Paris is the perfect destination for discerning gourmets, and there’s no better place to experience sophisticated fare than these eight restaurants and bars. From traditional plates perfected over generations to cutting-edge creations combining flavors from around the world, these are places you don’t want to miss in the City of Lights.
Scroll down to set off on a journey to some of the most awe-inspiring eateries in Paris that are feasts for the eyes and the appetite. As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Kitchen & Bar at Courtyard Paris-Arcueil: Seasonal Fare in a Scandinavian Setting
From chef Gaylord Bobineau, Kitchen & Bar at Courtyard by Marriott Paris-Arcueil offers fresh, seasonal fare in a relaxed Scandinavian-inspired setting. It’s a perfect example of bistronomic dining, the art of casual French cuisine with a focus on simple-yet-quality dishes.
Stand out dishes include the beef cheek, marinated with paprika and ginger chips and poultry stuffed with chervil and almond, creamy Jerusalem artichoke and winter vegetables. Dine indoors in the spacious, wood-accented space, or on the stylish terrace.
Omar Dhiab: Edible Works of Art
Celebrated chef Omar Dhiab has perfected modern gastronomy in his eponymous restaurant. Each of the five, seven and nine-course tasting menus is a journey through complex, comforting and sometimes challenging flavors from across Europe.
Chef Dhiab has found a way to harness and enhance nature with flavors and colors both bolder and brighter than would seem possible. Expect must-try dishes like Portuguese Albufera sauce combined with roasted Williams pear and Sicilian pistachio paired with pink grapefruit.
Bar 19.20: Elegant Escapism in the Heart of Paris
Bar 19.20 simultaneously evokes a glamorous past while offering something new to keep coming back for. The cocktail menu features the classics you would expect, not to mention some of the very best locally sourced wines and champagnes, served in an Art Deco setting. This restaurant and bar is not without a sense of playfulness and personality with touches like a chocolate fountain and dessert trolley.
The Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Paris eatery is perfectly situated for a pre-dinner aperitif or an after dinner nightcap, located at the center of a triangle formed by three of Paris’ most iconic landmarks (the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc Triomphe and Place de la Concorde).
The pièce de résistance? A stunning palm-tree fringed courtyard, unchanged since the 1920s for pure escapism.
Orgueil: Fun French Fusion
Like Parisians themselves, Orgueil is a restaurant that exudes understated confidence. Headed by rising star Eloi Spinnler, it specializes in French dishes with subtle twists that you could call French fusion.
With its flair for the theatrical and the adjoining speakeasy, this is French fusion the Parisian way with a welcome infusion of attitude. The menu caters for casual diners with tapas-style sharing plates such as duck croquetas and Comté cheese and unmissable main dishes including French octopus in teriyaki sauce to roasted cauliflower, fried capers and zatar.
Akira Back Paris: High-Flying Japanese Gastronomy
The highly inspired rolls at Akira Back, the new restaurant at The Prince of Wales, a Luxury Collection hotel, Paris. (Photo: Emilie Guelpa)
Michelin-starred Chef Akira travels the world sharing his signature dishes inspired by his Korean heritage and infused with Japanese influences. Akira Back Paris is the perfect environment in which to taste unique dishes including AB Tuna Pizza and Show Me The Roll of shrimp tempura, salmon belly aburi, spicy tuna and chipotle mayonnaise.
The clink of chopsticks on porcelain eventually makes way to live music with performances from musicians and DJs to keep the sensory experience going into the night.
Plume: Understated Excellence in a Rustic Setting
A sign that hangs prominently on Plume’s wall reads “Work hard and be nice to people.” They’re words that perfectly sum up Chef Youssef Gastli’s approach to cooking.
The seasonal menu displays dexterity and imagination, taking locally sourced ingredients and transforming them into unmissable dishes that keep people coming back for more. (Think rabbit stuffed with quinoa and creamy Santo Domingo chocolate with hazelnut and mint leaves.) The restaurant exudes a rustic charm where the food does the talking.
Sir Winston: Curries and Cocktails
Close to the Champs-Élysées, Sir Winston distills the best of British cuisine on a charming terrace restaurant and a cozy speakeasy below. There’s a wide selection of brunch options, from spicy Eggs Benedict to salmon pancakes. Meanwhile, lunch offers fried chicken and spicy prawn curry to name just two stand out dishes.
Descend to the Doris Bar beneath the brasserie to sip signature cocktails while cocooned in dark timber beams and soft velvet furnishings. Think elevated British pub with a tantalizing menu of cocktails, cognacs and more. Don’t miss signature mixes including Mrs Peanuts, made with Bourbon Buffalo Trace and Baldoria vermouth Bianco.
Jazz Club Etoile: A Venue That Strikes the Perfect Note
Founded in 1975, the Jazz Club Etoile has welcomed some of the best jazz, funk and soul musicians from around the world to Paris’ 17th arrondisement. Watch a live performance unfold from the shadow of the stage at Le Méridien Etoile with a three-course meal accompanying the music and an encore of champagne and cocktails.
Stand out dishes from the concert menu have included the beef tartare and the grilled chicken salad. These are best dueted with signature cocktails such as the Isla, made with dark rum, passion fruit juice and ginger ale.
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