Top 36 Quirky, Weird and Unusual Restaurants In Paris, France
For food lovers seeking quirky and unusually weird restaurants, Paris offers a distinct variety of places to choose from. This list contains exceptional uniquely themed spots with decor that will enchant anyone: cars adorn the ceilings of a bar, while a reverse garden of flowers completely covers that of a café. In one quirky restaurant, you’ll find sand on the floor instead of parquet or a robot autonomously baking a pizza. In another, the decor might indicate normalcy, but insects are served on the menu. For fans of Parisian sceneries: donut-shaped boats and glass buses offering delicate gastronomical options will fulfill your wish. We hope you enjoy these unusual restaurants full of memorable experiences and most original concepts.
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1.la casbah
At La Casbah - the ‘central part of a town’ in Arabic - Moroccan cuisine and Middle Eastern atmosphere meet Parisian twists and turns. With its unusual (for Paris) oriental decor and welcoming staff, this trendy restaurant offers a complete change of scenery to Paris and is sure to immerse you into its ambiance completely. At the end of its service, clients head over to lower level, a sort of basement-turned-hammam-turned-club merging French, American, and Moroccan music from the 80s, turning the place into a party restaurant.
Instagram: @lacasbah.paris
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Thursday to Saturday: 7pm-5am, Wednesday [Couscous Party]: 7pm-2am, Monday and Tuesday: Closed.
District: 11th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 88 33 41 78
2.Bel Canto Paris
Bel Canto - which means beautiful singing in Italian - presents gourmet meals in a typical Parisian-chic restaurant. Since this place is on this uncommon themes list, there’s one particularity: young professional opera singers stroll by the tables, merging flavors of gastronomical experience with lyrical notes. Here, the dining space is also a stage where you’ll savor a delicious meal amidst performances from Don Giovanni to La Flûte Enchantée.
Instagram: @restaurantsbelcanto
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 7:30pm-11:30pm, Monday and Sunday: Closed.
District: 4th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 78 30 18
3.Inoveat
If you’re tired of ordinary everyday food and want to mix it up a notch and enjoy a truly unique culinary experience, chances are Inoveat is what you’re looking for. One must keep an open mind when coming here: on the menu, alongside the typical assortment of ingredients, you’ll also find insects. This environmentally friendly cuisine sees the incorporation of bugs into protein bars, pasta, savory and sweet cookies, and chocolates. While very atypical and uncommon in french cuisine, the dishes are able to maintain a particular elegance due to their stagging and pretty colors as well as their surprisingly delicious aromas and flavors.
Instagram: @restaurant.inoveat
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9:30am-5:30pm, Saturday: 11am-6pm, Sunday: Closed.
District: 2nd Arrondissement
Contact: 01 40 26 41 65
4.Meltdown Paris
Gamers and Geeks gather ye. The Meltdown is a casual gaming bar with access to computers and a multitude of gaming consoles surrounded by Tv screens transmitting the latest Esports tournaments. Here, you can play Mario Kart or World of Warcraft while sipping on a beer surrounded by like-minded people in a warm and festive atmosphere. Gaming competitions occur regularly, so keep an eye out for their upcoming events if there’s a particular contest you would like to partake in.
Instagram: @meltdown_paris
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 6pm-2am, Sunday: 6pm-12am, Monday: Closed
District: 11th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 74 64 98 47
5.BBQ BOAT PARIS - CERGY
You asked for a quirky restaurant. We delivered a boat. Here, you'll bring your food, which you can cook on the boat bbq grill as you navigate the smooth waters of the Oise river and marvel at the tranquil scenery. One unique peculiarity about this adventure is that you, the client, will get to drive your boat by choosing a designated captain from your party. Don't worry if you don't know how to operate these devices; you'll get a lesson explaining everything before your departure.
Instagram: @bbqboatparis
Menu: Bring and cook your own food [BBQ]
Opening hours: Everyday: 8am-9pm.
