Paris is the city of restaurants where you can dine at some of the most expensive restaurants in the world or simply sip a cup of coffee while watching café society in action.

If you want to splurge on a 3 star meal then options to consider are Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee, Pierre Gagnaire, the quietly elegant Taillevant, the more radical Arpege or the refined  l’Ambroisie.

At the next level you might consider the small plates served at the bar of L’Atelier du Joel Robuchon, the foodie haven of L’Astrance or the clubby Chiberta.

More and more these days we are attracted to the less formal bistros that somehow seem more connected with the soul of French food. This style of food probably reaches its purest expression in the funky Le Comptoir in the 6th run by megastar chef Yves Camdebourde. The food here is deeply rooted in tradition and executed with flawless precision by the chef. A dish of tripe we ate there recently was one of the most soulful dishes we have enjoyed in a long time. Turn up exactly at 12 noon to secure a table if you have not booked an evening  meal. The breakfast here is also one of the best in Paris.

Another very special place that we love is Les Papilles in Rue Gay-Lussac in the 6th. Here you dine in a wine shop with many interesting wines lining the walls. The menu is fixed. Four courses with no choice. But what food! We enjoy the conversations we get into here as people stroll along the shelves trying to choose the best wines to go with their meal. You can choose any wine from the shelves and they will open it for you for a small surcharge. A dish of long cooked pork belly and vegetables we had there recently was superb as was a dessert of pannacotta served in a chunky glass.

For lovers of natural wine there is a place that should be on your 'must-visit' list. This is the funky Racines (8, Passage des Panoramas in the 2nd) where the food is delicious and the wines are memorable.

Another hot spot where the food is very good is in Rue Saint Dominique in the 7th. Les Cocottes is yet another restaurant in the stable of Christian Constant. Sit at the bar and enjoy one of the many interesting snacks on offer. It is also open all day including breakfast.

If you want to experience part of the Basque food craze that is sweeping France then a visit to L’Ami Jean in the 7^th is a must. The garbure and the rice pudding here are worth a very long journey.

Other places you might like to experience include La Cave de l'Os a Moëlle in the 15^th, the laid-back Astier in the 13^th, the frenetic La Regalade in the 14^th and the Alain Ducasse bistro Aux Lyonnais in the 2^nd. Ex-Crillon chef Dominic Bouchet is worth a visit at his eponymous restaurant in the 8^th and Christian Constant is now running a number of outlets including the cosy Café Constant in the 7^th.

When we visit Paris we always consult the Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking guide which we believe is the best currently available guide to the Paris eating scene.

 

Good books about Paris

   

 

 

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