706 Best Restaurants in France

A mere six months after chef Christophe Chiavola’s arrival at this romantic, vine-clad dining room, Michelin bestowed a coveted star. Now the restaurant draws diners from Avignon and far beyond for a refined seasonal menu featuring top-quality local meat, fish, shellfish, and produce in dishes that are prepared with a Mediterranean flair and incorporate luxurious touches. Whether you’re seated inside or out on the flowery garden terrace, you’ll enjoy one of the best meals in town.

Those unable to score a sought-after table at chef Katsuaki Okiyama's restaurant Abri should have better luck at this small soba bar tucked away on a back street off the Faubourg-Montmartre. The chef's savory homemade buckwheat noodles are the big draw—enjoy them hot or cold, paired with duck and leeks, fried tofu and mushrooms, or more imaginative concoctions like eel, cod intestine, and the freshest sashimi. Reservations aren't accepted, so try to arrive before noon for lunch or 7 for dinner to avoid waiting in line.

Don’t be fooled by the modest, laid-back interior—this is one of Lyon’s cherished addresses, beloved for an ultra-refined “instinctive” cuisine that elevates the humble vegetable, even in meat and fish dishes. The secret is having the best ingredients sourced from local farmers prepared with impeccable technique and unerring creativity: Vosges quail with green cardamom and silken potatoes; foie gras poached Japanese-style in a citrus-dashi broth; cod with melt-in-the-mouth leeks and pistachios; and balsamic lacquered dates with peanuts for dessert. At €41 or €50, the prix fixe dinner menus are some of the best deals in town.

Set in a leafy enclave, on a bustling old town street, this tiny jewel is one of  L'Isles’ best-kept secrets. The menu may be short, but that’s because the chef focuses on selecting the best local, seasonal ingredients as well as on creating picture-perfect presentations. Expect dishes like cod with orange-braised endive and beurre blanc or slow-roasted spiced veal with spinach and Parmesan. With seating for only 18, reservations are a must.

Enjoy a drink in the elegant library sitting room or modern dining room before tucking into local specialties that two-Michelin-star chef Michel Kayser transforms into works of art on his seasonal menus. Indulging in scallops from the Camargue coast served with a luscious ravioli stuffed with celery cream and black garlic or thyme-infused Aveyron lamb with root vegetables and kumquat may not leave room for a dessert of tender strawberries from the Gard infused with kaffir lime and served with sage sorbet. The terrace opens to an extensive park with century-old trees, and often apricots and peaches plucked from the overhanging branches will appear on your plate, magically transformed into some delicious creation. Though the restaurant is outside Nîmes proper, it's a favorite Provence pilgrimage spot.

Tucked away in a quiet garden across from the Petit Palais, Ledoyen—open since 1779—is a study in Empire-style elegance (this is where Napoléon first met his eventual wife Joséphine). Star chef Yannick Alléno injects the three-star dining room with a frisson of modernity by putting fresh farmhouse ingredients front and center in his €415, nine-course tasting extravaganza (a seven-course menu is a slightly more reasonable €295, and there are à la carte options). This may seem de trop, but in Alléno's hands dishes like smoked eel soufflé with watercress coulis and candied onion, tender mussels with tart green apple and caviar, or artichoke-and-Parmesan gratin are rendered as light as a feather. The desserts are tiny masterpieces.

When you've had your fill of crêpes, head over to this outstanding gastronomic dining room, beautifully set in its own kitchen garden, where each dish is a small work of art. With a wonderful backstory (the restaurant opened with the help of a crowd-funding campaign), flawless presentation, and seasonal organic cuisine that incorporates local (from its own garden) and wild whenever possible, it's no mystery why chef Lionel Hénaff was awarded a Michelin star. For a comprehensive experience of this marvelous cuisine, the tasting menu is obligatory, but leave yourself at least two hours for the six-course Effet Mer menu (€142; other menus are more accessible at €45, €58, and €94). Outdoor dining is a pleasure here, and the chef is responsive to food sensitivities.

