, Corsica, at Le Wagon Bleu restaurant.

Fondant chocolate moelleux eaten with a spoon with a scoop of ice cream.

Tested in 2025 - Invitation

Le Wagon Bleu
7 rue Boursault, 75017 Paris
Price: starters and shared plates between 9€ and 19€ / main courses between 19€ and 24€ / desserts 9€ / glass of wine between 6€ and 8.50€
Link to the restaurant’s website

Lunch in a bookstore/restaurant at L’Inaperçu

Today I’m taking you to discover L’Inaperçu, a restaurant-bookstore located in the Marais which skillfully blends art, photography, and bistronomy. On one side, the place offers a magnificent bookstore dedicated to contemporary photography that features rare works. On the other side, there is a bistronomic restaurant headed by chef Javier Oliva, who offers fine, creative cuisine that is as visually beautiful as it is flavorful. We tested the address’s lunch menu, which is a real culinary bargain with a starter / main course / dessert formula for 29€ – at that level, it’s a very good value for money.

Rolls of 35mm photo film from Kodak, Ilford, and Fujifilm for L'Inaperçu restaurant Paris.

Woman reading in the concept store/restaurant L'Inaperçu, curated by Jérôme Prochianstz.

Art books and catalogs displayed in the L'Inaperçu Paris concept store.

Shelves illuminated with art books and catalogs in the L'Inaperçu Paris restaurant/bookstore.

Interior of the unusual L'Inaperçu restaurant-bookstore in Paris.

Fish ceviche with shoots and flowers, served in an unusual Parisian restaurant.

L'Inaperçu Paris restaurant interior with marble tables and pink velvet chairs.

Tasting gastronomic dishes and wine at L'Inaperçu Paris.

Gastronomic meal at L'Inaperçu Paris: fish, meat, and wines.

Chocolate moelleux, English cream, whipped cream, and decorative leaves at L'Inaperçu restaurant.

Woman reading a "Berenice Abbott" book at the restaurant-bookstore L'Inaperçu Paris.

L'Inaperçu, an unusual café restaurant bookstore in Paris, with a black facade.

Interior of the unusual restaurant L'Inaperçu Paris with marble tables and pink velvet chairs.

Tested in 2025 - Invitation

L’Inaperçu
65 rue Beaubourg 75003 Paris
Price: lunch formulas (which change regularly) with starter + main + dessert 29€ / starter + main or main + dessert 23€
Link to the address’s website

Dinner and stand-up at the Fridge Comedy Club

This Comedy Club is the one by Kev Adams. Open since May 2020, it features 3 different humor shows from Tuesday to Sunday with various comedians. You can discover more than 100 artists, both beginners and established. There is also a creative cocktail bar and a speak-easy restaurant offering a complete gastronomic experience. You can specifically book an evening to test their “Dinner-Shows” with a program featuring a cocktail experience, a dinner in the establishment’s restaurant, and a Fridge Comedy Night stand-up show (a lineup supported by confirmed talents, stars, or future stars of French-speaking stand-up).

Table for two in the Art Deco decor of the Fridge Comedy Club Paris.

Two cocktails, one yellow with rosemary and one red with fruits, at the Fridge Comedy Club Paris.

Parisian terrace with blue tables and rattan chairs, view of the restaurant interior.

Fried chicken, roasted potatoes, sauce, and drink at the Fridge Comedy Club Paris.

Gourmet hummus with mushrooms and herbs, and rosemary cocktail, Fridge Comedy Club.

Gastronomic dishes and cocktails at the Fridge Comedy Club Paris.

Exterior of the Fridge Comedy Club restaurant in Paris with guests in the evening.

Two smiling women in the blue ambiance of the Fridge Comedy Club Paris.

Tested in 2024 - Invitation

Fridge Comedy Club
164 Rue St Denis, 75002 Paris
Link to the address’s website

Have a gastronomic meal on a bus with Bus Toqué

I’m taking you for a ride and a gustatory experience in Paris aboard the Bus Toqué “Saint-Germain 1920“, the new route for this gastronomic bus that takes you for a Parisian ride while enjoying a gastronomic meal! This unusual restaurant offers a magnificent view of Paris, set on the top floor of a double-decker imperial bus. You can enjoy the view of the capital without seeing the traffic, a bit like having your “head in the clouds”. On the plate, Bus Toqué Paris puts French cuisine at the heart of its offer with quality products, collaborating with renowned artisans like Eric Lefebvre, MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) cheesemonger, or Mathieu Mandard, French dessert champion.

Bus Toqué Paris gastronomic restaurant on a bus: The best located table in Paris.

