Since 1765, when a Parisian known as Monsieur Boulanger opened the world’s first restaurant—a tavern on the Rue du Louvre that served only sheep’s feet—the French capital has been the culinary center of the world. Bistro and brasserie, entrée and soup du jour: It’s almost impossible to describe dining out without using a French word.  

Yet the City of Light’s restaurant scene long had a dark underbelly for travelers, especially those on their own. Most servers were averse, or simply unable, to communicate in any language other than French. The thick haze of Gitane and Gauloise smoke coated your confit de canard and crème brûlée. Moreover, a dinner reservation before 8 p.m. was unheard-of, and nearly all tables were filled with boisterous groups of friends, families, or canoodling couples. Dining alone often meant risking miscommunication, lung cancer, and loneliness.

No more. Twenty-first century Paris is more fluent than ever in the international language. Better still, more eateries are offering continuous service between lunch and dinner—eliminating the need to hold out until late for a table—and the French government has finally said au revoir to smoking in restaurants and bars. With a trend toward countertop dining sweeping the capital’s best new restaurants, dinner for one has never been more inviting.

Saint Germain: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

5, rue de Montalembert (Metro: Rue du Bac)

+33-1-42-22-56-56

Celebrity chef Joël Robuchon is the best thing to happen to solo travelers in Paris since English-language bookstores. His namesake gastronomic temple, a study in sleek angularity that opened in 2003, seats every diner at one of the large U-shaped counters surrounding the open kitchen. The result is an elbow-to-elbow conviviality that makes everyone an equal part of the communal dining experience. Most dishes come in small portions that allow you to sample multiple specialties, such as marinated anchovies with red-pepper paste or langoustine-truffle ravioli. The tender scallops are given a tart kick from seaweed and lemon. The morsels of suckling pig, meanwhile, elevate pork to succulent heights.

Dress: Business smart

Prices: Expensive

Reservations: Highly recommended (only taken for the 6:30 seating; afterward is first-come, first-served)

Close to: Hotel Montalembert, Hotel Pont Royal

Bourse: Bistrot Vivienne

4, rue des Petits-Champs (Metro: Bourse)

+33-1-49-27-00-50

A coin’s throw from the Banque de France and the stock exchange, this atmospheric bistro offers an array of seating options—plush indoor banquettes, recessed nooks, a small back room, and many outdoor tables. Lone travelers can sit at a slight remove and easily work, read, or observe the professionals, hipsters, and couples who frequent the place. Amid the wide-plank floors and large mirrors, waitresses deliver jazzed-up bistro classics that range from a creamy slab of foie gras (served with mango chutney) to a lightly cooked veal tartare (laced with spicy chorizo and drizzled with tomato sauce). For dessert, try the cashmere-smooth panacotta.

Dress: Anything goes

Prices: Moderate

Reservations: Recommended

Close to: Golden Tulip Opéra De Noailles, Timhotel Palais-Royal-Louvre

Louvre: Café Marly

93, rue de Rivoli, Napoleon courtyard of the Louvre (Metro: Palais-Royal)

+33-1-49-26-06-60

Created by the Costes brothers, best-known for the see-and-be-seen Hotel Costes, Café Marly is all about spectacle, and the distractions for the single diner are many. The main dining room, done up in cool neo-Napoleonic decor, looks out on the majestic courtyard and glass pyramids of the Louvre. (The small tables on the outdoor terrace offer an even better view in warm months.) The banquettes of the alcove areas overlook one of the museum’s sculpture galleries. Fashion insiders, models, international dealmakers, and self-styled People About Town mingle with the tourists over tuna tartare (not bad) and sliced chicken breast with chutney and curry (surprisingly good) from 8 a.m. until closing time at 2 a.m.

Dress: casual to suits to Jean-Paul Gaultier

Prices: Expensive

Reservations: Recommended

Close to: Hotel du Louvre, Hotel Regina