Lush surroundings, spectacular views, brilliant cooking: everything unites in this intimate dining room at the heights of Courchevel to create an exceptional gastronomic experience. Chef Jean-Rémi Caillon (formerly of the two-star Michelin restaurant Kintessence) bases his dishes on seasonal herbs and vegetables harvested from the kitchen gardens and alpine fields, like the wild mushroom tart or raviolis with mustard greens and wild horseradish. But he doesn’t skimp on luxe ingredients like wild trout, truffles, and French caviar either. Menus in five or seven courses serve just the right amount, true to the restaurant’s sustainable ethos.

Architect, artist, creator, whatever you call him, one thing's for sure—you won't soon forget the master chef who was awarded a Michelin star within nine months of opening his namesake restaurant and now holds three stars—Michelin's top honor. Dishes such as charred satay tuna in tapioca speckled with bright green fish eggs and served with wasabi ice cream showcase his experience working in French, African, and Asian kitchens. While at one of the 24 seats in the minimalist setting, a small card on the table provides you with a choice of four set menus. Following your selection, Mazzia will serve a series of inspired dishes. Dining here will set you back some, but you will not find its likeness anywhere in France. 

With soaring ceilings, lush greenery, and eclectic furnishings, Hôtel Amour and its vibey restaurant exude a chic and inviting atmosphere. Here you can enjoy Mediterranean-inspired dishes at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or weekend brunch. Natural light floods the space during the day, and candlelight makes the ambience intimate in the evenings. In summer, dine on the rooftop by the pool to truly elevate your experience. 

Founded in 1903 and patronized by literary luminaries like Marcel Proust and Gertrude Stein, Angelina is famous for its chocolat "l'Africain"—an ultrarich hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. The beautiful chestnut "Mont Blanc" pastry is the ideal accompaniment. Fashionistas should be sure to stop for a photo op at table #10, Coco Chanel's favorite.

This classy brasserie in the heart of the Passage des Panoramas, Paris's oldest and most picturesque covered gallery, has much more going for it than just good looks. Every item on its tempting menu of French classics—from oeufs mayonnaise and soupe à l'oignon to frogs' legs and octopus à la Provençal, a house specialty—is made with the freshest market ingredients and perfectly cooked, beautifully presented, and served with a smile. To really take in the atmosphere, grab a terrace table in the bustling historic passage. An extensive wine list offers plenty of excellent bottles and well-priced choices by the glass, and waiters are happy to help you with pairings.

Not just one but five innovative kitchens plus two bars (one for beer, one for wine) share this cavernous, brick-walled space in a former locomotive workshop. Téra showcases local cuisine, Panier de Nana offers up Syrian-Middle Eastern delights, Big Boss serves Vietnamese treats, Nicuzza's menu is Sicilian, and Aux Gré des Saisons is for oysters and other fruits de mer. Order at the counter, then eat at a trestle table in the sun or indoors, with beer from Bar des Citernes or wine from Pépin.

This laid-back gourmet bistro set on a pedestrian street a stone’s throw from the beach is your best choice in town (and beyond) for a reliably delicious meal. Every effort is made to source high-quality local ingredients for dishes like zucchini gazpacho with mint and zucchini flowers, roasted catch of the day with vegetable risotto, and strawberry soup for dessert (in season, of course). Your wine-enthusiast chef also sources more than 200 southern wines from biodynamic and responsible vineyards, and the staff is delighted to help you discover local gems. Whether seated in the pleasant dining room or out on the terrace, this is the ideal place to linger over lunch or dinner.

At one of the temples of Alsatian-French haute cuisine, you get a real taste of old Alsace with a nouvelle spin. Founded in the early 1800s, its grand salon is still aglow with skylights, and a spectacular 19th-century painting showing the Strasbourgeoisie at a country fair continues to set the tasteful tone. Chef Romain Brillat heads the team and presents some of the most dazzling dishes around. Drawing inspiration from classic produce such as foie gras, truffles, lobster and seasonal game, Chef Brillat creates sublime dishes that are delightful on the palate and the eye. Not surprisingly, the wine list is extensive.

