34 Restaurants in Paris
Last year, I binged at 34 of Toronto’s best restaurants under the auspices of Summerlicious. This year, out of coincidence, I hopped between 34 of Paris’s best restaurants, photo-snapping and dishing out stars under the same criteria. In general, food is more congruous restaurant-to-restaurant. There is still a culinary tradition of old like an invisible puppeteer that dominates the dishes that leave even the most innovative Parisian kitchens. The Michelin standard is clearly visible despite the outgrowth of non-conventional joints. But any true food-lover loves French food. It is the result of centuries of nit-picky perfection, experimentation and tweaking. Objectively, no other culinary school can match it. My delicious romp through this culture has revealed some surprising and not-so-surprising conclusions.
To begin, Paris was not more expensive. The restaurants, in total, cost 1180€, or $1615, compared to a similar bill ($1650) in Toronto. For a typical three-course meal, dining well in Paris is surprisingly affordable, though I submit that eating cheaply is easier in Toronto. But Paris is better than Toronto in quality. Based on the same five-star criteria, the average restaurant in Paris received 3.5 stars (median of 4.0), a few decimal points above those awarded to Torontonian eateries. I truly miss Toronto’s food but the evidence suggests Paris has the better food culture. This shouldn’t be unexpected; Paris is still the culinary capital of the world.
To start, the Michelin-standard is damaged but still relevant. 3-michelin star Le Pré Catelan ★★★ was “a lot of pomp and sky-high prices for some very good food and some average food” but 2-michelin star Joel Robuchon’s Atelier ★★★★ redeemed the seal with “a peculiar mix between the perfectionism of the old world and the inspired thoughtfulness of new cuisine”. A better standard is now lefooding, which gave top place to La Baratin ★★★★★ whose food might only be surpassed by the “waddling, white-haired dame who breaks from her impassioned art to direct misguided guests to the washroom” and Roseval ★★★★★, with its hay-flavoured ice cream that was “as close to smoking a joint as I could imagine”.
Some pretentious, suit-filled extravagances were excellent too: Garance ★★★★★ with its “three crispy and oily cubes of pork belly rest with hazelnuts in a velvety mushroom soup” and Saturne ★★★★★’s “paleolithic-looking platter of meat […] rustic, bold and simple” and its beet-flavoured ice cream. Better yet is Frenchie bar-à-vin, with its unforgettable quail in “in what might be the best sauce in Paris”.
But cheap eats can be good too, like the 16€ formule at Aux Deux Ami ★★★★ or the 13€ formule with wine at Le Pré Verre ★★★★. For something even simpler, the falafel at L’as du Falafel can be had for 5€ or a twirly pastry aptly named escargot at Du Pains et Des Idée. And for dessert? Bertillon has better ice cream than Italy. And for breakfast? Any croissant is good but across the street from ESCP are the best ones in Paris.
To summarize, below are restaurants with reviews and detailed information. Bon appetit!
Roseval ★★★★★
The 20th arrondissement comes first again in lefooding’s restaurant ranking. Last year it was the small and homely La Baratin; this year, the even smaller and unsigned Roseval. It has a comptoir and four tables. Tonight, they held all English-speaking guests, attesting to the lengths foodies will travel to for a prized table. The effect is decidedly French: a nondescript, tired-looking shamble where the energy is derived exclusively from the service and the food. Both are spectacular. The menu is simple: 40€ for four courses, a steal in Paris but perhaps expected in the miserable Belleville district. A roughly cut, poorly printed carte is difficult to read; the line items (reproduced below) are just a list of ingredients sans verbs. To start razor clams sit in its shell like a boat, waiting to dive into a puddle of egg yolk. It is perfectly cooked, not taut, full of life. The crunchy mix is good seasoning but sometimes gets ahead of itself, overpowering the simplicity of the dish. To continue, cod in eggplant purée and zucchini flower. The cod breaks apart into natural slices, separating at the clearly defined cleavages; it is not flaky or raw, but perfectly in between. With the heady zucchini flower, a crispy fold of flavour, and a more passive eggplant, the fish is accentuated but still takes precedence. Third, lamb wrapped in pastry, like a Wellington. The powder from the first courses makes its reprise and is the only flavourful component: the asparagus and polenta are noticeably fresh because they are borderline bland. This dish does well to let the ingredients speak for themselves, but lack a consistent character. Pre-dessert, a panna cotta one commentator described as a glorified rice pudding. The medicinal foam is disgusting alone but unexpectedly tarty with the dessert it hides beneath. And finally, ice cream on applesauce. It is as close to smoking a joint as I could imagine. It piqued our curiosity because we could not translate the French menu. The chef told us it was smoked hay. We were speechless (it's a trend apparently - http://www.torontolife.com/daily-dish/trendwatch/2013/04/10/hay/). At Roseval, when the food is good, it is excellent; when it is questionable, it is intellectually stimulating. It challenges the mind as much as the palate. It is on the leading edge of French culinary expression yet feels ever so French in atmosphere. One commentator said it was the best meal he’s ever had. If not, then it is close.
