Beef Bourguignon Recommendations in Paris

It’s going to be harder to find this dish in the places that do a good job in May. This is considered a winter dish in France and they kind of believe in eating with the seasons and so a lot of places don’t make it in May. One that I believe will and has a very good one in my opinion is Café de Musee . It’s different in that it has a mashed potatoes but we really enjoyed it.

Another option that I have not tried, but is on my list for a future visit is Au Bourguignon du Marais

Here's a recent discussion of the merits of a couple of different restaurants' beef bourguignon

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/paris-josephine-chez-dumonet-question

You might check with Les Frenchies on YouTube. They have current food/restaurant reviews and have pretty good taste.

We were in Paris mid April of last year. The beef bourguignon at Cafe Varenne was so delicious! Make a reservation. I don't know if it was a menu regular or evening or season special though.

the best we have had is at Chez Dumonet, Josephine. We have had it at a half dozen places and theirs is consistently superior. You can order a half serving which is ample for most people. I used to order a full serving when dining with my husband and son so they could try out other menu items like the steak or the duck -- but a half order is two big hunks of beef and plenty of noodles, adequate for most.

Be sure to try their grand marnier souffle for dessert if you plan to eat there.

At many places we had beef bourguignon, the dish was just beef stew without the depth and richness you expect of this dish.

I've enjoyed the dish at Au Bourguignon du Marais, http://aubourguignondumarais.fr/?utm_source=gmb.

FWIW. we thought the Boeuf Bourguignon at Bourguignon Marais was very poor -- beef stew at best. Tastes can differ -- but it was the worst we had in Paris.

The traditional beef bourguignon, originally a simple dish, has become fashionable among tourists, and every restaurant feels obliged to offer it on its menu.

I recently ate beef bourguignon in a restaurant that was prepared with cuts of Angus beef, even though there's no need for such meat in a beef bourguignon; it was only to justify its price. It was tasteless, and the one I cook with cheap cuts of meat, as is traditional, is much better.

I'm eagerly awaiting the trend for "Pot au feu," another traditional French beef dish, to replace beef bourguignon.

If you want to be ahead of the trend, eat a real pot au feu instead ! (even better when served with gribiche sauce).

https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/where-to-eat-in-paris/restaurant/guides/324075-where-to-eat-a-good-pot-au-feu-in-paris-our-best-addresses

cheriew,
I am with Jolui on this regarding pot-au-feu. I love both that and bouef bourgignon, but have had some that were so-so. Do enjoy your beef bourgignon when you find a good place to have it, but...........
Even better than these two dishes is something you will find in Toulouse or Carcassone areas, mostly in the winter, but well-worth seeking out.....cassoulet! Far more complex. Not the same (meats are different), but oh my!, what a treat! I have tried on occasion to recreate it in the states, and have found the correct ingredients, but still haven't achieved success. If you get a chance to try it (probably not in Paris, but in southwest France), I hope you do (and hope it is a good one).
Have a wonderful trip!

Fortunately, in the southwest, we have the Brotherhood of Valorous Knights of Cassoulet to defend this dish and fight against the commercial ambitions of restaurants that take advantage of the latest trends and cook poorly executed copies. :))

https://www.confrerieducassoulet.com/

Actually, the best I ever had was a restaurant out by the Bercy Arena. I have no idea what the name of this place was, but I walked in there that morning to have a pastry on my way to an event and then the stuff smelled so good I came back for lunch. It was delicious.

To Jolui...Vive la confrerie!

Speaking of

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/business/inflation-europe-france-beef-bourguignon.html

It's a bit funny to see this article in the NY Times where Gerard Joulie, the owner of Bouillon Chartier, complains about inflation when he's never had such success with tourists from all over the world, and despite a difficult 2020 due to Covid, his restaurant has doubled its profits since 2017 to reach €1 million.

The average price of a rib-eye steak was €24 in 2017 and €29 in 2024 (and the cuts of meat used for beef bourguignon are much cheaper). This is far from the increase he's complaining about.

I read that NY Times article while I was in France week before last -- funnily enough the day after a late lunch at Bouillon Pigalle where my husband had the bœuf bourguignon. I thought it was awful and he thought it was mediocre which is basically awful for anyone else. Definitely worse than the one I had last year and we actually wondered during the lunch why the meat was so lowquality and why there was so much pasta on the plate. We read the article and were like well that explains it.

My vote for boeuf bourguignon goes to Le P'Tit Troquet on the rue de l'Exposition (off rue de Grenelle) in the 7th. Restaurant has the great atmosphere of a "traditional" Parisian bistro. Moderately priced.