1. Pavillon Ledoyen.
The legendary restaurant is located in the park zone of the Champs-Élysées, where citizens and travelers coming to the French capital for excursions like to stroll. Back in 1779, a modest asterie was founded here, where, according to legend, Maximilien Robespierre liked to dine. In 1848 on the place of the dilapidated building was erected a graceful building, which was named Pavillon Ledoyen in honor of the first owner. A gastronomic cuisine establishment was opened there, which is still in operation today. Decorated with elegant luxury, the bright hall is a great option for dining in Paris. It serves exquisite dishes designed by chef Yannick Alleno, who is considered one of the best culinary artists of our time.
Popular are stew of porcini mushroom caps flavored with gin and orange zest (served on croutons sprinkled with parsley); Bresse chicken with truffles and blackberries, poured with cream and baked in a pot; Norwegian-style charlotte with cherries, poured with kirsch and flambéed.
Three Michelin stars, average check 135-295€.
2. Le Cinq.
The restaurant is located at the legendary Georges V Hotel, where many movie, pop and political stars have stayed, including Charlie Chaplin, the Beatles, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Nixon. Le Cinq, founded in 1928, is often referred to as an example of a classic French Michelin restaurant, elitist and sophisticated. The hall is decorated in Louis XVI style: large chandeliers, marble columns, pastel colors, carved gilded furniture. Panoramic windows-doors open to the patio, which is used as a terrace in good weather. The chef of Le Cinq is Eric Briffard, who has developed an elegant menu with a predominant use of local products. Among the dishes on offer: Breton-style langoustines with warm mayonnaise and crispy buckwheat flour pancakes; foie gras with citrus and beetroot jelly; finger cookies dipped in salted caramel and garnished with lemon.
There are 35,000 bottles in the restaurant’s cellar, the oldest of which dates back to 1834. Eric Bomar, who has the title of world vice-champion among sommeliers, helps visitors to find the right drink.
Two Michelin stars; lunch/dinner costs between 145€ – 230€.
3. La Tour d’Argent.
Among the most popular cafes and restaurants in Paris, the Tour d’Argent (“Silver Tower”) occupies a special place. This institution was founded on the banks of the Seine back in 1582 (it is said that King Henry IV was present at its opening). The tavern became a fashionable place among musketeers and courtiers who knew where to have the best breakfast in Paris. The refectory offers the best view in Paris of the ever-young Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris. The owners of the restaurant over the centuries have managed to preserve the special atmosphere and delicious cuisine; one of the owners – Frederic Delaire – in 1890 introduced the tradition of counting roast ducks, the house specialty. Today, the count has passed one and a half million. The Tour d’Argent is now an iconic place visited by international celebrities. On the first floor there is a special room where relics, photos, thank-you notes of heads of state who dined at this restaurant are displayed.
Specialties, in addition to duck and number, include tortellini filled with cooked and crisp chestnuts and white truffles; grilled lacquered foie gras (coffee and honey sauce); milk chocolate mousse with caramel and sherbet flavored white chocolate.
One Michelin star, average price 150-200€.
4. Le Jules Verne (“Jules Verne”)
Jules Verne is often called the most romantic restaurant in Paris. It is located at a height of 125 meters, on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, offering panoramic views of beautiful Paris. The restaurant was opened in 1889, at the same time as the Eiffel Tower itself. Since 2007 the facility has been managed by the famous French culinary expert Alan Ducasse. He also developed the menu, which is realized by the young but already famous chef Pascal Feraud. Visitors are offered delicious and beautifully decorated dishes – a creative version of traditional French cuisine. Jules Verne is a good answer to a frequent question of tourists coming to Paris – where to eat frogs: the menu offers fried frog legs with tender mashed green peas.
Also in demand are lettuce cream soup with golden caviar, lamb fillet on a spit with baked eggplant seasoned with lard, mushrooms; crispy chocolate dessert with nut ice cream.
The Jules Verne restaurant (one Michelin star) has several options for set menus, including a 210€ tasting set. You can limit yourself to a more modest lunch for 90€.
5. Les Fables de la Fontaine (Les Fables de la Fontaine)
A great place for those looking for a tasty and inexpensive meal in Paris. The institution was opened in 2005 on the elegant shopping street Saint-Dominique, in the quarter adjacent to the Eiffel Tower. Les Fables de la Fontaine is focused on making dishes from fish and seafood supplied from the Mediterranean. It is not by chance that the chef is a native of Nice – young and talented Julia Sefedjan. The restaurant, decorated in pearl gray colors, has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The menu consists of delicious dishes that change frequently depending on the catch delivered. Typical offerings include oysters in jelly with kiwi tartare; salmon carpaccio with tarragon-flavored cottage cheese; Provence-style sea bass with pickles and olive and anchovy tapenade; and lemon sand cake with meringue and lemon sherbet.
The restaurant offers in young Provençal wines and a rarely seen dessert “ice” wine.
Despite the Michelin star and the high quality of the cuisine, the prices at Les Fables de la Fontaine are moderate: you can dine for 50€.
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS:
- The history of Michelin stars and a list of the main Parisian restaurants.
- Features of French cuisine: Bon appétit!
- Loire chateaux tour with lunch and wine tasting
- 5 oldest restaurants in Paris
