I receive tons of emails requesting good restaurants in Paris. And it’s no surprise because there are a lot of mediocre eateries here! Here’s a short list of my favorites. If you’ve got one please add it along with the contact info. All restaurants listed below require a reservation!
3 Michelin Star French Cuisine:
Guy Savoy: Traditional French cuisine transformed into contemporary elegance. Ask for the 100 euro lunch tasting menu if looking for a fine dining experience without breaking the bank. Guy Savoy is favored by international stars, French politicians, business men, and chic clientele that desire a private secluded atmosphere without all the fussy gold glitz. Service is impeccable, professional, and friendly. Besides, Monsieur Guy Savoy is an international film star now, having played one of the characters in Pixar’s Ratatouille! Do you know which part?
8, rue Troyon, 75008, tel: +33 (0)1 43 80 40 61
Le Meurice A newcomer into the 3-star arena. The très sexe chef Yannick uses traditional and modern cooking techniques to elevate French traditional cuisine to new heights. Set within the beautiful and historic Hotel Meurice, the decor is reminiscent of a more opulent and decadent era. Great service and beautiful sensual food plated with a nod to Japanese presentation. Reserve a table through their website.
Hélène Darroze (two Michelin stars) One of the only female owned restaurants in Paris to receive Michelin rated accolades. Her food is feminine, imaginative, and sensitive drawing upon her native roots in Landes. A very special experience without the self-concious Parisian elite attitude to muck it up. Check it out ASAP before she receives her third star and the prices go higher!
4, rue d’Assas, 75006, Tel: +33 (0)1 45 72 07 14
Bistros:
L’Ami Jean: Basque food in a fun pro-rugby atmosphere. I think it’s some of the best food in Paris. If there’s one restaurant you must go to, it’s this one. For more info click the link, I wrote a post on it a few years back. I always take friends here when visiting in town.
27, rue Malar, 75007 +33 (0)1 47 05 86 89
Le Comptoir: located right off Metro Odeon in the ever-trendy St. Germain area, this resto serves up traditional bistro food offering one tasty menu a night. If you don’t believe me, then click the link to read Chez Pim’s write-up! Great people watching too! (photo by Moveable Feast)
9, carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006 Tel: +33 (0)1 44 22 07 97
Le Severo: This restaurant is for carnivores and wine lovers. There is much debate over whether this is really a steak-frites bistro or a wine bar with excellent food. Both Patricia Wells and David Lebovitz have given it their blessings so you know it’s good. I’ve linked to Chef Lebovitz’s detailed review. Worth the trek to the 14th! (photo by New York Times click link to read their article too!)
8, rue des Plantes, 75014, tel: +33 (0)1 45 40 40 91
Spring: If you can get a reservation at this tiny restaurant (only 16 seats) owned by American Chef Daniel Rose, then take it! He changes the menu daily and serves what he’s found to be the freshest. Chef Daniel worked at Le Meurice (mentioned above) before opening his own place. I’ve linked to his blog here so you can get an up close and personal account.
28 rue de la Tour d’Auvergne, 75009, tel: +33 (0)1 45 96 05 72
Le Soufflé: Totally kitsch, but so much fun and they do have the best soufflé’s in Paris at a very reasonable price. It’s a fun way to end a vacation in Paris. Ignore the flourescent lighting and the well worn white tableclothes and just enjoy. The servers have been working there probably for half a century and they speak English very well. Seriously, I love this place – it’s good fun food in a tourist-friendly environment. Click on the link to read my old blog post and see some pics.
36, rue du Mont-Thabor, 75001, Tel: +33 (0)1 42 60 27 19
Chez Janou: Tucked away in the Marais, this hidden bistro serves classic provençal fare. Their menu boasts seasonal dishes and desserts. They also have one of the largest collections of Pastis, the traditional French anise flavored aperitif. Don’t skip dessert, you’re in for a treat especially if you order the chocolate mousse.
2, Rue Roger-Verlomme 75003 Tel: 01 42 72 28 41
Technorati Tags: 3-star restaurants, best restaurans in Paris, bistros, Guy Savoy, L’Ami Jean, Le Soufflé, Les Bouquinistes, Paris restaurants, Spring, tag, top
Perfect! We’ll be in Paris in a couple of weeks so I’ll print this out and take it with me (and maybe make a few reservations before we leave)!
Thanks!
I ate at Le Comptoir in June (actually I drove three hours to and from Paris for one night specifically to eat there while on vacation in Burgundy) and it really is everything people say. The meal was a fantastic realization of a la minute cuisine and every course captured perfectly the essence of the ingredients, transforming a simple tomato water base into something that perfectly captured the season, the atmosphere, and the delight of a fresh tomato. I second the recommendation highly.
Did Guy Savoy play Chef Gusteau?
Hilda – Good guess! But no, it’s a much smaller role…
Yo, Ms. Glaze….quit giving away all our secrets!
