Bars and restaurants
Le Train Bleu, Gare de Lyon
This restaurant in Paris’s Gare de Lyon takes its name from cobalt-coloured luxury overnight train carriages. Its belle-epoque style dining rooms feature frescoes by painter Albert Maignan and blue-leather banquettes. But it’s chef Michel Rostang’s classic French dishes that keep diners returning for more.
Monocle, Montorgueil
Whether you are in the mood for the perfect latte, a delicious sandwich or a glass from our selection of French wines, the friendly staff at Monocle’s Paris café have you covered. All our offerings pair beautifully with the latest issue of the magazine.
Le Square Trousseau, 12th arrondissement
This classic restaurant with marbled mosaics and early 20th-century mouldings at the southwest corner of Square Trousseau near Marché d’Aligre is run by a genial pair called Mickael and Laurence. Their breakfast highlight is the ficelle (thin baguette) with salted butter and strawberry jam.
Cravan, Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Franck Audoux’s Cravan is a cultural ecosystem housed in one of the Boulevard Saint-Germain’s last historic buildings. Co-owned by LVMH, it spans five storeys with bars, a library and a rooftop kiosk. Signature champagne cocktails are served in the art-nouveau style salons.
Bistrot des Tournelles, Le Marais
There are few better places to taste traditional, low-key French cuisine than in Bistrot des Tournelles’s red-fronted, pared back setting. Sample the champignons, Cordon bleu and Provencal stew. Don’t forget to break open the crème brulée for dessert.
Restaurant David Toutain, Invalides
Normandy native David Toutain opened his own space dedicated to homegrown produce in 2013. He offers a menu reflecting the essence of slow, modern French cuisine in an elegant atmosphere with oak-panelled walls and stoneware by ceramicist Patricia Vieljeux.
Baronne, 8th arrondissement
The latest gem in the crown of French-hospitality group Paris Society (Maxim’s, Girafe, Monsieur Bleu, etc.), Baronne might be their most extravagant yet. The restaurant transforms the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild into a maximalist fine-dining setting with vertiginous painted ceilings.
La Petite Chaise, 7th arrondissement
Tradition meets the French capital’s glamorous side at La Petite Chaise. Opened in 1680, it’s one of Paris’s oldest restaurants. Recently acquired by Antoine Arnault and Alexandre de Rothschild, it serves up modern takes on age-old classics in a soft, wood-panelled interior. Open every day bar Monday.
Yabai Sando, Odéon
After stints at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, French-Japanese chef Walter Ishizuka started Yabai Sando as a homage to the japanese milk-bread sandwiches of his childhood lunchboxes. His recipes combine fine-dining techniques and classic Japanese sando ingredients to delightful effect.
La Coupole, Montparnasse
The grand art-deco style dining room of La Coupole used to be the hotspot of Montparnasse’s nightlife in the 1920’s. Today, this excellent brasserie serves its patrons just-so French staples in a friendly and charming atmosphere.
19 Saint Roch, 1st arrondissement
Located just a few steps away from the Louvre and the Palais Royal, this sophisticated bistrot is Pierre Touitou’s third restaurant in the capital. The Parisian chef serves excellent French fare with influences from the Mediterranean and the Far East.