A culinary institution since 1861, this warm and welcoming retreat in the heights of Suresnes has served generations of Parisians and locals who flock here for a reliably delicious meal. With a crackling fire in winter and a flower-bedecked terrace in summer, you'll enjoy gastronomic versions of French classics in every season along with fantastic views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Chef Guillaume Delage, who's plied his craft in some of France's greatest kitchens, specializes in seasonal dishes with extravagant touches, like the lièvre à la royale (wild rabbit stuffed with foie gras and simmered in red wine), a staple on the menu since 1861. Desserts are equally delicious and an encyclopedic wine list delights aficionados and amateurs alike. Though the restaurant is worth a trip on its own, being a three-minute walk from the American Cemetery makes it the perfect spot before or after a visit.

For anyone who's never dined in one of France's grand old restaurants, this two-star stunner would be a fine start, set in a century-old chalet-inn in the tiny storybook village of Talloires on the incomparably beautiful Lac d'Annecy. From start to finish you'll be pampered in the old style. Although chef Jean Sulpice has updated the cuisine, dishes like veal carpaccio with white caviar and horseradish cream; poulet de Bresse stuffed with truffles and foie gras; and steamed lake fish with scallops, fennel, and ginger beurre blanc feature all the luxe ingredients that distinguish French gastronomy. On a warm day, a table on the gracious terrace overlooking the lake is a must. Prices are not for the fainthearted, but good memories are priceless.

You half expect Balzac himself to come strolling in the door of this delightful half-timber auberge, so little has it changed since the 19th century, including its centuries-old dining room, now warmed by a fireplace, floral bouquets, and rich wood tables. Balzac's ample girth attested to his great love of food, and he would no doubt enjoy the sautéed lobster or the nouvelle spins on his classic géline chicken favorites served here today. Dessert is excellent, and so is the coffee—a beverage Balzac drank incessantly (which may explain how he had the energy to create 2,000-plus characters). The restaurant and inn is nearly opposite the great author's country retreat.

Nadia Sammut, the third generation of female chefs in her family and the second to hold a Michelin star, crafts a cuisine of such sensuality, refinement, and soul that her dedicated fan base stretches well beyond France. Sammut's passion for fresh, local, and "living" foods is backed by the notion that each ingredient expresses itself differently, and she creates extraordinary flavor pairings in the dishes on her prix-fixe tasting menus. Options such as radishes prepared four ways on a melt-in-your mouth buckwheat cake or lightly crusted Camargue oysters perfumed with shiso and yuzu in an iodized gelée are revelations. The Auberge also has five charming, Provençal-style guest rooms in case you want to stay overnight and enjoy a stellar gluten-free breakfast.

There's some serious magic happening at this off-the-radar retreat set in one of Paris's oldest buildings (from 1407), once the laboratory of alchemist Nicolas Flamel. The intimate space, mixing ancient beams, stone, and wood with a streamlined contemporary design, is perfect for the chef's bewitching combinations in signature dishes like Breton langoustine with herbs crowned with caviar or roasted monkfish with tender carrots and bottarga. Deliciously subtle and surprising dessert pairings include pear William with Kalamata olives and sage. Prices are steep, but you'll appreciate leisurely savoring your meal accompanied by excellent wines and top-notch service.

Don't expect to be mobbed by tourists at this casual, bright café two minutes from the Champ de Mars. Locals love it for the sidewalk terrace and garden seating in the back—not to mention the good coffee, tea, and stellar brunch. Even if you don't snag a seat outside, the charming interior is a cheerful spot to tuck into a heaping plate of eggs Benedict, smoked salmon tartine, or avocado toast. There are also fresh fruit smoothies and home-baked pastries. Its all-day hours (seven days a week) makes it the perfect place for a well-priced lunch or teatime. Reservations are always a good idea, especially on weekends.