District: Cergy, around 1h away from the center of Paris by metro.
Contact: 07 68 31 75 98
6.Gossima Ping Pong Bar
If you’re a fan of Ping Pong or want to try your hand at it in a fun place in Paris, Gossima - the name originating from an older form of table tennis- provides you with eight ping-pong tables. There, you can practice in a festive and friendly environment while sipping on some original cocktail creations. Heads up: it can get crowded on the weekends, and the sessions are limited to 30 mins of gaming time for 6€.
Instagram: @gossimapingpongbar
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 4pm-2am, Monday: 4pm-12am, Sunday: Closed
District: 11th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 48 07 43 35
7.Restaurant Dans le Noir ? Paris
If you’ve never dined in total darkness or wish to experience this quirky experience again, Restaurant Dans le Noir, meaning ‘Restaurant In the dark’ in French, is pretty straightforward about what it offers. Guided by blind or partially sighted servers, this unusual dining experience allows you to get rid of a good chunk of any social wall you might have and enjoy food with greater attention given to your sense of taste as that of sight is nullified. The menu is a surprise: you will only tell the servers what you don't eat or are allergic to. The rest is a mystery for you to uncover and discover.
Instagram: @danslenoirgroup
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 7:30pm-9:45pm, Friday and Sunday: 12:30pm-1pm, then 7:30pm-9:45pm, Saturday: 12:30pm-1pm, then 6:30pm-8:30pm, then 10:15pm-10:30pm
District: 4th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 77 98 04
8.La Felicità
Forget about typical restaurants. La Felicità brings you a huge food-market setting consisting of 8 kitchens, 9 chefs, and 3 bars, as well as one of the coolest atmospheres Paris has to offer. Come and wander through the alleys and smells of trattorias, hamburgerias, and delicious other-ias in one of the city's best restaurants. Fans of weird aesthetically pleasing places are also in for a treat as their toilets have some very uncommon themes: from futuristic neon lights to curvy pink spaces.
Instagram: Geotag
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday: 9pm-12am, Thursday to Friday: 9pm-1am, Sunday: 12pm-12am
District: 13th Arrondissement
Contact: They don’t take reservation, come as you are and sit where you like.
9.Pachamama Paris
Pachamama is a crowd's favorite when it comes to Parisian evenings. This party restaurant immerses you into the heart of South America inside of a historical 19th-century building designed by Gustave Eiffel himself. The hypnotic bohemian decor of this place encompasses four levels: a restaurant, a bar, a garden, and a ballroom. There also might be a secret room or two, so watch out where you're going.
Instagram: @pachamamaparis
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Thursday: 7pm-3am, Friday and Saturday: 7:30pm-5am, Sunday to Wednesday: Closed.
District: 12th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 55 78 84 75
10.RIZ RIZ
This restaurant’s concept is entirely dedicated to the culinary consumption of rice in all of its different forms. At Riz Riz, traditional Asian recipes meet contemporary french interpretations in a bright, cute space.
Instagram: @rizriz_restaurant
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 12pm-3pm, then 7pm-11pm, Saturday and Sunday: 12pm-4pm, then 7pm-11pm
District: 3rd Arrondissement
Contact: 01 83 89 39 70
11.Le Costaud des Batignolles
Le Costaud des Batignolles serves as an art gallery, a trendy restaurant, and an uncommon bar. Here, you’ll find a variety of contemporary art and eccentric objects decorating the walls and tables of the space. The staff is warm and friendly, and, with its pops of bright colors, this restaurant is a welcomed change to Paris’s usually sharper mood.
Instagram: @costauddesbats
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday: 5pm-11pm, Thursday to Friday:12pm-2pm, then 5pm-11pm, Saturday: 12pm-3pm, then 5pm-11pm, Sunday: Closed.
