706 Best Restaurants in France

With its red-and-white-check table cloths and its warm and friendly atmosphere, this cozy, unpretentious spot offers a slice of Italy in the heart of St-Raphaël. Authentic house specialties include spaghetti and fresh octopus in white wine with parsley and lemon. Reservations are advised in summer when the dolce vita spills out onto the terrace. 

No trip to St-Tropez is complete without indulging in a tropézienne, the famous local pastry that combines airy brioche with velvety cream and is topped with crunchy sugar granules. For an elevated take on this classic, head to this family-run patisserie, where Laurent Cavazza trained at Lenôtre and offers the iconic fleur d'oranger version alongside a red berry variation.

Michelin-starred chef Hélène Darroze made a name for herself decades ago, and her long-established restaurant in Paris has been revamped and renamed Marsan, a nod to her birthplace in the country's southwest. It's prix-fixe only, at lunch and dinner, whether you opt for the elegant upstairs dining room or the semiprivate table for six with a view of the open kitchen. At the table next to the kitchen (la table du chef), there is a multi-course tasting menu for €325. The elegant dining room serves a four-course lunch menu on weekdays (€95) and a six- or nine-course tasting menu for lunch or dinner (€195 or €250, respectively) that features beautifully presented dishes such as foie gras, lobster, sea bass, farm-raised squab, and Darroze's signature baba, an Armagnac-infused cake with vanilla syrup and candied pears. For truffle fanatics, one can request additional white and black truffle dishes (available only during truffle season).

In Belle Époque Paris, Maxim's de Paris was known for being the spot where well-heeled gentlemen brought their favorite mistresses, and it long attracted a veritable who's who of Parisians and foreign Francophiles. After falling into relative obsolescence during Pierre Cardin's three decades of ownership, hospitality group the Paris Society gave it a much-needed facelift in 2023; now the Art Nouveau institution retains its velvet banquettes, stained glass statement walls, and gorgeous light fixtures and boasts a menu of revitalized French classics. Service is curt, bordering on aloof, but with a coupe of Champagne in your hand, it's easy to ignore.

Marseille’s most famous restaurant might just be a food truck—and not just any food truck because this one was founded by Alexandre Mazzia, the city’s only Michelin three-star chef, with the goal of making his cooking accessible to everyone. Consider trying the Big Brother (€14.50) with crispy free-range chicken, smoked scamorza cheese, pickled escarole, fresh herbs, and a ginger-red bell pepper sauce on a crispy brioche. Another good choice is the Hot Mazz (€19), a grilled spiced-lamb sandwich with galangal, spinach sprouts, carrot mustard, and smoked beets. Save room for dessert, perhaps the BanaMazz (caramelized plantain with chocolate-peanut praline).

Inside the Grand Palais, Mini Palais is a stylish dining room, but the menu is the real draw. The burger de magret et foie gras, a flavorful mélange of tender duckling breast and duck foie gras drizzled with truffled jus on a buttery brioche bun, underscores what's best about this place: a thoroughly modern cuisine with an old-fashioned extravagance. For a summer meal or a cocktail, the majestically pillared terrace overlooking Pont d'Alexandre III must be the most beautiful in Paris.

This is where serious coffee drinkers go for a reliably excellent brew, meticulously sourced and roasted at their torrefactory in Lyon and brewed just how you like it, whether that's filtered, siphoned, or cold brewed. There's also a range of artisanal hot chocolates, chais, iced coffees in summer, and tasty snacks. If you doubt their seriousness, the café also hosts coffee-brewing classes. There's also a branch in the Croix Rousse, at 5 Rue Victor Fort (4e). 

When you've had enough of the “catch of the day" and need a good old dose of red meat—in various cuts, from rump steak to rib to sirloin XXL—this restaurant in old Antibes is the place to go. The selection includes black Angus American, Australian, or Irish beef as well as veal, chicken, and foie gras, and it's all overseen by Nicolas Rondell, head chef at the Michelin-starred Pecheurs in the Cap. You can even read about where your meat was raised, as well as its breed, age, and feeding methods. If all of this is too much, you can order pasta—you know where that comes from.

