Long lines in Paris

The viral places people queue for, what to get when you reach the front, how long the wait usually is, and how to beat it. Waits are typical, not live.

12 places in Paris · by Chef Amazing · updated October 23, 2026
Photo: dupainetdesidees.com

1. 1

   Bouillon Chartier

   Grands Boulevards

   Get: Eggs mayonnaise, steak frites and profiteroles, at 1896 prices

   A Belle Époque dining room, cheap enough to have a line out the door. Expect: 15 to 45 min at peak times. Beat it: go before 12pm or after 9pm.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
2. 2

   L'As du Fallafel

   Falafel · Le Marais (Rue des Rosiers)

   Get: The falafel special with eggplant

   The Marais falafel line, and fast once you're in it. Expect: 15 to 30 min on weekends. It's closed Saturdays. Beat it: go on a weekday.

   34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004, Paris · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
3. 3

   Maison Louvard

   9th arrondissement

   Get: The crookie (a croissant filled with cookie dough), then a proper croissant

   The bakery that started the crookie craze. Expect: lines at weekend opening. Beat it: go on a weekday morning.

   Also on the list: Paris: what to eat and where.

   11 Rue de Châteaudun, 75009 Paris · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
4. 4

   Cédric Grolet Opéra

   Opéra

   Get: A trompe-l'œil fruit pastry, or the croissant

   Pastries that look like real fruit, and among the most posted in Paris. Expect: an hour or more on weekends. Beat it: pre-order online, or go at weekday opening.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
5. 5

   Le Relais de l'Entrecôte

   Saint-Germain

   Get: The only thing on the menu: steak frites with the green sauce, served twice

   One dish, no bookings, and a line every night. Expect: 30 to 60 min at dinner. No reservations. Beat it: arrive at opening.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
6. 6

   Berthillon

   Ice cream · Île Saint-Louis

   Get: Salted caramel or wild strawberry sorbet

   Paris's classic ice cream. Expect: lines on warm afternoons. Beat it: go before lunch. It closes in late summer.

   Critics: Read Time Out Paris, Food Network.

   The crowd: 4.5 of 5 on Yelp (814 ratings).

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
7. 7

   Du Pain et des Idées

   Bakery · Canal Saint-Martin

   Get: The escargot pistache-chocolat and the pain des amis

   A pastry shop whose pistachio swirl is on everyone's list. Expect: 20 to 30 min on weekday mornings, closed weekends. Beat it: go at 7am on a weekday.

   Critics: 85% liked it, from 4 reviews (2011 to 2018). Gone quiet: nothing new written in three years. Read Time Out Paris (French) 2018, The Infatuation, Time Out Paris, Saveur 2011.

   The crowd: 4.5 of 5 on Yelp (537 ratings).

   Also on these lists: Breakfast and sandwiches in Paris, The best croissant au beurre in Paris.

   34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
8. 8

   Breizh Café

   Le Marais

   Get: A buckwheat galette complète and a salted butter caramel crêpe

   The crêpe place that showed Paris what a great galette can be. Expect: 30 to 60 min without a booking. Beat it: book a day or two ahead.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
9. 9

   Pink Mamma

   Pigalle

   Get: The truffle pasta and the steak, on the top floor

   The Big Mamma group's most photographed restaurant. Expect: 1 to 2 hours without a booking. Beat it: book exactly when the slots open, or queue before 6:30pm.

   20bis Rue de Douai · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
10. 10

    Bouillon Pigalle

    Pigalle

    Get: Egg mayonnaise, steak frites and profiteroles

    A modern bouillon with old-school prices. Expect: 30 to 45 min at peak. Beat it: go at 11:30am or after 10pm.

    22 Boulevard de Clichy · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
11. 11

    Boulangerie Utopie

    Oberkampf

    Get: The black sesame éclair and the baguette

    A bakery known for creative pastry and very good bread. Expect: 15 to 30 min on weekends. Beat it: go on a weekday.

    Also on these lists: The best croissant au beurre in Paris, Where locals eat in Paris.

    20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
12. 12

    Miznon

    Israeli street food · Le Marais

    Get: The whole roasted cauliflower and the beef bourguignon pita

    Eyal Shani's Tel Aviv pita shop on rue des Écouffes. Expect: 15 to 30 min at lunch. Beat it: go after 2pm.

    22 Rue des Écouffes · Map · Add to Chef Amazing