597 Best Restaurants in France

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Restaurateurs-about-town Paris Society and interior design star Cordelia de Castellane worked their magic on the exceptional ambience of this historic Art Nouveau gem on the Rue Royal—a few steps from its storied sibling Maxim's de Paris—for an amped-up bistro experience devoid of pretension. Expect not some but all of the classics, served by brisk, aproned waiters just like in the old days: oeufs mayonnaise, pâté en croute, salade de chèvre chaud, soup à l’oignon, and not just escargots but giant escargots, in keeping with the experience of a bistrot à la Parisienne on steroids. And that’s just for starters: mains include a deliciously spicy steak tartare, roast chicken with rosemary, and a classic sole Meunière haloed in butter with just the right hint of lemon and flecked with parsley. For dessert, there’s classic rice pudding with caramel sauce, tarte tatin, and a billowy île flottante just like grandmère used to make. All topped off with an eclectic wine list offering plenty of gently priced choices by the bottle or glass.

This charming courtyard café-tearoom grew out of an adorable pastry shop (next door) specializing in the French sablé, those classic melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies, with an assortment of ethereal cream fillings. Marble-topped tables, velvet chairs, and other vintage-like touches make this one of the neighborhood's most charming spots for lunch, brunch, or dessert. The excellent food, homemade drinks, and stellar pastries are all icing on this scrumptious cake.

Five minutes by foot from the Anvers métro station, the well-kept secret Braisenville has been serving inventive small plates to locals for more than a decade. “Casual gourmet” sums up the wood-fired-oven fare, the lively ambience, and the friendly, unfussy service that patrons experience as they share dishes like raw scallops in a maracuja vinaigrette with red meat radish and Granny Smith apple or crispy quail with umeboshi, romanesco cabbage tabbouleh, and currants. The three-tiered menu (vegetarian, sea, land) offers something for everyone, and the chef’s selection (five plates, €59) is a sure bet; the excellent paired wines (five glasses, €33) are worth the extra splurge.

Though this brasserie is less formal (and less expensive) than its sister restaurant, three-star La Villa Madie, its dishes are no less tasty. Depending on what's in season and available from local growers and fishermen, the menu in the handsome dining room or on the terrace might include artisanal sausages and braised fennel with squid-ink gnocchi; tandoori monkfish medallions with asparagus, lime crème Chantilly, and Indian spices; or the catch of the day straight from the wood-fired oven. The three-course €70 menu is a steal, and, unlike many area restaurants, this one is open year-round.

Not all crêpes are created equal, and you'll taste the difference at Bertrand Larcher's original Cancale flagship (his Paris outpost is the city's go-to crêperie). Traditional crispy buckwheat galettes are given a modern gourmet twist with the best locally sourced ingredients—organic eggs and vegetables, artisanal cheeses, local oysters and seafood, free-range meats, smoked or seaweed butter from the St-Malo–based dairy superstar Jean-Yves Bordier—and the tender white-flour dessert crêpes are to die for. Do not say no to the salted-caramel version, a world-famous recipe launched in Brittany, or the classic crêpe suzette served flambéed. Include a top-notch cider (for a real treat, try an apple or pear version from Eric Bordelet), and you'll see what makes a Breton crêpe the great French fast food.

Eating a crêpe in Paris might seem clichéd, until you venture into this modern offshoot of a Breton crêperie. The plain, pale-wood decor is refreshing, but what really makes the difference are the ingredients—farmers' eggs, unpasteurized Gruyère, shiitake mushrooms, Valrhona chocolate, homemade caramel, and extraordinary butter from a Breton dairy farmer. You'll find all the classics among the galettes, but it's worth choosing something more adventurous like the cancalaise (traditionally smoked herring, potato, crème fraîche, and herring roe). You might also slurp a few Cancale oysters—a rarity in Paris—or try one of the 20 artisanal ciders on offer.

It's hard to say if this bright, congenial café on a quiet street a few blocks from the Champs de Mars feels more like a neighborhood fixture or a chic wine-centric bistro. Scrumptious fare focuses on crowd-pleasing dishes like delicate pumpkin beignets; roast pork with sweet potatoes and arugula, pear, and hazelnut salad; or a juicy bacon burger. Live jazz on Saturday draws a fun Parisian crowd, and the wraparound sidewalk terrace is lovely in warm weather.

Don't let its veneer of a mere neighborhood café mislead you—this is one of the most sought-after tables in the 7e arrondissement and a great option after a visit to the Musée d'Orsay just a few steps away. Jean and Roxane Sévégnès have transformed it into a restaurant Parisians adore, focused on seasonal dishes with a southwest flair that mix traditional recipes, like tripe, tête de veau (veal brains), or that hard-to-find favorite vol au vent (truffled sweetbreads with chicken and spinach in puff pastry) with a contemporary touch. A list of well-chosen wines, including natural and organic choices, and gentle prices for the quality make this a good choice, whether you happen to be in the neighborhood or not. Be sure to reserve, especially at dinner.

After your visit to the concept store Le Nid, a shopper’s paradise, stop by the sleek in-store café—featuring marble café tables, designer chairs, and chic nest-shape lighting—for a craft coffee, snack or a gourmet (and extra-healthy) lunch or brunch.