Viaggi · Cucina

In Paris, Japan begins with a bowl

A stroll around rue Sainte-Anne, amidst ramen, pastry shops, and boutiques: seven addresses to change your dining habits without changing continents.

6 October 2026

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There are cities one visits by following monuments. And cities one can read by following lunch. Paris allows for both. But while almost everyone searches for the café table, the baguette under their arm, and the French dish to photograph, one can choose another direction: enter a bakery for a Japanese sweet, sit before a broth, leave with a package of seaweed, and finish in a bookstore.

The inspiration comes from an article by Chef Kumalè on Repubblica, dedicated to the small Japan gathered around rue Sainte-Anne, between the Opéra and the Palais-Royal. A few streets, close enough to walk through, where you can organize a gastronomic journey within another journey. (

it/il-gusto/dossier/street-food-cibo-strada-europa-italia/2026/10/03/news/street_food_petit_tokyo_parigi-425622939/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">repubblica.it) The interesting question, for me, is this: what do we choose to eat when we stop searching only for what we already know? Here I would suggest starting with breakfast. ## The first stop is a bakery Aki Boulangerie — 16 rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris In the same display case, you will find melon pan, yuzu éclair, matcha tiramisu, anpan, and mochi.

Aki works precisely on this encounter: Japanese breads and sweets alongside French preparations rethought through different ingredients. To begin, I would choose a melon pan, leaving something to discover for the next stop. Those who prefer savory will also find onigiri, sandwiches, and bento. It is a good introduction to the neighborhood: curiosity passes through something familiar, entering a bakery, and changes direction in front of the counter.

Link: Aki — addresses and specialties (akiparis.fr) ## A ramen that brings together different geographies Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji — 12 rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris The setting recalls the famous Tokyo fish market.

To choose, however, it is better to focus on the menu: here, the sea enters the broth. There are sardine and sea bream ramen, with clear or denser preparations. The most beautiful curiosity concerns the ingredients: the establishment declares it uses wheat grown in Acy-Romance for the noodles, Breton sardines, and Mediterranean sea bream. A Japanese technique meets European products.

This detail interests me more than any scenography. A cuisine that travels must also learn to know the place where it arrives. What to order: the Shoyu Ramen de Sardine to explore a clear broth; the Paitan de Daurade Royale for a fuller version. Attention: some fish preparations also include meat.

Link: Official menu Tsukiji (kodawari-ramen.com) Practical information: no traditional reservations.

The site allows you to join the virtual queue for the day starting at 11:45 AM; an SMS notifies you when to approach. Address and contacts ·

kodawari-ramen.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Virtual queue (kodawari-ramen.com) {{IMG_EXPANDABLE:https://media.base44.

com/images/public/6a9ca77e8d14c3d8f19eded2/83ac0d2f6_DB04700B-C79A-4B01-8947-6D1E3F191A8A.png}} ## The detour toward Osaka Aki Restaurant — 11 bis rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris For a lunch alternative to ramen, mark this address of the Aki family, distinct from the boulangerie. The house offers Osaka specialties, including okonomiyaki, a preparation cooked on a griddle with vegetables and egg, finished also with katsuobushi, the dried fish flakes. There are also soba, served hot or cold, and donburi, preparations placed on a bowl of rice.

It is a simple way to broaden the idea of Japanese cuisine that we often carry with us: there is an entire lunch to discover beyond sushi. Link: Aki Restaurant — official information (akiparis.

fr) ## The dessert deserves its own stop Tomo Opéra — 11 rue Chabanais, 75002 Paris At Tomo, the reference is the dorayaki, the sweet formed by two soft discs enclosing a filling, traditionally of anko, the sweet preparation of azuki beans. The advice is to dedicate a real break to it, accompanying it with tea. After a flavorful lunch, the change of textures and rhythm becomes part of the stroll. The salon on rue Chabanais also hosts meetings, workshops, and exhibitions: an address to consider for what happens around the dessert, as well as on the plate.

Link: Pâtisserie Tomo ·

fr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Boutique and information Good to know: the salons do not accept reservations. (lefooding.

com, patisserietomo.fr) ## Shopping is another way to travel Kioko — 46 rue des Petits-Champs, 75002 Paris A food shop also tells what remains hidden at the restaurant: the pantry, the condiments, the ingredients that allow you to build a meal.

At Kioko, you can find Japanese food products and tableware. My suggestion is to enter with a concrete question: "What can I really use in my kitchen?" A well-chosen ingredient is worth more than five packages bought only because they look nice. Link:

kioko.fr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kioko — Opéra store and hours Good to know: this location indicates a Monday closure. (

fr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">kioko.fr) Nishikidôri — 6 rue Villédo, 75001 Paris Here the stop can become more in-depth: miso, soy sauces, vinegars, seaweed, spices, ingredients for dashi, and utensils. For a cooking enthusiast, I would propose a small exercise: choose a category and have the differences explained. Two misos, two sauces, two uses.

It is often how shopping begins to turn into knowledge. Link: Nishikidôri — official site in Italian (nishikidori.

com) ## The last stop is for browsing Librairie Junku — 18 rue des Pyramides, 75001 Paris The stroll can end among manga, literature, books on Japanese culture, and cooking volumes. I like the idea of closing here: after having tasted something, look for a page that helps to understand it. A recipe to try, an ingredient to recognize, a question to bring home. Link:

junku.fr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Librairie Junku · Address and hours Good to know: the bookstore indicates it is open from Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays.

(junku.fr) ## Mini guide for a half-day How to get there.

A convenient starting point is the Pyramides stop, on metro lines 7 and 14. (kioko.

fr) When to go. To combine these stops, I would choose a day from Tuesday to Saturday: you avoid the Monday closures indicated by Kioko and the Sunday closures of Junku and Aki Boulangerie. The itinerary. Breakfast at Aki Boulangerie; lunch at Kodawari Tsukiji or Aki Restaurant; break at Tomo; shopping at Kioko and Nishikidôri; conclusion at Junku.

Consider about four hours as an indicative time including breaks, to be extended in case of waiting. How much to spend. In the online menu of Kodawari, at the time of verification, ramen ranged from 14 to 19.50 euros, before extras and drinks.

For a walk with breakfast, lunch, and a dessert break, I would count 40–55 euros per person: a planning estimate, excluding transport, books, and purchases in the shops. (kodawari-ramen.

com) The useful rule. Choose only one lunch and leave room for the other stops. Before leaving, check the official sites for hours, menus, and extraordinary closures. {{VIDEO:https://media.

base44.com/videos/public/6a9ca77e8d14c3d8f19eded2/bda461d46_Torre_Eiffel_loop.mp4}} In Paris, you can return with the photograph of a monument. Or with a sauce you do not know how to use yet, a book to open, and the memory of a broth.

I find that the latter baggage gives more things to do once you have returned.

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