20th
Reserve fifteen days in advance
40€ dinner, four courses
Couteau Poireau Citron
Cabillaud Aubergine Fleur de Courgette
Agneau de Lait Asberge Boutargue
Pomme Pain Foin
Le Dauphin ★★★
The offspring of Chateaubriand (see review) bears little resemblance; it is industrial-chic, relaxed, eclectic and bar-centred. Food arrives in unpretentious bowls. First, slimy bivalves (“coques”, see wiki page) in aromatic milk and lettuce, a lathered sympathetic dish fed compassionately to patrons with toothaches. Then grey mushed meatball and gigantic tubes that look inedible but is bursting with flavour. Finally, rosy beet-looking apple in a coconut tapioca milk. The presentation dampens spirits but the taste picks it back up.
11th
27€ lunch, 3 courses
Coques, pleurotes, laitue, beurre de mozzarella (Shells, mushrooms, lettuce, butter mozzarella)
Ragout de saucisse aux câpres et rigatoni (Sausage stew with capers and rigatoni)
Pomme, hibiscus, tapioca, coco (Apple, hibiscus, tapioca, coconut)
Closed Sunday and Monday
01 55 28 78 88
Chez Marie Louise ★★★
A tiny restaurant in some split-off in the 10th near the bustle of the after-work crowd, this definitively French affair has slices of eggplant, veal kidneys, chicken and scallop-filled ravioli. Twice recommended by both Le Fooding, and the Michelin Guide, the culinary prowess overcomes appearances. The eggplant is too mushy to eat, but the pink kidneys are a pleasure to gnaw through and the chicken, perfectly simmered in a fruity concoction. And it is cheap.
10th
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Tower of eggplant 8€
Chicken 14€
Veal Kidney 15€
01 53 19 02 04
Saturne ★★★★★
Another famed and innovative restaurant of the 2nd arrondissement. Rude, incompetent waiters usher us into the bright, glass-lined, planked room and complain about our (slight) tardiness and push over-expensive wines. One particular one couldn’t speak English but wouldn’t put up with choppy French. The glumness turns with the onset of food. Bread comes in adorable farmyard hay. A beautiful veal tartar is graced with flakes of taro and pea purée. It needs more flavour, probably some citrus. A Paleolithic-looking platter of meat (one with chicken, another with pork) is rustic, bold and simple. The crispy chicken skin loosens the meat to a delightful tenderness that pairs with taro purée and deep-fired artichokes like family. This is the best chicken I’ve ever had. Finally, chocolate crumble with an egg-shaped beet sorbet brings back the salacious pink from Aria Toronto. The muted sweetness cuts through a deliciously bitter chocolate ensemble. Testy service is never good but acceptable when the food speaks for itself.
2nd
Closed Saturday and Sunday
01 42 60 31 90
37€ lunch, 3 courses
01 42 60 31 90
Frenchie ★★★★
A five-star raving at the bar-à-vin (see review) called for a month-long wait for Frenchie proper. Online reservations are skimpy things but phone calls are never answered, messages never returned. Is this a sign of a truly phenomenal experience to come? Across the street from the bar-à-vin, this 2nd arrondisement establishment is tucked in a “Rue de Nil,” itself dominated by foodie galore. It itself is a character-filled, dimly lit yet unpretentious eatery. Like Black Hoof, said one commentator. Menus are in English; servers speak better than I. To drink, a throat clearing ginger beer. To begin, three stalks of in season asparagus is lovingly caressed by melted cheese, stared at by a undulating hen’s egg. The usually downtrodden mackerel is richly decorated with cucumbers, dill, radish and other colourful intruders, all on a bed of crumbly yogurt. For mains, I avoided the morel-topped veal amdist mushy peas to go for almost-transparent banka trout. It sits on a stir-fry of jealous-green vegetables, among them leeks, and broad beans. Individually boring, together curiously satisfying. Once in a while, a clam joins in. It is relentlessly fresh circle of freshness but not altogether mind-blowing as the bar-à-vin was. Dessert is spectacular; a dark chocolate manifestation is softened by a grounded olive-oil ice cream. Across the table, the same concept accomplished with fruit, or a triplet of cheese. It is a phenomenal degustation at a confounding price but it would be more enjoyable impromptu, as it is at bar-à-vin. There are no complaints here. It just misses misses a bit of je ne sais quoi.
