4 Best Restaurants in Versailles, Side Trips from Paris

Worldwide chef sensation Gordon Ramsay brings his conversation-worthy cuisine to this Versailles berth. Picture exemplary entrées like ravioli of langoustines and lobster cooked in a Riesling bisque with Petrossian caviar and lime consommé, or Périgord foie gras done "2 ways," roasted with a beetroot tart and pressed with green apple and Sauternes, all available on an expensive five-course tasting menu at dinner. The Trianon's more casual, 60-seat Véranda restaurant (open for lunch and dinner) is also under Ramsay's sway, and in its black-and-white contemporary setting you can opt for his "light, modern take" on bistro novelties like radicchio and Parmesan risotto with chorizo oil. Teatime provides a delightful (and more reasonable) restorative for weary château-goers, with a French twist on high tea: scones, madeleines, and heavenly macarons.

This chic, laid-back bar à vins is part of Michelin-starred chef Jean-Baptiste Lavergne Morazzani’s trio of gastronomic outposts set in Versailles’s beautiful Cour des Senteurs, a few minutes' walk from the palace entrance. Here you can sit back and taste wines by the glass or order a bottle chosen from the astute wine list, accompanied by locally sourced gourmet snacks like Bayonne ham, buffalo burrata from the Ile de France, or crème de Camembert from nearby Yvelines. Its early opening hours make it a good spot for a pre-dinner apéro or a quick snack before heading back to Paris.

With a Michelin star in his pocket, rising chef Jean-Baptiste Lavergne-Morazzani has answered the city's dire need for top-quality and well-priced dining at La Table du 11. A small menu features the freshest market dishes: maybe line-caught daurade with candied citrus, Argentine beef with roasted pumpkin and velvety burratina cheese, and a spectacular cheese plate for pre-dessert. The chic and pleasingly sparse dining room is bright in the day and elegant but cozy at dinnertime. The three- to seven-dish prix-fixe menus are fairly reasonable for this level of quality.

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.