If you are looking for the perfect list of French restaurants, voilà—you’ve found it. I traveled to Paris in late February to attend the world premiere of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Firebird. I attended at the invitation of my friend Isabel who serves on the board. Turns out, Isabel is the perfect person to travel with to Paris because she meticulously researches the perfect French restaurants, organizes them by neighborhood and planned our trip around visiting sights and museums, all while making sure we dined at the most delicious cafes, restaurants and bistros.
Gastronomy. gass-TRON-uh-mee Etymology comes from the French gastronomie. Gastronomy is the art or science of good eating and with that in mind, here is your perfect gastronomic guide to perfect Parisian eating establishments.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the Best Restaurants in Paris inspired by Isabel and a few other sources.
- La Renommee a renowned restaurant and wine cellar in the heart of Paris that dates to the late 1800s. Think “old Paris,” think “romantique.” The walls are dark wood, the banquettes red leather and there are antique paintings and tapestries throughout. This is haute dining – you come here for divine classic French cuisine and come prepared to shell out your francs. Location: 95 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1st arrondissement, near the Louvre and Palais Royal.
…each bite of scallops was more scrumptious than the last…
…if only Parcelles lived up to its “Infatuation” hype. Alors…. it did not…
- Parcelles I sooo wish this restaurant lived up to its “Infatuation” hype. The ultra trustworthy Gourmet Magazine food reviewer, Alexander Lobrano describes Parcelles as having “the guileless charm of a perfect Paris bistro.” To be fair, the food is sophisticated, ever evolving and for this alpha gal’s delight, very fish-focused. As they say in French, “malheureusement” (unfortunately), our first taste of Parcelles was a very ill-tempered hostess. We’d barely shed our coats when she accused us of showing up with the wrong number of guests, growling that she had saved a table for six and here we were with only four! She added a characteristic French “bouf,” insisting that we owe her $200 before we even sat down at our table. Startled but ever the planner, Isabel showed her the “receipts,” pulling up our reservation for four on her phone. This only exacerbated our surly hostess who offered us another “bouf” and stormed off. One of our table guests opted to skip lunch, as an act of honor and we didn’t blame her. We downed a bottle of wine and tried to settle our nerves. Thus, no photos of my fish (which frankly was tasty). Location: 13 Rue Chapon, 3rd Arrondissement – Northern area of Le Marais, not far from Centre Georges Pompidou.
…sometimes you just want to stop and eat at a friendly neighborhood bistro….
- Camille was one of those restaurants we stumbled upon randomly. Yet it was far from random. Upon entering, I knew exactly where I was! Camille is the home-away-from-home restaurant of my good friend who moved to Le Marais in the late 1990s, back when the neighborhood was just getting its serious gay cool. Camille is the perfect non-touristy bistro where you are absolutely guaranteed an excellent Parisian meal, whether you crave steak tartar or steak frites. I ordered an alpha gal friendly fish of the day that was simply delish. Location: 24 Rue des Francs Bourgeois, in the heart of Le Marais, 3rd Arrondissement.
…what’s not to love about a restaurant named after a Jewish grandmother?
- Boubalé We stayed at Le Grand Mazarin, so I’m biased about this restaurant-turned-cafe during the daytime. I love the hotel, Le Grand Mazarin, and its whimsical homage to Wes Anderson decor. The restaurant, Boubale, lives up to the hotel’s creative standards. While I only had breakfast at the restaurant, I was greeted with this sweet message on my table, “Being a Parisian is not about being born in Paris, it’s about being reborn there.” I definitely want to go back for dinner at La Boubale – after all, what’s not to love about a restaurant named after a Jewish grandmother? According to my sources, Boubale blends Middle Eastern spices and traditions with Parisian flair. Location: 17 rue de La Verriere, Le Marais,4th arrondissement, near Place de Voges
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Screenshot Le Tout Paris in Cheval Blanc Le Tout Paris is definitely anniversary date-night worthy. Not only is it a Michelin starred restaurant, but there’s also a killer view of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower from the balcony off the bar. My travel mates and I were seriously gussied up for our evening at Le Tout Paris – we’d just left a reception for Dance Theatre of Harlem at “le grand hotel” in Paris, namely, Plaza Athenee. Le Tout Paris is the place you go when you want to get all Cinderella-going-to-the-ball dressed up. When you do go, allow yourself time to saunter through the lobby of the Hotel Cheval Blanc and take pictures in front of the many white horses.
Le Tout Paris is all elegance, all luxury, all fine-dining with a well deserved price tag to match.
- Le Tout Paris is all elegance, all luxury, all fine-dining, all with a price tag to match. Very much so worth it for a special night out. Vogue Magazine says of Le Tout Paris, that it’s a “culinary tour de force.” My dinner of delicately seasoned pearled scallops offered my taste buds a tour of absolute deliciousness. And ooh la la, the decor! Vibrant, bold, art-deco-ish, all designed by NYC’s famed architect Peter Marino. (Hint: Peter’s the biker-clad architect who gained early fame for renovating Andy Warhol’s townhouse. He’s known as the “dark prince of luxury.”)
