453 Best Restaurants in France

The late great Paul Bocuse—who kick-started nouvelle cuisine back in the 1970s and became a superstar in the process—may no longer be with us, but dishes like the legendary black-truffle soup in pastry crust he created in 1975 to honor President Giscard d'Estaing always will be. So will the frogs' leg soup with watercress; the green bean and artichoke salad with foie gras; and the "tripled" wood pigeon, consisting of a drumstick in puff pastry, a breast roasted and glazed in cognac, and a dark aromatic pâté of the innards. For a mere €330 per person, the Paul Bocuse Menu includes two of the master's most famous dishes: soup aux truffes and the volaille de Bresse truffée en vessie "Mère Fillioux" (Bresse hen cooked in a pig bladder with truffles), which comes to the table looking something like a basketball. Like the desserts, the grand dining room is done in traditional style.

Beamed ceilings, tiled floors, and charming accents are just the beginning of a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience at this traditional bistro in the heart of Barbizon. All the beloved French classics—chevre chaud, leeks vinaigrette, entrecôte de boeuf, noix de Saint-Jacques, steak tartare—are served just as they're meant to be for lunch and dinner. If you're hankering after a skillfully prepared, deeply French meal, this is the place—and it's open seven days a week, a rarity in France.

Picturesquely set in the old town, near the cathedral, this chic Michelin-starred restaurant is a big draw for foodies from near and far. Though unanimously lauded as one of the area's best restaurants, L'Essentiel won't give you an ounce of attitude, just excellent, market-fresh cuisine emphasizing the local delicacies—truffles, asparagus, duck, foie gras, chestnuts, and more—served with a smile. Though prices are reasonable for this superior quality, at €43 the fixed-price lunch menu is a steal.

Hidden over Place des Terreaux, this semisecret upstairs dining room in a former silk-weaving loft prepares some of Lyon's finest and most daring cuisine. A place at the window (admittedly hard to come by), overlooking the facade of the Beaux Arts academy across the square, is a moment to remember—especially during December's Festival of Lights. The six-course €59 tasting menu at dinner is a steal for this quality of dining.

In the heart of old Bergerac, this restaurant is full of character with beamed ceilings, openwork stone, brick walls, design lighting, and plush chairs. The lunch and dinner menus, which change with the seasons, are good values, considering you can start with such delights as warm oysters with saffron or a skewer of langoustine with honey and rosemary, and then move on, perhaps, to ravioli in a citron sauce. The cobbled outdoor terrace is the place to be when the weather is nice.

This contemporary, centrally located restaurant draws gastronomes from near and far with its top-notch seasonal menu. Jean-François Dive's creative market-driven cuisine features artfully presented dishes with a knack for highlighting the natural goodness of vegetables—scallops simmered in celery and endive with chestnut puree and cèpe oil, or poached foie gras with a truffle-infused consommé of Jerusalem artichoke and fennel. The elegant, contemporary dining room is tranquil and relaxing, and the large outdoor terrace offers pleasant views of the square. If you're lucky enough to be here during truffle season, the all-truffle menu is well worth the splurge.

Rouen's Michelin-starred sensation, l'Odas is the brainchild of chef Olivier da Silva, whose selection of four- and six-course tasting menus has earned accolades for their seasonality, inventiveness, and deep connection to the surrounding countryside. Add a sensational view of Rouen's cathedral from the sleek yet warm dining room, and this makes for a singular way to experience Rouen's top-flight cuisine. 

A perennial favorite, this lively, unpretentious bistro is prized by expats and locals for its friendly atmosphere, consistently good food, solid wine list, and English-speaking staff. Dishes like pork belly with crushed potatoes or swordfish with fresh vegetables always hit the spot, especially when followed by decadent chocolate ganache infused with candied bergamot or poached peaches with white wine and sorbet.

Watch the world go by on the street-side terrace at this small but lively café on a picturesque square at the foot of the hill leading to Croix Rousse. Low-key and casual, the focus here is squarely on the java—every kind of caffeinated beverage can be conjured up here, and coffee aficionados are reassured by the fact that the meticulously sourced beans are roasted on the premises. Freshly baked carrot cake or cheesecake, tarte au citron, and warm chocolate fondant are irresistibly decadent alongside a luscious café crème. There's also a great choice of magazines and newspapers and free Wi-Fi access.

Set on the edge of Valence's Old Town, a few minutes from the Parc Jouvet, this hidden gem is one more reason to get thee to Valence. Chef Masashi Ijichi's Japanese roots and pedigreed French training (at the House of Pic) merge in a stunning cuisine that is virtuosic without being bombastic. Ijichi's delicate flavor pairings and poetic presentation rely on the intrinsic virtues of the freshest ingredients: an inky black sea urchin filled with golden pumpkin whipped cream and jellied lobster or white chocolate mousse and bright mango puree. The pared down dining room is an excellent backdrop to highlight the food, but be sure to leave some time, as this is a moment to savor.

