From Mumbai street-food canteens to Arc de Triomphe fine dining, Paris has finally found its spice.
We’ll be the ones to say it: Paris has spent decades getting Indian food slightly wrong. For years, the city’s curry houses served a Frenchified greatest-hits menu of korma, tikka and that famous cheese naan (a Parisian invention, natch). Lucky, then, that a new wave of chefs has arrived, bringing regional cooking from Mumbai, Chennai, Kashmir and Delhi to the capital.
The trouble is that there are now hundreds of options, from glass-roofed passages packed with touts to dimly lit dining rooms where a single biryani costs more than a Eurostar upgrade. Which ones are actually worth your evening?
That’s where we come in. Our editors have eaten, dipped and mopped their way across the city (it’s a tough job, etc.) to find the 12 Indian restaurants in Paris that deserve a booking right now. Get the chai on.
Best Indian restaurants in Paris at a glance
- Best overall: Gourou
- Best for a buzzy dinner with friends: Delhi Bazaar
- Best for a special occasion: Mayfair Garden
- Best for a tasting menu: Sharma Ji
- Best for street food: Mumbai Café
- Best for vegetarians: Dosamaa
- Best for value: Old Shalimar
How we chose
Every restaurant on this list has been visited by our team, and each one has a consistently glowing reputation with diners (all score above four stars across thousands of reviews). We judged them on cooking, authenticity, atmosphere, service and value, and we made sure the list covers every budget and corner of the city. We update this guide regularly as new openings land.
The best Indian restaurants in Paris
Gourou, 11th arrondissement
Best for: The dish of the moment, all day long
Price: €€
Address: 42 Rue Léon Frot, 75011 Paris
Why we love it: If you’ve seen one Indian restaurant on your Instagram feed this year, it’s Gourou. Founded by two Frenchmen who fell head over heels for Mumbai, it has the whole of foodie Paris queuing down Rue Léon Frot, and we completely understand why.
The interiors are a riot of colour that genuinely transports you to a Bombay side street, but the cooking is the real reason to come. Order the vada pav (one of the few properly authentic versions in the city), the silky palak paneer and the pav perdu, a cheeky Franco-Indian take on French toast that we still dream about. Finish with the mango sorbet.
Even better, it opens at 8am every day, so you can come for breakfast. Book ahead for dinner and arrive on time, because tables don’t hang around. No, really.
Delhi Bazaar, 11th arrondissement
Best for: Sharing plates and great cocktails
Price: €€
Address: 71 Rue Servan, 75011 Paris
Why we love it: What happens when you give North Indian cooking the Parisian bistro treatment? Delhi Bazaar, that’s what. The menu is built around small plates for sharing, which means you can (and should) order half the menu and pass everything around the table.
The mutton Chettinad is rich, deeply spiced and worth the trip alone, while the black dal is the kind of slow-cooked comfort food you’ll be thinking about on the metro home. The cocktails are a surprise hit too, so don’t skip the drinks list. The room is trendy, clean and buzzing at both lunch and dinner. Book. Seriously, book.
Mayfair Garden, 16th arrondissement
Best for: A proper occasion dinner
Price: €€€
Address: 33 Rue de Longchamp, 75116 Paris
Why we love it: Just a short stroll from the Arc de Triomphe, Mayfair Garden is where you go when you want Indian food with a little theatre. The star of the show is the pink kachori chaat, a vivid, rose-tinted pastry shell that your server cracks open at the table to reveal chickpeas, pomegranate and tangy chutneys. Stunning.
After that, the tandoori lamb chops are perfectly charred, and the chicken achari brings a gorgeous pickled tang. The plates are generous and designed for sharing, and the service is polished without ever tipping into stuffy. Round things off with a cup of chai. Delectable.
Berkeley Garden, 7th arrondissement
Best for: Dinner after the Eiffel Tower
Price: €€
Address: 6 Avenue Bosquet, 75007 Paris
Why we love it: The little sister of Mayfair Garden, Berkeley Garden opened in 2023 near the Pont de l’Alma and has been packed ever since. Finding brilliant Indian food this close to the Eiffel Tower felt almost too good to be true, so we went back to check. It was.
Start with the crispy cauliflower Manchurian, then settle into a paneer tikka masala or a biryani with your choice of naan. Whatever you do, save room for the rose milk cake, a soft, fragrant sponge soaked in milk that had our table fighting over the last forkful. The dining room is snug (read: you’ll get to know your neighbours), but the service is so warm you won’t mind.
Sharma Ji, 15th arrondissement
Best for: A chef’s tasting menu
Price: €€€€
Address: 16 Rue Frémicourt, 75015 Paris
Why we love it: Trust us when we say the tasting menu is the only way to do Sharma Ji. Homemade, traditional dishes arrive in a parade of beautifully plated, jewel-coloured courses, and the chef-owner often brings them to the table himself (and will happily ask how much heat you can handle).