2nd
45€ Dinner, 3 courses
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Reserve months ahead, or go to the bar-à-vin (see other review)
01 40 39 96 19
Pantruche ★★★
Another cheap lunch dining option, perfect for pairs to order one appetizer, two mains and a dessert. But the selection is limited: a by-the-book oxtail soup is forced upon you. But the beef Carpaccio tears apart easily and retains some volume despite the fine rolling. It is layered under a bucolic mélange of nuts, leaves and cheese. And the dessert, deliciously rich.
9th
1 48 78 55 60
Closed Saturday and Sunday
18€ formule lunch, 2 courses
Derriere ★★★★
The most offensive restaurant in Paris is briskly non-conventional. It is perfect for artsy-fartsies tired of traditional French stuffiness. The name, website and walls espouse nudity. A suggestive bed doubles as bench-like seating for a curiously old crowd. The food is similarly outgoing. The blood carrot resembles beets, especially with the sweet maple syrup sauce. But it retains a nice hardened texture that is a delight to pass through the teeth. Then, a chicken au jus, neck and all, that is at best overcooked yet is surprisingly palatable. Derriere is itself a conceptual work of art that does not conform to the norms; that’s what makes it essential.
3rd
01 44 61 91 95
FARM CHICKEN ROASTED, SERVED WITH HOMEMADE MASHED POTATOES 19€
GNOCCHI FLORENTINE STYLE, GRATINE WITH EMMENTAL 16 €
BLACK CARROTS GRATED WITH FRESH CORIANDER, MAPLE SIRUP AND SESAME OIL 10 €
Le Pré Verre ★★★★
A choice-less menu is the centre of attention in the student dominated latin-quarter because it is unbelievably cheap. A simple angel hair lettuce is haphazardly topped with stuck-together nuts and raisins. Then roasted pork with a sweet carrot purée that is relentlessly simple and easy to swallow. For 13.60€, wine and espresso are included.
5th
Closed Sunday and Monday
0 1 43 54 59 47
13.60€ formule lunch, 2 courses, wine & café
Salade de chaux blanc aux noix et raisins
Rôti de couchon et purée de carottes au cumin
Garance ★★★★★
A two-story gastronomical statement on the fashionable rue-saint Dominique hosts well dressed businessmen for a heavily discounted lunch. To begin three crispy and oily cubes of pork belly rest with hazelnuts in a velvety mushroom soup. Little drizzles of olive oil permeate an otherwise consistent grey. Then, more pork cooked perfectly: still shiny and easy to chew through, with Belgian endives and crude onion leaflets. The real star is the jewels of lemon tart that neutralize the sliver of fat on the pork. They all combine for the tastiest pork dish that pops then subsides in prolonged umami. And finally, an island of kiwi sorbet and ricotta swim in a sunny yellow concentrated juice of orange. It manages to be sour yet sweet, full yet light. These masterpieces are Paris at its highest.
7th
01 45 55 27 56
Closed Saturday and Sunday
34€ lunch menu, 3 courses
Café Constant ★★
Following the successful showing at Les Cocottes, we lined up for its sister-restaurant no far down the street. But the 16€ formule did not repeat. The tartare of bass and salmon was bland such that the lemon only made it sour instead of delectable; it came on soggy Americanized toast. “Navette” of lamb, or simply lamb soup, was a boring reconstruction of the many pointless slurpy dinners of record.
7th
01 47 53 73 34
Always open; no reservations
16€ Formule Lunch
Café Etienne Marcel ★★
A café/brasserie like any that line the streets of Paris, except this one hosts the well-to-do in linen suits and a predominantly English crowd. For dinner, a cheap 20€ formule starting with salad and ending with lamb. Even the unspectacular manages to be fresh and tasty. A tangy teriyaki sauce is drizzled on an overflowing salad. The lamb tastes old but the gravy covers it up well enough. Of the hopeless service non-stops infringing on ubiquitous-status, the one on Etienne Marcel stands rather tall.