District: 17th Arrondissement
Contact: 06 82 82 89 82
12.Le Dernier Bar Avant La Fin du Monde
Board-games lovers and self-proclaimed nerds and geeks, Le Dernier Bar Avant la Fin du Monde (The Last Pub Before The End Of The World in French) is the perfect refuge where you'll be able to play lots of games, read, or geek out to the sea of fandom-objects adorning its many shelves. This bar's rooms are each decorated with a specific theme in mind: the ground floor is embellished in steampunk fashion, with inspirational credentials going to Indiana Jones and The Call of Cthulhu, and the basement's futuristic walls are reminiscent of Stargate. Fans of zombies, pirates, or medieval books and movies will also find their appropriate environments as the bar is over 400 m² and has dedicated plenty of its nooks and cranny to diverging genres. Make sure to check out their Facebook page for any events you may want to join.
Instagram: @dernierbaravantlafindumonde
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11:30am-12am, Friday and Saturday: 11:30am-2am
District: 1st Arrondissement
Contact: 01 53 00 98 95
13.The Ice Kube Bar
If you don't like cold, this one will be a hard pass. In The Ice Kube Bar, temperatures are at post-apocalyptic-20°C (or -4°F for our American friends and inhabitants of the Cayman Islands and Liberia). Relatively small compared to other ice bars, this one still provides the same thrill as others: a mysterious, unconventional atmosphere where your environment is colder than the cocktail you sip. I couldn't last more than 15 minutes, so this bar might serve more as a wonderous stroll before finding warmer quarters.
Instagram: Geotag
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Link.
District: 18th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 05 20 00
14.Le Wagon Bleu
Le Wagon Bleu brings you on a trip down memory lane, back to the days of L’Orient Express, which used to carry passengers from Paris all the way to Istanbul. In this original restaurant, you can eat in an authentic 1925 carriage refurbished to look like it did during its days of glory with rich royal bleu banqueting seats and wood paneling. If you fancy a bit of nostalgia and good food, this is a great place to check out.
Instagram: @lewagonbleu
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 5:30pm-12:30am, Saturday and Sunday: 12pm-12:30am.
District: 17th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 45 22 35 25
Similar: Restaurant Victoria Station
15.Sur un arbre perché
Sur un Arbre Perché, or Perched on a tree, allows you to eat on swings or in small cabins, much like our friends the birds sometimes do. This cozy convivial space offers more than an inventive theme and cuisine; you can also schedule a highly relaxing shiatsu massage, preferably before your meal.
Instagram: Geotag
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 12pm-2:30pm, then 7:30pm-12am, Friday: 12pm-2:30pm, then 7:30pm-12:30am, Saturday: 7:30pm-12:30am, Sunday: 12pm-4pm
District: 2nd Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 96 97 01
16.Princess Crêpes
While France is renowned for its delicious crepes, you won’t necessarily find the best ones over at Princess Crêpes. Instead of traditional concoctions, this place sells dramatized and decorated quirky Japanese-style pancakes and crepes, with a sea of flavors to choose from like matcha or cheesecake and creative toppings. The experience is very visual as everything is presented in different shades of colorful pastels, from the server’s uniforms to the heart-shaped window of the store.
Instagram: @princesscrepe.fr
Menu: Highlights in this account.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 1pm-7pm, Monday: Closed.
District: 4th Arrondissement
Contact: 07 66 87 43 10
17.Merci Used Book Café
Thousands of second-hand books are just waiting to be read or adopted at Merci Used Book Café. Regardless of your preferred genre, nothing can top the coziness and warmth one feels when sipping on a warm drink amidst the smell of books and bathed by the light emanating from floor to ceiling windows overlooking a Parisian boulevard.
