Paris Dining
When exploring the restaurants of Paris,
it helps to know a little about the French style of dining, although there are sufficient dining
options in this large city to satisfy any appetite. Breakfast traditionally is very light,
consisting of no more than some kind of pastry, such as a croissant, accompanied by strong coffee
or the half coffee, half hot milk mixture called café au lait, usually provided by hotels and
included in the room rate. American-style breakfasts also are available, but usually for an
extra charge. Lunch and dinner in restaurants are served as full course meals, and generally
are served with at least one wine. The distinction between lunch and dinner is best understood
by reflecting that classic, French dining, rarely found any more, was an all day affair in which
lunch and dinner were the same meal, with the lighter appetizer, fish and poultry courses commencing
shortly after noon and the heavier game and roast and dessert courses extending into the late
evening hours. Each course would be accompanied by progressively more robust wines, from the
whites to the reds, and the salad generally would be served after the main course to cleanse the
palate before sampling the cheeses, fruits, fortified wines, cordials and other dessert items,
rather than beforehand as an appetizer. Few have the time, money or physical stamina to eat
this way any more, but some traditions like salad after the meal, whites before reds, and a
progression throughout the day from light to heavy fare have survived. An understanding of this
history will make your encounter with the complexities of Parisian cuisine more comprehensible.
Top
Light, American-style lunches and simple dinners are
more likely found in the cafes or bars. Except for breakfast, coffee is regarded as an optional
dessert item sometimes accompanied by a snifter of cognac at the end of a meal, and not as a beverage
suitable for accompanying food. Water similarly is not regarded as an appropriate accompaniment for
any course, except perhaps mineral or sparkling water with the salad, the only course not accompanied
by wine. Restaurants usually offer a choice of menus, each with a different price range, from which
you may order a la carte, as well as a prix fixe menu which is an all-inclusive, usually the least
expensive and seasonally freshest option. The small, family-run bistros are a popular alternative
to the larger restaurants, where the menu options usually are more flexible and the prices more reasonable.
The sidewalk cafes and bars are perfect for taking a break and having a snack, hors d’oeuvres, or
a bit of cheese with your favorite wine. Except in the finer restaurants, where jacket and tie still
are expected, the dress code usually is business casual. Tipping is expected in restaurants where
the bill carries the phrase, “service non compris;” otherwise, a “service compris” charge will have
been noted above your total, although you still may wish in addition to tip your waiter personally to
show your appreciation if he has been particularly attentive.
Top
We have presented below a small selection of restaurants
which are especially representative either of their cuisine type or theme. By no means are these the
best restaurants which you may find on your own. Regard our selections as starting points, if you are
looking for something in particular, where you may be assured of experiencing exactly what you are seeking,
and from where you can branch off in search of your own discoveries that may even exceed the standards
we have identified below.
Top
Fine Dining
Maxim’s
at 3, rue Royale, 8th arrondissement (33) 42 65 27 94 has been owned by the Pierre Cardin empire
since the early 1980s, and is regarded as too old fashioned or touristy to appear on most current
lists of the finest restaurants in Paris, which is unfortunate as its history alone should qualify
it for inclusion in all of them. The interior is Belle Epoque, the cuisine has been classic French
in the Escoffier tradition for over a century, serving nearly every famous actor, politician and
financier in modern history, and we still consider it one of the finest restaurants in the world.
Lasserre
at 17, rue Franklin-D-Roosevelt, 8th arrondissement (33) 43-59-53-43 has been around since before
World War II, is a favorite among gourmets throughout the world, from its truffles and oysters to its
Grand Marnier soufflé and seasonal sorbets, and has the largest wine cellar in Paris containing well
over 100,000 bottles.
Le Grand Vefour
at 17, rue de Beaujolais, 1st arrondissement (33) 42-96-56-27 is the latest incarnation in a lineage
that dates back to Louis XV, and was a dining favorite of Napoleon, Victor Hugo and Jean Cocteau
among many others. The cuisine and style of presentation is traditional French, and chef Guy Martin
is considered to be the best in Paris.
Le Restaurant
at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, 25, avenue Montaigne, 8th arrondissement (33) 53-67-65-00 is where
Alain Ducasse now practices his magic with seasonal produce and fresh local ingredients in a
contemporary style which has come to define nouvelle cuisine.
Goumard
at 9, rue du Duphot, 1st arrondissement (33) 42 60 36 07 is strictly a seafood restaurant with no
meat dishes offered on their menu, although they can prepare one from a limited selection if necessary.
Fish and seafood are flown in daily, and prepared to the highest standards of French gastronomy.
Goumard qualifies for inclusion as a fine dining alternative, and also is one of the best seafood
restaurants in the world.
Top
African
Wally Le Saharian
at 36, rue de Rodier, 9th arrondissement (33) 42 85 51 90 is exemplary of the desert cuisine which
gained popularity during the French colonization of North Africa in the 1800s. Each spicy dish with
the appropriate couscous is prepared to perfection and complemented by a final course of authentic
pastries and mint tea.
Paris-Dakar
at 95, rue de Faubourg St. Martin, 10th arrondissement (33) 42 08 16 64 specializes in the Senegalese
cuisine of West Africa, using accompaniments such as citrus, peanuts and chilis in its meat and vegetable
dishes, and complemented by glasses of palm wine made from coconuts.
