Les Pâtes Vivantes

46 rue de Faubourg Montmatre, 75009

Metro: Peletier

01 45 23 10 21

Just seen Kung Fu Panda and looking for some good noodles? This is definitely the place for you! Having been here several times, it is one of my favorite places to eat, and very convenient (as it is found near my workplace). We had to visit the restaurant more than 3 times before remembering to take pictures of the food before eating it, as we were a bit too enthusiastic once we saw those bowls of steaming hot noodles.

Found just a few meters from metro Peletier on line 7, you'll notice right away that no effort (or money) was spent on interior design, nor exterior for that matter. No worries though, the thing that will catch your eye won't be the fancy modern Chinese decor, feng-shui type furniture, or glittering pendants hanging from the door. You won't even miss it! Once you see those delicious and tantalizing long noodles being made by hand in the window, you'll be good to go!

There is an upstairs and a downstairs seating area, although the majority of the time I find myself upstairs. One of the only disadvantages of this restaurant is the heat. You'll be sweating as you climb those small stairs up to the second floor, looking around for some ventilation and only finding a few small windows at the end with a perimeter barely large enough to let in a slight breeze. But if you don't mind the heat, even with your jacket off, you are in store for some wonderful, fresh, cuisine!

Noodles are the thing and noodles I recommend (aka: try not to take your gluten allergic friends here - it's just not right that they have to choose rice instead). The noodles come hot and fresh, chewy and thick - everything you expect - in these deep bowls, perfect for splashing around in. There are about 2 dozen or so different plates on the menu. I have tried a little from each page and haven't been disappointed yet. They have different stir fries, soups, and traditional meat and sauce mixtures. When they say something is spicy, don't be fooled, it's spicy! And that is another reason that I love Les Pâtes Vivantes! And if you are the daring person such as myself, they have little pots of "piment" on the table to add to the glorious heat.

One bowl of noodles is enough to fill you up - I haven't yet tried their entrees nor desserts. The main dishes range from 9e -14e, and sometimes you have to pay in addition for noodles, so read carefully (but they're worth it!). The service is always quick, although meat dishes will take a bit longer. The only difficulty is tagging  down the servers for water, but on the second floor they leave pitchers of water on a trolley in the middle - they don't seem to be offended if you help yourself.


I definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves Chinese noodles! They have a second restaurant in the 6th, but I have yet to visit it. Don't worry - once I get around to that area, I'm sure they will have gained another loyal fan.

Credit to Freya for the pictures. Thanks!!