2nd
01 45 08 01 03
Service non-stop
20€ Formule
Le Chateaubriand ★★★
It was overtaken by Joël Robuchon’s Atelier this year in www.theworlds50best.com’s rankings for the best food in Paris. This is the contest that gave Copenhagen god-status in the culinary world as the locale of Noma, the top ranked restaurant in the world (Le Chateaubriand is 15th). It is surprisingly cheap among its compatriots: 60€ for a “three” course meal. Like any acclaimed restaurant, there’s more to the story than that. To begin, some amuses-bouches doled out haphazardly; some are skipped without concern. But we got the full five: some warm cheese bread; a chilling mullet ceviche that goes right through your sinuses; tiny skin-on shrimp in a ketchup powder, like popcorn from back home; liver of sturgeon, an odd bridge between foie gras and fishiness; a tarty beef soup. The plats fall a bit in stature. The polenta clots in a messy, wet puddle. The sweetbread, tasty, lies beneath what resembles aged dumpling skin. The brill breaks effortlessly; its delicate taste and texture is supported by an almost-sweet asparagus and feta. The desserts are of another world. A scoop of lemon sorbet tastes like some unworldly concentration of the fruit, on cucumber topped with lovage herb. Strawberries, so sweet, are artfully topped with nuts and sweets. This innovative and surprising restaurant doesn’t exactly fit the scratched out chairs and tablecloths; it has a place in the culinary scene. And although it is worth visiting once, it might not be worth visiting twice.
11th
Closed Sunday and Monday
Reservations before 9:30; walk-in thereafter
01 43 57 45 95
Le Pré Catelan ★★★
My only three Michelin star ordeal in this new continent, frugally experienced during the auspices of lunch when prices drop to half that of dinner. The lunch menu at 95€ looks like a steal compared to the foie gras starter, 110€ à la carte. Locked away in the Bois de Bologne, a hefty distance from the champs élysée in the 16th, this wooded, cottagey, protected sanctuary is a place of weddings and under the table business meetings. It is a display of unbridled wealth and suits galore in a country that wants to tax all that away. The servers come like sheep: the glass is never empty and the bread is never sparse. Service is run with Napoleonic precision. The 95€ menu is hardly three courses: each expand into its own little trilogy. The entire affair is two-and-a-half hours in length and impossible to stomach. To begin, sautéed jambon on green beans, pairing perfectly with the airy sultan’s hat of green bean mousse. Then, a chestnut foam goes on mushroom soup, brought out by a nutty bread with butter bearing the inscriptions of the restaurant. This ties in nicely with the entrée turnip soup topped with black truffles, followed by foie gras spread generously on half loaves. The main is a triplet of pig. Macaroni and pork are unlikely couples, coloured amorously red by a translucent slice of beet. The flavours are so light as not to cause a stir, yet still manages to be of supreme interest. The other pork dishes need work: pig cheek and head cheese have no place in a three-star establishment like this. The cheese makes for a welcome comeback. A trolley of seemingly unlimited selection is laid out for the heart’s desires. It was essentially all you can eat; by this point the meal is inching down your throat at a snail’s pace. But I manage to finish most of the selection, saving the goats for the end, aided by some fantastic nut and dried fruit bread. By Paris-Brest comes in a taunting four dome structure, unbridled by the mountain of food it succeeded. Fig compote is hiding under the airy foam and chewy dough. But like the treats that come afterward, it is never exceptional, as dessert at this level must be. So it is a lot of pomp and sky-high prices for some very good food and some average food. Sometimes, the Michelin standard is more show than tell.
16th
01 44 14 41 14
Reserve a month in advance
95€ lunch, 3 courses and cheese
Loir dans la Theiere ★★
A Sleepless Goat-like café welcomes an edgy crowd to worn-out chairs and mismatched tables. The menu is filled with tarts and some real food. Today, it’s French peasant food: rice moulded like a sandcastle and chicken sprinkled with sparse vegetables. It is surprisingly palatable; the French even get microwaved food right. The real treat is the meringue, formed in an abominable dome, beautifully coloured and seriously imposing. Underneath, a lemon tart balances out the sugar-rush overtop.
