Gourmet Paris

Where to eat and drink around the Louvre

Le Café Marly

Set in the Richelieu wing of the Musée du Louvre, this cafe has a lovely terrace under arcades from which you can contemplate the pyramid and, further away, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which leads to the Jardin des Tuileries. Fashionable, elegant and cosmopolitan, the Marly attracts a clientele in search of peace and quiet. Excellent breakfasts.

Le Fumoir

Set opposite the Louvre, between the rue de Rivoli and the very beautiful church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Le Fumoir is one of the busiest and most trendy cafes in Paris (people often have to queue for a seat!). Its large windows, sofas, leather armchairs, cocktails, books and international press make it an ideal afternoon meeting place.

L'Ardoise

This pleasant bistro is located between rue de Rivoli and Place Vendôme. The chef, Pierre Jay, trained at Le Crillon alongside Christian Constant. His tasty dishes include langoustine risotto, roast Bresse chicken with herbs and spices, and millefeuille à la panna cotta. The matching wine list encompasses Marcel Lapierre's natural Beaujolais wines, and the fine wines meant for long storage produced by Laurent Vaillé, whose Domaine de la Grange des Pères is today one of the most famous estates in Languedoc. From 25 to 40 euros.

L'Espadon Ritz Paris

The Ritz is also one of the finest restaurants in Paris, for both food and decor. Michel Roth is the only French chef to have been simultaneously Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Workman in France) and winner of the Bocuse d'Or award, in 1991. His cuisine is classic in the best sense of the word: excellent ingredients, extreme precision in cooking, elegant and creative in presentation. In October, the lunch menu (75 euros) is available in autumn colours, with a marvellous combination of flavours from land and sea... For starters, sole is served with cepe mushrooms marinated in almond oil, lobster with poached pullet's egg and Cocos de Paimpol (beans), while the fried duck foie gras comes with young beetroot... For the main course, don't miss the cod with cepe mushroom tart (divine!), fillet of roast mallard, croustillant of preserved cepe mushrooms and grapes, or the more exotic fried swordfish in tomato, ginger and turmeric rougail sauce... As for desserts, the talented pastry chef Eddie Benghanem will regale you with his roast Solliès fig, raspberry vinegar and olive oil ice cream, or his “tradition Ritz” millefeuille. And if you feel like visiting the kitchens after such a feast, bear in mind that this dream is totally within reach... and it's definitely worth a look!

Where to eat around Saint-Sulpice

The Saint-Sulpice quarter boasts three of the most famous pastry chefs in Paris: Gérard Mulot, Pierre Hermé and the Japanese Sadaharu Aoki. Since each one has their own style, disdain the sin of gluttony and check out their creations.

For lunch or dinner, we recommend two establishments.

First of all La Bastide Odéon, between the Théâtre de l'Odéon and Jardin du Luxembourg. The young chef, Gilles Ajuelos, serves delicious seasonal cuisine here, inspired by the Mediterranean world. His warm grilled aubergine millefeuille has become a classic, as has his chanterelle risotto, lamb's trotters à la Provençale, and spicy cod with preserved lemons, prunes and fresh coriander. The service is efficient and the Vins de Terroir (regional wines), served by the bottle, glass or carafe, are all outstanding, like the Domaine de Gramenon Côtes-du-Rhône, Domaine de Pibarnon Bandol and Domaine du Deffends Coteaux Varois. Lunch menu 26 euros, dinner 37.90 euros.

For a journey back in time, we recommend a trip to Chez Gramond. Once frequented by John Wayne, François Mitterrand and the philosopher Jean Guitton, this restaurant, founded in 1965, will plunge you into the France of Jean Gabin and the “Tontons Flingueurs” (The Gentle Gunmen)... “Big Charles's” DS is parked at the entrance, the decor is cosy and rather “Marie Antoinette”: it's a real step back in time! As for the cuisine, Gramond specialises in game. Connoisseurs can sample a rare delicacy, Scottish grouse a bird that is unknown in France (but highly prized in Great Britain) which lives solely on juniper berries and bilberries, and is eaten roast with peaches. The roast wild duck with figs and the rabbit pâté are also delicious, and the Grand Marnier soufflé is a favourite for dessert. The wine list is an archive document, with practically only Bordeaux and Burgundy wines of venerable age, like the sumptuous (and still very young) 1976 Chasse-Spleen that Madame Gramond decants into a heavy silver-plated carafe... Menu for 50 euros.

Where to eat in the Saint-Lazare district

La Clairière is the archetypal neighbourhood bistro. Here you can sample quality pork meats (Noir de Bigorre pork) and carefully prepared family cooking, including coq au vin, fried calf's liver, and pistachio saucisson from Lyons. The wine list is superb, with Dard & Ribo Crozes-Hermitage, Yves Leccia's Patrimonio, Henri Milan's white Baux-de-Provence and Dominique Derain's Saint-Aubin. From 25 to 40 euros.

Chez Jean has a brasserie-style decor that suits the atmosphere of the district: panelled walls, red seats and a pewter bar (not forgetting the oriental room on the first floor!). The two chefs, trained by Benoît Bordier and Jean-François Rouquette, make a wonderful team, working until 10.30pm: the fried scorpion fish with apple and free-range pork with carrots have brought solace to more than one suburbanite who has missed their train home! As for dessert, the moist almond tart with morello cherries is a pure delight. Lunch menu at 35 euros.

Where to eat around the Champs-Elysées

At the Warwick hotel's restaurant Le W you will find some of the best value for money in the capital, in a decor that is both contemporary and 1930s! At lunchtime and in the evening, young chef Frank Charpentier's 49-euro menu puts the spotlight on outstanding products, including Prat Ar Coum oysters, lightly cooked in their juice and served with citronella sea foam, terrine of Vendée rabbit with peppers, Brittany langoustine with peppered mangoes, roast cod topped by a brochette of snails with cress and juice of root vegetables spiced with soy sauce, and Rouen duckling stuffed with mushrooms and foie gras... The cheeseboard is made up by one of the most famous cheese ripeners in Paris (Roger Alléosse), and the crispy millefeuille with iced coffee and Menton lemon, dreamed up by pastry chef Eric Barnerias, is delicious. One more reason to explore the Champs-Elysées!

At lunchtime Le Passiflore also offers a fine menu at 35 euros. With his superb technique and expertise in aromatic herbs, Roland Durand who hails from the Auvergne region gives French cuisine an Asian touch, with subtlety and finesse. His lobster ravioli in mulligatawny, black risotto with scallops and Thai basil, and roast pigeon with five flavours, served with apple and cardamom puree, are little masterpieces of elegance As for dessert, the millefeuille with Matcha tea and kumquat sauce is a deliciously light way to end your meal.