The menu at this bistro overlooking the main square in the heart of Vence evolves every two weeks to the beat of the seasons and features modern takes on French and Mediterranean classics. Try the melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank confit with rosemary, mashed truffle potatoes, and candied carrots. The hand cut frites are freshly made that morning and totally moreish. The outdoor terrace buzzes in summer and the interior has contemporary styling.

Finding a decent place for a sit-down meal amid the village's head-spinning number of tourist cafés is challenging, but you can't go wrong with this welcoming eatery at the historic port. Watch the boats pass by while dining on heaping platters of shellfish or the catch of the day.

Part of a stylish new chain proliferating around Paris, this sleek café inhabits the entrance of a formerly run-down historic passage couvert on the picturesque, and newly chic, Rue Richer—home of the Folies Bergère. Coffee lovers can enjoy their cuppa (or matcha, chai, and so forth) from velvet banquettes or high up on a balcony overlooking the soaring, light-filled space with a views down Rue Saulnier.

This bistro-style eatery is the highlight of the busy collection of restaurants on the Cours Mirabeau. In the kitchen, the chef whips up artful dishes using fresh, regional produce to create a regularly changing menu that draws locals and tourists alike. Be sure to reserve a table, especially on market days (Thursday and Saturday). 

This restaurant is small but mighty when it comes to fresh and delicious Japanese comfort food in the form of inari age: sushi rice wrapped in fried tofu (that used here is imported from Kyoto) and topped with vegetables, fish, or meat. The menu also features delicious udon, donburi, gyoza, and mochi for dessert. The dining room is spare but warm, with Noguchi lighting and lots of wood. The chef holds a sake sommelier certificate, and you'd be wise to take his pairing advice. There's also a tantalizing selection of sake cocktails and natural wines.

Chef Martin Maumet has taken over chef William Ledeuil's former Kitchen Galerie Bis and opened Oktobre with its equally refined signature dishes. The catch of the day or quail served with seasonable vegetables does not disappoint. A three-course lunch menu is €39 is offered only on weekdays (but not on public holidays). On weekday evenings, one can choose to order à la carte or the six-course tasting menu for €83 per person. On Fridays and Saturday, the tasting menu is five courses. For groups of six or more, it's the tasting menu only in the evening.

Claude and Dana Douard collaborated with some of the greatest chefs of our time before getting away from the big city lights to open this bistro–wine bar hot spot in the center of St-Rémy. The wine selection is magnificent, and so is the simple food—try the grilled sea bass with chorizo, mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables or the grilled Mont Ventoux spiced pork.

Run by two brothers, this convivial restaurant is well worth the five-minute drive outside Aix for a warm welcome, a menu of the best of French comfort food, and expertly chosen regional wines. Here you'll find classics such as coquilles St-Jacques (scallops) and magret de canard (duck breast) alongside vegetarian dishes like homemade gnocchi with roasted salsify, celery puree, and roasted walnuts. As wine glasses clink and the laughter resounds you’ll know you’ve arrived at everyone’s happy place.

This upscale eatery is one of the top restaurants in town, with the sleek, pared-down dining room preparing inventive, but not offbeat, dishes using prime ingredients and showcasing seasonal vegetables, plants, and flowers. The tempting prix-fixe menus feature dishes with a stunning harmony of textures and flavors, each one gorgeously plated. The \"Surprise\" lunchtime menu (€48, served weekdays only) gives you an insight into the chef's talents while the \"Nature Gourmand\" menu (3 courses for €98; 4 courses €128) is for ardent foodies. The chef, originally from Tokyo, worked in some of the top kitchens in Burgundy before he took the plunge and opened his own establishment here in Dijon. 

This modern bistro is tucked away on a side street just a short stroll from the town center. Here you'll find standard bistro fare, with a menu that has a small number of choices (four starters and four mains) that indicates the freshness of the produce; dishes might include melted Chaource with Ardenne ham, tartare of salmon, or steak with cep mushroom sauce. You can opt for the bright contemporary dining room on the ground floor or the authentic vaulted stone cellar. There is a standout wine list, showcasing independent Champagne growers. You choose your red wine directly from the cellar or your white wine from the chilled cave à vin.