This was Paris's first coffee bar, founded by former Guatemalan ambassador to France turned coffee ambassador, Gloria Montenegro. With three spacious rooms, all coffee preparations under the sun, and a daily special brew chosen from among dozens of varieties of meticulously sourced beans from plantations around the globe, this is a Paris institution.

This world-renowned, cavernous spot with Art Deco murals practically defines the term brasserie. It's been popular since Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were regulars, and today it attracts a mix of bourgeois families, tourists, and lone diners treating themselves to a dozen oysters. Recent additions to the classic brasserie menu are a tart of caramelized apple and pan-fried foie gras, beef fillet flambéed with cognac, and profiteroles made with Valrhona chocolate.

Behind a half-timber facade filled with geraniums, the "oldest inn in France," dating from 1345, is crammed with stained leaded glass, sculpted wood beams, marble Norman chimneys, leather-upholstered chairs, and damask curtains. Of its many famous guests over the centuries, perhaps the most celebrated here is Julia Child, who ate her first meal in France—"the most exciting meal of my life"—here. A prix-fixe menu recreates that meal with a green salad, a half-dozen oysters on the half-shell, and sole meunière. Add "a whole bottle of Pouilly-Fumé," as Child did, for maximum authenticity. 

The exceptional Domaine du Mont d'Arbois Four Seasons hotel has doubly distinguished itself by the enviable accomplishment of having scored a partnership with chef Anne-Sophie Pic, hands down France's most famous female chef and one the most starred cooks in the country, whose three-star restaurant in Valence is one of the most famous in France. Unlike most celebrity chefs, Pic stands by her reputation, insisting on actually cooking in the kitchen that bears her name. Meaning you're assured a stellar meal that makes the steep price of both dining room and hotel well worth the splurge.

Exposed beams, stone walls, and rustic tomette tiles assure a picturesque dining experience at this 1846 stone grange set among pretty gardens 3 km (2 miles) outside Cahors. But the real spirit of the place lies in the menu of deeply traditional French favorites: pig's cheeks, truffle omelet, beef onglet (hanger steak), local lamb, and Rocamador cheeses, all accompanied by Cahors wine. Despite the soaring ceilings, it's a cozy place, made all the cozier by friendly service and happy diners from near and far.

Don't be fooled by this unassuming bistro's laid-back atmosphere and streamlined Scandinavian decor; here you'll discover some of the most deliciously inventive (and well-priced) cuisine to be found in Nantes. Fresh, local, and organic products are a big part of the alchemy, but it's the culinary wizardry of chef Léo Huet that really sets this dining room apart. There's plenty of deliciousness for vegetarians here too, and at €16 or €23 for the three-course menus at lunch and €25 or €35 at dinner, this is one of the city's best deals.

This is a legendary location in Lyon—even more so now that Mathieu Viannay, one of the top names in the city's contemporary cuisine scene, has honored gastronomy pioneer Eugénie Brazier—the founder of nouvelle cuisine and the first woman to gain three Michelin stars in 1933—by opening a restaurant in her former space. A winner of the coveted Meilleur Ouvrier de France prize, Viannay continues to experiment with taste, textures, and ingredients in this carefully restored and recently remodeled traditional house. He describes the menu as "mixed" between completely modern cuisine and "Mère Brazier recipes revisited" such as the poularde de Bresse demi-deuil (Bresse poultry in "half mourning," that is, with black truffles under the breast skin).

Back when your grandmother's grandmother was making the grand tour, La Pyramide's Fernand Point had already perfected haute cuisine for a generation and become the first superstar chef, teaching a regiment of students who glamorized French dining the world over. Many decades later, La Pyramide has dropped its museum status and now offers contemporary classics by acclaimed two-Michelin-star chef Patrick Henriroux, accompanied by a peerless selection of wines featuring local stars from the nearby Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu vineyards. Both classical and avant-garde dishes triumph here, from crème soufflée de crabe au croquant d'artichaut (creamy crab soufflé with crunchy artichoke) to the veau de lait aux légumes de la vallée (suckling veal with vegetables from the Drôme Valley). For those who wish to sleep off the feast, there are contemporary guest rooms at hand.

After taking over the original La Régalade, chef Bruno Doucet kept some of what made the old restaurant so popular (country terrines, reasonably priced wines, convivial atmosphere), but he also had a few tricks under his toque, notably creating a successful haute-cuisine-meets-comfort-food destination. With a good quality-to-price ratio, this chic bistro has evolved into a staple of the neighborhood.

Located right in the middle of the charming village of Gevrey-Chambertin, this 18th-century stone mansion features a gastronomic restaurant, a bistro, and nine smartly decorated rooms. Diners are drawn here by the cozy, chalet-style decor (think plank floors and wooden beams), the spot-on service, and the stellar cuisine that takes terroir dishes to new gastronomic heights. Traditional Burgundy dishes are given a complete makeover, such as snails in a foamy sauce topped with garlic flowers; hand-cut steak tartare with ginger, grated hazelnut, and clover leaves; and pork loin prepared by the in-house butcher. Table d'Hôtes, the gourmet restaurant, offers €62 lunch and €102 dinner prix-fixe menus while the bistro Lucien on the ground floor offers a trimmed-back menu and an outdoor terrace.

