A local’s guide to secret places to eat in Paris for delicious pastries and tasty coffee drinks – bakeries and cafes in Paris you’ve never heard of before!
Paris is a city I like to call my home every now and then; when I’m not living in London or Rome, Paris is my place, my turf, a labyrinth in which I feel at ease.
And what I do, when I’m not shopping or looking for new secret gardens and other colorful alleys, is eat.
A lot.
Some time ago, I shared with you a few favorite, non touristy restaurants that’ll fill up your belly nicely in no time.
Today, I wanted to share some more bakeries, pastry shops and cafes that make for otherwise secret places to eat in Paris – if you’re visiting Paris in the fall, these feel-good spots are must-visits.
Hidden Flavors: 5 Secret Places to Eat in Paris You’ll Love
A few of the cafes/bakeries mentioned in this guide are places I’ve been buying from or eating at for years now, and others I’ve discovered over the summer, when I moved back to Paris for a few months.
The great news is, we’re straying a bit from famous areas like Le Marais neighborhood (although you’ll find lots of great, authentic food there!) and making our way to lesser-known places.
For instance, the Pyrénées area in the 20th arrondissement is one filled with small coffee shops and really cute bakeries, in addition to housing some of Paris’ most secret villages.
Around Montmartre, Montparnasse and Montgallet, near Reuilly-Diderot, is where we’ll be heading today, in search of gorgeous places to eat in Paris that you might never have seen before!
Secret Places to Eat in Paris: Lili’s Brownies, Rue du Dragon
Not that far from either Montparnasse station nor Saint Germain des Prés is located a tiny, tiny coffee shop on Rue du Dragon: Lili’s Brownies.
With only two or three tables, the highlight of this company born in 1991 is their loaf cake, made with all-natural ingredients and so tasty you can’t believe your tastebuds every time you sink your teeth into a generous slice.
The recipes, designed by Lili, Philadelphia born and raised, are inspired by her grandmother and brought all the way to Paris, where all the cakes are still baked decades after.
The banana walnut loaf cake is my favorite, but plain chocolate comes right after, and for a different kind of sweet treat, the lemon poppy loaf cake tastes lighter, tangier, and just as delicious.
Read: The Most Secret Gardens in Paris
Secret Places to Eat in Paris: Maison Baddache, Pyrénées
Near the Pyrénées metro station, in the lively 20th arrondissement is located a branch of Maison Baddache – the other branch tickles the Jaurès station in the 19th arrondissement.
Fresh baguettes and delicious French pastries are to be found there, from the classic éclair to the religieuse and even some recipes you won’t find anywhere else in town.
With about 5/6 tables on the terrace, Maison Baddache makes for a great spot for people-watching, and it’s located to not one, but two of the most secret alleys of Paris: colorful Rue du Retrait and the dreamy Passage des Soupirs.
Read: Floral Paris: Pretty Places in Paris From Spring to Fall
Secret Places to Eat in Paris: Le Toit Rooftop, Pyrénées
Located atop La Bellevilloise, Le Toit is a secret rooftop just a few minutes’ walk from the aforementioned Maison Baddache, and a place that feels amazing if you’re visiting Paris in the spring or the fall.
That is, in the early days of fall, when the sun still caresses your skin nicely and you’d like to get straight views of Paris and its main landmark: the Eiffel Tower.
Le Toit is the only place here that is not a bakery or a coffee shop; it’s more of a cafe/bar/restaurant open from Wednesdays to Sundays from the afternoon to midnight most days.
If you would like to get a nice little dinner or snack, the kitchen opens from 6.30 pm, and cooks up delicious roasted sardines, stracciatella di bufala along with homemade focaccia, and a really nice beetroot hummus.
Read: The Best Free Things to Do in Paris
Secret Places to Eat in Paris: Adria’s Bakery, Montgallet
As there are few American bakeries in Paris, one can easily understand my surprise the first time I came across Adria’s Bakery near the Montgallet and Reuilly-Diderot metro stations.
California-born Adria Adams, after internships in some of the poshest restaurants in the world (Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel…), opened her own bakery in a lively street of the 12th arrondissement.
The takeway bakery is so small you can easily miss it when walking past it, and that would be a shame: the carrot cake is rich and oh, so tasty, the cupcakes are mere perfection, and the pecan pie bars offer pure North American goodness.
Read: The Most Instagrammable Places in Paris
Secret Places to Eat in Paris: Les Petits Mitrons, Montmartre
If Rue Lepic in the Montmartre area is filled with gorgeous shops and beautiful houses, it is also filled with small bakeries and cafes I love writing at.
The Lux Bar is one such cafe, with colorful tile artwork representing past-era scenes of men and women in old-fashioned outfits.
But there’s a bakery on Rue Lepic, opened in 1974, that is also very much worth both time and budget: Les Petits Mitrons.
With its bright blue and yellow shopfront, this really tiny bakery offers everything locals and tourists love about French treats: croissants, pains au chocolat, palmiers, sweet and savory pies, and even small food gifts to bring back home.
Read: 16 Beautiful Places in Paris to Visit For Photos and Views
Hidden Flavors: 5 Secret Places to Eat in Paris You’ll Love
If you’ve never been to Paris – and even if you have, it seems like every corner of the city might house some secret food spots, and that’s true.
I’ve never seen as many bakeries and cafes in Paris than I did when I lived there over the summer, and unlike many cities, almost all the places I’ve eaten at in town were just, literally, incredible.
If you’re ever looking for more classic, famous bakeries, another spot – not secret – to visit would also be Stohrer, on Rue Montorgueil.
Not only are you close to some bustling shopping areas, like Châtelet and Le Marais, but everything from their macarons to homemade Paris-Brest is undescribably tasty.