4th
01 42 72 90 61
Closes at 7:30pm every day
13€ lunch special (chicken), 7€ meringue tart, 5€ hot chocolate
ABRI ★★★
On Mondays and Saturdays, this formidable institution changes gears and focuses on the monolith that is the sandwich. Filled ominously with crispy pork katsu, Mimolette cheese, cabbage, Dijon mustard, mayo and vegetable omelette, this Asian inspired mouthful stands tall in a city known too well for its bun & cheese offerings. At the open-air chef’s station, a looming stack of grilled bread loaves is ready for assembly at a moment’s notice. The result is powerful in flavour and delicate in texture. But it’s a little hard to swallow at 13€, though it does come with a drink. At the end, it’s still a mass produced sandwich, a lonely sore in the middle of an oversized plate.
10th
01 83 97 00 00
Closed Sunday, Sandwiches on Monday & Saturday
13€ Sandwich with drink and small dessert, available to go
Spring ★★★★★
Foodies wait patiently to flock to this culinary gem. It is so difficult to get a reservation that it was showcased on Mastercard’s jump-the-line promotion alongside Parisian heavyweights like Relais de la Comptoir (see review). The month-long wait was justified. Tucked inconspicuously into any alleyway in the first arr. (a difficult accomplishment in these parts), the secret is held behind barred doors that open only after ringing the doorbell. But inside, it isn’t stuffy at all. Waiters and waitresses ask what language you prefer. The clientele is youthful and definitively English. Reservations can be taken online, an oddity among French restaurants. For lunch, the menu at 46€ is heavily discounted from the 79€ dinner. As its name might suggest, the courses are light, fun and refreshing. To start, a simple offering of radish and deep-fried mini-fish. Then, neatly sliced sea bass rest alongside colourful pieces of sweet orange and grapefruit. The bed is a vinaigrette-olive oil combination that reintroduces the light airiness of the constituents. Then, a leg and slim breast of chicken rest in an aromatic crab sauce already sweet but further accentuated by the malleable shallots. For dessert, a perfect combination of the cold and warm, the heavy and the light. The mouth-watering mango was coated in pistachio and the pineapple (a bit sour) coated in chocolate flakes. On the vanilla ice cream was a hardy meringue but the exception was the chocolate tart. A tough skin held a smooth and dark chocolate of sophisticated dimension. In place of an intricate dessert were four good tasting ones. We might accuse Spring of taking the easy way out; indeed, it was the question mark between four or five stars. Still it served a flawless meal and so it should be rewarded.
1st
01 45 96 05 72
Open Tuesday to Saturday, reservations required well in advance
46€ Lunch, 3 courses
La Cantine du Troquet ★★★★
Le Cantine du Troquet, is tucked away in the outer ring of Paris and serves simple food from its blackboard menu in a relaxed atmosphere. There is no website and no reservations; even its telephone number is hard to find. The waiters speak only French. The appetizer came with five small plates, which I thought were the five courses of the menu. I was about to pay when the second course came. Most memorable of the five was a cauliflower soup that had little specks of chorizo scattered around. They had mostly sunk to the bottom, and ended up as a delicious scraping from the bottom of the barrel. The traditional five-course meal has fish thereafter, then meat, then salad and finally dessert. Unfortunately, primed by the American system, the salad just makes you want to start over. None of the dishes were extraordinary but worked well in an ensemble, further supported by the affordable price tag. Since it was a carte-blanche (i.e. the menu is a surprise), every visit is novel and since they describe the food in French, every bite might be surprising.
14th
01 45 40 04 98
32€ Menu, 5 courses
Closed Sunday/Monday
Septime ★★★★
Septime is solidly booked by a youthful clientele. They are ever so stingy about bookings that my spot was cancelled after they could not reach me on my phone (I had given them my Canadian number). They also had my email, but did not think of using that avenue; the French always surprise me with their listless nonchalance. I was stuffed into a claustrophobic corner, where I ate in silence beside an unsmiling Frenchman (it is decidedly French not to smile). Notwithstanding this, the five course meal (55€) was rather good, punctuated by a dessert as memorable as any. A luscious orange ice cream in the centre was surrounded by almost-frozen citrus fruits, crunchy candied sugar, buttery crème fraiche and other mouthwatering egg-shaped concoctions. That the chef was an artist by profession shows.
