257 Fancy French Restaurant Names (Bistro, Brasserie & Café)

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Are you looking for a list of ideas of French restaurant names? Then you have come to the right place.

The French are justly famous for their food. Not for nothing are the best chefs trained in France, and the country is home to some of the world’s most respected restaurants.

We have filled this list with the best names, from fine dining restaurants, bistros, brasseries to the cool café on the corner and more.

We then end the article with 3 essential tips on how to name your restaurant.

French Restaurant NamesFrench Restaurant Names

Now let’s get into it:

Fancy French Restaurant Names
French Bistro Name Ideas
French Brasserie Names
French Auberge Name Ideas
French Café Name Inspiration
Creative French Restaurant Names
Cool French Restaurant Name Ideas
Famous French Restaurant Names

Fancy French Restaurant Names

French restaurant exteriorFrench restaurant exterior

For a traditional multi-course meal in France, restaurants are your best bet. Most will offer a wide selection of dishes on a prix-fixe menu (with some combination of appetizer, entrée, and dessert) as well as an à la carte option. Wine choices and higher-end service are also often emphasized in restaurants.

  • L’Opus au Château
  • Là-Haut au Château
  • Affinité
  • L’Atelier du Jardin
  • La Truffe Noire
  • Restaurant La Fontaine
  • Restaurant Tous
  • Au Sommelier du Château
  • Restaurant Quai
  • Le Trésor
  • Le Cochon Gaulois
  • Canard & Champagne
  • Chez Monsieur
  • Royal Trinité
  • La Maison Blanche
  • Le Lion d’Or
  • Au Vieux Moulin
  • L’Océan
  • La Fabuleuse Cantine
  • L’Orphéon
  • Les Arômes
  • Restaurant Signature 
  • Le Météor
  • Restaurant Étude
  • Chez Mô
  • Le Sauvage
  • La Terrasse Rouge
  • L’Entrecôte
  • Carte Blanche
  • L’Air du Temps
  • La Terrasse
  • Le Restaurant des Rois
  • L’Orphéon
  • La Chaise Bleue

French Bistro Name Ideas

French Bistro interiorFrench Bistro interior

A French bistro is a bar or café, or restaurant that serves food. The food itself is simple and homely. It’s a style of eating that celebrates the best of what’s in season and direct from the farm. A bistro menu might show off a perfect sourdough baguette, a few classic dishes like steak frites or Moules marinieres, and a handful of artisanal cheeses.

  • Les Petits Parisiens
  • Chez Bonnebouche
  • Chez Françoise
  • La Poule au Pot
  • Bistro Epoq
  • Porte Quinze
  • Le Bistronome
  • Le Bouche à Oreille
  • Le Petit Canon
  • Bistro Chardenoux
  • Côté Bistro
  • Le Bistrot du Cuisinier
  • Le Bistrot Gourmand
  • Augustin Bistrot
  • Le Bistro Urbain
  • Bistrot de Madeleine
  • Le Bistrot Saint-Sauveur
  • Le Maquis
  • Bistrot le Valentino
  • Bistro Paradis
  • Bistro du’O
  • La Petite Pépite
  • Le Bistrot Gourmand 
  • Le Cirque
  • Le Pavillon
  • Le Bistrot du Port
  • La Magdeleine
  • Le Maschou
  • L’Atelier
  • Aux Ingrédients
  • Bistro Les Canailles
  • Le Petit Chalet

French Brasserie Name Ideas

French BrasserieFrench Brasserie

A French brasserie is a French-style pub restaurant, a place to enjoy drinks with friends and family and hearty, filling food. French brasseries often serve traditional French food at moderate prices and tend to be bustling. They are also open from breakfast until late at night.

  • Les Marches
  • La Petite Folie
  • L’Arrivage
  • Au Boeuf Rouge
  • Folie des Sens
  • La Bouteille d’Or
  • L’Atelier du Boeuf 
  • L’Espérance
  • Maison de Pierre
  • La Table du Chef
  • L’Affiche
  • Brasserie Bertin
  • La Coupole
  • Le Polo
  • Brasserie des Châteaux
  • Le Train Bleu
  • Brasserie Le Tigre
  • Brasserie Balzar
  • Bouillon Pigalle
  • Les Deux Garçons
  • La Petite Maison
  • Brasserie l’Orléans
  • Au Petit Riche
  • Brasserie des Beaux-Arts
  • La Table du Baron
  • La Mère Germaine
  • Loulou Bleu
  • Le Provençal

French Auberge Name Ideas

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The French word auberge is a term used for a restaurant or inn that offers meals and accommodations and is generally considered a locally owned, rustic establishment. As a result, auberge is not commonly found in major cities but is often, if not always, attached to a bed and breakfast or hotel.

  • Madame Sardine
  • Chez Delphine
  • Le Maquis
  • Claire & Hugo
  • La Vieille Enseigne
  • Chez Mon Vieux
  • Bouillon
  • L’Eau de vie
  • Auberge du Mouton Blanc
  • Au Goût du Jour
  • Les Canailles
  • Au Coq Blanc
  • Les Poissons Rouges
  • La Diligence
  • Honoré
  • Le Petit Pan
  • La Table des Anges
  • In Vino Veritas
  • Les Quatre Chats
  • Le Provençal
  • Pique-Nique
  • La Galinette
  • Les Amis
  • La Fabrique
  • Chez Colette
  • La Petite Pépite
  • Le Jardin du Quai
  • Mon Petit Resto
  • La Rotonde
  • Le Petit Fouet
  • Saisons
  • Sens & Saveurs
  • La Bonne Etape
  • La Suite
  • Côté Jardin
  • La Lune
  • La Maison Jaune

French Café Name Ideas

French café exteriorFrench café exterior

The idea of a café is a part of the French identity as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Cafés are a few places in France where you can find a genuine mix of people: students, business people, artists, and tourists – all mingling and swapping stories, all sitting at the same table.