Seasonal green soup decorated with shoots and olive oil at Bus Toqué Paris.

Bus Toqué, unusual gastronomic restaurant in Paris, welcoming guests.

Unusual dinner aboard the Bus Toqué in Paris with panoramic view.

Ceviche dish on a blue plate, garnished with red filaments, Bus Toqué Paris.

Woman eating a gastronomic dish aboard the Bus Toqué in Paris.

Bus Toqué Restaurant in front of the illuminated Eiffel Tower at night.

Bus Toqué Paris dinner, woman talking at table with nocturnal view of a busy street.

Gastronomic dinner at night in the Bus Toqué in Paris.

Assortment of cheeses, jam, and salad on a slate at Bus Toqué.

Dessert on a rectangular plate presented by a person during the Bus Toqué.

Bus Toqué Paris
Rates: starting from 70€ per person / Paris by night 5-course menu starting from 110€ per person
Link to the Bus Toqué website

Eating in a kimono at Kibo No Ki

This restaurant located next to the Place de la Madeleine in Paris specializes in ramen and pokebowl. I particularly liked the total immersion into the kawaii and Japanese manga universe of this address (with a playlist to match). In fact, as a customer of the restaurant, you can borrow a kimono for the meal for free and eat in traditional Japanese attire, which is quite fun. One of the restaurant’s waitresses helps you put on the kimono and adjusts the accessories (the knot in the back, for example).

For a starter, we tasted the classic octopus takoyaki (6.95€ for 6 pieces). As for ramen, the restaurant offers Tonkotsu ramen with a pork broth or Paitan ramen with a chicken broth. For vegetarians (and others too), you can also compose your own custom ramen (13.50€ for the classic version and 16.50€ for the Deluxe version) with all the ingredients. For dessert, the restaurant offers pastries (mochi and dorayaki between 6€ and 6.50€) from the Tomo house, which I have already told you about on the blog.

Kibo No Ki Japanese restaurant interior with Maneki Neko and kimonos.

Colorful Japanese clothes (kimonos) for sale at Kibo No Ki in Paris.

Giant Maneki Neko and Daruma at KIBONOKI, with Japanese screens.

Woman in a kimono eating ramen noodles with chopsticks at Kibo No Ki.

Wall decoration of traditional Japanese parasols with floral and landscape patterns.

Smiling woman in a kimono in front of Japanese parasols, Kibo No Ki Paris.

Woman in a beige kimono with floral patterns and a red obi in a Japanese restaurant.

Restaurant Kibo No Ki
14 Rue Vignon, 75009 Paris
Link to the restaurant’s website

Eating in a gaming club at Club Pierre Charron

The restaurant La Salle à Manger is located in the heart of the Club de jeux Pierre Charron, right next to the Champs-Élysées. Finding this address is a matter for insiders. No sign on the beautiful Haussmann facade: this Game Club wants to be discreet. To enter the Club Pierre Charron, you must make a membership card (free) and present your ID. Once this first formality is completed, you can enter the gaming lounges of this Parisian club.

In a room slightly isolated from the hustle and bustle of the games, you will discover a gastronomic enclave nestled in a classy and intimate setting. And a very pleasant surprise: on the plate, you will find generous cuisine (the house’s clientele is predominantly male and enjoys good food) and it is quite well-executed.

To taste: the tuna tartare and spicy guacamole (18€); the small artichoke risotto (14€); the miso-glazed salmon with fragrant rice (29€); the seared tuna with salad and rice (31€); for dessert, don’t miss the thin apple tart which is super successful (12€) or even the French toast (12€) for those with a big appetite.

Thick piece of seared fish topped with fresh herbs, in white bowl.

Bourgogne Côte d'Or Les Remparts 2019 red wine on unusual restaurant table.

Tuna and avocado tartare on a white plate held by hands.

Gastronomic dinner with red wine, white wine, salmon, and rice.

Chic Paris restaurant interior with set tables and blue velvet armchairs.

Table set in a chic restaurant with oriental wallpaper and velvet chairs.

Tarte Tatin and vanilla ice cream on a white tablecloth, unusual restaurant Paris.

Club Pierre Charron
62 Rue Pierre Charron, 75008 Paris
Link to the restaurant’s website

Eating on a barge/theater on the Seine at La Nouvelle Seine

La Nouvelle Seine is a barge/theater, installed at the foot of Notre-Dame de Paris. This address is at once a performance hall, a bar, and a restaurant offering culinary residencies that change every month with itinerant chefs. In April 2023, we discovered the duo of Kimono chefs there, who offer incredible cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian inspirations. On the program: crunchy soy asparagus, sea bream with shiso, or chimichurri lamb chops. Everything was truly delicious and we really fell in love with it from appetizer to dessert. A surprising address that offers a great concept and a sharp selection of chefs.

