Best High End Restaurants in Paris

Our Local Expert Says:

Eat Alain Ducasse's dishes in a unique location

Description:

Working under the overall direction of the many-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse, who is a household name in France, the young chef Pascal Féraud and his team of thirtysomethings present a menu that tries to give a modern touch to the dishes that are considered part of France's heritage. A meal here does not come cheap - the set menu is 200€ - but you are paying for top-class cooking in a unique location. There is a private lift (elevator) from the south pillar to carry you to the dining room 125 metres up in the air. The set menu might include green asparagus from Provence with truffled French toast, pan-seared turbot served Joinville-style with prawns and mushrooms or sautéd medallions of veal, while the à la carte features poached Brittany lobster and escalope of duck foie gras en cocotte and duckling cooked with turnips and plums in a cider reduction.
Feature image: © Paris Tourist Office / Amélie Dupont

Description:

This penthouse restaurant, a national institution, enjoys a panoramic view over the Seine and Notre-Dame. Although its reputation as the best in Paris has long been eclipsed, dining here remains an unsurpassed event, not because of the diminishing culinary reputation of this place, but because of the view of those flying buttresses of Notre-Dame. A restaurant of some sort has stood on this site since 1582: Mme de Sévigné refers to a cafe here in her letters, and Dumas used it in one of his novels. The fame of La Tour d'Argent spread during its ownership by Frédéric Delair, who in the 1890s started the practice of issuing certificates to diners who ordered caneton (pressed duckling). The birds are numbered: The first was served to Edward VII in 1890, and now the number has surpassed 1.2 million! For decades, the restaurant was owned by Claude Terrail, who became the most famous restauranteur in Europe. He died in 2006, and today management is handled by his son, André. A good part of the menu is devoted to duck, but the kitchen, of course, knows how to prepare other dishes. There are plenty of other places nearby where you can order food even better than that served here -- and at only...

Description:

If you're able to get a reservation, it's worth the effort. The menus are seasonal to take advantage of France's rich bounty; owner Pierre Gagnaire demands perfection, and the chef has a dazzling way with flavors and textures. Stellar examples are roast duck, and turbot cooked in a bag and served with fennel and Provençal lemons. Chicken with truffles comes in two stages -- first the breast in wine-based aspic and then the thighs, chopped into roughly textured pieces.

Description:

Since it was established in 1928 in honor of the king of England, there has always been a world-class dining venue associated with the Hotel George V. The configuration today dates from its acquisition by Toronto's Four Seasons group, which poured time, money, talent, and taste into a high-ceilinged room whose majestic decor evokes the Grand Trianon at Versailles. Within a gray and very pale pink dining room that shimmers with gold inlays, your dining needs will be supervised by a sophisticated staff that intuitively understands the needs and priorities of the hotel's widely divergent international clientele. Within 3 years of this restaurant's birth, it had been awarded three coveted stars by the Guide Michelin -- an honor that's accorded only very rarely. The menu changes frequently, but enduring favorites include a tart of artichokes and black Périgord truffles; cod seasoned with roast peppercorns; roast pigeon with peppermint and Sauternes; farm-raised veal sweetbreads; and a classic that has been on the menu since the days of Mistinguett and Piaf -- Bresse chicken "in the style of the George V," stuffed with crayfish and herbs.

Description:

Michel Rostang is one of Paris's most creative chefs, the fifth generation of a distinguished French "cooking family." His restaurant contains four dining rooms paneled in mahogany, cherrywood, or pearwood; some have frosted Lalique crystal panels. Changing every 2 months, the menu offers modern improvements on cuisine bourgeoise. Truffles are the dish of choice in midwinter, and you'll find racks of suckling lamb from the salt marshes of France's western coast in spring; in game season, look for pheasant and venison. Year-round staples are quail eggs with sea urchins; fricassee of sole; quenelles of whitefish with a lobster sauce; canard au sang (duck prepared in a duck press with a sauce of red wine, foie gras, and its own blood); and Bresse chicken with mushroom purée and a salad composed of the chicken's thighs.

Description:

This second venture of Joel Robuchon is known to be less annoying compared to its former counterpart L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon as they accept reservations. The place and the cuisine both have a modern touch to it. The Silken Gazpachos topped with fresh almonds are a must have. The crab and avocado dish is placed on a China egg and is served on a stone slab along with red ladles. Another must have is La Tarte aux Legumes Crus et Confits and for dessert the Le Pastel Délice. The meal can end with an espresso and a small plate of fresh caramel filled chocolates. The eatery is open on all days of the week so you can visit often.

Description:

At Arpege, you can gorge on vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. This is perhaps one of the few places where vegetarians can have a feast. Adding traditional flavors to the food, Chef Alain Passard works wonders with his fingers. Try the squab with sugared almonds or the spiced tomato dessert. Reservation is a must so book well in advance.

Description:

One of the hottest chefs in Europe, Guy Savoy serves the kind of food he likes to eat, prepared with consummate skill. We think he has a slight edge over his rival Michel Rostang , though Ducasse, at least in media coverage, surpasses them both. Although the superb meals comprise as many as nine courses, the portions are small; you won't necessarily be satiated at the end. The menu changes with the seasons and may include oven-roasted sole steaks with smoked seaweed, roasted John Dory stuffed with salsify and shellfish, or steam-baked Bresse chicken breast with lemongrass and Swiss chard. If you come in the right season, you may have a chance to order game, such as mallard and venison. Savoy is fascinated with mushrooms and has been known to serve a dozen types, especially in autumn.

Description:

This elegantly appointed restaurant changes its decor seasonally. In winter, dine in a rotund-shaped room adorned with Hungarian oak and French Tapestry. In the summer, enjoy the beautiful garden of the Hôtel Bristol's courtyard. Award-winning chef Eric Fréchon is an ardent advocate of French culinary traditions and a personal admirer of great past chefs like Escoffier or Vatel. His cuisine, although spanning the French classics is revisited to enhance the recipes with exotic flavors and spices highly praised by the food critics. Patrons favorite include Roast Duck Breast with Spices and Orange-Caramelized Turnips or Macaroni with Foie Gras, Artichokes, and Truffles.

Description:

This is the all-time winner: A great chef, the most beautiful restaurant decor in Paris, and a history-infused citadel of classic French cuisine. This restaurant has been around since the reign of Louis XV. Napoleon, Danton, Hugo, Colette, and Cocteau dined here -- as the brass plaques on the tables testify -- and it's still a gastronomic experience. Guy Martin, chef for the past decade, bases many items on recipes from the French Alps. He prepares such heavenly dishes as filet of lamb with wasabi, carved into rib sections and served with the smoked essence of its own juice. Other specialties are noisettes of lamb with star anise, Breton lobster with fennel, and cabbage sorbet in dark-chocolate sauce. The desserts are often grand, such as the gourmandises au chocolat (medley of chocolate), served with chocolate sorbet.