Shortly after earning a second Michelin star from the chic open kitchen at the Hôtel Prince des Galles, Stéphanie le Quellec left to strike out on her own. Now she's regained her two stars at this gleaming dining room on the elegant Avenue Matignon, the perfect setting for the refined, scintillating cuisine that earned the former Top Chef winner a loyal following among Paris gastronomes. Whether you're having lunch in the ground-floor brasserie, with its burnished bronze bar, or downstairs in the elegant 30-seat dining room with an open kitchen, Le Quellec doesn't skimp on luxury ingredients in signature dishes like Pompadour potato soufflé with Ossetra caviar, poached langoustine, and the famous foie gras tart, all masterfully paired with handpicked small-producer wines. Pastry chef Pierre Chirac's irresistible desserts round out a perfect meal.

Although an odd couple at first glance, the marriage of two seafood-centric cuisines—Japanese and Breton—actually makes perfect sense, especially once you've experienced the miracles of flavor that hail from the kitchen of Michelin-starred chef Raphaël-Fumio Kudaka. Imaginative, locally sourced dishes find just the right balance between French gourmandise and Japanese delicacy: lobster dumplings with pine nuts, crisp pork belly, morel, and shiitake mushrooms in a yuzu broth; langoustine, scallop, and foie gras tempura in a bonito-kombu broth; and for dessert, a luscious orange-crème mousseline, with blood-orange gelée and Brittany saffron coulis served over a melt-in-your-mouth Wasabon biscuit. Pair your meal with a natural French wine—you won't mind spending a little extra for something so far beyond the ordinary. This place is in the same building (and has the same owners) as the legendary crêpery, Breizh Café.

This cozy bistro's namesake studied at the prestigious Ferrandi school and cut her teeth at Joël Robuchon in Paris before returning to her hometown to open her own "bistronomique" restaurant (meaning gastronomic bistro). The refined menu offers seasonal dishes made with ingredients from sustainable farms when possible, and all the wines are organic. Dining on the terrace, overlooking the fountain on Chartres' pretty Evora Square, is a joy in warm weather.

Ewan and Caroline Scutcher haven’t left Port Grimaud since they married here nearly 36 years ago and set up this waterside gem, now considered one of the Riviera's finest restaurants. In a fun and relaxed atmosphere, they offer the freshest fish and seafood on the coast; certainly the politicians, royalty, and film stars (think Leonardo DiCaprio) who dine portside here among the locals don't complain. Selection is simple, uncomplicated, and the lunch menu—served on market days, Thursday and Sunday between mid-June and mid-September—is a deal at €26 with wine and coffee included. Avoid traffic and ask Le Table to arrange for a water taxi when you make a reservation.

You can't deny the splendor of this legendary Michelin-starred restaurant's setting overlooking the Seine; if you don't want to break the bank on dinner, treat yourself to the three-course lunch menu for €120. This entitles you to succulent slices of one of the restaurant's numbered ducks (the great duck slaughter began in 1919 and is now well past the millionth mallard, as your certificate will attest). Don't be too daunted by the vast wine list—with the aid of the sommelier you can splurge a little and perhaps taste a rare vintage Burgundy from the extraordinary cellars, which survived World War II.

With 100-plus locations worldwide, the largest branch of the Ladurée tea salon empire is worth the splurge, thanks to the sumptuous pastries, which steal the show. In addition to more than a dozen flavors of macarons, it has assorted cakes, ice cream, pastries, and beautifully boxed treats ideal for gift-giving. Reserve a table in the elegant wood-paneled rooms upstairs or the glassed-in storefront, or grab a bite in the secluded Art Nouveau bar in the back. Though pricey, the menu promises generous salads and flavorful plats du jour.

Set in a bright, modern space on a tiny street in the lower reaches of Montmartre, the popular Le BAL Café Otto caters to a diverse clientele who come for the great coffee, delicious homey food, lively crowd, and the art gallery/bookstore. Italian- and French-inspired cuisine (like spelt risotto with mushrooms, hazelnuts, and creamed spinach) during the week rests alongside a traditional weekend brunch menu featuring items like tender pancakes, fried eggs with ham and roasted tomatoes, and buttery scones with jam. On Sunday in spring and summer, brunch is truly an event, with artists, hipsters, expats, and young families enthusiastically enjoying all of the above. Note that the café closes at 10 pm on Wednesday and Thursday and 7 pm on Friday and Sunday, so perhaps look elsewhere for dinner.

The Paul Bert delivers everything you could want from a traditional Paris bistro (faded 1930s decor, thick steak with real frites, and good value), so it's no wonder its two dining rooms fill every night with a cosmopolitan crowd. The impressively stocked wine cellar helps, as does the heaping cheese cart, the laid-back yet efficient staff, and hearty dishes such as monkfish with white beans and duck with pears. The prix-fixe lunch menu is only €22, or you can order à la carte.