Dining in Paris has forever been much more than croissants for breakfast and steak frites for dinner. Although all too frequently that’s what people expect when they go out on the city’s cobblestoned streets. In this land of hard-and-fast kitchen etiquette the food landscape is a kaleidoscope of quality dining experiences at all levels.
If it’s a piping-hot pita that is stuffed with beef bourguignon or a 12-course tasting menu with cinematic presentation, eating out in Paris doesn’t disappoint. From the classics that shouldn’t be missed to the newer and notable hot spots, our list of Paris’ best restaurants highlights meals which stand out among the masses.
Comice
The majority of Paris’s famed haute cuisine is out of reach for many from a financial point of view. However Michelin-starred Comice, headed up by Canadian chef Noam Gedalof and sommelier Etheliya Hananova (the two have been married for a while), is an indulgence that won’t completely melt your credit card.
The look strikes a comparable balance: elegant however relaxed, with striking arrangements from a renowned local florist.
Hananova’s wine list — which includes lesser-known wines from around the world — is excellent, as is Gedalof’s light, imaginative contemporary French cooking. Sample the duck foie gras with hazelnuts, strawberries, balsamic and black pepper, or the roast chicken with polenta, wild mushrooms which is paired with a salad of wild herbs.
La Poule Au Pot
La Poule au Pot feels just as it always did, preserved for the nation, and the menu of cuisine bourgeoise, plated up family-style, is unharmed, if elevated in terms of both produce and pricing. Classic onion soup is served every day, even in a heatwave, and snails, frogs’ legs and bone marrow make consistent appearances. Big-hitting mains include Charolais beef fillet and fabulous poached chicken; puddings are flawless, generous old-school treats. Le Poule au Pot is comfortingly beyond cool, yet only retro on paper, thanks to the dynamism of team Piège.
Clover Grill
A contemporary French steakhouse which is as well suited for a business lunch as for a protracted meal among friends or a spot to play online real money casino games, Clover Grill, from award-winning chef Jean-François Piège, is a stylish spot which is popular among the fashion and media crowd.
The chef found a location with a space which is big enough to fit a custom meat cabinet and two dining rooms. Beef is the clear star of the show at this restaurant – filet, prime rib, or as a burger. But don’t overlook the superior starters, for example tomato tartare with basil and straciatella. Another is a gravlax of wild sea bass with lemon and dill.
There’s amazing, braised shrimp and local fish which are served with a choice of sauces. Go light or go all in, however whatever you do order the churros for dessert!
Le Bistrot Flaubert
Originally established in the 1980s by chef Michel Rostang, this cozy bistro that has flea market decor has been acquired by chef Nicolas Baumann. It is one of the most inventive restaurateurs in Paris right now.