11th
01 43 67 38 29
Closed Monday lunch, Saturday and Sunday
Reservation required
55€ Dinner, 5 courses, carte blanche
Les Cocottes ★★★★
For some guilt-inducing richness, try Les Cocottes, by famed French chef Christian Constant. From the cocottes, and sometimes still inside them, the dishes arrive in front of bar guests on high chairs. From this vantage the fats and vinaigrettes twinkle in the strong lighting, garnishing the dishes in one last layer of radiance. The foie gras is simple but poignant. The mushroom soup is heavy. And the three little pigs stuffed in a potato cradle are adorable to stare at and better swallowed whole. All in a chic, youthful and fast-paced setting.
7th
No reservations, always open
Confit de foie gras de canard, pain de campagne 14€
Velouté de champignons de saison légèrement crémé 7€
Pommes de terre caramélisées farcies au pied de porc 15€
Au Passage ★★★★
Walk down a dodgy 11th arrondissement path to behold the friendly and simple Au Passage. The hallmark of the new food movement in Paris is led by a young chef in a little kitchen sending a bare-bone menu through, literally, a hole in the wall. The youthful artistry can be witnessed through a full-bodied mushroom soup or the half cooked onions against a chewy fish. The thyme and fruity spread are to be rationed on the block of cheese, or devoured in anticipation for a perfect dessert: chocolate ganache with olive oil and salt.
11th
01 43 55 07 52
Dinner only Saturday; Closed Sunday
20€ Lunch, 3 courses + cheese plate
La Baratin ★★★★★
This poster child of the French rebellion against the “Michelin” style of cuisine might be the best hope the miserable 20th arrondissement has. The nearby streets are decorated by graffiti of such rancour that the poor homes are now a tourist destination. The nearby Cité de la Musique showcases amateur and forgettable music while sketchy bars and shops turn into a dilapidated Chinatown. This principal setting of “triplets of Bellville” hides an unpretentious culinary masterpiece. Scallops simmer in a soft, luscious butter. A generous baton of canard is cooked radiantly red on one side and an angelic pink on the skin side, which has caramelized to a pointy crunch. This all fits perfectly with the sweet bed of Belgian endives and strips of bacon. This tiny establishment is headed by waddling, white-haired dame who breaks from her impassioned art to direct misguided guests to the washroom. Stepping out into hilly Belleville, you notice a beautiful vantage of the Eiffel Tower, framed by run-down buildings and a downhill, crooked street. All the elements of a splendid night converge in this inconspicuous but far from unknown restaurant.
20th
01 43 49 39 70
Closed Sunday and Monday
Scallops 13€
Duck 20€
Preserved Pear 7€
Café Pinson ★★★★
A quick midafternoon visit in the howling wind and rain reveal a cottage-like cafe bustling with patrons. This is by no conincidence. This vegetarian heaven serves 17€ prix-fixes for lunch for those lucky enough to grab a seat. It is such a bastion of freshness and simplicity that it returns butter-popping, wine-guzzling Parisians back to the some garden of healthful bliss. Take, for example, a pear salad that relies on no dressing, but rather the sweatness of the fruit to do its bidding. This follows with a perfectly creamy al-dente risotto. Finally, a richly dark chocolate tart with a sprinkling of salt. This little outgrowth in the ultra-modern and bohemian region of Le Marais is certain to delight vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
3rd
09 83 82 53 53
17€ lunch, 3 courses
Vegetarian
Open until 7pm on most days
Paul Bert Bistrot ★
Famed steak-frites make this one of the most-talked of destinations in Parisian foodie circles. But a mix of rude waiters and inedible food make this the biggest culinary disaster in recent memory. To start, a terribly distasteful waiter, who insists on correcting misuse of French, then insists conversing patrons should thank him for every little hardship caused to him, epitomizes the stereotype of nasty French service. It would have been acceptable had the food merited such cockiness. Unfortunately, it was fundamentally flawed. The steak frites, from which comes this restaurant’s proclaimed fame, was a lonely piece of chewy meat paired with pudgy and soggy fries. The steak was unseasoned, leaving a sort of hollandaise the only palatable way to ingest the poor flank. But then, into what dip the fries? What a shame that this glorified diner a bit better than the 2.5€ steak I get at my school cafeteria should ruin the French novelty of steak-frites.
