Go ahead and ask your friends. Everyone has a list of favorite Paris restaurants. Some will even drop you a Google Map. And, who knows, maybe they’re on to something. But you should also have a list of bulletproof greats.
L’Arpège
Three Michelin stars for a vegetable-based menu? Alain Passard was the first to figure out how it’s done and the most adept at keeping it surprising by constantly updating the dishes.
84 Rue de Varenne, alain-passard.com
Pierre Gagnaire
How has he stayed on top of Paris’s fine dining heap? “Gagnaire is still inventing, still walking a tightrope,” says longtime fan Ruth Reichl.
6 Rue Balzac, pierregagnaire.com
Septime
The food skews more nordic than traditional French, and the dining room, a favorite of locals and food tourists alike, is industrial-chic, but the vibe is entirely Parisian.
80 Rue de Charonne, septime-charonne.fr
Septime’s Théophile Pourriat and Bertrand Grébaut.
"Now that Caviar Kaspia's baked potato with caviar has conquered the world, should we still go to the original? Yes! It was the first, and it still feels that way. Plus, the pickles have a certain je ne sais quoi." —Stellene Volandes
Le Bistrot Paul Bert
The interior is classic Paris bistro, but there’s nothing performative about the reliably great food here. Order the enormous côte de boeuf for two. Take your time looking over the very good wine list.
18 Rue Paul Bert, bistrotpaulbert.fr
Maison
Chef Sota Atsumi has won raves here for his reinterpretations of French classics and for his—gasp!—friendly and welcoming staff.
3 Rue Saint-Hubert, maison-sota.com
Allard
Duck with olives, profiteroles… Sometimes we crave the classics. This bistro, open since 1932 and now in the hands of Alain Ducasse, is the spot.
41 Rue Saint-André-des-Arts, restaurant-allard.fr
"When ravenous after a long flight over, I order the beef tartare at Le Relais at the Plaza Athénée. I am, after all, a Texan at heart." —Lynn Wyatt, author of the forthcoming Lynn Wyatt.
Café de Flore
Frozen-in-time institution (Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir held court here) that attracts hordes but is definitely worth a visit. Croque monsieur at an outside table? Bien sûr!
172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, cafedeflore.fr
Chez l’Ami Louis
Is it worth the trouble to get in? Absolument, says T&C wine critic Jay McInerney: “It has the fattest asparagus and the fattest Bresse chickens in town.”
32 Rue du Vertbois, 011-33-1-4887-7748
Les Enfants du Marché
A stall in the city’s oldest food market. It seems casual, but the fare, especially seafood, is sublime. No reservations, so try at lunch.
39 Rue de Bretagne, lesenfantsdumarche.fr
"Once upon a time, La Tour D’Argent was the best place in the world to drink wine. Unfortunately, word spread and people like me hit the cellar pretty hard. It still has a great wine list, but the days when you could purchase a 1962 La Tache for the price of a pair of Berluti loafers is long past." —Jay McInerney
Le Voltaire
This elegant wood-paneled classic on the Seine is a longtime fashion and publishing world favorite. The frites are a must.
27 Quai Voltaire, restaurantlevoltaire.com
Frites at Le Voltaire.
Remember These Burgers?
In early 2023 fashion insiders mourned the final days of Le Castiglione (Casti to those in the know), which was being pushed out of its Place Vendôme home to make way for retail redevelopment. But after three decades of running a social stronghold for buyers, stylists, celebrities, and critics, its owners, Fabrice Couet and Claudia Castro, weren’t prepared to let go of the neighborhood—or their legendary Casti burger—for good. The red velvet furnishings may be no longer, but the crowd, and the burger, in all its secret pink sauce glory, lives on a mere four blocks away, at the Café des Tuileries, at 210 Rue de Rivoli. —Lindsey Tramuta
Autres Choses
Local chefs (and pretty much the rest of Paris) love
Mokonuts, an always-packed cafe that’s fortunately open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The bistro
Parcelles, which has been around since 1936, feels like a time capsule and, bonus, the food is wonderful and the wine list thrilling. Ferdi is beloved for its burgers, the Greek “nostalgia” sharing plate, and routine celeb sightings.
Sometimes you just need a sandwich—arguably the best in Paris can be found at the low-key bistro Le Petit Vendome.
All palace hotels have a hotshot pastry chef, but save room for a Mont Blanc at Mori Yoshida, behind Les Invalides on Avenue de Breteuil.
Whether it's fleur de sel or a bottle of 2019 Margaux, you can find anything at La Grande Epicerie, the giant wine and provisions emporium next to Le Bon Marché.
This story appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
Norman Vanamee
Articles Director
Norman Vanamee is the articles director of Town & Country.