I also went back in November 2023 with my friend Julie to discover the culinary residency of Big Bertha (until December 31, 2023). In the kitchen, there is also a brigade composed of chefs Muriel Aublet-Cuvelier and Gaël Marques.

La Nouvelle Seine Comedy Club Paris neon with cactus and white pebbles.

Dinner on the barge theater La Nouvelle Seine in Paris with a view of the Seine.

Bright interior of the La Nouvelle Seine barge-theater on the Seine with guests.

Colorful gastronomic dish with herbs, spices, and white balls in a white bowl.

Dinner on a barge at La Nouvelle Seine with a woman holding a glass of champagne.

La Nouvelle Seine restaurant on the Seine with exterior view.

Rack of lamb in a spice crust on a plate, Nouvelle Seine gastronomic dish.

Dessert on a wooden board at La Nouvelle Seine, Paris.

Smiling employees in front of the "La Nouvelle Seine" neon sign in Paris.

La Nouvelle Seine
On the banks, facing 3 Quai de Montebello, 75005 Paris
Price: formulas with starter + main or main + dessert 45€ / starter + main + dessert 55€
link to the address’s website

Eating to the tune of opera at Bel Canto

The concept of Bel Canto restaurants is original: it aims to bring Opera to your table. During an ordinary dinner, instead of recorded background music, young lyrical singers who graduated from conservatories come to offer us beautiful moments from famous Operas (Rigoletto, The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, Mozart’s Magic Flute, etc.).

Every evening, a different quartet of singers performs these great Opera arias, and they are also accompanied live on the piano by a young musician. In total, a troupe of 80 singers and pianists take turns according to their schedules at the 3 Bel Canto addresses. Indeed, there are 2 Bel Canto restaurants in total, one in Paris (the one we tested and which is the birthplace of the concept) and one in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Interior of Bel Canto restaurant: set tables, displayed opera dress, red ambiance.

Dinner at Bel Canto restaurant, red interior with woman at table.

Lyrical singer performing during a dinner, Nicolas Diolez.

Red and black lampshade with geometric pattern, lyrical dinner ambiance.

Bel Canto menu for lyrical dinners on table set with glasses.

Chocolate and raspberry profiteroles, Bel Canto dessert.

Bel Canto menu for Lyrical Dinners, viewed through a glass.

Bel Canto Paris
72, quai de l’Hôtel de Ville 75004 Paris
every evening from 8 pm
link to the restaurants’ website

Eating like at your grandmother’s at Mamie Bidoche

Mamie Bidoche is a table d’hôte restaurant located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Here, the concept is to eat by sharing your dishes with your neighbors, just like grandma’s! And on top of that, the vintage, even kitschy, decor immerses us completely in that era (be sure to look up at the ceiling so as not to miss all the unusual side of the decor).

We started by tasting the house cocktails (we took a detox non-alcoholic one and a genepi sour) which are very good. Then we tested the organic egg with Comté cheese and mushrooms, and it was very comforting and cheesy; we followed with the parsley-garnished veal (I think we took the last plate of the service). As for the dishes, it was beef chuck cooked for 15 hours with parsnips and Vendée poultry with mushroom cream, always with good products from small producers. For dessert, we were tempted by a tonka bean crème brûlée.

Exterior of the Mamie Bidoche restaurant with a covered terrace and turquoise awning.

Mussels and clams with parsley sauce served on a plate at Mamie Bidoche Paris.

Runny egg served with a spoon in a ramekin at the unusual Mamie Bidoche restaurant.

Woman drinking two cocktails with wooden straws at Mamie Bidoche.

Interior of the unusual Mamie Bidoche restaurant with kitsch decorations and overturned chairs.

Piece of beef with sauce, fries, and a glass of red wine at Mamie Bidoche.

Meal at Mamie Bidoche Paris, woman enjoying red wine with dishes.

Homemade fries served in a terracotta bowl, hand grabbing a fry.

Menu of the unusual restaurant Mamie Bidoche in Paris with cutlery and glasses.

Roasted root vegetables, carrot and parsnip, served on a white plate at Mamie Bidoche.

Chicken with mushrooms and cream cut at Mamie Bidoche Paris.

Mamie Bidoche
16 Rue de Candie, 75011 Paris
Link to the restaurant’s website

Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan and Nicolas Diolez
Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use

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