Looking for a proper Paris brasserie within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower? After eating here three times in three days — for dinner, then lunch, then lunch again — I can say Au Canon des Invalides is worth building your evening around.
Why this location works so well
Au Canon des Invalides sits within a 20-minute walk of the Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, and Musée de l’Orangerie (at the Tuileries), and just 10 minutes on foot from Pont Alexandre III — widely considered one of the best spots in Paris to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. The Eiffel Tower is even visible from the restaurant’s own street.
That makes for an easy evening: museum in the afternoon → sunset over Pont Alexandre III → dinner, all without needing transport. Few restaurants in Paris let you chain a full evening together this cleanly.
The food: classic Paris brasserie, done properly
This is a textbook Paris brasserie, meaning the standards are all here: French onion soup, steak tartare, steak frites, eggs mayonnaise, escargots. If it’s your first trip to Paris, this is a solid, unpretentious place to work through that list.
What I ordered across three visits:
- Dinner: French onion soup + eggs mayonnaise (red wine)
- Lunch: Goat cheese toast + charcuterie salad (white wine)
- Lunch: Steak tartare + fries (red wine)
Mains run €16.50–19 — reasonable for a location this central.
What to know before you visit
- No wait for a table across all three visits (dinner and two lunches)
- Fine to dine solo — the atmosphere doesn’t feel geared only to couples/groups
- Staff were consistently friendly on every visit, including across different shifts — a pleasant surprise if you’ve heard the “Parisian waiters are cold” stereotype
- Best paired with a walk to Pont Alexandre III before or after your meal for the Eiffel Tower view
Good to know
| Location | 20-min walk from Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, l’Orangerie; 10-min walk from Pont Alexandre III |
| Price range | Mains €16.50–19 |
| Wait time | None (across 3 visits) |
| What to order | French onion soup, steak tartare |
| Address | 54 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France |
| Phone | +33 1 47 05 48 68 |
| Website | au-canon-des-invalides.fr |
| Map | Google Maps |