Mansouria
at 11, rue Faidherbe, 11th arrondissement (33) 43 71 00 16 features the aromatic cuisine of Morocco and
the sub-Saharan region, with entrees slow-cooked in clay pots and brought to the table with a variety
of couscous.
Au Claire du Lune
at 13, rue Francaise, 2nd arrondissement (33) 42 33 59 10 has been in the Paris garment district since
the 1930s, typifies the Algerian restaurant with its long and narrow seating area, Berber wall hangings
and local loyal clientele, and offers a generous selection of North African and French wines.
Top
Asian
Blue Elephant
at 43, rue de la Roquette, 11th arrondissement (33) 47 00 42 00 specializes in Thai and southeast
Asian cuisine, using the authentic and unusual fruits and other produce of that region, in a setting
furnished with genuine Thai artifacts and reminiscent of a tropical jungle.
Kim Anh
at 49, avenue Emile Zola, 15th arrondissement (33) 45 79 40 96 exemplifies the French-influenced,
flavorful cuisine of Vietnam, and features a multi-lingual staff who will guide you through a memorable
evening and delight in answering questions about how each dish is prepared.
Kambodia
at 15, rue de Bassano, 16th arrondissement (33) 47 23 31 80 features excellent fish and seafood dishes,
and a full menu of other authentic Cambodian selections, served by waiters authentically dressed in
black outfits in a sparsely furnished but intimate environment.
Shing Jung
at 7, rue Clapeyron, 8th arrondissement (33) 45 22 21 06 is the best of many Korean restaurants in
Paris, offers a superior sashimi along with a good variety of sushi, specializes in bulgoogi, a kind of
Korean barbecue, and presents their creations in an authentically furnished and relaxing environment for
a reasonable price.
Top
Cafes, Brasseries and Bistros
Androuet sur la Pouce
at 49, rue St-Roch, 1st arrondissement (33) 42 97 57 39 is a cheese bar with an excellent assortment
of wines, the perfect place to stop after touring the Louvre, where you can sample slices of the world’s
finest goat, triple crème and other varieties on tartines accompanied by a wide variety of fresh and
smoked meats.
Fouquet’s
at 99, avenue des Champs-Elysees, 8th arrondissement (33) 47 23 50 00 is the sidewalk café most
representative of its genre, and has served celebrities like Jackie Onassis, Churchill and Roosevelt,
Chaplin, Chevalier and Dietrich. A full restaurant is available on the second floor, or you can just
sit outside and have a snack with a glass of wine after a busy day of shopping and sight seeing.
La Rotonde
at 105, boulevard du Montparnasse, 6th arrondissement (33) 43 26 48 26 was one of Hemingway’s favorites,
and is mentioned in The Sun Also Rises. Serving generous entrees of meat, fish and potatoes in a relaxed
and homey environment, this café is a reasonably priced alternative to a full restaurant, when you have
an appetite that requires something more substantial than a snack.
Les Deux Magots
at 6, place St-Germain-des-Pres, 6th arrondissement (33) 45 48 55 25 is where Sartre, de Beauvoir,
Giraudoux and the Paris intelligentsia came to relax with each other over a snack and coffee or wine,
enjoy an impromptu conversation with an informed stranger, or just read the daily news, and it still
draws an intellectual crowd in the off-season, though is quite touristy in the summer months.
Top
Stohrer
at 51, rue de Montorgueil, 2nd arrondissement (33) 42 33 38 20 has been making the finest pastry in
Paris since it was founded by Louis XIV’s patissiere in the early 1700s, and many contend that their
baba au rhum is the best in the world. The original 18th century interior furnishings and murals also
give this patisserie national recognition as an historic site.
Cafe de Flore
at 172 boulevard St-Germain, 6th arrondissement (33) 45 48 55 26 is very touristy, but many feel like
braving the crowds just to see the café favored by Camus and Picasso, where Sartre wrote Les Chemins de
la Liberte while in the French Underground, while they enjoy the Left Bank atmosphere along with some
of the best omelets, salads and sandwiches in town.
Le Procope
at 13, rue de l’Ancienne-Comedie, 6th arrondissement (33) 40 46 79 00 is a collection of small, intimate
dining rooms in a 3-story townhouse and national historic site, where you can enjoy classic fare like
onion soup au gratin, coq au vin, or chicken Cordon Bleu, and where everything has been preserved much
as it was when this famous café was favored by famous writers like Voltaire, Hugo, Sands, Diderot and
Oscar Wilde.
Le Jules Verne
in the Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor, 7th arrondissement (33) 45 55 61 44 is recommended more for its view than
anything else, although it has earned one Michelin star. Sample a full menu in elegant surroundings with
enough variety to satisfy any taste, as you enjoy a leisurely look at Paris from 400 feet up, through the
angled girders of this amazing structure. Afterwards, take an elevator ride to the top for a better view,
which is 3 times higher.
Top
Fauchon
at 26, place de la Madeleine, 8th arrondissement (33) 47 42 60 11 is the best place in town to shop
for fresh food and picnic supplies, with over 20,000 separate products including every imaginable variety
of fruit and produce, a full-service charcuterie, patisserie and wine shop.
In addition to our selections, you may also consider visiting La Boutique Le Cordon Bleu at 8, rue
Leon Delhomme, 15th arrondissement (33) 53 68 22 50 where you can pick up gourmet food and cooking
products, as well as the best dining advice in town, at the retail shop for the world’s most famous
cooking school.
Top
|
