The best cheap eats in Paris: our ultimate guide for 2026

In their makeshift shop, Juliette Stive and Maxime de Bollivier cook up a Reunionese meal of the families (hence the name, Fami), originally from the island in the Indian Ocean. The starter-main-dessert menu at €15.50 comes with a pair of juicy, chicken-kaffir lime samosas and a mouthwatering bowl of sausage rougail. And for dessert, we gobble up a small coconut-lime cabbage, bright and fresh. It's one of the cheapest lunch menus in Belleville.

Address: 39 bis rue de Tourtille, 75020, Paris (20th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Wednesday from noon-2.30pm, and 7pm-10.30pm; Thursday to Saturday from noon-2.30pm; closed Sunday to Tuesday

Expect to pay: €3 for starters, €6.50-16 for mains, and €3.50 for desserts 

Since Pierre Moussié took over management in 2023, he's been able to cut costs without cutting quality at Chez Jeannette. Surrounded by the neighborhood's creatives exchanging ideas and construction workers on a break, hungry workers of all walks come for the mayonnaise eggs and celery remoulade, the languid pork cheek on polenta and the little choux pastries with lemon verbena cream. What a way to end a lunch break. 

Address: 47 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010, Paris (10th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8am-2am; Sunday from 9am-2am

Expect to pay: Around €4.50 for starters, €9 for mains, and €3 for desserts

This unassuming little shack in the heart of Belleville has cheerful staff, seriously good steamed buns and fried snacks, with everyone squeezed around three plastic tables, mostly chatting away in Chinese. Best Tofu’s menu is a photocopied sheet of paper, but what you’ll find is seriously tasty, often veggie and ridiculously cheap prices – and by cheap, we mean just about nothing over €3. Think pork-stuffed steamed savoury vegetable pancake, salty sticky rice cake and more. 

Time Out tip: Best Tofu opens as early as breakfast time – where you can dip a child’s-arm-sized doughnut into a mug of soy milk coffee.

Address: 9 Boulevard de la Villette, 75010, Paris (10th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Friday to Wednesday from 8am-8pm; closed Thursday

Expect to pay: About €5 per person, depending on how hungry you are. It’s a record to beat. 

In a small pop-coloured setting on Boulevard du Montparnasse, this pink diamond has been sparkling since 1971 with the promise of a 100% homemade cuisine that travels through all the provinces of China. Average cost for a meal at Diamant Rose? Normally less than €15 for lunch or dinner, with exquisite cherry tomatoes in fiery mala sauce and burnt mushrooms as sultry appetisers.

Address: 161 Bd du Montparnasse, 75006, Paris (6th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Open daily from 11.45am-2.30pm, and 6.45pm-10.30pm

Expect to pay: €7-9 for starters, €10-20 for mains, €3-9 for sides

Pistil is an all-wood canteen inside the Ménagerie de Verre, a buzzing hub for contemporary dance in Paris. Designed by Matali Crasset and set against stark white concrete walls, this spot has all the makings of a sleek spot for vegetarian lunches, and with seriously affordable prices, to match. Who do we have to thank? Chef Julie Bavant, who once worked at Arpège, before running the reigns, here, and serving an outstanding market-fresh set lunch. All meat-free, yet packed with flavour.

Time Out tip: Pistil is only open for dinner on performance nights at La Ménagerie de Verre. Otherwise, it’s lunch only. 

Address: 12-14 rue Léchevin, 75011 Paris (1st arrondisement)

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, with evening service on performance nights (check its website for details). 

Expect to pay: Arouond €5-12 per plate

Open only on weekends, this no-frills canteen, tucked inside an association for Spanish expats, serves up Galician specialities at proper mates’ rates. This is seriously good, authentic Spanish cuisine. Under buzzing neon lights and the hum of Spanish television, you can tuck into hefty tapas-style plates (there are about 20 to choose from) or go for something heartier – like the Galician-style hake flooded with tomatoes and beans. It’s rustic, filling, and some of the best value around. 

Time Out tip: Be warned – they don’t accept credit cards here. And if you want to try the paella, you have to call a week in advance and order it for at least four people (at €14 per head). 

Address: 91 rue du Ruisseau, 75018, Paris (18th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Thursday from 11am-4pm; Friday to Saturday from noon-10.30pm; and Sunday from noon-4.30pm

Expect to pay: Around €4-13 for tapas 

Will’s Deli is a hardy sandwich spot that puts pastrami on par with Katz’s in New York or Schwartz’s in Montreal. The Benitah family may have come to the game a bit late (2014), but they’re serving up a seriously good Reuben here, loaded with meat, pickles, and melted cheese. The price for the full lunch deal (with a side and drink) can go for just under €20. 

Time Out tip: No fries here. Instead, it’s crispy latkes with either sesame and honey sauce, or roasted vegetables. Trust us, you want this. 

Address: 28 Rue Poissonnière, 75002, Paris (20th arrondisement)

Opening hours: Monday to Tuesday from 11.30am-3.30pm; Wednesday to Saturday from 11.30am-10.30pm;

Expect to pay: €9-15 for sandwiches and plates, €4.50-6 for sides, and €3.50-5 for desserts 

What is it? A tiny Szechuan spot near Paris’s top department stores that’s lost none of its sacred fire since 2018. 

Why we love it: In this cosy little room with a striking mural and three tables of six, you’re seated elbow to elbow with fellow fans of authentic Sichuan cuisine. The menu here is concise, featuring noodle soups (priced between €10-13), topped with meat and dumplings.

Time Out tip: You can adjust the heat from 0 to 3 spice level, but don’t ler your ego decide: even level 1 with have your eyes watering.

Address: 41 rue de Provence, 75009 Paris

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 12-9pm

Expect to pay: Dishes €7.50-11.50, sides €3-6.50 and beer €3

This tiny Szechuan spot near Paris’s top department stores hasn't lost its sizzle since 2018. In a cosy little room with a striking mural and three tables of six, you’re seated elbow to elbow with fellow fans of Miam Miam Cool's authentic Sichuan cuisine. The menu here is concise, featuring noodle soups (priced between €10-13), topped with meat and dumplings.

Time Out tip: You can adjust the heat from 0 to 3 spice level, but don’t ler your ego decide: even level 1 with have your eyes watering.

Address: 41 Rue de Provence, 75009, Paris (9th arrondisement)

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from noon-9pm; closed Sunday

Expect to pay: €7.50-15 for dishes, €3-6.50 for sides and €3-3.50 for drinks