11th
01 43 72 24 01
Closed Sunday and Monday
36€ dinner, 3 courses
L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon ★★★★
Often cited as the best restaurant in Paris, this original restaurant of the world acclaimed chef Joel Robuchon graces a small corner not far from the busy St. Germaine. Robuchon’s atelier (workshop) is said to have begun the Parisian movement away from stuffy food served at three-Michelin star restaurants (Atelier has two). It is a peculiar mix between the perfectionism of the old world and the inspired thoughtfulness of new cuisine. Some things never change: thoroughly excellent service that allocates around one staff for every two guest, all of whom speak English and cater to every desire. On one particular occasion, four separate people asked me if I wanted another glass of wine. This is not the shady businessman trying to upsell; rather it is an attempt at perfect satisfaction. From behind the counter, the waiters move glasses and plates with supernatural dexterity. To start, they bring a tower of eggplant, zucchini, sundried tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. This four-seasons approach to the standard Italian antipasto is a signpost of freshness: the eggplant and zucchinis create lightness only to be brought back by the satisfying mozzarella and tangy tomatoes. Next, a tender young lamb merits the most thorough scraping of bones, with Robuchon’s world famous mash potatoes. This is the most successful (and most expensive) baby food there is. Potatoes are pulverized beyond recognition and mixed with copious butter for a heart-wrenching melt-in-your-mouth sensation. This side comes again with cabbage wrapped foie gras on chicken. To use cabbage like this is decidedly risky; the cheap ingredient quickly becomes boring, soggy and nauseating. Indeed, such is how it tasted at a moment, until the foie gras and chicken came into the picture. But in the end, it works. All this and a glass of wine for less than 100€, a more than reasonable price for two Michelin stars. I was too frugal for dessert so they took pity and gave me two petit Madelines out of the oven. Eating them made me regret not getting dessert. L’Atelier seals its place at the top of Parisian gastronomy scene. Despite the flurry of new restaurants, this bridge between the old and the new still holds its place.
7th
01 42 22 56 56
6:30PM seating each day
Eggplant and Zucchini salad 18€
Lamb 23€
Foie gras and chicken 29€
Pramil ★★
Another acclaimed restaurant, antiquated and small, where the chef comes out afterward to bid you farewell, serves proper but forgettable food. Stretchy, stinky cheese finds its way on a bed of fresh vegetables, but could have used more greens and a differentiated dressing. The eggplant pairs ridiculously well with swordfish, a clever combination, but is far too safe for the one-star-level. A bit more acid would have been a good addition. Finally, a deliciously flaky mille-feuille, which uses chestnuts as a flavour and a stabilizer, is artfully burnt on the slides and ends the meal on a happy note.
3rd
01 42 72 03 60
Closed Monday
33€ dinner, 3 courses
Frenchie Bar à Vin ★★★★★
Two-month long reservations make Frenchie perhaps the most sought after restaurant today. But the bar à vin doesn’t take reservations, meaning a patient foodie can jump the line to food glory. After barely thirty minutes of waiting, we were seated in a cozy corner, accompanied by two gay photography connoisseurs, who helped us frame our delicious still-lifes, and then some Americans. The schizophrenic waiters speak perfect English and wear a contagious smile that conveys their love for food. To begin, a French take on the classic American tradition of a pulled pork sandwich. Quartered, towering and served with gigantic toothpicks, this unapologetic dish does not stride far from the golden standard. Then, pappardelle in lamb ragout is as beautiful to stare at as it is to taste. Haphazard scrapings of cheese and sprinklings of herbs all in sit in a viscous sauce. But the showstopper is the quail. At first glance, it looks like a colourful explosion from the far east. What look like mash potatoes is actually some unknown paste with a subdued yet full-bodied bitterness that accentuates the high-hitting beet reduction. The perfectly cooked quail is lucky to rest in what might be the best sauce in Paris. This one dish dispels any reservations about the two-month wait; I quickly booked my return to Frenchie proper in April.