Instagram: @merciparis
Menu: N/A
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 11am-7:30pm, Sunday: 11am-7pm
District: 3rd Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 77 00 33
18.Lapérouse
Founded in 1766, Lapérouse has always been a place to see and be seen by Parisian society in which famous literary authors such as Victor Hugo, Zola, and Proust used to dine in its intimate boudoirs. You'll notice that this restaurant has a rather odd repartition as some rooms seem more private than others; this is because these spaces also used to serve as frolicking grounds for the rich and their mistresses. Here, women used to be gifted jewelry for their service and would verify their authenticity by scratching them on the mirrors, which still adorn the restaurant's walls today. It's said that there was even a secret tunnel connecting the institution to the French senate, allowing politicians to go back and forth without the risk of getting caught. Although these libertine activities no longer occur, Lapérouse is still regarded as one of the best restaurants in Paris.
Instagram: @laperouse_paris
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 8pm-1am, Sunday: Closed.
District: 6th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 43 26 68 04
19.LILY OF THE VALLEY
Lily of the Valley is a sort of flower-filled sanctuary in the heart of Paris. While this french cafe is small, the vibrancy of the flowers that hang from the entirety of its ceiling makes up for it. This is the perfect place to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, read a book or have a little chat in the middle of a reverse floral garden bursting with life.
Instagram: @lilyofthevalleyparis
Menu: N/A
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8am-6:30pm, Saturday and Sunday: 11am-7pm.
District: 3rd Arrondissement
Contact: 01 57 40 82 80
20.PAZZI Paris Beaubourg
While older generations thought the 2000s would be filled with flying cars and teleportation devices, our current reality is much different, albeit one particularity: unusual pizza-making robots. Enclosed behind a glass wall, fully autonomous with no humanoids helping out, Pazzi was created by three-time world pizza champion Thierry Graffagnino. The pizza isn't gimmicky, as its delicious crust and tasty toppings will demonstrate. The robot can produce up to 80 pizzas per hour, so don't be shy.
Instagram: @pazzipizzas
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday: 11am-10pm, Thursday to Saturday: 11am-11pm
District: 3rd Arrondissement
Contact: N/A
21.Cali mia
Paris isn’t exactly known for its long stretches of sandy beaches, but one can dream and travel to a more tropical quirky environment at Cali Mia, a cool restaurant serving Latin American food. With its swinging chairs and sandy floors, this is definitely an uncommon space in Paris where you’ll get to disconnect and eat a few good tacos and burritos.
Instagram: @calimia_
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 12pm-2:30pm, then 7pm-11pm, Friday: 7pm-11pm, Saturday: 12pm-3:30pm, then 7pm-11pm, Sunday: 11:30am-3:30pm, then 7pm-11pm.
District: 10th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 40 36 63 60
Similar: Coco de mer
22.pinky bloom
This themed restaurant adds up to the modern-day interpretation of rose-colored glasses. From flowers emerging from the velvet sofas into the ceiling, neon signs, and marbled tables: everything is pink, including some of the delicious desserts and teas they serve. Instagramers will particularly like this place as everything looks picture-perfect. As for the rest of us ordinary folks, we are also sure to enjoy our visit as the food is as delicious as the place is pink.
Instagram: @pinkybloomparis
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 11am-4pm, then 7:30pm-11pm, Monday: Closed
District: 16th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 96 97 01
23.Le Café Pouchkine
Café Pouchkine is set in an 18th-19th century decor and elegance that is sure to resemble the image of Paris that anyone who hasn't been to Paris would imagine this capital to look like. There, you'll find delicate macarons and madeleines, as well as caviar and champagne. With all of that being said (the name might have given it away), this is actually a Russian cafe, and its decoration and some of the food it serves are Russian specialties and ornamentation. Either way, whether you like France or Russia, you will fall in love with Café Pouchkine.
Instagram: @cafepouchkine
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 12pm-8pm, Monday and Tuesday: Closed.
