Just like I did with New York City, I took some of the main know sources for restaurant ratings in Paris and I put them together to see where there was common ground. My sources for Paris include the 2012 Michelin Guide, Zagat, Paris by Mouth, Eater Heat Map, the San Pellegrino “best 100 restaurants” list, David Lebowitz, Alexander Lobrano, both from his Hungry for Paris book and the most recent Bon Appetit special, “An Insider’s Guide to Paris” and the recent visit of our good friend and Miami Food Blogger LAX2MIA. The * represent Michelin stars, the number the Zagat rating for Food and the @s are Bib Gourmands, also from the Michelin Guide.
Here is the list of the 79 mentioned at least three times
And here is my latest review of Paris Restaurants visited.
| Name | Mentions | Address Phone |
| Yam ‘Tcha (26) / * | 7 | 4, rue Sauval Paris 01 (75001) TÉL : +33 1 40 26 08 07 |
| Frenchie (26) | 6 | 5, rue du Nil Paris (75002) MÉTRO : Réaumur – Sébastopol, Sentier & Bonne Nouvelle TÉL : +33 1 40 39 96 19 |
| Septime | 6 | 80, rue de Charonne Paris (75011) MÉTRO : Faidherbe – Chaligny, Ledru Rollin, Voltaire & Charonne TÉL : +33 1 43 67 38 29 |
| Spring (27) | 6 | 6, rue Bailleul Paris 01 (75001) TÉL : + 33 1 45 96 05 72 |
| Agape substance * | 5 | 66, rue Mazarine Paris (75006) MÉTRO : Mabillon, Odéon, Saint-Germain des Prés & Saint-Michel TÉL : +33 1 43 29 33 83 |
| Breizh Cafe | 5 | 109, rue Vieille-du-Temple Paris (75003) MÉTRO : Arts et Métiers, Filles du Calvaire & Saint-Sébastien-Froissart TÉL : +33 1 42 72 13 77 |
| Guy Savoy (28) / *** | 5 | 18 rue Troyon, 75017 Nearest transport: Etoile (1, 2, 6, RER A) Telephone: 01 43 80 40 61 |
| L’Arpege (27) / *** | 5 | 84, rue de Varenne Paris (75007) MÉTRO : Solférino & Varenne TÉL : +33 1 47 05 09 06 |
| L’Astrance (28) / *** | 5 | 4, rue Beethoven Paris (75016) MÉTRO : Passy, Trocadéro & Bir Hakeim TÉL : +33 1 40 50 84 40 |
| Pasage 53 (27) / ** | 5 | 53, passage des Panoramas Paris (75002) MÉTRO : Richelieu – Drouot, Grands Boulevards & Bourse TÉL : +33 1 42 33 04 35 |
| Atelier Joel Robuchon (27) / ** | 4 | 5 rue Montalembert, 75007 Nearest transport: rue du Bac (12) Telephone: 01 42 22 56 56 |
| Chatomat @ | 4 | 6, rue Victor Letalle Paris (75020) MÉTRO : Ménilmontant, Père Lachaise & Couronnes TÉL : +33 1 47 97 25 77 |
| Jean Francois Piege (27) / ** | 4 | 79, rue Saint-Dominique Paris (75007) MÉTRO : La Tour-Maubourg, Pont de l’Alma & Ecole Militaire TÉL : +33 1 47 05 79 79 |
| Le Bistro Paul Bert @ | 4 | 18, rue Paul-Bert Paris (75011) TÉL : +33 1 43 72 24 01 |
| Le Comptoir Du Relais (27) | 4 | 9 carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006 Nearest transport: Odéon (4, 10) Telephone: 01 44 27 07 97 |
| Rino | 4 | 46 rue Trousseau 75011 Nearest transport: Ledru-Rollin (8), Gare de Lyon (1, 14) Telephone: 01 48 06 95 85 |
| Verjus | 4 | 52, rue de Richelieu Paris (75001) MÉTRO : Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre, Pyramides & Bourse TÉL : +33 1 42 97 54 40 |
| Au Passage | 3 | |
| Chez L’Ami Jean | 3 | |
| L’Office | 3 | |
| Le Galopin | 3 | |
| Pierre Cagnaire (28) / *** | 3 | |
| Pramil (28) @ | 3 | 9, rue du Vertbois Paris (75003) MÉTRO : Arts et Métiers, République & Temple TÉL : +33 1 42 72 03 60 |
| Chez Michel | 3 | 10, rue de Belzunce Paris (75010) MÉTRO : Gare du Nord, Poissonnière & Barbès – Rochechouart TÉL : + 33 1 44 53 06 20 |
| Guilo guilo (27) | 3 | 8, rue Garreau Paris (75018) MÉTRO : Lamarck-Caulaincourt, Blanche & Abbesses TÉL : +33 1 42 54 23 92 |
| Kei (28) / * | 3 | 5, rue Coq Héron Paris (75001) MÉTRO : Les Halles, Louvre – Rivoli & Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre TÉL : +33 1 42 33 14 74 |
| La Régalade @ | 3 | 123, rue Saint-Honoré Paris (75001) MÉTRO : Les Halles, Louvre – Rivoli & Tuileries TÉL : +33 1 42 21 92 40 |
| Le Pantruche @ | 3 | 3, rue Victor Massé Paris (75009) MÉTRO : Anvers & Pigalle TÉL : +33 1 48 78 55 60 |
| Le Verre Vole | 3 | 54, rue de la Folie-Méricourt Paris (75011) MÉTRO : Filles du Calvaire, Oberkampf & Parmentier TÉL : +33 1 48 05 36 55 |
