Septime (return Visit)
One of the the best contemporary tasting menus in Paris, and still one of the most difficult reservation to get.
Michelin *
yam’Tcha (return Visit)
After working for Pascal Barbot at Astrance, Adeline Grattard opened yam’Tcha in 2009 in a tiny space in Les Halles. Combining influences and ingredients from Hong Kong with her French training, and offering tea pairings by Chi Wah Chan, yam’Tcha become a major sensation. A Michelin star followed, along with an episode of (the Netflix show) Chef’s Table. Yam’Tcha was, for a time, the hardest table to book in Paris. The hype has (somewhat) abated, and it’s now possible to… Read More »yam’Tcha (return Visit)
Frenchie (return Visit)
Frenchie is the original outpost from Gregory Marchand, a chef who trained with Jamie Oliver in the UK and Danny Meyer in the USA. They hold one Michelin star and serve a no-choice tasting menu with five courses for 140€. The optional wine pairings are usually excellent. Frenchie opened in 2009 and has been a very tough reservation since at least 2010. Reservations open three weeks before a given date (Mon-Fri) and all tables are usually booked within a few… Read More »Frenchie (return Visit)
Jean Imbert au Plaza Athénée
Jean Imbert is the new chef at le Plaza Athénée, following the departure of Alain Ducasse in 2021. This restaurant at le Plaza Athénée once held three Michelin stars and was ranked among the World’s 50 Best restaurants. It currently holds only one Michelin star. We haven’t been yet, but are interested to see what Jean Imbert, who won Top Chef in France, is going to do here. The multi-course menu is currently priced at 296€ (in 2022). Open Tuesday-Friday… Read More »Jean Imbert au Plaza Athénée
Le Rigmarole
This small plates restaurant not far from République boasts a Japanese-accented assortment of dishes from French-American chef Robert Compagnon. Handmade pastas and yakitori are must-try items on the tasting menu. Ask for seat at the bar to see the binchotan grill at work. The team here easily caters to more (or less!) adventurous diners, with offerings like chicken sashimi and offal skewers. Co-owner Jessica Yang is the Taiwanese-American pastry chef behind the delectable desserts – save room.
Alliance
I never got the chance to go to Astrance when it first opened on a sleepy street in the 16th, quietly hustling without the weight of so many Michelin stars. But I imagine it must have felt a lot like dining at Alliance. What the two restaurants have in common is the partnership of an exceptionally talented chef (Toshitaka Omiya) with a masterful and welcoming mâitre d’hôtel (Shawn Joyeux). The service experience is always important, but it carries extra weight… Read More »Alliance
Benoît
Open since 1912, this picture-postcard Paris bistro serves elevated and expensive French food.
Pantagruel
At Pantagruel, a modern & creative restaurant in the Sentier district, each main dish is actually a parade of three smaller ones. Meaty options abound, but vegetables are given star treatment here. Balance and precision are the hallmarks of chef Jason Gouzy’s cuisine at Pantagruel, one of our favorite Paris restaurants.
Quinsou
Chef Antonin Bonnet is serving beautiful food in a serene (bordering on sleepy) dining room just south of Le Bon Marché in Saint-Germain. At night, the five course tasting menu for 95€ includes an excellent cheese course – our most recent visit included Brie de Meaux under a shower of black truffle. A four course tasting menu is available at lunch for 75€. A lovely spot for a quiet or romantic dinner. Quinsou has been included among our favorite restaurants… Read More »Quinsou
Contraste
Two chefs – one captivated by the sea, the other by land – unite at this contemporary, creative restaurant in the ritzy 8th arrondissement.
Restaurant A.T.
Restaurant A.T. is the project of Japanese chef Atsushi Tanaka, who serves a technicolor tasting menu in a minimalist dining room. My first visit in 2015 prompted disdain. The dishes seemed to be designed for the early days of Instagram, and didn’t have much depth beyond their pretty looks. Two different tables at dinner contained foreigners watching movies on their iPads. Whatever this place was, I wanted no part of it. Still, I gave A.T. another shot, returning for lunch… Read More »Restaurant A.T.
Tomy & Co.
We’re falling more in love with Tomy & Co. with each visit, and have elevated this to our #1 favorite Paris restaurant for modern & creative cuisine. Chef Tomy Gousset’s cuisine is thrillingly modern, and he’s a master of using herbs, acidity and texture to elevate sometimes humble ingredients like beef tongue or tête de veau.
Ze Kitchen Galerie
East meets west at William Ledeuil’s much-lauded Ze Kitchen Galerie.
Abri
We have never been disappointed by the excellent modern bistronomy at Abri, but the only way that we have been able to go in the last year has been when someone else had a reservation they couldn’t use. No, they will not answer their phone. No, there is no secret strategy. Even if you go in person and ask for a reservation, any reservation, at lunch or dinner for any number of people at any time in the future, the answer will be no. So take it off your list, it’s not a functional restaurant if you can’t ever go.
Akrame
Address: 7 rue Tronchet, 75008Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner. Closed Saturday & Sunday.Telephone: +33 1 40 67 11 16Book Online / Website / Facebook / Instagram COVID-19 UPDATE:Akrame is currently planning to reopen in September. Until then, the restaurant is offering a full menu of choices for pickup and delivery via Akrame Home, launched during confinement. Order online a day in advance before 3pm. In Other Words The following reviews pertain to Akrame’s former location in the 16th before moving… Read More »Akrame