Where to Eat Near the Louvre: 8 Spots Worth the Detour (2026)

October 14, 2026

North facade of the Denon Wing & Louvre Pyramid, 1 May 2018

The Louvre takes a whole morning, sometimes a whole day, and you will come out hungry. The good news is that the blocks around it, from the Tuileries to Palais-Royal and the Japanese restaurants of rue Sainte-Anne, are some of the easiest in Paris to eat well in. The trick is knowing which kind of meal you want: a view, a quick bowl of noodles, or a long lunch with a glass of wine.

The short answer: if you want the view, sit on the terrace at Café Marly, under the arcades facing the glass pyramid, or at Loulou, which looks over the Tuileries. If you want a proper meal without the museum crowd, cross to Le Fumoir, opposite the Louvre's east facade. If you want something fast and cheap, walk north to rue Sainte-Anne for a quick Japanese canteen meal at Higuma or to rue Villedo for udon at Kunitoraya. For a slow lunch with wine, book Willi's Wine Bar or Juveniles. For an afternoon break, it's Angelina's hot chocolate on rue de Rivoli.

Where should I eat near the Louvre?

Short answer: pick by the kind of break you want, then by which side of the museum you exit. The eight spots below cover the Rivoli side, the east side, and the streets north of Palais-Royal around Pyramides metro.

1. Café Marly

Where: 93 rue de Rivoli, under the arcades of the Louvre itself, with a terrace facing the pyramid and the Cour Napoléon. What to order: a drink and something light on the terrace, or the red fruit pavlova, the dessert the house is known for. Who it's for: if you love a view more than you care about the plate.

Why: you can't sit any closer to the pyramid. The room inside has Napoleon III style decor by designer Olivier Gagnère, and the menu mixes French classics with international touches. Reviews of the food are mixed and some mention slow service, so the honest move is to come for a coffee or an aperitif at sunset, not a gastronomic lunch. Book ahead if you want a terrace table.

2. Le Fumoir

Where: 6 rue de l'Amiral de Coligny, across from the Louvre's colonnade on the east side, near Louvre-Rivoli metro. What to order: the weekly lunch menu (there's a fish of the day), a classic cocktail at the long wood bar, or the house chocolate terrine. Who it's for: if you love a quiet, grown-up room where you can actually talk after a crowded morning in the galleries.

Why: most people leave the Louvre through the pyramid and never see the east side. Le Fumoir is a bar, restaurant and tearoom with an Art Deco feel and a library where you can borrow a book to read at your table or swap one you've finished. The cooking, led by chef Henrik Andersson, has Scandinavian influences and changes every week, with vegetarian options. Sunday brunch runs from 11:30 am to 3 pm. The bar doesn't take reservations, so it's an easy walk-in for a drink.

3. Loulou

Where: inside the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli, in the west wing of the Louvre palace, with a long terrace onto the Tuileries. What to order: something from the Riviera-style Italian menu; the dishes change, so check the current menu on the official site before you go. Who it's for: if you love Italian food and a garden view, and you're happy to spend a bit more.

Why: Loulou is a Riviera-inspired Italian restaurant with interiors by Joseph Dirand (marble floors, Saarinen Tulip chairs). On a warm day the terrace looks over the Tuileries toward the Louvre's long facades. In spring and summer, ask for the terrace when you book, since it fills first.

4. Angelina

Where: 226 rue de Rivoli, across from the Tuileries, at the west end of the Louvre walk. What to order: the hot chocolate called l'Africain, served with whipped cream on the side, and the Mont-Blanc, meringue with whipped cream and chestnut cream vermicelli. Who it's for: if you love a historic tearoom and a sugar break between museums.

Why: Angelina opened in 1903 as a Belle Époque salon de thé, and Proust and Coco Chanel are among its famous regulars. It is a classic, so treat it as one: the hot chocolate is so thick it's closer to a dessert, and the queue at the door is real. Go on a weekday morning, or get the Mont-Blanc to take away and eat it in the Tuileries.

5. Kunitoraya

Where: 1 rue Villedo, north of Palais-Royal, between the Louvre and the Opéra. What to order: udon, hot or cold depending on the season, with shrimp and vegetable tempura (Kama Tenmori) on the side, or the Katsu Don if you want rice. Who it's for: if you love thick, chewy handmade noodles more than a tablecloth.

Why: Kunitoraya is an udon bistro, and Gault and Millau describes the scene well: a crowd waiting on the sidewalk and small tables facing the street. The udon change with the seasons and come at different temperatures, so this is the place to try cold udon in summer. It's closed on Sundays, and reviewers note you can't always book, so plan for a short wait at peak lunch.

6. Higuma

Where: 32 bis rue Sainte-Anne, near Pyramides metro, on the street Parisians call Little Tokyo. What to order: whatever looks good from the counter menu of Japanese canteen staples; check the current menu before you go. Who it's for: if you love a cheap, fast counter meal and don't mind a line.

Why: Higuma is a no-frills Japanese canteen with an open kitchen and counter seats facing the cooks. There's almost always a queue, but service is quick once you're in. Note that Higuma's other branches on boulevard des Italiens and rue Saint-Honoré have closed, so rue Sainte-Anne is the one to aim for.

7. Juveniles

Where: 47 rue de Richelieu, a short walk from Palais-Royal, near Pyramides metro. What to order: whatever the seasonal bistro menu is that day, with a glass from the French-leaning list. Who it's for: if you love a small, packed wine bar where the people running it are the ones pouring.

Why: Juveniles was co-founded in the 1980s by Tim Johnston and Mark Williamson, the same pair behind Willi's Wine Bar. Today it's run by Johnston's daughter Margaux and her husband Romain, who cooks. It's a dozen or so tables crammed together, a wall of bottles and a small kitchen. Not a place for a quiet date, but a very good place for a long lunch after a long museum morning.

8. Willi's Wine Bar

Where: 13 rue des Petits-Champs, between the Louvre, the Opéra and Palais-Royal. What to order: the bistro menu at lunch, and ask for a glass of something you haven't heard of; the list leans toward interesting, less known wines. Who it's for: if you love wine and a room with a story.

Why: Willi's opened in 1980 and has been a fixture of the neighborhood since. Every year it commissions a new poster from a different artist, and the framed posters on the walls tell the bar's history. It serves lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday and is closed on Sundays. Gault and Millau's 2026 review calls it stylish and inviting with a reasonably priced menu.

Which side of the Louvre should I eat on?

Short answer: match the restaurant to the exit you'll use.

If you leave by...	Walk to	Good for
The pyramid (Cour Napoléon)	Café Marly	A drink with the view
The east side (Colonnade)	Le Fumoir	A proper lunch or cocktail
Rue de Rivoli, heading west	Loulou, Angelina	Garden terrace, hot chocolate
Palais-Royal, heading north	Kunitoraya, Higuma, Juveniles, Willi's	Noodles, a Japanese canteen, wine bars

FAQ

What's a cheap place to eat near the Louvre? Walk north toward Pyramides. Higuma on rue Sainte-Anne is a quick, inexpensive Japanese canteen, and Kunitoraya on rue Villedo is the pick if you want udon.

Where can I eat near the Louvre with a view? Café Marly faces the pyramid from under the arcades. Loulou's terrace looks over the Tuileries.

Do I need a reservation? For Café Marly's terrace, Loulou in spring and summer, and Willi's at dinner, book ahead. Higuma and Kunitoraya work on a queue, and Le Fumoir's bar takes walk-ins.

Is Angelina worth the line? If you love historic tearooms and very thick hot chocolate, yes. If not, take a Mont-Blanc to go and eat it in the Tuileries.