Thirteen Reasons to Go to Paris by Devanshi Mody
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1. Le Doyen
This golden yellow restaurant, Paris’s prettiest, has graced Les Champs Elysée since Louis XVI’s époque. Enchantingly ensconced in lush, blooming gardens, its lavish 19th-Century interiors with gilded mirrors and sumptuous upholstery exude opulence and romance.
Once frequented by Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezanne, Zola and Flaubert, this institution captivates irresistibly and remains one of Paris’s most enduringly popular restaurants. Le Doyen’s three Michelin stars are due to Chef Christian Le Squer’s consistently excellent classic French cuisine perfecting flavours, fragrances and textures.
This is the restaurant where you discover tantalising textures. Start with exquisitely rarefied pastry accompanied by titbits including a spoonful of mozzarella that melts in your mouth. Then, the bewildering bread selection takes the cake. What extraordinary flavours and textures! This must be the world’s best bread. Robuchon is famed for his potato puree, but Le Squer’s Pommes de terre "Ratte" au beurre de truffe is more complex and infinitely tastier.
Equally extraordinary is the Spaghetti, Champignons, Truffe et crème de Parmesan. The finest ribbons of spaghetti are made into rectangular box enclosing the crispest morrel mushrooms of unbelievable texture. As for the Levure glacée and Millefeuille chocolate - ooh la la! You’ll fall in love with the endearing service and magical ambiance.
2. Guy Savoy
Guy Savoy goes to the world’s ends to procure the finest ingredients for his dishes and eclectic art to display in his minimalist restaurant, which makes an experience there like dining in a private museum. Treat yourself to super slick service as discerning yet discreet staff anticipate your every desire, materialise to ensure that you want for nothing, then melting away savour in privacy.
The dashing young sommelier, impeccably matches every course with the appropriate glass from Paris’s finest beverage lists. Extraordinarily, you also have different bread matching every course. Fantastic! As`is Savoy’s celebrated speciality Soupe d’artichaut à la truffe noire, brioche feuilletée aux champignons et truffes.
The brioche is a revelation! When Marie Antoinette said, “If they can’t have bread let them have brioche,” she had no idea how utterly decadent brioche could be, as in the hands of a master craftsman like Guy Savoy. Paris’s rarest cheeses are served with wondrous compotes, and the dark chocolate dessert is sumptuous. Indulge also in the complimentary homemade ice creams, chocolate and dainty pastries.
3. L’Arpège
Alain Passard, the Bête Noire of Michelin starred chefs and his quirky staff ensure a lively Michelin starred experience. Don’t be duped by the deceptively informal ambiance - this is Paris’s most expensive restaurant.
Because eccentric Passard is the most innovative of Parisian chefs, his new menu is wacky if not insane. Expect fennel ravioli, crazy carrots in chocolate sauce, avocado and pistachio soufflé, tomato infused with twelve flavours in orange sugar - a dessert (!) - garlic crème brûlée, olive macarons… The chef experiments with contradictory flavours and savours, constantly pushing the boundaries of the ‘acceptable’ and never fails to surprise, or perhaps shock.
4. Le Meurice
Yannick Alleno recently received three Michelin stars for his complex, carefully constructed creations. Amidst a swirl of elegance, painted ceilings and ornate mirrors, feast on inspired, refined, exquisitely presented creations.
Extraordinary attention to detail! The service is par excellence. Everything is gorgeous, starting with the extraordinary tapenade and interesting amuse-bouche. The ravioli vegetales is perfection incarnate. Only, there isn’t enough of it- but the divinely textured single ravioli stuffed with herbs and condiment is a mouthful of perfection.
The chef’s original concoctions include Madras curry powder mixed with thyme-citron butter and almonds. Fricassée of Noirmoutier potatoes and dry apricots accompanied by girolles mushrooms in verveine marries sweet and savoury flavours.
Temptation is to OD on the various and wondrous breads and yummy butters, but leave room for the fantastic cheese collection and the deserts. The world’s most divine deserts are created by the youthful, twenty-something-year-old chef pastry chef Camille, who is as delectable as his desserts and blushes profusely at the mildest compliment. It’s a treat to speak to the boy wonder, whose macarons served with coffee are sure to give Ladure sleepless nights…
5. Le V
The prestigious two Michelin starred Parisian institution at the George V is an exercise in grandeur. Overlooking the hotel’s charming terrace, the sumptuous restaurant brings the garden in with its verdant upholstery and luxurious flower arrangement.
This restaurant has one of Paris’s finest beverage lists to compliment the chef’s creations. The Artichoke tart with black truffle from Périgord is superb, and this is where you have Paris’s most perfectly cooked Green asparagus served with Parmesan cheese, Tricastin truffles and stewed black olives. The texture of the cauliflower risotto with morel mushrooms and garden peas is most unusual.
Their Maître fromager’s cheese collection is amongst Paris’s finest and the deserts to die for: try Caribbean chocolate soufflé with ice cream of wild pepper from Madagascar or gratin of wild and gariguettes strawberries, with mascarpone sorbet. Lovely too are the petits four served with coffee.
6. Le Bristol
The two Michelin-starred restaurant is airy and pretty, overlooking a terrace that looks like something at a beach resort and gives one the impression of being out of Paris. The fine breads, excellent cheeses and superb deserts are the restaurant’s forte.
7. Le Pergolèse
Michelin-starred Stephane Gaboriau’s restaurant reflects the elegance of its chic 16th arrondissement setting. Awarded Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the chef works with the very finest ingredients to create rarefied delicacies which accentuate the excellence of the products. The cuisine is classic with a Provencal touch and flashes of adventure. Divine chocolate deserts.
8. L’Altro
Slick new Italian restaurant in the chic 7th arrondissement is arguably Paris’s finest with a vast and interesting menu including poached pear and rocket salad, perfectly al dente pasta in creative sauces like lemon cream and basil. The light and tangy lemon curd and strawberry desert is ‘Mama Mia’! The service is equally delicious at this restaurant adored by elegant Parisians.
9. Le Bamboche
Exquisite presentation, creative cuisine, including black rice French-style risotto, goat’s cheese with bread ice cream and to-die-for four-spices-infused crème brulée.
10. Le Pinxo
Michelin-starred chef Alain Dutournier serves French tapas made à la minute at an open kitchen. Innovative concept: tapa arrives as trios in variations on a theme, designed to be shared between three. Try the coconut rice.
11. Sorza
Trendy new venue on the idyllic Ille St Louis specialises in parmesan based Italian cuisine. The pure Parmesan soufflé is exquisite and the Parmesan risotto a must-try.
12. 35 Degres Ouest
Michelin recommended new fish restaurant boasting excellent produce, including delectable butter and cheese.
13. Vinoteca
Trendy décor with upside-down lamps and eclectic chairs. Serves Frenchified Italian cuisine, plus top tiramisu and panacotta.
If you want something charmingly touristy, go to L’Orangerie.
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