A French culinary icon's guide to Paris' restaurants
Michelin-starred female chef Anne-Sophie Pic dishes on her favourite restaurants in Paris right now, from the iconic Chez l’Ami Louis to newcomer Table – Bruno Verjus.
On the menu? Traditionally, beloved dishes like steak frites or a cheesy croque monsieur; for dessert, a tarte tatin (apple cake) served warm out of the oven or a crackly, creamy crême brulée.
Today, with big-name chefs from France and all corners of the world setting up shop in the French capital – especially this summer, when a handful of Michelin-starred chefs have been selected to cater the Paris 2024 Olympics – the Parisian food scene has become a true melting pot of flavours from around the globe, enriching the national cuisine. In any given arrondissement, visitors are guaranteed to stumble upon an astonishing number of excellent restaurants.
1. Best for romance: Espadon – Ritz Paris
In September 2023, the Ritz Paris Hotel unveiled its new gastronomic table, inaugurating a fresh new look, name, menu and chef. "[Espadon is] a completely new restaurant set up in an iconic space," says Pic.
Eugénie Béziat is the first female head chef of the majestic hotel nestled in Place Vendôme since its opening in 1898. At Espadon, chef Béziat brings diners on a culinary journey to Gabon, where she was born. Her cuisine is greatly influenced by her roots and her tasting menu is filled with African flavours – she marries ingredients from her childhood like hibiscus flower, cassava and brede mafane (spilanthes plant) with traditional French produce. "Eugénie Béziat is definitely a chef to follow," says Pic.
Guests are invited to enjoy this singular culinary experience in an opulent dining room under a crystal-leaf chandelier, while observing the chef’s brigade in action behind the large bay windows of the open kitchen, or under the stars in the Grand Jardin in the warmer months. "[It's] one of the most romantic restaurants in Paris," says Pic.
Website: https://www.ritzparis.com/hotel/paris/bars-restaurants/espadon-restaurant
Address: 15 place Vendôme, 75001, Paris
Phone: +33 1 43 16 33 74
Instagram: @espadonritzpari
2. Best farm-to-table restaurant: Table – Bruno Verjus
Chef Bruno Verjus sources the finest ingredients sustainably, directly from small producers close to him. "Bruno Verjus has a great passion for the produce, which he elevates with talent," says Pic. "He is a key figure in the world of gastronomy."
Fittingly, the star of the show at Table is the produce, be they herbs, vegetables, fish or meat. The menu, playfully named couleur du jour (colour of the day) changes daily, depending on the ingredients available. Table – Bruno Verjus holds two Michelin stars and a green star, which highlights restaurants paving the way for sustainable practices in the industry.
Website: https://table.paris/
Address: 3 rue de Prague, 75012 Paris
Phone: +33 1 43 43 12 26
3. Best seafood: Yam'Tcha
Yam’Tcha, a cosy and intimate French-Chinese restaurant adorned with one Michelin star, is the place to go for great seafood in Paris, according to Pic. "Adeline Grattard’s cooking is in keeping with the times," she says. "It is a true discovery of umami in Paris."
Chef Grattard developed a sensitivity for the "fifth taste" when she lived in Hong Kong. Since then, she’s made it her mission to bring it back to Paris, with a twist. Her tasting menu, which changes daily, might feature dishes like foie gras soufflé paired with white miso, or a steamed bao bun filled with Stilton cheese and Amarena cherry. Pic describes chef Grattard’s cuisine as "savoury with strong, distinct tastes".
In Cantonese, Yam tcha means "having a meal with tea". In keeping with the spirit of the place, "opt for the Chinese tea pairings, carefully curated and explained by chef Grattard's husband", says Pic.
Website: https://www.yamtcha.com/
Address: 121 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, 75001, France
Phone: +33 1 40 26 08 07
Instagram:@yamtchaparis
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