District: 8th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 53 43 81 60
24.chats mallow
Crazy cat ladies and aficionados: this one is for you. The Chat Mallows Café is a tea room populated by about fifteen cats of various breeds who will casually walk by, lounge, and even attempt to play with you as you observe and pet them. As you can see from the pictures, this cafe doesn’t limit itself to having cats, as it also incorporates this furry creature into its whole decoration. Some of the deserts they serve also have cute chocolate pictures of their feline inhabitants on them. The cats have been chosen for their playfulness and ability to live in the community, so no scratchers or hissers here.
Instagram: @chat_mallows_cafe
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 12pm-8pm, Monday and Tuesday: Closed.
District: 15th Arrondissement
Contact: Link.
Similar: Café des Chats
25.Auto Passion Café
Auto Passion Café has a pretty straightforward self-explanatory name and original concept: if you like cars and motorsports, this is the place to be. From its non-stop broadcast of races and engines parts to its very own F1 simulator game and its ever-changing display of cars, this is any car enthusiast’s dream come true.
Instagram: @autopassioncafe
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 10am-2am
District: 14th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 45 43 20 20
26.Bustronome
Paris has a lot to offer to our senses of taste and sight, and Bustronome’s concept aims to combine both into a moving culinary experience. Onboard their double-decked luxurious buses with panoramic glass roofs, passengers will get to experience some of the best meals Parisian gastronomy has to offer while driving by the city’s most beautiful monuments and sceneries. For an extra add-on of romanticism, try this restaurant at night, as the twinkling of the Eiffel tower is said to enchant and bewilder even the coldest of hearts.
Instagram: @bustronomeparis
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 12:15pm-1:45pm, then 7:45pm-10:30pm.
District: 16th Arrondissement
Contact: 09 54 44 45 55
27.le train bleu
Le Train Bleu is an iconic and majestic restaurant situated at Gare de Lyon's railway station in Paris. This brasserie's enchanting charm stems from the 41 paintings depicted on its walls and ceilings, some representing landscapes most commonly passed by the old railway network. Le Train Bleu was even designated as a historical monument back in 1972 due to its incredible decor. Back in the day, customers such as Coco Chanel and Brigitte Bardot used to dine at this establishment renowned for its gourmet cuisine.
Instagram: @restaurantletrainbleu
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 7:30am-10:30pm
District: 12th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 43 43 09 06
28.le chalet des iles
The Chalet des Iles offers the perfect Paris getaway if you’re looking to eat on a small island in the middle of the Boulogne Forest surrounded by trees and a lake. The building is an authentic Swiss chalet, said to have been transported to Paris in spare parts for Empress Eugenie, wife of the first French president. While particularly delightful during summer, it keeps its charm in winter due to its cozy lodge style and warm, intimate atmosphere. Regardless of your weather preferences, try out their brunch formula, as it’s pretty popular. The restaurant is accessible by a 30-second boat ride from their pier.
Instagram: @chaletdesiles
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 12pm-2am.
District: 16th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 88 04 69
29.bidoche
Vegans and vegetarians: look away. Bidoche is a butchery and restaurant with seasonal dishes that change every day in accordance with their carefully chosen supply of selected animal pieces from the best farms in France. This restaurant is any meat lover’s dream where great classics and original pieces of the carnivorous diet can be found and accompanied by delicious wines and an assortment of add-ons of your choice.
Instagram: @boucheriebidoche
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday: 10am-2pm, then 4:30pm-10pm, Saturday: 10am-10pm, Sunday: 10am-1pm, Monday: Closed
District: 11th Arrondissement
Contact: 09 81 12 59 81
30.Nos ancêtres les Gaulois
This historically-themed restaurant will make you travel to the 17th century, where you’ll find yourself greeted by vaulted cellars and old paved courtyards. Less of a restaurant and more of a tavern, Nos Ancêtres Les Gaulois - Our ancestors the Gauls in french- is a timeless space of festivity and good humor where people come to have fun, sing and share a good time. Make sure to try your hand at some ax throwing after or before your hearty meal.
Instagram: @nosancetreslesgaulois
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 12pm-3pm, then 7pm-12am.