Don’t miss the three-lentil starter if it’s on, and look out for the pumpkin and the tender paneer. It’s also one of the best spots in Paris for vegetarians who want more than a token option. Planning a group dinner? There’s a cellar downstairs for larger parties. Note that it’s closed on Mondays.
Jugaad, 2nd arrondissement
Best for: Modern Indian with a pre-theatre slot
Price: €€€
Address: 16 Rue Favart, 75002 Paris
Why we love it: Facing the Opéra-Comique, Jugaad is the elegant, grown-up option on this list. Chef Manoj Sharma reinterprets traditional Indian cooking with a contemporary touch, and the menu is pleasingly far from the usual tikka-korma lineup.
The fish fry is the dish to order, its pakora-style spice working beautifully with the light, flaky fish. The chicken shashlik is excellent, the missi roti is soft and nutty, and the kulfi is full of subtle flavours. The menu is short, the room is stylish and the chef often stops by to explain what you’re eating. Book for a pre-show dinner and you’ve got yourself the perfect Parisian night out.
Seeklo, 11th arrondissement
Best for: A lively night on Oberkampf
Price: €€
Address: 96 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris
Why we love it: Part grill, part bar, all good vibes, Seeklo is where you go when you want dinner to roll into a proper night out. The music is loud, the staff are fun and there’s a real party energy here (they’ll happily sing if it’s your birthday).
The naan is the thing to talk about. Order the chilli cheese garlic version, which actually has a kick, alongside juicy chicken from the grill and a round of pani puri. Wash it all down with a lychee lassi. Weekends run all day, so it’s a great shout for a lazy spiced brunch too.
Mumbai Café, 9th arrondissement
Best for: Bombay street food with a story
Price: €€
Address: 6 Rue de Trévise, 75009 Paris
Why we love it: Here’s a lovely bit of history for you. Mumbai Café pays tribute to the Irani cafés of Bombay, the 19th-century canteens founded by Persian immigrants, who were themselves inspired by the cafés of Belle Époque Paris. So, in a way, this one’s come full circle.
Order the pani puri (our table ordered three rounds, no regrets), the vada pav and a butter chicken to share. Then head to the bar for the rum cocktail infused with curry leaves, which is as unexpected and brilliant as it sounds. Portions are on the smaller side, so order plenty of naan. Hear, hear.
Nirvana Inde, 8th arrondissement
Best for: Old-school hospitality near Saint-Lazare
Price: €€
Address: 6 Rue de Moscou, 75008 Paris
Why we love it: What’s not to love about a restaurant where staff serve drinks to the people waiting in the queue? That’s the kind of care you’ll find at Nirvana Inde, a much-loved spot between Saint-Lazare and the Parc Monceau.
The kitchen sends out a tray of seven sauces to start (the mango and mint ones are dangerously moreish), and the lamb curry, the rice with baby peas and the garlic naan are all excellent. It’s classic cooking done really well, with service that feels genuinely personal. Note that it’s closed on Sundays.
Desi Road, 6th arrondissement
Best for: A Left Bank thali
Price: €€
Address: 14 Rue Dauphine, 75006 Paris
Why we love it: Tucked away on Rue Dauphine in the heart of Saint-Germain, Desi Road brought a warm, contemporary Indian address to the Left Bank, and it’s become a neighbourhood favourite ever since.
The thalis are the move here, a whole spread of small traditional dishes on one tray, so you can taste a bit of everything. Start with the aloo tikki chaat, a must, and pair it with a creamy mango lassi. The staff are the real stars, though, and they’ll make you feel like a regular from the first visit. Perfect after an afternoon in the galleries.
Dosamaa, 18th arrondissement
Best for: South Indian dosas and vegetarian feasts
Price: €€
Address: 10 Rue Puget, 75018 Paris
Why we love it: Founded by three friends from Chennai (most of them engineers by training, what an interesting dinner party that would have been!), Dosamaa has become a go-to for the city’s Indian expats, which is always a good sign.
This is the place to swap naan for dosa. The garlic benne dosa is savoury, crispy and a must-try, while the dahi puri and samosa chaat are packed with flavour. Everything here is vegetarian, and most of it can be made vegan. Fair warning: it’s a simple, casual spot, so come for the food rather than the décor. Totally worth it.
Old Shalimar, 10th arrondissement
Best for: Passage Brady, done right
Price: €€
Address: 92 Passage Brady, 75010 Paris
Why we love it: No guide to Indian food in Paris is complete without Passage Brady, the glass-roofed covered arcade known as the city’s Little India. It’s lined with restaurants, but the trick is knowing which one to choose. Our pick? Old Shalimar.
Regulars say it’s one of the few places in town that doesn’t tone its food down for European palates, and we agree. The achar gosht is rich and tangy, the lamb korma is beautifully spiced, and the chicken thali is a great way to taste a bit of everything. Order an almond lassi alongside. The value for money is excellent, especially if you book through TheFork for a discount.