An easy walk from Place de la Bastille and the Marais, this sleek 2,000-square-foot café is a favorite spot for breakfast, veggie-centric nibbles, and exceptional scones, breads, and sweet rolls served all day, seven days a week. Mornings are a good time to enjoy the fragrance of fresh roasting coffee, performed in full view.

Dining under the shade of mulberry trees, with views of Les Baux’s rocky cliffs, you’d hardly know you’re at the Baumanière resort’s number-two gastronomic restaurant (the resort’s first, three-star L’Oustau de Baumanière is a tough act to follow). Chef Michel Hulin’s Mediterranean-inspired cuisine plunders the resort’s kitchen gardens and the nearby Alpilles and Camargue for the freshest ingredients in dishes like wild shrimp with tart fennel-and-cucumber tartare and herb sorbet, Camargue oysters poached in olive oil and served with dulce-infused focaccia, or seared red tuna. Desserts made with summer fruits are light as air.

Set inside the gorgeously refurbished Saint James Hotel, one of the city's stand-out lodgings, the beautiful Bellefeuille has quickly become popular thanks to chef Grégory Garimbay's refined menu of inspired dishes with an emphasis on the freshest seafood and vegetables from the hotel's own gardens outside Paris (there's also honey from the hives on-site). The six-course tasting menu (with excellent desserts by pastry chef Coline Doussin and paired with natural and biodynamic wines handpicked by the restaurant's gifted sommelier) is highly recommended, but you'll be wowed no matter which menu you choose. Options like briny oysters paired with beets and tangy mustard, the freshest St-Malo scallops, melt-in-your-mouth squid in its own velvety ink, and salt-marsh lamb from the Mont St-Michel bay deliver subtlety and sweetness. In warm weather, arrive early for a cocktail in the hotel's lovely garden or a glass of Champagne in the British-style library, among the most beautiful in Paris. 

Foodies flock to this up-and-coming neighborhood for a taste of chef Maxime Pujol’s gastro-bistro cuisine that reflects the seasons and deep Lyon roots. Ambitious, imaginative dishes include line-caught yellowtail tartare with black olive ice cream and crunchy spring peas; slow-cooked veal, green asparagus from the Drôme with crispy onions and tender carrot tops in a lemongrass reduction; and for dessert, caramel and sweetgrass Bavarian cream over a vanilla madeleine with vanilla gelée and almond crunch.

Parisian ice cream is served at cafés all over town, but it's worth making the pilgrimage to this mecca of artisanal crèmes glacées to understand what all the fuss is about. The family-owned Berthillon shop features more than 30 flavors that change with the seasons, from mouth-puckering cassis (black currant) in summer to nutty marron (candied chestnut) in winter. Expect to wait in a lengthy line for a tiny scoop.

Set in a historic house on a cobbled street in the heart of the old town, this atmospheric dining room—with hardwood beams, a fireplace, a zinc bar, and cozy contemporary decor—serves traditional French classics updated for modern palates: country terrine with tangy cornichons, homemade sausages in a buttery potato puree, lobster spaghetti, or fresh vegetable tart. The chef is also trained as a pâtissier, and his classic Paris Brest, filled with a divine hazelnut praliné, or the ethereal Chartreuse soufflé are a must for those with a sweet tooth.

This handsome historic bistro highlights the extraordinary synergy that can happen when French technique meets Asian flavors. Classics like pigeon or beef come alive with pickled daikon radish, tamarind, or saké. You'll still find dishes firmly anchored in the French repertoire, like trout with trout caviar and whipped anchovy butter with lovage, or a caramel and quince dacquoise for dessert. The six-course dinner menu (€76) provides an excellent introduction to chef Louis de Vicari's outsized talent, and with five wine pairings for €60 you'll get a primer in French wines too. This is a restaurant Parisians in the know will cross town for, and that's saying a lot.

This quintessential locals' hangout is packed for lunch pretty much year-round thanks to dishes that are deeply French and deeply satisfying. The traditional bistro decor—long bar, leatherette banquettes, large mirrors, and brass railings—has something to do with the appeal of this marvelous restaurant that's casual in every sense except when it comes to food and wine.