District: 4th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 46 33 66 07
31.HD Diner
If you’re a fan of retro American diners from the 1950s, HD Diner is on theme with all the appropriate neon signs, music, and pastel-colored couches and tables. The menu also conforms to our expectations: an abundance of different milkshakes flavors to choose from and popularized American desserts like banana splits. There are a couple of different locations in Paris, but the highest-rated one is their HD Diner - Samaritaine one.
Instagram: @hddiner
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10am-11pm, Friday and Saturday: 10am-12am
District: 1st Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 36 04 53
32.le choupinet
Le Choupinet is a brasserie, which means it’s a typical French-style restaurant. As such, it serves french gastronomy in a modernly decorated chic environment: think foie gras, croque-monsieur, frogs, and snails in a mostly wood-accented decor with lots of plants. The uncommon themed singularity: huge teddy bears inhabit the lieu and can serve as companions if you choose to come alone.
Instagram: @lechoupinetparis
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 8am-2am.
District: 6th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 03 09 93
33.La Recyclerie
This old train station turned eco-friendly-plant-filled-modern cafe serves as a sort of second home to Paris’s antique shoppers and nature lovers. La Recyclerie turns its open spaces into outdoor cinemas during the summer, but fear not if you are reading this during the colder seasons of the year: there is always an abundance of workshops and programs to choose from. This place hosts a diverse array of themed workshops, from farming initiations to fashion upcycling classes. Be sure to check out their event calendar for more information.
Instagram: @larecyclerie
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Monday: 8am-6pm, Tuesday: 3pm-12am, Wednesday and Thursday: 8am-12am, Friday: 6:30pm-2am, Saturday: 11pm-2am, Sunday: 11am-10pm.
District: 18th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 57 58 49
34.Le Procope
The Procope doesn’t rely on uncommon food or themed decor to be on this list. Instead, this restaurant’s originality stems from one simple fact: it is the oldest restaurant in Paris. Established in 1686, it has seen the light of the French Revolution and the coming and going of various French authors from Rousseau to Victor Hugo and a diverse array of political patrons such as Benjamin Franklin, Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonaparte. The original restaurant closed in 1872 to reopen only in 1920, so it hasn’t been continuously opened since, but we can overlook this minor detail.
Instagram: @restaurantprocope1686
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Everyday: 12pm-12am
District: 6th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 40 46 79 00
35.SOLA
If you want to experience mouth-watering Japanese cuisine in Paris, Sola’s harmonious consonance of Japanese cuisine and French ingredients will transport your senses to explosions of refreshing tastes and aromas. The setting is original: if you choose to feast in the basement, you will eat on the floor mats, much like in Japan. For those of you just wanting to experience good food and who prefer to sit in chairs, the ground floor is more classic and provides you with chairs.
Instagram: @sola.restaurant
Menu: Example of Menu [Formula: Diner 120€ (139$), 7 sequences, Lunch 85€ (99$)) 5 sequences]
Opening hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 7pm-12:30am, Friday and Saturday: 12:30pm-2pm, then 7:30pm-12:30am, Sunday and Monday: Closed.
District: 5th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 42 02 39 24
36.BATEAUX PARISIENS
The Seine river flows through many nooks and crannies of Paris, separating the capital in two and even forming a few small islands along the way. Bateaux Parisiens make use of this particular pathway by providing a lunch or dinner of french gastronomy accompanied by live music and singers aboard one of their glass-covered boats. The Eiffel tower, among other beautiful pieces of architecture, can be admired during the cruise and since Paris is known as the city of light, we particularly recommend booking a dinner cruise to fully marvel at the illuminated magic of the city.
Instagram: @bateauxparisiens
Menu: Link.
Opening hours: Lunch cruises: start 12:45pm, Dinner cruises: start 8:30pm
District: 7th Arrondissement
Contact: 01 76 64 14 45