Brunch is the contraction of breakfast, breakfast, and lunch, lunch. This concept was, in its beginnings, reserved for late risers and only on Sundays. Covered in the English press at the very end of the 19th century, brunch then became known in the United States. To retrace his steps in the 80s, Europeans were crazy about all American trends, and the welcome was warm. The French Academy, however, suggests abandoning the word brunch for the term “a large breakfast”, which does not really seem to be popular among the population. It is, moreover, an antagonism of the first order. Isn’t it?
Brunch enters Parisian culture
This gourmet Sunday tradition has spread at great speed in large houses as well as restaurants without forgetting cafes. With the appearance of after-parties in clubs, young people are reconnecting with daytime life at much later times than their elders, who tended to return at dawn from their crazy nocturnal adventures. Parisian restaurants are no exception to the rule. And today, it would be a challenge not to offer a brunch service, which is so convivial with family or friends.
The best days and times for brunch
The custom is to brunch on the weekend, ideally on Saturday and Sunday . Sit on the terrace of a café or in a restaurant around 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. and finish around 3 p.m. With the current success of brunch, it is essential to have a reservation , not only in the restaurants that offer it, but also in the more luxurious houses offering this experience. Particularly in Paris , where the demand for refined and exclusive places continues to grow.
The typical brunch menu
We cannot deny the Anglo-Saxon origin of brunch and if we respect tradition, we will eat toast, scrambled eggs, beans, sausages. It looks a lot like an English breakfast. Obviously, the menu has diversified and the increasingly gourmet menus generally offer avocado toast and salmon tartare with a soft-boiled egg, pancakes, fruit salad, pastries and all the good things that each culture introduces in turn. International brunch or French brunch , you will be amply satisfied.
Where to brunch in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
From the Eiffel Tower to the Quai d’Orsay, from the Pont des Arts to the Invalides, from Faubourg Saint Germain to rue de Varenne, but where should you go on the Left Bank to taste the brunch of the century?
The Eiffel Tower : Brunch at Madame Brasserie, Yes it’s possible.
It’s an irresistible offer: combine a visit to the Eiffel Tower up to its summit and go down to the 1st floor for brunch from 12:30 p.m. on Sunday . It’s Thierry Marx who delights gourmets young and old.
This house with a great name offers you a fairly classic menu: pastries, bakery breads and their jams, cold meats and cheeses. But we compose the rest ourselves: an ultra soft salty waffle with its topping. Do you prefer blue lobster or free-range chicken?
A few surprises still await you in the savory ones, but save room for the sweet buffet. The pastries are to die for. Treat yourself to a gourmet brunch up high with a view of the Seine and the Trocadéro.
THE INSTITUTION: A BRUNCH AT CAFÉ DE FLORE
We move a few meters away from the 7th arrondissement but that’s not really cheating. The Café de Flore is at 172 boulevard Saint-Germain-des-Prés and we cannot honestly ignore this address.
This historic and cultural hotspot in Paris, which saw Apollinaire, Queneau, Simone de Beauvoir, Bardot, Montand and so many others wear out their elbows on the café’s bistro tables, is essential.
Typically Parisian, the brunch will consist of a croque-monsieur or a cheese omelette with, of course, the croissant, the boiled egg… It’s a café but also a restaurant. so they serve brunch every day and you pick what you like from the menu. There is no special brunch formula.
BRUNCH IN A COFFEE SHOP: THE COFFEE CUSTOM
Firstly a coffee bar and therefore ideal for waking up, Coutume café has a coffee shop at 47 rue de Babylone. We’ll go for the tower of pancakes with your choice of topping, complemented by fried eggs with a slice of bacon. We will also enjoy an outdoor terrace for sunny days and of course, we will taste roasted flavors from the four corners of the world.
A BRUNCH MADE IN THE USA: THE ELLIS ISLAND CAFÉ
It’s in the 7th arrondissement (exactly at 5 rue Perronet), but it’s a bit like New York. Moreover, brunches are only served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. As the restaurant is small, make a reservation!
It’s usually a fast food restaurant that transforms on weekends to become the best brunch in Paris , because it’s ultra gourmet.
A la carte: apart from the traditional pancakes, enjoy the bagels, röstis, scrambled eggs with your orange juice and your American coffee.
THE KIDS FRIENDLY BREWERY: THE THOUMIEUX BREWERY
At 79 rue Saint-Dominique, the Thoumieux brasserie offers brunch on its red benches only on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. In a setting that Parisians love, characterized by its little green lamps, there are many families. Because every first Sunday of the month, we welcome the children upstairs for creative workshops. The emphasis is on the dessert buffet, delicious for those with a sweet tooth.
THE BEST BRUNCHES IN PARIS ARE IN THE 7TH ARRONDISSEMENT
The mix of French breakfast with Anglo-Saxon tradition simply results in the best brunches in the world. Healthy or gourmet, your plate will be stamped with the seal of the chefs of Paris, and that is priceless. Visit and brunch or brunch and visit, in the most artistic-chic district of the capital.