; )
LOL 😉 I would never give away ALL of our secrets!!! Btw, did I see you walking down the Champs today? I could swear I saw you. I almost followed just out of curiousity. I thought maybe you might unearthing some new chocolatier…
Love to see all the recommendations, Ms. Glaze! Thanks. I’m always on the lookout for a special-occasion restaurant for my boy’s birthday — we can’t do fancy, delicious places like that all too often, but once a year is worth it! It makes us savor the moment, and the cuisine, even more. This past March I took him to l’Ami Jean, and we LOVED it! And last year it was Les Papilles, on Clotilde’s recommendation. I’m actually dying to go back there again; I need to find a good excuse…
I may try to reserve a table at Spring for his next birthday — they’ve been getting A LOT of press, and many positive reviews, including in the FT. I’ll try to plan far in advance to be sure to get a spot!
yes, yes an amazing list of which people will not be disappointed dear however what about le MacDo and le Quick sur le Champs*? How can these be left out?
(*insert Parisian shrug and pouty lips)
Question – Leaving aside Spring, since Chef Rose makes it clear you can only have what he cooks, would any of the other restaurants, especially the 3-stars, be amenable if someone like myself, with a gluten intolerance, showed up and asked for accommodation? Would they a) prefer I not darken their doorway, b) give me a polite yet definitely Gallic shrug and disclaim any ability to moderate their dishes’ contents, or c) do everything they can to adjust the ingredients or suggest options? Just curious – I’ve nearly given up eating out over this, because who wants to pay tons of money for grilled meat, sauteed veggies and a bowl of ice cream? I can do that at home perfectly well, thank you. And it becomes even more challenging when you add in language barriers…
Lovely post, as usual. I hope I can visit sometime.
Keep up the good work, lovely.
SAS – Great question! Daniel Rose will happily take food requests. He asks over the phone if there are any special needs. The only thing is you MUST tell him in advance because he is a one man show and he wakes up at 5AM to go shopping and then cooks all day and night.
All the 3-star restaurants will acomodate your needs, but again I think it’s better to call in advance and let them know. There are many dishes at Guy Savoy that don’t contain Gluten from his signature artichoke soup that is not thickened with flour to the oysters in oyster gelée to all the perfectly roasted meats and fish. There are many fruit desserts too and ice creams that are mindblowing. So I think you’re in luck.
Le Soufflé is probably not going to work for you since the nature of souffles requires flour for the base (bechamel or pastry cream). L’Ami Jean will definitely go the extra mile and they have losts of tasty gluten free stuff Basque food. Chez Janou is provençal so it’s a lot of fish and veg. Le Severo is meat and potatoes so maybe they won’t work too well.
All in all I think the French are great at helping out when it comes to food allergies. The one thing they are horrible at is vegetarian food. Too often vegetable dishes are prepared with meat stock for flavor. They just don’t understand vegetarians here 😉
So, no Gallic shrug and pouty lips on this one…
When I stopped through Paris this summer I tried a great restaurant you might enjoy. It was a Moroccan restaurant called le 404, which an excellent ambiance and very good food, not to mention the best mojitos I’ve ever had! Worth checking out if you’re craving some delicious cumin infused dishes!
Mon Vieil Ami…
Greg – I know i’ve been there, but I can’t picture it right now. Where is it? Is that the bio wine bar/bistro?
One of my favourites is Le Roi des Crustacés in Place Clichy. At the entrance are large quantities of shellfish for you to check on availability and quality. I often start with an apéritif, kir royal or pastis if I’ve had a bad day. I follow this with the Plateau des Fruits de Mers, two large plates on a stand full of oysters, mussels, clams, cockles whelks, prawns and a large crab if you pay a liitle extra.The wine list contains several half bottles of dry white wine suitable for shellfish. My favourite is a Muscadet sur Lie with a bottle of Badoit as mineral water. The Bouillabaisse is pretty good too. The staff are knowledgeable and correct as only a French waiter can be. Finish your meal with an express and a glass of Calva. and you will be content.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll be in Paris in a few weeks and I’m always looking for new places to check out. Booked at Senderens and 21 for dinner – have you eaten at either of them?
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon has my vote for a must eat while in Paris.
Colin – I’m a huge fan of Robuchon, but I had a bad experience at L’Atelier. First, the food was overpriced. Second, they refuse to take reservations which means you have to go and hang out and buy alcohol while waiting. Thirdly, it’s bar seating so you can’t look directly at the people you’re eating with – which sometimes is good, but not in my case.
It sounds like I need to go back and re-evaluate – What made it special for you?
Gourmet Traveller – Senderens looks really nice, I’ve never even heard of it so i’ll have to give it a shot. Le 21 has great fish dishes and good prices. Although sometimes the service is iffy.
I happed upon your blog quite by accident, but I’m so glad that I did! I was just thinking that I needed to peruse a few restaurant reviews and you’ve put them all in one place for me!
Your blog is lovely.
I don’t know who Guy Savoy played in Ratatoille, and I heard that Thomas Keller had a bit part, too – I’ve been incredibly curious about both! Help?
Margo – in the French version Guy Savoy played the small role of a diner ordering foie gras. It’s the same role as Thomas Keller in the American version. Pixar spent most of their time in the kitchen’s of Guy Savoy four years ago studying how it all works! They also went to Helene Darroze and Taillvent. We got to see a private preview of the movie with the staff of all the Guy Savoy restaurants here in Paris. It was a lots of fun! Quite a treat…
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Sarah
http://grillsblog.com
Ms. Glaze, you are the best. I would use your recommendions! I would like to tell you that you better check the LMT site, I always book there.
Great to see a collection of blog posts that includes thoughtful and perceptive commentary. Keep up the great work!!!