Sunday night in Paris can be tough to find a good meal. Almost half of all Paris restaurants close on a Sunday night leaving you with a choice of Room Service or a cheeky burger at the local Quick!
Luckily, there are a few guides that will help you find a great dinner.
Which Restaurants Are Open At Weekends In Paris?
Paris Foodie site ‘Paris by Mouth‘ has a great selection of ideas including everyday dining in Paris, as well as a whole section dedicated to restaurants that are open on Sunday nights.
The list of eateries is broken down by Arrondissement and by which ones you’ll need to book, and which ones you can just rock up to. If you don’t know your arrondissement from your elbow, then try this handy guide.
1er – Louvre, Palais Royale.
2ème – Bourse. (Business District)
3ème – Marais, Picasso Museum.
4ème – Marais, Hôtel de Ville.
5ème – Latin Quarter.
6ème – Saint Germain.
7ème – Eiffel Tower.
8ème – Champs-Elysées.
Number 1 is Place de Concorde and onto Rue Rivoli at the bottom of the Champs Elysee and across the Louvre. Number 2 is the business district so probably not where you’d be on a Sunday night. The last two digits of your hotel’s postcode will indicate the arrondissement. For example, 75008 is eighth.
Paris Restaurant Recommendation…
On our last trip to Paris, we booked – and loved – Restaurant Garnier, opposite Gare St. Lazare in the eighth arrondissement. The restaurant had a beautiful classically Parisienne decor with white tablecloths and shining brass.
Primarily a fish restaurant, we enjoyed a wonderful selection of fresh prawns, scallops and whole fish. As it was a Sunday night in Paris, we were one of a handful of tables but the restaurant still maintained a buzz with attentive service.
I highly recommend a visit.
See also: Where To Dine In Nice, France
Why Are Paris Restaurants Closed On Sunday?
It is very common for a lot of high-end, and some of the most popular eateries in the city to not open their doors on a Sunday. Why? As you would expect, some of the reasons are incredibly understandable…
- Strick workplace laws mean staff can only work so many hours a week, meaning they cannot stay open 7/7.
- It’s the weekend. Both owners and employees enjoy and want the weekend so many won’t open for that reason.
- Some restaurants are small and Sunday’s can be very quiet at time so may choose to remain closed.
- Many parts of Paris have smaller populations than other parts so again may not open due to a lack of custom.
- As other Paris restaurants are closed on a Sunday, others may very well just choose to do the same as the rest of the industry as during the week will be more popular times for all.
Of course, not every single place to eat will be closed so you can still expect to dine out on a Sunday eve, right in the heart of the nation’s capital.
See also: where to dine in Nice, South of France.
