This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Paris
When you think of breakfast in Paris, it is difficult not to picture a croissant: buttery and flaky, crisp at the edges, soft in the centre, with that intoxicating just-out-of-the-oven smell. It’s an image the city has perfected and exported for decades. And let’s be clear: it’s a delicious one.
Yet, contrary to the mythology, Parisians don’t actually eat croissants every day. In fact, live in the city long enough and another breakfast culture quietly reveals itself. One that locals gravitate towards when they want energy, clarity and a morning that doesn’t end in a predictable 10.30am glucose crash: the savoury breakfast parisien.
My own conversion came not from any culinary trend but from science. After several years of studying blood sugar and metabolic health, I began to understand how profoundly the first meal of the day shapes energy, focus and appetite. A savoury breakfast, anchored in protein and containing nothing sweet (except whole fruit, if you must, for taste) keeps glucose levels steady and supports both brain and body throughout the morning. (Yes, eggs are a common choice for the protein centrepiece, but there are many others contenders: cheese, yoghurt, fish, nuts . . .). It has since become a cornerstone of my personal routine and of the nutritional framework I write and teach about.
I grew up in Paris, and after a decade abroad in the US and the UK, moved back to the city in 2020. When I left at the end of high school, brunch culture was pretty much non-existent. When I returned, the scene was bubbling. Good news for me: Paris is now superbly versed in savoury breakfasts. Beyond the tourist terraces and pastry counters in boulangeries lies a city of perfectly cooked eggs, thoughtfully sourced seasonal vegetables and excellent coffee.
These are the addresses I return to again and again, and the ones I recommend to anyone who wants to experience Paris in the way Parisians increasingly do: savoury first. (And, if you want a croissant, here is my blood sugar tip: have it after your savoury breakfast as a “dessert” for a smaller glucose spike).
Café Méricourt is my newest discovery. It’s a welcoming neighbourhood place in the trendy 11th arrondissement, open daily from 8.30am to 4pm, relaxed and brightly lit. But make no mistake: the savoury breakfasts here are serious. It is run by a lovely British owner, Guy Griffin, whose French is so fluent you would never guess he isn’t native. My order rarely changes: the baked eggs in spinach (the large portion), which comes with so much cooked spinach that I don’t understand how they have the space to keep so many fresh leaves in the kitchen. I add sides of bacon and halloumi. The crowd here skews young and creative, a few in-the-know tourists and locals greeting their neighbours. After this order, I’m not hungry for a long, long time and my glucose is very happy.
Not far from there, in the heart of Oberkampf (the trendy neighbourhood in the east of the city) is Fauna. Paris is home to an increasing number of people from around Europe, and they bring their savoury breakfast traditions to the city too. Here, French is a second language for most of the staff, but we all feel at home. The flavour in terms of both the food and decor is Scandinavian — delicious and minimalist. A perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg, cheese and gorgeous butter with chives and sea-salt flakes. Special mention to the shiny silver coffee machine that turns out perfect flat whites and keeps my baby endlessly entertained with its rhythmic hissing. And it’s hard to avoid the excellent cinnamon buns: if you must, have them after the savoury dish for a smaller glucose spike. Fauna is open from 8am Monday to Friday, and from 10am at the weekend.
Speaking of travel, I sometimes find myself at Gare du Nord in the early morning, usually en route to London. At that hour, the great virtue of a Parisian brasserie near busy locations is its reliability: if it is open for breakfast, eggs will probably be on the menu. Terminus Nord, directly opposite the station, opens every day at 7.30am and is a dependable choice. Classic and efficient, it is where I head to when I get some protein in before boarding the Eurostar. I order the scrambled eggs, rich and buttery, and a yaourt nature: a simple plain yoghurt in a traditional glass pot, served proudly on its own side plate — a French staple from my childhood that I missed during my years away. If you prefer an omelette, most brasseries make an excellent one (including Terminus), even if it’s not on the menu. Croissants may be France’s most famous breakfast export, but omelettes are every bit as traditional.
Which brings me to the place where I have eaten the best omelette of my life: Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, the grand hotel on Avenue Hoche in the 8th arrondissement. I recently visited its restaurant La Cuisine for a work breakfast and had to stop the conversation midway to rave about the piece of art on my plate: perfectly pale yellow, entirely unbrowned, folded neatly over itself and impossibly light. This was true technical prowess. I sent my compliments to the chef.
Now let’s have a bagel. Yes, Paris has bagels, and yes, carbs are OK in a savoury breakfast, as long as there is protein too. I call this “putting clothing on your carbs” — adding protein, fat or fibre to reduce the glucose spike. Two French brothers opened Cody’s in 2025, and in my opinion they make the best bagels in the city. Inside this tiny takeaway-only hole in the wall on Rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement, you’ll find a handful of savoury, protein-rich options, from the cream cheese-avocado combo to a smoked turkey with cream cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. I go here when I need something portable as I zoom through the city on a bike. It’s open daily from 9am.
If you wake up particularly late one morning (the sort of day when breakfast slips imperceptibly into lunch, which I would argue is better for your glucose anyway), there is a place perfectly suited to the occasion. Rond, which opens at noon (closed Monday and Tuesday), serves what are, quite simply, the best savoury buckwheat crêpes in Paris. As a child, I grew up on Nutella crêpes for breakfast — a habit I later learnt was less than ideal for blood sugar stability. Rond offers a far better alternative. Its crêpes are made with buckwheat (sarrasin) flour, naturally gluten-free and very crispy. The smoked salmon option is my favourite; I invariably order two. The clientele is almost entirely local families, neighbours and couples, and on sunny days the terrace fills quickly. It’s a bit out of the way (in the 20th), but it is absolutely worth it. Arrive early if you can: the secret is very much out.
Jessie Inchauspé is a biochemist, the founder of Glucose Goddess and an author. Her new book, “9 Months that Count Forever”, is published on March 26 by New River
Where do you like to go in Paris for a savoury breakfast? Share your recommendations in the comments below. And follow us on Instagram at @ftglobetrotter
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