| Senderens (26) / ** | 3 | 9, place de la Madeleine Paris (75008) MÉTRO : Madeleine, Opéra & Concorde TÉL : +33 1 42 65 22 90 |
| Sola (27) / * | 3 | 12 rue de l’Hôtel Colbert, 75005 Nearest transport: Maubert-Mutualité (10) Telephone: 01 43 29 59 04 |
That’s quite an extensive list! Here’s my recs on places and strategies. Again this is my own opinion and just based on my experience:
– I would mix up “reservation” type places for lunches and dinners. 3* places are a great deal at lunch and the bistronomy places (Spring, Le Chateaubriand) get good at dinner. Or if you want the full on 3* experience definitely go at dinner and the bistronomy places are a steal at lunch.
– As an example our favorite day was lunch at Guy Savoy and then dinner was a stop at L’avant Comptoir (the wine bar attached to the better known Le Comptoir du Relais. Guy Savoy was a blast at lunch, it was like going to a friend’s house. Extremely professional and casual at the same time if you can imagine that. If you were stoic the servers were stoic. If you were in a casual talkative mood then they followed suit. It was a great time. L’avant Comptoir was perfect for dinner because even though we’d walked off lunch, we were still too stuffed for another tasting menu. The menu hangs on the ceiling and you yell your order over the bar to the bartender/cook (there’s no chairs, the place is tiny and it gets crowded). So even if you don’t go to these two places, I highly recommend that if you go for a heavy lunch to go to a wine bar to have tapa-type plates for dinner. It’s a perfect day.
As for specific restaurant recs:
Spring: I hated it. It was pretentious as all heck. Food was average to good. Nothing mindblowing.
Septime: I recommend this place. It’s more casual than Spring. A little out of the way in a sketchy neighborhood (felt safe the whole time). Go with the tasting menu (it’s not written, the chef bases it on what is good that day). If you go can you pick up my black v-neck sweater? I left it there on our last trip.
Saturne: It was good. On par with the attitude at Spring but more professional. Enjoyed the food more than Spring.
Agape Substance: This place was whacky. Very small space (pretty much one long table) with dishes that worked really well or were almost a disaster. I’d keep it on the list though.
Le Chateaubriand: It was #9 on the Top 50 list the year we went but can’t see why. At 50 euros it was a bargain though.
Breizh Cafe: very casual Briton crepe place. Oysters + cider + crepe = a great lunch.
Guy Savoy: see above.
Au Passage: Great, super casual wine bar for when you don’t feel like anything over the top. It was our first dinner and we loved it. A bit hidden away.
Le Dauphin: the wine bar associated with Le Chateubriand. Some things worked, but the non-French things (like dumplings) were horrible.
Cuisine de bar: if you need a quick lunch, this place is attached to various Polaine bakeries around the city. Specializes in open faced tartines using the famous bread.
L’avant Comptoir: I really loved this place. It may have been because it was the same day as Guy Savoy, but the food here was phenomenal. So good I didn’t mind that we were cramped in there and had to stand (recall, no seats). I still remember the morcilla macaron, shrimp sauteed in whisky, brandade, tuna conserve and wine to wash it all down. Get there early as it gets packed quickly.
Other recs:
Berthillion for ice cream (although it may be too cold when you go)
Angelina for hot chocolate (it’s touristy and girly but that hot chocolate is incredible)
Pierre Herme for macarons
Pain de Sucre (near the Pompidou center, the place has salty caramel macarons that are not only the best macarons I’ve ever had, but one of the best things I’ve ever had period).
Bastille farmers market: one of the best in the city and a great way to sample what Paris gets in season.
Places we wanted to go but didn’t make it:
Le Comptoir du Relais, Yamtcha, Passage 53, Frenchie, Rino
I’ll post more if anything else comes to mind.
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