Dining Out in Paris - Ten Favorites

 

In the capital of haute cuisine, hard-and-fast kitchen etiquette, and bustling bistros, the Parisian dining landscape has evolved radically over the years to highlight a kaleidoscope of quality food experiences, influences, flavors, and atmospheres. On a given day, dining out in Paris today might mean throwing back a piping hot pita stuffed with beef bourguignon for lunch and following it up with a multi-course tasting menu with cinematic presentation.  From the classics that shouldn't be missed to the newer and notable food destinations, our list of the best restaurants in Paris highlights meals that stand out among the masses.

Substance.  For the sleepy 16th arrondissement, Substance is a refreshing jolt right from the door. Expect a relaxed, but exacting, foodie crowd in the evenings; these are diners who are either well-versed in chef Matthias Marc's resume (a Top Chef candidate), champagne connoisseurs, or locals of Western Paris. The biggest draw here is the champagne selection, with more than 180 cuvées from both well-known houses and small producers; Substance, named for a top-end bubbly, is the only restaurant in Paris serving the Jacques Selosse Initial Brut cuvée. For food, you might find potato emulsions with trout eggs and pickled onions, goat cheese and beetroot cannelloni, and lots of plant-based dishes (be sure to specify any food allergies or intolerances right when you get the menu). From start to finish, dishes are refined and modern, predicated on the seasonality and local-sourcing that diners have come to expect from the best French restaurants.

Clover Grill. A modern French steakhouse that’s as well suited for a business lunch as for a lengthy meal among friends, Clover Grill, from award-winning chef Jean-François Piège, is an elegant spot popular among the fashion and media crowd. The chef found a location with a big enough space to fit a custom meat cabinet as well as two dining rooms. Beef is the obvious star of the show here—filet, prime rib, or as a burger—but don’t overlook the elevated starters, such as tomato tartare with basil and straciatella, or a gravlax of wild sea bass with lemon and dill. There’s divine braised shrimp and local fish, served with a choice of sauces. Go light or go all in, but whatever you do order the churros for dessert, which you’ll dream about long after you’ve left the restaurant.

Epicure. There's no mistaking it, this is a triple-Michelin-starred restaurant with the white tablecloths, immaculate service, chic decor, and culinary muscle to prove it. The dining room is vast and widely spaced—the best tables are those in front of the window that overlooks the hotel's (Le Bristol) interior garden. Music is hushed, as are conversations, which allows you to focus on a meal experience that borders on religious. Lean into the fussy Frenchiness of it—though you'll hardly be thinking about the decor once Eric Frechon's first dish is placed before you.

Allard is among the last-of-its-kind classic gourmet (if ever there were an apt if antiquated word) bistros you come back to again and again. "Here, beauty is both in the room and on the plate," says Mimi Thorisson. "The duck with green olives is utterly satisfying." Frogs' legs, poached turbot, and duck foie gras are prepared as they should be and without unnecessary or unwanted flourish.

Le Tour d'Argent. This Seine-facing beacon of French dining was built as an inn in the 16th century, and it wasn't until the 19th century that it became the restaurant as we know it today. If ever there was a place to leave your meal up to the chef, it's at La Tour d'Argent. Or if surprises aren't your thing, opt for the several course tasting menu which includes signature dishes from the restaurant's long history that have been updated by the chef Yannick Franques, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France who took over the kitchen three years ago, in addition to the chef's own recipes. If you're into duck, that's a longstanding draw for diners since the late 1800. (If meat doesn't inspire you, everything from fish to plant-based dishes are balanced and sublime.) With 300,000 bottles in the wine cave and 15,000 different references, this is absolutely the destination for wine lovers. On the way to the elevator, pay attention to the photographs and newspaper clippings of all the world-renowned personalities, from JFK to Angelina Jolie, who have dined at the restaurant.

Benoit Paris. Like a time capsule to your first trip to Europe, dishes from this classic bistro, which first opened in 1912, look like still life images from the Time-Life "Foods of the World" series. Think escargots bathing in butter, garlic, and parsley (and the warm baguette with which you sop every last drop up), cassoulet, pâté en croûte, Scottish salmon with Béarnaise sauce, seared scallops with leeks, a perfect cheese course, and even crêpes Suzette, if you can believe.

Le 52. A hangout for 10th arrondissement locals and other Right Bankers who love the accessibility of the neo-brasserie format that Charles Compagnon helped pioneer. These are diners that are serious not only about food but also a high good-times quotient and the comfort of knowing the servers. The menu changes at least once a month and it's that endless variety that keeps them—and the occasional out-of-towner—returning. In addition to more classic cuts of meat and fish, you might also find sardines, mackerel, root veggies like Jerusalem artichokes, and poultry, which can make for an affordable but no less interesting meal.

Septime. Meals in this warm yet pared-back Scando-inspired space start with exquisite, creative, plant- and vegetable-focused dishes that change every two weeks. But despite the ambition of the food, this is fine dining without the pomp and circumstance or cult-of-chef arrogance. Grébaut is a master at coaxing out the flavors in every ingredient and playing on texture; it isn't uncommon to have a mix of raw and cooked (in a variety of methods) on the same plate.

Breizh Cafe offers, quite simply, the best Breton-style crêpe in Paris. And while not gratuitously tricky, the menu includes more original flavor combinations, beyond the usual egg, ham, and cheese. To wit: smoked herring with Saint Malo potatoes; smoked salmon with ikura salmon roe, crème fraîche, and dill; poached peaches, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, and fresh mint; rolled crêpe with white chocolate mousse and matcha tea, with strawberries; and a brown sugar with Bordier salted butter, classically done with top-shelf ingredients.

Tekés is perhaps the most unique of the restaurants from Chef Assaf Granit and his team. For one, there are two ways to enter—from the street or via the calm, cobblestone-covered courtyard for Klay, the posh fitness club that the restaurant is associated with. But the real reason to go is for the menu, which is entirely vegetarian. Talk about a menu that's so bright and flavorful! The name means "ceremony" in Hebrew so you better believe the food is both a celebration of food and the best introduction to vegetarian cooking in the city for even the most carnivorous of diners. Most dishes are cooked over charcoal and embers, a nod to ancestral cooking in Jerusalem, and include a fluffy Challah-like bread made with olive oil from east Jerusalem and sea salt, cold and hot mezze (a highlight: the grilled courgette with cinnamon labneh), and mains such as the vegetarian “chicken liver”. The latter is cooked without butter and made with caramelized onions and mushrooms. Everything is meant to be shared, and the portions are generous.

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