…..trust me, you don’t go to L’Avenue for the food. You go for the scene.
- L’Avenue L’Avenue is a whole thing. Warning, you don’t go to L’Avenue for the food – you go to L’Avenue to see and be seen. L’Avenue is the celebrity hotspot and no doubt will be mobbed this week for Paris fashion week with a Kardashian or two. Our meal was “meh,” but the whole scene made it well worth the visit. (Wardrobe tip: Wear sunglasses, preferably with dark lenses, ideally Jackie O style and you’ll fit right in.) Location: 41 Avenue Montaigne, 8th arrondissement near La Seine
We had champagne and caviar with our bawdy beauties….
- Restaurant Victor is a true neighborhood bistro with exquisite French cuisine located in the tony 16th arrondissement neighborhood. This place has been around since 1924 and is a sure bet if you are looking for a classic French meal in a cozy setting. Alexander Lobrano calls it the “grande dame” of French restaurants and with 3-star Michelin chef, Yannick Alléno, at the helm, you really can’t go wrong. Location: 101 Bis Rue Lauriston, 16th – not too far from the Eiffel Tower
Find a well-traveled friend with an well curated list of Google Saves!
- Les Antiquaires Truth, Isabel did not schedule every single meal – we wanted to add some serendipity into our day. After a private tour of the L’Orangerie museum, we were ready for lunch. Not serendipitously at all, I scored a major Paris guidebook via my friend, Sophie Ragir, host of the Podcast Late to the Party. Last year, Sophie took a sabbatical from life and spent several months in Paris. When I called her looking for restaurant recommendations she said, “Let me make it easy – I’ll share my Google Saves with you!” Talk about a treasure trove – every time we were short on reservations, we hit one of Sophie’s Google Saves.Les Antiquaires was a great find. It’s a true French bistro offering traditional French food. I mean here’s where you go for a traditional ‘Soupe a l’onion gratinee.” Bonus points for the decor which I liken to flea market chic. Location: 13 Rue du Bac, the Arrondissement/Saint-Germain-des-Prés (not far from Louvre)
- Cafe Marguerite – If there were a modern day cafe modeled after “Cheers,” where “everybody knows your name,” it would be Cafe Marguerite. I wouldn’t make a special trip to go here, but if you are in the neighborhood, looking for a friendly, typical French bar/bistro – this is your place. This was another “Google save” find from Sophie Ragir. We had every intent of going to the outlandish Pink Mama but were too late to snag a reservation. Location: 28, rue des Martyrs, 9th arrondissement in the lively South Pigalle (SoPi)
Mes amis, an inspired list of some fabulous Paris restaurants, cafes and bistros!
With that, I’ll share the list Isabel culled from in planning our lunches and dinners. Let me know if you try any of these highly rated spots!
- CoCo – Elegant, lush restaurant featuring modern French Cuisine. Now it’s officially known as “Beau Coco.”
- Buddha Bar – Hawaii, The Pacific Islands and California meets Paris in this elaborately decorated restaurant near the Concorde and Faubourg Saint-Honoré area.
- L’Arrêt by Grey Award winning chef Mashama Bailey in Saint-Germain near the musee d’Orsay.
- Carette Paris Carette is a classic French Cafe with locations all over Paris. You go here to get a Croque Monsieur or try their creative macarons.
- Ferdi Kim Kardashian’s favorite in Paris (is that a good thing or a bad thing?)
- Le Select is an iconic Parisian brasserie, once the regular haunt of Ernest Hemingway and James Baldwin located in the Montparnasse neighborhood. Brasserie mythique du Boulevard Montparnasse
- Le Train Bleu – Luxury belle-epoch decor dripping restaurant in a train station? You’ll find Le Train Bleu at Gare Lyon!
- Pink mama. Trendy Four-story Italian restaurant in Pigalle – known as a “top Instagram spot.”
Pro tip on finding groovy places to eat: I’ve found that if you are traveling anywhere, ask a trendy thirty-something for their recommendations. My daughter, Miranda, and her friends are serious foodies. This list comes from one of Miranda’s childhood friends Allison Iarocci. Allison grew up with us in Atlanta, but now lives in New York, travels to fabulous places and is an art consultant to the stars in NYC.
- Septime La Cave: Hottest wine bar; totally worth the hype – in the 7th arrondissement. (nearish Eiffel tower)
- Stereo: Hip restaurant with a young vibe and innovative chef making daily menu with local ingredients
- 9th arrondissement in the St. George area.
- Lulu la nantaise: best ever Normandie crêpes and cider near Quai de Valmy
- Les Résistants A farm to table dining experience in Paris anyone? This wonderful restaurant in Le Marais is a chic piece of countryside
And with that, Bon appétit!