We compile a list of eateries that are not only good but also stunning, including a Saint-Germain coffee shop, an elegant railway station, and the 16th-best restaurant in the world.
Corner bistros, inconspicuous cafés, chic pâtisseries, tiny boulangeries, and sophisticated, Michelin-starred restaurants abound in Paris, making it a city with an abundance of excellent dining options.
Racines, 12th arr.
To reach this little restaurant, which is hidden inside a 19th-century arcade, make your way through tables covered in red-and-white tablecloths, under sweeping skylights, and hanging lanterns. Racines has for a very long time been a well-known brand to know in Paris, loved by knowledgeable foodies and knowledgeable stars alike. A portrait of a guy from the 19th century sucking up a single strand of spaghetti, a stack of art coffee table books, damaged mirrors, and mosaicked flooring are examples of odd items that stand out in pared-back homes. The meal is classic French elegance at its finest, and each day's menu is printed in chalk on a chalkboard. Consider veal Milanese with garlic mayonnaise, burrata with pesto and hazelnuts, and asparagus with horseradish cream and lemon zest. racinesparis.com
Café Les Deux Gares, 10th arr.
Hotel Les Deux Gares in the city's 10th arrondissement was conceptualized by French hotelier Adrien Gloaguen (of Panache, Beaurepaire, and Bienvenue) and London-based designer Luke Edward Hall, a Renaissance visionary. The restaurant across the street features Art Deco accents, including a ceiling painted by Pauline Leyravaud to appear like tortoiseshell, banquettes with mustard and ruby-striped upholstery, and a zinc-topped burgundy bar. The menu includes third-wave coffee in the mornings as well as fluffy pastries. hoteldeuxgares.com
Le Chardenoux, 11th arr.
Chef Cyril Lignac's modern takeover of an Art Nouveau structure included floral accents added by Swedish interior architect Martin Brudnizki. It has hand-painted sage-green foliage, frilly baroque chandeliers, and banquettes with red velvet scalloped edging, all of which were inspired by the adjacent Jardin de la Folie Titon. The floor is also covered in deteriorated red and black hexagonal tiles, a nod to conservatories of the past. Start the menu's seafood-heavy course with Marennes-Oléron oysters with smoked butter, then move on to scallops caramelized with miso and coriander and the sea bass with a sea-salt crust for two. restaurantlechardenoux.com
Lapérouse, Left Bank
Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, Ernest Hemingway, and Marcel Proust have all dined at this renowned 18th-century establishment. In 2019, Parisian designer Laura Gonzalez gave it a new look. The Noirmoutier Charlotte potato with Lapérouse caviar and sea bass with raw langoustines, olive oil, and herbs are two favorites in traditional French cuisine. This Left Bank jewel is given an old-world charm boost by flirty red and pink tasseled lamps, gilded Venetian mirrors, and classic artworks. laperouse.com
La Buvette, 11th arr.
This classy wine bar is an excellent choice for pre-dinner cocktails and is located close to renowned eateries Septime and Clamato. With just a few scuffed chairs and a quirky tiled floor, owner Camille Fourmont has infused the little room with both old-world charm and new-wave wines. With a glass of natural wine in hand, sit at the old wooden bar and pass the time with the 11th-street hipsters while munching on big butter beans drizzled with zingy olive oil and lemon zest, dry Aubrac sausage, sardines, and cheeses. labuvette.paris
If you’re planning a spring trip to Paris, then there’s a great choice here.
— The Food Snob (@TheFoodSnobUK) April 13, 2023
The 16 most beautiful restaurants in Paris..https://t.co/JChcruxKZR
Girafe, 16th arr.
The beautiful Monsieur Bleu in the Palais de Tokyo and the booming fashion week hotspot Loulou were both designed by Joseph Dirand, who also created this chic seafood restaurant on Place du Trocadéro. The light-filled room is furnished with a marble bar, brass chandeliers, and quirky wire planter seats. The menu has delicacies like langoustine ravioli and sesame-seed sea bass. The rooftop patio opens in the summer to provide breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower. girafe-restaurant.com
Septime, 11th arr.
In the 11th arrondissement, Septime offers exquisite cuisine in a simple, unadorned setting that is clean, light, and Nordic-inspired. Steamed fish with pickled turnips and yuzu sauce and crab with wild strawberries and a poached egg in hay broth frequently appear on the rotating menu. Chef Bertrand Grébaut, who formerly worked at three-Michelin-starred L'Astrance and L'Arpège, elevates common in-season foods here. Arrive early and visit the sibling restaurant Clamato next door or the wine bar Septime La Cave just up the road while you wait for the five-course tasting menu, which is a relative bargain at midday (around £55). septime-charonne.fr
Beefbar, 8th arr.
