706 Best Restaurants in France

Chef Ludovic Turac—a candidate on TV's Top Chef 2011 and one of the youngest Michelin-starred chefs in France—has evolved into a serious, mature, and highly appreciated local celebrity while at the helm of this now tried-and-true favorite. A Mediterranean menu changes every two months depending on what's in season. One standby is the creamy, fishy Milkshake de Bouille-Abaisse, a one-of-a-kind gourmand delight.

At the entrance of Merci, a chic concept store, you'll find the perfect spot for a quick lunch or snack (or a place to catch up on the latest French novels) among rows of books and comfy chairs. Highlights include a small soup menu, a risotto of the day, and hearty vegetarian salads. You can also order a freshly pressed juice or iced tea with mint (or a crisp glass of rosé) to wash it all down.

On a nearly hidden street behind the Palais Royal gardens, this tiny wine bar invites customers to perch on metal stools at a narrow bar and enjoy a small but choice selection of wines by the glass and some very good bar snacks like top-notch olives or local Paris ham. Although not a substitute for dinner, it's great for a drink and a nosh on your way to or from somewhere else, including the excellent restaurant upstairs.

There are half a dozen restaurants on the edge of the Old Town offering terrace dining with spectacular views of the port below, but this stands out for daring to differ from the standard tourist menus offered elsewhere—think grilled octopus and tuna tataki in place of pizza and ravioli.

There's something about this sleek little wine bar that attracts top talent before they really hit the big time. Currently, it's a whole new culinary adventure under the helm of Mexican chef Robert Mendoza, whose sublime concoctions have Parisians coming back again and again. The spare decor is the perfect backdrop for the chef's deliciously colorful plates, and you can watch the cooks master the open kitchen as the enthusiastic crowd gets more lively as dishes arrive and wine is poured.

Culinary power couple Stéphanie Le Quellec and her husband David teamed up on this classy duplex restaurant set in a residential neighborhood close to the Arc de Triomphe that highlights the bounty of the sea. Le Quellec wisely lets the delicate flavors of the seafood speak for themselves, paired with refined complementary accents. Start with briny oysters fresh from the Brittany coast, followed by scintillating tarama (fish roe) with celery oil, grilled octopus in a creamy harissa sauce, or the catch of the day served with sake-miso beurre blanc. For dessert, the warm deep-dish pecan cookie for two is worth the trip alone. Seafaring cocktails and excellent wines by the bottle and glass round out a memorable meal.

More restaurant than wine bar, this British-owned spot is a stylish haunt for Parisians and visiting gourmands who might stop in for a glass of wine at the oak bar or settle into the wood-beamed dining room. The selection of reinvented classic dishes changes daily and in accordance with the seasons, and while the kitchen closes from 2:30 pm to 7 pm, the bar opens at noon and keeps serving until midnight.

You’ll find all of this brilliant young pastry chef’s latest and classic creations at this handsome pâtisserie and café, but good luck choosing between the tasty options. Known for his ambitious and subtle flavor pairings and over-the-top decadence, you'll be wowed by pastries like the Entremets Isatis, a pecan biscuit with pecan praline, creamy vanilla-bean ganache, and vanilla caramel; his exquisite lemon merengue tart topped with a tangy dollop of lemon crème; or the signature Mille Feuilles Madagascar.

If you're having what is known in French as a crise de foie (liver crisis), the result of overindulging in rich food, this chic Japanese noodle house with a summer terrace and a second dining room upstairs is the perfect antidote. The blond-wood walls soothe the senses, and the freshly made soba (buckwheat noodles), served in soup or with a restorative dipping broth, will give you the courage to face another round of caramelized foie gras.

This contemporary bistro offers inspired, creative cooking with a sense of fun. Chef-owner William Ledeuil, a tireless experimenter, buys heirloom vegetables directly from farmers and tracks down herbs and spices in Asian supermarkets to create a deliberately deconstructed menu featuring raw fish, soups, pastas, and fresh vegetables. You can choose a five-course or a seven-course menu for dinner (€105 or €125 respectively); the two-course lunch menu (43€) is a great value. If on offer (the menu changes constantly and inventively), consider the chicken with dates, sesame, and yuzu, or the scallops in a citrus, turmeric, and bergamot sauce.

There's no shortage of Japanese restaurants around the Louvre, but this one is a cut above much of the competition. The menu has something for every palate, from warming donburi to sushi and sashimi. The black-and-white space is refreshingly bright and modern, and you can perch at one of the counters for a quick bite or settle in at a table. A no-reservations policy at lunchtime means you've got as good a chance as anyone at snagging a seat.

This is a true-blue winstub, with wood-paneled walls, glowing lighting, and wines available by the glass. The cooking is pure Alsace, with German-scale portions of choucroute, ham hocks, and fruit tarts.

An exquisite jewelbox setting and a Michelin star have placed L'Ecrin at Paris's dining forefront. An ethereal, highly refined cuisine highlights origins, seasons, and delicate flavor pairings, like succulent Breton langoustine with lightly caramelized fennel and a sauce laced with tart Japanese yuzu. Desserts are both luxe and homey, like Riz à l'Imperatrice, an exalted rice pudding with raspberry confit and star-anise ice cream, as well as a luscious take on the humble tarte tatin.

For more than 50 years, celebs holidayed and dined at Cap Estel in Èze, a private 2-hectare peninsula with all-encompassing views of the Med. And now, with chef Patrick Raingeard, whose produce comes directly from the hotel’s garden, the dining here can’t get any better. Start with the asparagus salad with creamy cauliflower and wild truffles, followed by the Charolais beef fillet à la Parillada in a “Los Lobos” red-wine sauce served with a potato-and-truffle cake. Finish it off with a banana soufflé. Vegetarian options are also available. Lunch set menus are a good value.

If wine and truffles are your thing, get thee to this temple of gastronomic bliss in the form of tuber melanosporum or aestivum, depending on the season. Fresh dishes at this lunch-only restaurant exalt the fungi-perfumed bounty of Provence. Start with a velvety pumpkin velouté with truffle butter followed by ravioli stuffed with succulent wild cèpes or a truffle-flecked omelet. Even the cheese course (truffled chèvre chaud) and desserts (caramelized apple with black truffle) are shroomy. Prices are reasonable, with a two-course €27 menu, and two three-course all-truffle menus for €47 and €59. Wines are a big deal here, too: the lovely 17th-century stone building serves as a school for oenephiles, a wine library, a museum, and a boutique where local wines can be purchased. Tastings and courses on wine and truffles are held daily; check website for details.

At the far southeast tip of Théoule's miniature bay, this unpretentious pizzeria serves simple Italian specialties—but, oh, what a setting. A few tables line a wooden "boathouse" porch directly over the lapping water, and at night the whole glittering necklace of Cannes reflects its luxurious glow over the bay. Good wood-oven pizzas and pastas add superfluous pleasure.