Where to Eat at Paris CDG Airport

Paris Charles de Gaulle is one of Europe's biggest airports, and its food ranges from grab-and-go bakeries and coffee chains to a Michelin-starred dining room. This guide explains where to eat at CDG by terminal, what is available before and after security, and which options suit a quick bite, a proper sit-down meal, or an early-morning or late flight — so you can plan around your departure terminal and any layover.

Where can you eat at CDG airport?

Paris CDG has dozens of cafés, bakeries, bars and restaurants across Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Most casual options are familiar chains — Paul, Brioche Dorée, Ladurée, Exki, Starbucks, Pret A Manger and McDonald's — for sandwiches, salads, pastries and coffee. For a full sit-down meal, Terminal 2 has the widest choice, including brasserie-style dining and the Michelin-chef restaurant I Love Paris by Guy Martin in Terminal 2E. There are outlets both before and after security in the larger terminals, but the biggest selection is always airside, once you have cleared the checkpoint.

CDG restaurants and cafés by terminal

Terminal 2 is the largest and has the most food; Terminal 1 has a solid mix of casual and sit-down options; Terminal 3 is a compact low-cost terminal with only a few quick outlets. Check your departure board to confirm which terminal you leave from, as you cannot easily move between distant terminals once airside.

Which food area serves your gate

At CDG the useful question is rarely "what is in this terminal" but "what can I still reach once I am at my gate". Terminal 1's boarding satellites and Terminal 2G are the two places where getting it wrong means going without, because neither lets you walk back to a wider choice. Work out where to buy food before you commit to your boarding area.

Where can I eat in Terminal 2E, halls K, L and M?

Terminal 2E is Air France's main long-haul building and holds the airport's best-known dining, including I Love Paris by Guy Martin. Its gates, though, sit in three boarding halls — K, L and M — linked airside by the LISA shuttle. So eat or buy food in the main 2E area first: once you have taken LISA out to L or M you are in a boarding satellite with far less choice, and you should allow extra time for the transfer when your gate is L or M. Check your boarding pass for the hall letter as well as the terminal.

Is there anywhere to eat in Terminal 2G?

Barely, and this is the hall where it matters most. 2G is a remote satellite about 800 m from 2F that handles short-haul Schengen flights and is reached only by the free N2 shuttle bus, which runs from T2F during the day and calls at T2E only between 21:30 and 23:00. Expect essentials and grab-and-go rather than a meal. If you are flying from 2G, buy food in 2E or 2F before you board the shuttle — once you are there you cannot walk back.

Where can I get a coffee or breakfast in Terminal 1?

Terminal 1 has two useful clusters. Level 2, the CDGVAL station level, holds a food court and selected retail landside — the place to go for a coffee if you are meeting someone, waiting, or have just arrived on the CDGVAL. Level 3 is the departures and check-in level, and Level 4 is the airside boarding level with the duty-free area and the tunnels out to the seven satellites, making it the last chance to buy a coffee or a pastry before your gate. Cafés and bakeries in the busy halls generally open early for the first departures, but hours vary by season, so check the signage on the day.

Can I eat at CDG without a boarding pass?

Yes. Every terminal has landside cafés and bakeries in the public area before check-in, and two spots are worth knowing: the Level 2 food court in Terminal 1, and the Terminal 2 complex around the SNCF railway station, which the CDGVAL serves along with Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the PW car park. That makes it practical to eat here if you are meeting an arriving passenger, changing trains, or waiting out a long gap without a ticket in hand. The trade-off is choice: the wider selection of restaurants and bars is always airside.

Where can I eat after landing at CDG?

Arrivals have less choice than departures, because most outlets sit in the boarding areas you have just left. In Terminal 1, Level 5 is the arrivals level with the baggage claim zones and direct access to buses, taxis and ground transport, and the Level 2 food court is a few levels down in the same building. Across Terminal 2 the landside halls have bakery and coffee chains near the exits. If you have landed from outside Schengen, allow for passport control — which can run 30–45 minutes at peak times — and baggage reclaim before you count on sitting down anywhere.

Before or after security?

In the public (landside) area you will mostly find coffee and bakery chains for meeting, waiting or eating before you check in. The wider choice of restaurants, bars and sit-down venues is after security, in the boarding area — so if you want a relaxed meal, clear passport control and the checkpoint first, then eat near your gate. Because outlets open and close and can move between locations, use the airport's own signage and screens once inside to find the nearest one that is currently open.

Grab-and-go vs. a sit-down meal

For something fast and affordable, the bakery and coffee chains (Paul, Brioche Dorée, Exki, Starbucks) serve sandwiches, salads, viennoiserie and drinks at typical airport prices — expect to pay more than in the city. For a longer wait or a treat before a long flight, the brasseries and the Guy Martin restaurant in Terminal 2E offer hot French dishes and table service. If you have lounge access, remember that most CDG lounges include complimentary food and drinks, which can be better value than paying at a restaurant.

Early-morning and late-night food at CDG

CDG runs from very early departures to late-evening arrivals, and cafés and bakeries in the busy halls typically open early to catch the morning peak. Choice is thinnest late at night and in the quieter terminals, when only a few outlets stay open, so if you land late or have an overnight layover it is wise to buy food before shops close or bring a snack. Opening hours are not guaranteed and vary by terminal and season — always check current signage on the day.

Is there food after security at CDG?

Yes. All three terminals have food outlets in the boarding area after security, and this is where the widest choice is. Terminal 2 airside has the most options, from bakery and coffee chains to sit-down restaurants; Terminal 1 has casual and brasserie venues airside; Terminal 3 has a few quick outlets. Clear passport control and the checkpoint first, then eat near your gate.

Does CDG airport have restaurants open 24 hours?

CDG operates around the clock, but very few individual outlets stay open 24 hours, and availability changes late at night and by terminal. Cafés and bakeries in the busiest halls generally open early for the first departures, while overnight choice is limited. If you arrive late or are staying overnight in the terminal, buy food before outlets close or plan to eat once the morning cafés reopen.

Where is the best food at CDG airport?

For a proper meal, Terminal 2E has the airport's standout dining, including I Love Paris by Guy Martin, where a Michelin-starred chef serves classic French cooking with a modern twist, plus bistro-style restaurants. For a quick French treat, Ladurée and Paul are reliable across the terminals. The best choice overall is in Terminal 2, so if food matters to your trip, a Terminal 2 departure gives you the most options.

Are there vegetarian and vegan options at CDG?

Yes. Exki, a Belgian chain found in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, specialises in fresh, healthy food with clearly labelled vegetarian and vegan choices, and most bakery and salad outlets (Paul, Brioche Dorée, Pret A Manger) offer meat-free sandwiches and salads. Choice is widest in Terminal 2. For anything specific, check the labelling at each outlet, as menus change seasonally.