A 19th-century Art Nouveau atrium near the Champs Elysées received modern design enhancements from the architectural firm Humbert & Poyet. The lavish jewel tones and ruby-red velvet seats in the great dining hall contrast with the flirtatious flora walls. The area contains amazing maintained aspects that pay respect to the past despite being fenced off since World War II to keep it safe from the Nazis. The menu features several dishes with Asian influences, and Bernardaud plates, a classic French porcelain manufacturer, are used for serving them. paris.beefbar.com
Le Clown Bar, 11th arr.
Clowns are painted on unusual tiles that adorn the painted glass ceiling of an all-natural wine bar in the 11th arrondissement. The clowns are depicted frolicking very prettily (and not in a scary way). It's vibrant and cool, cozy and dimly lit, and the staff is formally dressed yet unassumingly so. Expect meals like a delicate tarte aux cèpes with black garlic and a thin coating of lardo or mussels cooked in sake, though the menu changes often. The clown-bar-paris.fr
Le Clarence, 8th arr.
This stylish townhouse hotel in the eighth arrondissement, owned by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, provides a taste of Bordeaux in the city. It features a menu of French classics to go with its wide collection of Domaine Clarence Dillon wines. The supper tasting menus are available in three, five, and seven levels, with the last one starting at roughly £285. It is great cuisine at its finest. With crimson velvet seats, a dark oak salon, tapestries, and gold-leaf chandeliers, the interiors are luxurious. le-clarence.paris
Frenchie Pigalle, 9th arr.
It is the newest Frenchie to open in Paris; it's located in SoPi (south Pigalle), which is adjacent to Montmartre and is teeming with boulangeries and specialty stores. Blond-wood tables, geometric white-tiled walls, and vivid red booths have been added to the area by Dorothée Meilichzon of the Hotel des Grands Boulevards, Hotel Panache, and Experimental Hotels. The bacon scones are amazing, and the space is light and open. frenchie-pigalle.com
Café de Flore, 6th arr.
It could be the most typical coffee shop in Paris. Established in 1887, the café, along with its Saint-Germain neighbor Les Deux Magots, has welcomed guests like Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Albert Camus who have mingled with their contemporaries over hot cafés noirs and crispy jambon-beurres. Enjoy a meal of fluffy omelets, quiche Lorraines, and stringy French onion soup while drinking beverages from the restaurant's renowned green-and-white china, either within the Art Deco decor or outside on the terrace while viewing the Left Bank's bustling daily life. cafedeflore.fr
Allard, 6th arr.
You'll find yourself coming back to this restaurant time and time again since it is the kind that never goes out of style. It has an old-world appeal and is situated in the sixth arrondissement. It is darkly lighted, with white tablecloths, red leather banquettes, dark paneling, and subdued floral-print wallpaper. Highlights on the menu include the golden duck with army-green olives, the herby-buttery escargots, and the fluffy profiteroles, but the wine is just as important as the cuisine. restaurant-allard.fr
Bistrot Paul Bert, 11th arr.
Longtime favorite Bistrot Paul Bert, a hidden gem in the 11th arrondissement, serves some of the city's top steak frites. It once served as a butcher shop before becoming a bar, and now it has the appearance and atmosphere of a dining establishment from the Belle Epoque: darkly lighted, with ornate moldings, and crammed with creaky wooden seats. Long-time patrons who don't need to read the scrawled menu board are served by waiting for staff as they rush about collecting orders. Another excellent deal is the €18 three-course meal. bistrotpaulbert.fr
Le Train Bleu, 12th arr.
It is named after the so-called "blue train," which carried sunbathers to the Riviera. The opulent Art Nouveau restaurant is housed within Gare de Lyon, one of the city's busiest railway stations. Le Train Bleu has hosted Salvador Dal, Jean Cocteau, and Coco Chanel. It is drenched in splendor and features gilded frames, enormous paintings, and numerous chandeliers. le-train-bleu.com
Dersou, Bastille
The tasting menus at Chef Taku Sekine's French-Asian restaurant in Bastille's back alley demonstrate his attention to detail. Amaury Guyot, formerly of the trendy Parisian establishment Sherry Butt and Experimental Cocktail Club, pairs international foods with his creations. For instance, a bourbon, Madeira, and walnut syrup cocktail combines well with mirin-soy-marinated foie gras, blueberries, and corn cream. With faded walls, mid-century Danish chairs, creaking wooden flooring, and backless stools for diners who want to be close to the activity in the busy kitchen, the interiors are unassumingly stylish. dersouparis.com
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