  • Café Constant
  • Le Café de l’Espérance
  • La Cave Café
  • Rive Gauche
  • La Petite Table
  • La Mirabelle
  • Les Saisons
  • Café Rita
  • Epoca
  • Le Zinc
  • Odette
  • Papillon
  • Les Chouettes
  • Le Café Noir
  • Aux Amis
  • Le Café du Peintre
  • Savy
  • La Gazette
  • Le Balcon
  • Le Météor 
  • Le Katz 
  • Grand Café
  • Café de la Paix
  • La Placette
  • Caprice Café
  • L’Affaire
  • Café Mode
  • Caffé César
  • Chez Camille
  • La Place
  • Regards Café
  • Paulette

Creative French Restaurant Names

Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Lunch at the Restaurant FournaisePierre-Auguste Renoir - Lunch at the Restaurant FournaisePierre-Auguste Renoir – Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise – Art Institute of Chicago (CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain)

Having a good restaurant name can be a useful tool in attracting customers. Some names are memorable for their clever play of words, while others effortlessly represent the cuisine or atmosphere of the restaurant. Here are a few French restaurant names that pay homage to famous artists.

  • Le Flaubert
  • Restaurant Poussin
  • Arcada
  • Brasserie Victor Hugo
  • La Belle Epoque
  • Le Piaf
  • La Balette
  • Brasserie Berlioz
  • Restaurant Delacroix
  • Café Rousseau
  • Bistro Cézanne
  • Café Baudelaire
  • Gauguin
  • Café Matisse
  • Brasserie Brassai
  • Chez Matisse
  • La Méduse
  • L’Éponyme
  • Mimosa
  • Le Pompon
  • Le Magellan
  • Les Dilettants
  • L’African Queen
  • La Note Bleue
  • L’Antidote
  • Muse
  • L’Alchimie
  • Le Poséidon

Cool French Restaurant Name Ideas

Pablo Picasso Moise Kisling Paquerette Cafe la Rotonde paris 1916Image in public domain (Source)

The food of France has been described as the “chef-d’œuvre” of the country, the “land of taste.” The cuisine of France can be considered an art, as well as a form of social unity. French food is also what our imaginations immediately conjure when we think about French culture. With that said, here are some cool restaurant names from France.

  • L’Office
  • L’amour & la folie
  • Capitaine
  • Chez Papinou
  • Restaurant Astair
  • Les Dilettants
  • L’Ascension
  • Côté Terroir
  • Chez Flo
  • Epoq
  • L’Escargot
  • Les Galopins
  • Frou Frou
  • Meat Couture
  • Chez Hugo
  • L’Anecdote
  • La Vie est Belle
  • Les Etiquettes
  • Chez Miocque
  • L’Absinthe
  • Victoria Paris
  • Le Dante
  • Alter Ego
  • Le Bois
  • Vaudeville
  • Malthazar
  • Le Bacon
  • Léon le Cochon
  • Bagatelle Restaurant
  • Aux Plumes
  • La Méditerranée
  • Lougolin
  • Les Moulins
  • Le Petit Pierre
  • Chez Bob
  • Le Roc
  • L’Empire
  • Le Palm
  • Le Golden Beef
  • Le Tube

Famous French Restaurant Names

Une soiree au Pre Catelan Henri GervexUne soirée au Pré Catelan – Henri Gervex (Image in public domain – source)

A Michelin star restaurant is a high-quality restaurant that serves food using ingredients of the highest quality. To be considered for a Michelin star, a restaurant must have excellent food, a great wine list, and great service. There are currently three levels of Michelin stars: one-star, two-star, and three-star. The Michelin Guide awards the stars based on criteria geared toward the quality, consistency, and overall excellence of the restaurant.

  • Le Coq de Bougival
  • La Frasca
  • Madame Claude
  • La Côte d’Or
  • Le Dôme
  • Balthazar
  • La Source de Sens
  • Épicure
  • Tour d’Argent
  • Le Cinq
  • Le  Cap
  • L’Ambroisie
  • Le 1947
  • Le Petit Nice
  • Mirazur
  • La Fourchette des Ducs
  • Racine
  • La Palme d’Or
  • La Marine
  • Flaveur
  • La Voile
  • Le Skiff Club
  • La Vague d’Or
  • La Table de Plaisance
  • La Grenouillère
  • La Pyramide

3 things to consider when naming your restaurant

1. Start with considering your offering and your customers:

  • What type of restaurant is it? fine dining, fast-casual, bistro, etc
  • What is the atmosphere of your restaurant? elegant, family-oriented, on the corner, etc.
  • Which neighborhood or district is your cafe located in? Soho, Times Square, New York City, etc.
  • What type of customers do you have? Singles, couples, office workers, etc.

2. What are your values and background:

Consider your restaurant’s values first. What story do you tell your customers with your name?

Effective marketing is based on articulating and extending a harmonious concept from the inside out. Communicating what defines your business is how to engage potential customers because it puts your story in context.

3. The best restaurant names often have a good story behind their name

See if you can find some interesting story or fact about the history of your building or the neighborhood and name your bar after that. 

Conclusion & More Restaurant Marketing & Branding Resources

We hope this article will help you to come up with a clever name for your restaurant. Next, you might want to check out the following resources for restaurant owners:

300+ Best Restaurant Names for Inspiration
55 Examples of Restaurant Menu Designs for Inspiration
25+ Creative Restaurant Business Card Designs

Painting in header image by Edouard Manet. (Public Domain).