Chef Jason Gouzy won a Michelin star less than a year after the 2020 opening of this sought-after restaurant, where each dish resembles a gemlike work of art. The sleekly romantic dining room perfectly mirrors what's on the menu: dishes of exceptional imagination and refinement with an emphasis on seasonal market-fresh vegetables, seafood, and meticulously sourced meats. Watch Gouzy perform his small miracles—imaginative smoked vegetables and exquisite, unexpected pairings—from behind the kitchen window, or wait to be surprised. It's never a disappointment.

Dijon's restaurant scene is dynamic, a fact showcased by this restaurant headed by upstart chef Chern Hwei Gan, which serves inventive dishes influenced by local produce and the chef's Malaysian origins. At lunch, you can choose between the fixed-price two- or three-course lunchtime menus, and in the evening there are fixed-price five- and seven-course menus, with additional options of a wine pairing. This neo-bistro comes with a pocket-sized dining area and street-side terrace. Popular with locals, reservations are a must.

A perfect fit in the Arts et Métiers neighborhood, this bustling spot is popular for its loft-like, industrial-style atmosphere and stellar coffee served with delicious homemade sweets. Custom coffees are roasted on the premises from beans sourced all over the world.

This rustic restaurant with a shady terrace on a quiet square is just two blocks back from the bustling harborside tourist drag. It serves hearty but delicious French, local, and Italian fare at honest prices.

This 1950s-style dining room (think designer tables and a black-and-white checkered floor) draws trendy locals with its top-of-the range dishes that feature diverse Mediterranean regional influences. The menu includes a broad selection of tapas ideal for sharing as well as other more elaborate options such as grilled Iberian pork or pigeon with truffles. While dining you can peek at the chefs preparing the food in the open kitchen.

The marvelous dishes served at this chic little bistro, tucked away on a picturesque side street a five-minute walk from the palace, center around the eatery's wood-fire oven. Whether an artisanal charcuterie plate, roast chicken, miso-baked salmon, or slow-cooked pork, all the dishes are fresh, delicious, and generously sized. This is an excellent choice for lunch or dinner and the charming outdoor terrace is a big plus in spring and summer.

Chef Pierre Lambinon won a Michelin star at age of 30 (he now has two) for his fantastic restaurant (pronounced \"Pierre\") in this former 16th-century fish market. The €188 seven-course tasting menu is a must.

The serious, unpretentious, and mightily creative cuisine here quickly catapulted Quinsou to culinary fame. An emphasis on first-rate growers and suppliers puts vegetables in the limelight, though fish, shellfish, and game also make welcome appearances in the small number of market-fresh dishes that grace the daily menu. Prix-fixe menus are the only options, with a four-course lunch menu (€95) or a five-course dinner menu (€125). Both menus are offered with wine parings for €160 and €200, respectively. It's difficult to convey the originality of these dishes, but Parisians are smitten, and you will be, too.

Originally a cave à manger (a wine bar/bistro) serving natural wines and top-quality French fare, Racines made the foodie world rejoice in 2018 when adulated Sardinian-born chef Simone Tondo took the helm and introduced a small but stellar menu of Italian comfort dishes mixed with French stalwarts. The old tile floors, wooden tables, and location in the atmospheric Passage des Panoramas, Paris's oldest covered arcade, only add to the charm. Since earning a Michelin star, it's utterly packed at mealtimes (and quite noisy for those with tender eardrums), so be sure to reserve in advance.

This retro restaurant opened when luxe hotel Les Roches Rouges was transformed by French hotelier Valéry Grégo, and it has since picked up one Michelin star. The dinner-only menu is dedicated to inventive regional dishes, which head chef José Bailly bases on La Cuisine Provençale de la Tradition Populaire, a 1963 cookbook of traditional recipes by René Jouveau.