It’s not easy to get a table at Parcelles — one of the hottest bistros in the Marais. They’re closed on weekends and dinner reservations are snapped up weeks in advance. It’s best known for an excellent wine list, but the cooking more than holds its own. Worth the detour? Absolutely.
Go out of your way Impeccable bistro cooking and a Burgundy list to get lost in. Book weeks ahead. Service & Ambiance
The dining room is effortlessly Parisian cool — a lovely blend of its long-standing bistro past (including a beautiful central copper bar) and more modern industrial accents.
The crowd skews English-speaking, mostly in-the-know American, British and Japanese diners — don’t expect to be rubbing shoulders with locals here.
Service is relaxed, friendly yet smart and very attentive. Warm and professional without the starched Michelin stuffiness. Our sommelier kept our glasses filled throughout the meal without ever needing to be prompted.
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Note for my American readers — there’s no AC installed here. Open windows at the front and rear of the restaurant create a cross flow, which meant it was more than manageable during the hot early evening.
The Wine List at Parcelles
The wine list at Parcelles deserves a review of its own. It’s a thick ring-binder of a thing, heavily weighted towards small growers working organically or naturally, and it reads like a who’s who of the new Burgundy.
Alongside established names like Simon Bize and Prieuré Roch in Savigny-lès-Beaune, you’ll find the micro-négoce darlings Chanterêves and rising stars like Marthe Henry and Bastian Wolber, whose Hautes Côtes de Beaune bottlings offer proper Burgundian pinot without the Grand Cru price tag.
There are trophies too (a Ladoix from Arnaud Ente at 901€ raised an eyebrow), but most of the list sits in the 60–150€ range, which for wines of this quality in Paris is more than fair.
We went for a 2023 Bourgogne blanc from Lamy-Caillat at 55€. The sommelier joked it was a “generic Burgundy”, knowing full well it was anything but: classic buttery Burgundian chardonnay, yet crisp with a lovely streak of minerality.
When the entry-level bottles are this good, you know the list has been put together with care. My only warning is that the good stuff goes fast. Plenty of bottles on my visit were crossed out, so have a second choice ready.
If a serious wine list is your thing, you’re spoilt for choice in this city — here are my favourite wine bars in Paris.
The Food: What I Ate at Parcelles
We kicked off with a terrine or pressé of beef cheek, veal sweetbreads and pistachios (€19), which was superb — served slightly cooler than room temperature. The depth of flavour was remarkable and the seasoning spot on. A sign of good things to come.
This was followed by a rather excellent pissaladière (€24), the caramelised onion and anchovy tart from the south of France. Rare to see in Paris, and probably the best I’ve tried to date. The balance of sweetness and savoury umami from the anchovies was impressive, topped with a tranche of mi-cuit sea bass and garnished with fennel fronds and a citrus gel. Again, another relatively humble dish elevated to a different league.
For the mains we went for one of the mainstays on their menu — veal sweetbreads with pomme purée (€45). The sweetbreads were cooked perfectly: blushing pink and moist on the inside, lovely and caramelised on the outside after being pan roasted in, I’d imagine, a lot of foaming butter. Naturally the dish was finished with a slick veal jus. Delicious.
Their seasonal variation of roasted Challans duck (€39) with aubergine, fig and chicory was beautifully executed. The textures married perfectly with the crispy-skinned duck breast, finished again with their excellent jus.
We finished with a refreshing strawberry sorbet topped with a tarragon-infused yoghurt espuma (€13). A lovely light end to the meal on what was a very warm evening.
My only slight criticism would be that the buttery pomme purée that comes with the sweetbreads is inevitably filling, whereas the duck dish is much lighter. You’ll of course mop up the rest of the delicious jus with bread, but there was a definite imbalance between the two mains in terms of carbs.
Is Parcelles Worth It? My Take
It’s hard to fault the food at Parcelles. The cuisson was impeccable throughout, the presentation precise, the seasoning judged perfectly and the execution of the dishes close to flawless. They blend French classics with modern refinement and some subtle world influences to an impressive degree.
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It’s not Michelin star fine dining, but it doesn’t pretend to be, and the price point reflects that. Would I return? Absolutely. Book way in advance and splurge on the wine — you won’t regret it.
If you’re after more restaurants serving up French classics, these are my favourite bistros in Paris
I paid for this meal in full — no freebie, no press invite. This review is entirely independent.What to know before you visit
- Closed on weekends; open Monday to Friday
- Dinner reservations go weeks in advance — book as early as you can
- No air conditioning — fine on most evenings thanks to the cross breeze, but worth knowing in a heatwave
- Have a second (and third) wine choice ready — popular bottles sell out fast
- Starters around €19–24, mains €39–45, desserts around €13
Address: 13 Rue Chapon, 75003
Website: parcelles-paris.fr
