Some of the world’s greatest cuisine can be found in Paris. Make sure you end up spending your precious Parisian time enjoying it with this guide to the city’s best French restaurants.
Le Comptoir du Relais
So popular is this bustling St Germain bistro of Hotel Relais, that an all-out, weeks-in-advance, phone assault may not even render a dinner reservation. Drop by for elevenses to increase your chances of securing a much sought-after pavement [sidewalk] table, where the style and elegance of the 50 five-course prix fix menu is matched only by Parisians walking past.
Le Timbre
Timbre means postage stamp – this tiny English-run delight is nothing if not aptly named. Chef-patron Chris Wright has overcome the specter that is French perceptions of English culinary capability, winning the acclaim of Parisians with his weekly-changing, market-fresh menu. There’s space for only 24 diners, so call ahead.
Le Café de l’Homme
What draws customers here time and time again? Could it be the red-lit dining room with tumbling crystal chandeliers? Or, how about the party after-dark atmosphere? Maybe it’s the flawless salmon with sauce vierge, or organic steak tartare? While all great, the qualities pale compared to the full-frontal view of the Eiffel Tower afforded from the terrace.
Le Meurice
When it comes to haute cuisine, Paris’s cup runneth over. So, choosing the best place to blow a few hundred euros while gorging like a Roman Emperor is no simple task. Blessed with such a choice, choose Le Meurice. Choose it because it has the most beautiful in Paris. Choose it for its subtle, aromatic and exact food, ceremoniously served by waiters who are assigned by rank for each course.
Ze Kitchen Galerie
This is contemporary French cuisine – so says chef William Ledeuil, who has a penchant for fusing Eastern influences with the traditions of his home country. Think burrata cheese matched with galangal. Cleanly designed, the colorful restaurant sits only a few steps away from the Seine and the social bar-hop of Rue de Buci.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