2nd
01 40 39 96 19
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Reservations required for main dining, not taken for Bar à Vin
Pulled pork sandwich (palette de cochon fumée et sauce BBQ) 14 €
Papardelle au ragoût of lamb, citron confit, olive kalamata 14 €
Quail 16€
Chocolate Pot, olive oil, fleur de sel € 9
Le Comptoir du Relais ★★★
Only in Paris can an aged restaurant have hour-long lines in the rain at 3pm. This tiny Brasserie is famed to have ridiculous reservations for the dinner seating, making the less formal lunch setting the only real conceivable option (the other might be to call in a few times and pick up on cancelations). Right beside is a standing-room only equivalent by the same famous chef, Yves Camdeborde. The menu is thick and filled with traditional French goodies. The risotto special was a bit like a beef bourguignon, laden with potatoes in place of rice. The omelette was stuffed with onions and peppers reminiscent of Basque country, all under a few slivers of ham. And a creative take on apple tart was a bit too sour and only partially offset by the espresso ice cream. Relais du Comptoir is exciting and fun. But it might not be worth a two-month wait.
6th
01 44 27 07 50
[Lunch]
Potato based risotto with veal 12€
Omelette 18€
Tarte fine au pomme 11€
Régalade St. Honaire ★★★
This 1st arrondisement restaurant is close enough to the Louvre to be bilingual and far enough to be non-touristy. Warm, smiling waitresses usher guests in. The décor is old but the atmosphere is contemporary. A rectangular deep dish of chicken liver paté comes as spread for the toast; the self-serve mentality is freedom in country full of stuffy diners. Then, some perfectly cooked eggs in a light, airy cream sauce. Afterwards, a meaty supreme chicken sitting in a thick broth. And finally, a refreshing chocolate soup filled with citrusy goodies but it was the riz au lait, which like the paté came in a self serve canister, that made the meal go full circle.
1st
01 42 21 92 40
Closed Saturday and Sunday
35€ Dinner, 3 courses
Aux Deux Amis ★★★★
A cramped, throw-back bistro does 16€ prix-fixes during lunch. For appetizer, a pulverized tartar of duck with a luscious and inviting red hidden in the middle. As a main, the smoked pork was a beautiful pink in the centre. But I preferred my rustic fish, potatoes and eggs, which all scream overwhelming, but are made palatable by a well-crafted vinaigrette that runs through the sunny yellow sauce.
11th
01 58 30 38 13
Closed Saturday and Sunday
16€ Formule [Lunch]
Le Verre Volé ★★
Mismatched chairs and scraped tables are scattered haphazardly in a wine-shop turned bistro. Wines can be picked off the wall and served for a 7€ corkage fee. The smoked beef carpaccio misses the freshness of straight raw beef but it is recouped by the undulating buffalo mozzarella. Unfortunately, the main falls apart. The salad was stifled by an oppressive white-wine vinaigrette with too much mustard. The sausage had a disagreeable smell as it came from some unruly part of the cow. Verre Volé has wonderful wine but food that is not worth stealing.
10th
01 48 03 17 34
10.50 € beef carpacio
15 € tripe, salad, mash
7 € corkage fee
Les Papilles ★★★
A busy restaurant near Jardin du Luxembourg has enthusiastic local patrons who overlook the painstakingly slow one-woman service and instead focus on the chef’s four-course menu served with communal flare. For example, the soup is conspicuously missing from the beautifully adorned bowls and instead is found in a larger pot from which diners must self-apportion the scarce liquid gold. This time, there’s a velvety carrot base, poured over croutons, more carrots and bacon. Next, four sliced-through chicken quarters, cooked in a cocotte mixed with pesto, penne, sundried tomatoes and garlic. It’s unadventurous but well executed. The chicken is juicy and soaks up the light pesto. But the penne doesn’t go well with anything; indeed it was mostly uneaten at the bottom of the pot. For dessert panna cotta, with a rich bottom of preserved pineapples, finished with a caramel coat. Les Papilles is a fun, unassuming experience with some culinary charm but doesn’t go far enough to compete in its price range.
5th
01 43 25 20 79
Closed Sunday and Monday
26 € Formule [Lunch]
Les Cailloux ★★
A cute place for Italian fare near place d’Italie.
13th
01 45 80 15 08
20€ lamb chops
Always Open
L’Auberge Aveyronnaise ★
Chequered tablecloths, bright lights and boisterous patrons make this a perfectly French Sunday night hangout. But forgettable food and rude service makes it far form ideal.
12th
01 43 40 12 24
24€ Dinner, 3 courses
Always Open
Villaret ★★
A deserted family affair in the depths of the 11th serves powerful but less than refined food.
11th
01 43 57 75 56
Closed Saturday and Sunday
32€ Dinner, 3 courses