The best pho in Paris: our selection.

🟣 At JARI, "the best pho in Paris" is an endless debate — and the answer is in the broth. The soul of a great pho is that broth simmered for hours: beef bones and marrow, grilled ginger, star anise, cinnamon. From the 13th (Chinatown) to Belleville, here are six spots, from a Michelin-listed table to a tiny canteen.

Quick primer: a pho is judged not by decor or price, but by the depth of its broth. A clear, fragrant stock, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and meat — raw beef flashed by the boiling broth (tái), or chicken. Taste the broth plain before adding anything.

Pho Tài.

• 📍 13 rue Philibert-Lucot, 13th — Google Maps
• 🍜 Pho ≈€10 · Michelin Bib Gourmand
• ☎ 01 45 85 97 36
• 🚇 Maison Blanche (M7)

The only Michelin-listed (Bib) pho in Paris. In a quiet 13th-arrondissement street, Mr and Mrs Té have run this little canteen for decades — the only Vietnamese table in Paris to earn a Bib Gourmand. The broth, rich in marrow like in Hanoi, is deep, sweet and complex. Also famed for THE best bo bun in the city. Loud room, tight tables, queues on weekends. ≈€10–20.

Pho Banh Cuon 14.

• 📍 129 av de Choisy, 13th — Google Maps
• 🍜 Large pho ≈€8
• ☎ 01 45 83 61 15
• 🕑 Daily 9am–11pm
• 🚇 Tolbiac (M7)

The 13th's institution, the one with the queue. On avenue de Choisy, deep in Chinatown, this family house (30+ years, several locations) is a rite: the line out front is a good sign. A generous, fragrant bowl at ≈€8 — raw or cooked beef, "special" with tripe and meatballs, chicken, or the bánh cuốn (rice crêpes). Nonstop, fast, no frills. The absolute safe bet.

Dong Huong.

• 📍 14 rue Louis Bonnet, 11th — Google Maps
• 🍜 Pho €7–7.50
• ☎ 01 43 57 42 81
• 🕑 Closed Tuesdays
• 🚇 Belleville (M2/M11)

Belleville's cult canteen, for 25 years. Hidden in a courtyard off rue Louis Bonnet, Dong Huong has fed the neighborhood for a quarter-century: eight pho versions between €7 and €7.50, an honest broth, generous portions, a loud family vibe. The address Belleville regulars swear by. Closed Tuesdays.

Song Heng.

• 📍 3 rue Volta, 3rd — Google Maps
• 🍜 Pho / bo bun €7.50–8.30
• ☎ 01 42 78 31 70
• 🕑 Mon–Fri 11am–4pm (Sat –3pm)
• 🚇 Arts et Métiers (M3/M11)

The tiny cult canteen of the Marais. Three tables on rue Volta, and a huge reputation: Song Heng does (almost) two things — pho and bo bun — and does them beautifully, at €7.50–8.30. You eat elbow-to-elbow, fast, lunch only (until 4pm). The best pho in central Paris, far from the 13th.

Comme au Vietnam.

• 📍 195 av de Choisy, 13th — Google Maps
• 🍜 A refined pho
• 🚇 Maison Blanche (M7)

The neighborhood pho, a notch above. Also on avenue de Choisy, Comme au Vietnam is rated by enthusiasts as one of the best pho in the 13th, in a slightly more comfortable setting than the neighboring canteens. A careful broth, fresh ingredients — for an impeccable pho without the crush.

Pho 18.

• 📍 18 rue Philibert-Lucot, 13th — Google Maps
• 🍜 Pho ≈€10
• ☎ 01 45 86 25 82
• 🕑 Closed Tuesdays
• 🚇 Maison Blanche (M7)

Pho Tài's discreet neighbour, one of the city's best. On the same little street as Pho Tài, this family shop quietly serves one of the best pho in Paris: a mountain of fresh herbs like in Vietnam, long slices of French beef finishing their cooking in a clear, complex broth, firm noodles. A shorter queue than its Bib-starred neighbour, just as much joy in the bowl.

Bonus, outside the city — Nhu Y (Torcy).

• 📍 99 rue de Paris, 77200 Torcy — Google Maps
• 🍜 Pho in a boiling stone bowl · soft-shell crab
• ☎ 01 60 17 65 11
• 🚇 RER A — Torcy

The pho in a scorching stone bowl, worth the trip. In Torcy, east of Paris (RER A), Nhu Y stands out with a rare signature: pho served in a boiling stone bowl that keeps the broth steaming to the last sip. Don't miss the soft-shell crab either — a treat in its own right. A family table that fully justifies leaving Paris.

The pho lexicon.

• The broth — the soul of pho: beef bones and marrow simmered for hours with grilled ginger, star anise, cinnamon, clove.
• Bò / Gà — beef pho / chicken pho.
• Tái — raw beef, flashed in an instant by the boiling broth.
• Đặc biệt — "special," the full version (several meats, tripe, meatballs).
• The herbs — Thai basil, coriander, lime, chili, bean sprouts: add to taste.

The JARI how-to.

• The real test is the broth: taste it plain before adding sauces and herbs.
• The 13th or Belleville: that's where the heart of Paris pho beats.
• Lunch or early evening: canteens turn over fast and close early (Song Heng, lunch only).
• Cash & patience: small rooms, peak-hour queues, sometimes cash only.

The JARI tip.

A great pho is judged not by decor or price, but by the depth of its broth. Start with Pho Tài for the benchmark, Pho Banh Cuon 14 for the institution, Song Heng if you're central — and give yourself time to find YOUR pho.

Go further.

• Eating Korean in Paris
• Eating under €10