Japanese Restaurants in Paris: From Ramen Shops to Chef's Tables

Why are Japanese restaurants so popular in Paris? And why do so many top-tier Japanese chefs choose to learn and practise their craft in Paris? Because French and Japanese cuisines both value seasonality, craftsmanship and respect for quality raw ingredients above everything else; they also share a dedication to terroir and gastronomic precision. It’s a perfect culinary love affair!
 

Navigating Paris’s vibrant Japanese foodie scene means understanding all your options. There are many different styles of Japanese cooking – and price points to suit all pockets. When it comes to Japanese restaurants in Paris, you can expect to eat like royalty for next to nothing in ramen and sushi bars or splurge on the finest of Japanese haute cuisine in glam Michelin-starred establishments where design and ambience are as important as the food itself.

If you want authentic Tokyo-inspired flavours combined with a fast turnover and counter-style seating, head for ramen shops, Japanese restaurants in Paris that specialise in an iconic soup comprising wheat noodles and umami-flavoured broths usually topped with sliced pork or chicken, seaweed, boiled eggs and spring onions.
 

Half the charm of eating at Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji is its décor, reminiscent of Tokyo’s historic fish market, after which it’s named. Ramshackle tables and chairs are squeezed in among weighing scales, boxes of fresh fish and piles of cooking paraphernalia, but despite its eccentric vibe, this is unquestionably one of the tastiest Japanese restaurants in Paris. The perfectly chewy noodles are made in house, and it comes as no surprise that top-quality fresh fish and seafood sourced from Brittany and the Med are the stars of the show. The velvety sea bream paitan (a rich, creamy ramen) packs an umami punch, there is a satisfyingly long list of ramen toppings – such as sardines marinated in saké – and you can wash it all down with Japanese beer and plum wine.

• 12 Rue de Richelieu, 75001
• Open daily 11:45am-11pm
• €
• Métro lines 1 and 7 to Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre or lines 7 and 14 to Pyramides

A cosy combo of pub and tapas bar, the Japanese izakaya pairs drinks – both alcoholic and soft – with small, shareable plates of food, like grilled chicken skewers (yakitori) or pan-fried gyoza dumplings. They are informal, rowdy and relaxed places where people linger for hours; in Japan, they're popular for after-work get-togethers.
 

A long-standing bright star on Rue Sainte-Anne, Naniwa-Ya is a simple canteen with brisk – both in speed and manner – counter service. The kitchen brigade work ceaselessly at producing an endless stream of breaded katsu curries, donburi rice bowls, crispy gyozas and ramen soups to accompany Japanese beers, sakés and wines. The tiled interior with simple wooden tables and chairs is fuss-free, and the portions are generous and well spiced. It’s also a few minutes’ stroll from the Louvre, so makes an excellent pit stop after a day of admiring art masterpieces.

• 11 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001
• Open daily 11:30am-10:15pm
• €
• Métro lines 7 and 14 to Pyramides

Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish of hand-pressed mounds of rice and raw seafood or vegetables, served with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger. Parisian sushi bars range from casual neighbourhood chains with hand-roll counters to wildly exclusive omakase (chef’s table) restaurants where you can spend hours sampling heavenly course after course.
 

Iodé is a quintessential Japanese restaurant in Paris – and what’s more, one where the fish and seafood is sustainably sourced from France’s Atlantic coastline. The tiny wooden counter at this swish and minimalist spot only seats nine guests, so book ahead to be assured of witnessing the skills of knife-wielding sushi chef Jun Yoshikawa. Looking like minuscule works of art, his exquisite sushi and sashimi (sliced raw seafood) are prepared right in front of you at lunchtime. The evening morphs into a multi-course triumph, with the menu changing daily according to what’s available at the market; popular ingredients are mackerel, mullet and langoustines.

• 125 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007
• Open Tue-Sat noon-2:15pm, 7pm-9:45pm
• €€ at lunch/€€€ in the evening
• Métro line 8 to École Militaire

If you’re short on time in Paris, choose a Japanese restaurant that showcases several styles of cooking. High-end dining rooms often feature sushi on their lunchtime menus, while evening may highlight washoku cuisine (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage-listed for its profound links with Japanese culture) or teppanyaki show cooking on a griddle.
 

You’ll need to book ahead to eat at Le Benkay, a magnificently zen dining room with equally magnificent views over the Seine to the Maison de la Radio through its floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s always live-cooking time here, with a triumvirate of world-class Japanese chefs performing their virtuoso skills daily. Maitre Karasuyama prepares delicate sushi to order, while Chef Saito magics up lighter-than-light washoku-style crispy prawn tempura and teriyaki beef. In the evening, Chef Kitadokoro goes off-menu for a blind-tasting teppanyaki experience as he whips up fish of the day, wagyu beef or crêpes flambées table-side on an intensely hot grill.

• Novotel Paris Centre Tour Eiffel, 61 Quai de Grenelle, 75015
• Open Tue-Sat noon-2pm, 7pm-10pm
• €€€€
• Métro line 10 to Charles Michels

Founded and closely overseen by legendary Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, creator of the Nobu chain and his signature black cod with miso and wagyu tobanyaki, Matsuhisa Paris is a superb Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant. Today in the very capable hands of award-winning Executive Chef Emanuele Bombardier, this is undoubtedly one of the best Japanese restaurants in Paris, offering a delicately balanced form of culinary choreography at dinner, with a parade of dishes like saké-steamed sea bass or lobster with wasabi pepper. Lunch is a more casual affair of sushi, sashimi and ceviches. There’s a clever drinks list with fine wines and Japanese-inspired cocktails, and the hushed ambience is refined pan-Asian.

• Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris, 37 Avenue Hoche, 75008
• Open Mon-Sat noon-2:30pm, 7pm-11pm; Sun 7pm-11pm (closed for lunch throughout August)
• €€€€€
• Métro line 2 to Ternes

1. Never stick chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice or pass food directly from your chopsticks. Rest them horizontally on the hashioki (holder) provided or on the edge of your plate.
2. Don’t drown your sushi rice with soy sauce as this masks the flavour of the fish. Instead, dip the fish into the sauce and add a touch of wasabi before eating. If you’re not skilled with chopsticks, it's acceptable to eat sushi with your hands – but only sushi!
3. Book top-tier Japanese restaurants in Paris in advance, especially if you’re hoping to try a well-known omakase (live cooking) destination dining room.
4. Dodge the steep price tag for dinner at upscale Japanese restaurants in Paris by tucking into the highly competitive lunchtime menus offered by many eateries.
5. Like all restaurants in France, a mandatory 15% service charge is built into the prices. There’s no need to leave a tip.

Now you’re up to speed on Japanese restaurants in Paris, why not read up on typically Parisian dishes or find out where to find the best brunch in the French capital?