The Best French Onion Soup in Paris (And the Tourist Trap to Avoid)

In this video we go on a mission to find the best French onion soup in Paris. We try five very different bowls, from an iconic classic and the cheapest one we could find to a high-end version and a tourist trap, and rate each one: once in a lifetime, excellent, good, average or bad. If you are visiting in the colder months, this will help you pick where to order it.

The five bowls

  • The iconic one, Au Pied de Cochon: the historic restaurant near Les Halles famous for serving around the clock. Lots of bread and an onion broth, but salty and not very flavorful. Average to good, at 11.50 euros when we filmed.
  • The cheapest one, Le Louchébem: a butchers’ restaurant near Saint-Eustache. Light, buttery and topped with crispy croutons rather than one big slice of bread. Excellent, and the price makes it a no-brainer.
  • The classic in a modern setting near Place des Vosges: a rich beef broth with good, stringy cheese, served with aligot, the cheesy mashed potatoes. Excellent.
  • The most expensive one, in a fancy restaurant: deep flavor, a lovely texture and plenty of onions. Excellent, if you want a high-end lunch.
  • The tourist trap, a red-awning cafe near Shakespeare and Company and Rue de la Huchette: greasy, salty, with little flavor and soft untoasted bread. Our advice: keep walking.

What makes a good onion soup

Look for a flavorful broth, real pieces of onion, toasted bread and good-quality cheese like Gruyère that blends into the soup rather than sitting on top as grease. Antoine also shares that in France, onion soup is a humble dish people traditionally eat late at night at the end of a party, which is why it tastes best on a cold day rather than in August.

Our verdict

Our favorites were the cheapest bowl and the classic served with aligot. Being near a monument does not make a place bad, but if the terrace has a big red awning and no French diners, look elsewhere.

For more places we trust, see our 125 best restaurants in Paris guide. To taste French classics with a local, book the Devour food tour, or learn to cook them in one of these Paris cooking classes. Our Paris Guide Bundle covers the rest of your trip.