The Best Beef Bourguignon in Paris

Beef bourguignon, otherwise known as boeuf bourguignon, ranks alongside classics like onion soup, escargot, and quiche as one of the most celebrated dishes in French cuisine. A true crowd-pleaser among locals and visitors, it always goes down a treat on my Paris food tours.

Chefs have tweaked the recipe over the years, but the dish’s essence remains the same: a beef stew with red wine and fresh vegetables. Hailing from Burgundy, this dish first appeared in French cookbooks in the late 1800s, though it has existed in some form since the Middle Ages.

Learn how to craft this dish yourself at home and where to find the best beef bourguignon in Paris!

Traditional Recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients

Creating the perfect beef bourguignon means sourcing quality ingredients. After all, the exquisite Burgundy wines and premium beef from the area are what made the dish so exceptional. As such, choosing top-tier ingredients is the first step in the preparation process.

You’ll need:

• Stewing beef or beef brisket
• Bacon
• Red wine (Merlot, Pinot Noir, etc.)
• Carrots
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Tomato paste
• Garlic
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Bay leaves
• Olive oil
• Beef stock/bouillon 
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper

Step-by-Step Preparation

1. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F or 175°C. You can also use a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or stove-top pot, but the original recipe calls for an oven.
2. Fry off the chopped bacon in olive oil, and when cooked, transfer it to a separate dish before adding the cubed beef to the same pot.
3. Once the meat is browned, place it with the bacon and begin cooking off the chopped carrots, onions, and garlic in the remaining oil and bacon fat.
4. Remove any excess fat, leaving just one tablespoon, before placing the beef and bacon back in the pot and sprinkling in some salt, pepper, and flour.
5. After around five minutes, add your wine and follow it with beef stock or bouillon until the meat is just about covered. 
6. Bring the pot to a simmer before covering it and transferring it to the bottom part of the oven for up to three hours or until the meat is super soft.
7. Around five or ten minutes before removing the dish from the oven, heat some butter on a pan, adding garlic and mushrooms as the butter starts to foam. Allow the mushrooms to cook for about five minutes.
8. Remove the main dish from the oven and drain the sauce into another pot. Place the mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients and return this dish to the oven.
9. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes. You may need to remove any fat that rises to the top. If the sauce is too thin, boil it on medium heat for about ten minutes until it thickens. For sauces that are too thick, gradually add more beef stock until it begins to thin out.
10. Simmer the beef and vegetables for a minute or two before pouring the sauce on top.
11. Plate it up with a side of your choice, though mashed potatoes work best. Scatter some chopped parsley on top to garnish.

Expert Cooking Tips

• Before you finish cooking your sauce, be sure to taste it and add a dash of extra salt or pepper if necessary.
• The key to a good beef bourguignon is to take your time, as a slow cooking process is central to getting the desired melt-in-your-mouth beef.
• On the other hand, avoid overcooking the meat, as this can actually dry it out.
• Unsurprisingly, a classic Burgundy red is the perfect wine pairing for beef bourguignon. If you’d prefer something a little more robust, you could opt for a cabernet sauvignon from Bordeaux.

Where to Eat Beef Bourguignon in Paris

Le P’tit Troquet

Photo credit: Le P’tit Troquet

If it’s your first time in Paris, Le P’tit Troquet is the perfect introduction to French food. It’s located close to both the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysees area and happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in Paris for beef bourguignon.

Le P’tit Troquet is a quintessentially Parisian spot, but even with its chic, old-world decor and ornament-filled interior, it feels cozy and snug. The staff members here are also incredibly friendly and helpful, which is always a huge bonus.

Their menu is full of French staples that I’m eager to try, but so far, I haven’t been able to look past their beef bourguignon. Here, this hearty stew is served in a crock pot, and its fragrant steam hit my nose from the moment it landed on my table.

Every component was so tender and flavorful, with the rich, beefy sauce getting a touch of sweetness from the carrots and onions. Most importantly, the meat was sensational and almost fell apart on the fork. 

Le P’tit Troquet – 28 Rue de l’Exposition, 75007 Paris, France – Closed every Monday and Sunday, open Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm, and every Saturday from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm.

Au Bourguignon du Marais

Photo credit: Au Bourguignon du Marais

I found some of the best boeuf bourguignon in Paris in Au Bourguignon du Marais, a stylish spot close to the metro station in Le Marais that I heard about from a Paris travel guide.

This refined but relaxed bistro isn’t your average French restaurant, as they specialize in Burgundy cuisine. It’s bright and airy inside, with timeless furnishings like a sleek wooden bar and warm lighting.

Considering the dining experience here focuses on traditional fare from Burgundy, it’s hardly surprising that their signature dish is beef bourguignon. Here, this Michelin-quality beef stew is prepared in a hot pot with a generous serving of fluffy potatoes.

All of the flavors were so bold and intense, but they came together in a way that no element was overshadowed by another. The potatoes made the dish feel all the more comforting, and they soaked up the beef juices and earthy notes from the wine.

Au Bourguignon du Marais – 52 Rue François Miron, 75004 Paris, France – Open every day from 12:00 pm to 11:30 pm.

Le Poulbot

Photo credit: Le Poulbot

Montmartre is among my best-loved neighborhoods in the city, and it’s also where I’ve sampled some of the best beef bourguignon in Paris at Le Poulbot. This spot has made it into my list of the best restaurants in Europe, and I’ve been dying to return since my first visit.

Before I even tasted the food, I fell in love with the decor, especially the rustic vaulted ceiling and pale stone walls. The team here has created a space that’s both sophisticated and undeniably enchanting at the same time.

Le Poulbot’s menu varies quite a bit, as the chefs aim to work with the freshest, seasonal ingredients. Nonetheless, their boeuf bourguignon is rather popular, so there’s a pretty chance you’ll spot it on the menu if you visit.

Although it was dished up in a classic stewing pot, it had a quirky garnish of spring onions and pickled cabbage. At first, I was unsure how these would pair with the dish’s sweet, savory flavors and succulent textures, but it added a refreshing hint of crunch and tanginess.

Le Poulbot – 3 Rue Poulbot, 75018 Paris, France – Open every day from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Conclusion

As much as I love savoring some street food in Paris, nothing compares to stopping into one of these restaurants and indulging in some of the best beef bourguignon in France. However, if you’re not heading to the City of Love just yet, put your culinary skills to the test and whip up some beef stew at home!

Source:

Le P’tit Troquet. (n.d.). Le P’tit Troquet / Tavern / Paris. Retrieved from https://www.leptittroquet.fr/en/

Au Bourguignon du Marais. (n.d.). Au Bourguignon du Marais – Restaurant à Paris. Retrieved from https://aubourguignondumarais.fr/

Le Poulbot. (n.d.). Le Poulbot – Restaurant à Paris. Retrieved from https://www.lepoulbot.com/