A glossary of superlatives could be culled from the reviews of Le Cinq (sublime, exquisite, sumptuous, dazzling), where chef Eric Briffard has been “respectfully and very subtly reinterpreting the grand classics of French cooking” since 2008.
Pascal Barbot continues to impress diners (those who manage to get a reservation) with a culinary high wire act that is both grounded and innovative, French and global, serious and playful.
A bare bones room lined with shelves of natural wines, a tiny kitchen turning out simple and dishes; this doesn’t immediately feel like the kind of place a person would cross town for. And yet if you score a table here you’ll be elbow to elbow with people who have done just that and are happily tucking into octopus carpaccio or boudin noir and consuming no small amount of wine.
Critics continue to wax poetic over chef Yannick Alleno’s astounding cooking at this bastion of fine dining. But the real poetry is there on each masterfully composed plate. A Michelin 3-star.
Outside, it’s the city’s oldest covered passage. Inside, it’s some of this city’s most forward-thinking cuisine. Chef Shinishi Sato and his Japanese team make precise, poetic use of pristine French ingredients (Desnoyer, Thiébault, Bordier…) and have recently earned a second Michelin star.
Pierre Gagnaire is widely regarded as one of the city’s most creative culinary wizards.
Alain Passard spins turnips into gold at this vegecentric (but not vegetarian) three star restaurant.
Bring some friends to share a bottle and a copper pot bubbling with Bertrand Bluy’s market-inspired dish of the day. The fixed menu offers great value but no choices – those looking for variety should turn their attention to the impressive wine shelf.
Alain Ducasse’s flagship at the Plaza Athénée remains a bastion of French gastronomy.
This wine bar, run by the inimitable Tim Johnston (a Scot!) is frequented by loyal regulars and hefty handful of Anglo visitors, happily drinking a bottle taken from the shelves or eating something from the simple, meaty menu. This might be the only place in Paris to get haggis. Bottles to go, too.
The menu at this perennial favorite is seasonally-minded, and a carnivore’s paradise. Not for the faint of heart, or appetite.
This popular restaurant and wine bar run by Drew Harre and Juan Sanchez is a sort of Anglo haven, excellent for a quick glass, a solo dinner at the bar, or for those times when you’re just tired of speaking French.
Guy Savoy’s excellent service and reliably fine food have fostered a loyal local and international clientele. Note: Savoy will soon be relocating the the Left Bank.
By day, Olivier Camus runs one of the most respected caves of natural wine in the city. In the evenings, it becomes a table d’hôte. A Wed-Sat prix-fixe dinner offers four no-choice courses for 31.50€, and Sunday nights are à la carte.
Precise, direct cooking in a luxe, insulated room, this was one of the most talked about openings of Spring 2010.
Guillaume Duprés runs this wine bar in the passage des Panoramas, serving a range of small plates for snackers, a few hot items for the hungry, and vins natures for the thirsty.
Everything at L’Ambroisie, from the Place des Vosges setting to the piles of caviar to the prices, could be described as aristocratic. A Michelin three-star.
Upcoming Food Tours
(Delicious) Things to Do
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Paris Food & Wine Events
1 May 2012
Le Fooding’s Veillées Foodstock festival and another stellar (and free!) wine tasting at Caves Augé.
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Paris Food & Wine Events
