Restaurants

114 Faubourg

(Temporarily closed) Situated within Le Bristol, this brasserie is truly one of a kind! The interior will win you over at first glance: interspersed with imposing gilded columns, it has large luminescent dahlia motifs on its orange walls. At its heart, a grand staircase opens up, leading down to the lower level where tables rub shoulders with the open kitchens. Chic, shimmering, both bustling and intimate, this place hits all the right notes. As for the food, this is a discreetly original take on the French classics we know and love. Dishes are carefully presented and flavours are beautifully combined. This is a lesson in how things should be done. 

Simplicity and quality are the watchwords here. Seafood ingredients are treated with the utmost respect: appetising when presented on the plate, then nicely prepared by chef Antoine Le Moal. The starter of crab, prawn and lobster is fresh and well seasoned, the skate wing carefully cooked, and the rum baba adds the final flourish of deliciousness. The modern interior is elegant, and the friendly service comes with a smile.

In the heart of the village, Julien Momon and his partner welcome you into a pared-down, wood-rich interior whose modern culinary score is founded on local, seasonal produce. To start, creamy aubergines paired with crunchy courgettes, fresh goat’s cheese from La Grave, basil pesto and red pepper sorbet, followed by 12-hour confit of pork belly in rosemary with velvety mashed potato and iced vegetables. The food is fresh, fragrant, vibrant and polished in a culinary ode to the cornucopia of country produce, courtesy of the virtuoso technique of a chef who boasts stints with Christophe Bacquié and Gérard Boyer. A slap-up meal with all the trimmings and offering excellent value for pleasure.

1741

Opposite Palais Rohan, an architectural masterpiece completed in 1741, this ‘1741’ is the quintessence of stylish, depicted by cosy, pleasantly hushed dining rooms and a counter that shines the spotlight on the consummate handiwork of the kitchen team and chef Jérémy Page. The chef, a former disciple of Robuchon, signs delicate, precise recipes, strewn with nods to Alsace. His creativity is particularly notable in sauces and jus: seaweed soup, curry-laced scallop stock or a Grand Veneur game sauce…

Pierre Touitou – one of the emblematic chefs of the new Parisian bistronomy – has already made his mark on the trendiest echelons of the capital's restaurant scene (Vivant etc). Black and white floor tiles pave the way to an open kitchen separated off with a stainless steel-topped counter – eat here for a front row view of the action in the kitchen. The chef and his brigade can be seen conjuring up food in a fresh, creative vein. The seasonings and condiments leave nothing to chance – eg the house-made harissa on the ox tongue and spinach <i>pkaila</i> (Jewish Tunisian stew), or the fresh peas with capers, toasted pine nuts and barberry that accompany the bonito. As you would expect, natural wines take pride of place. Pure dining pleasure.

Built in 1928, the Prince de Galles is a legendary jewel of the Parisian Art Deco movement. It has chosen to democratise luxury hotel cuisine by entrusting its kitchens to Norbert Tarayre, the firebrand chef discovered on French TV show Top Chef in 2012. In a cosy setting that pays tribute to artistic life in Paris, the chef serves up traditional cuisine that channels the tasty regional cooking of yesteryear: grated carrot salad, leeks in vinaigrette, celeriac in remoulade dressing, pork shoulder and pommes Anna, salmon tournedos – not to mention the dessert trolley. It's all lovingly prepared and delivered. Incredibly reasonable price of the menu.

In a quiet street, a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, this restaurant offers an understated interior bathed in light. The traditional score features a lineup of updated recipes. Examples: flavoursome pumpkin soup with gingerbread croutons, fork-tender beef stew with baby potatoes and a vanilla-laced crème brûlée of textbook perfection, even though the house signature, sweet soufflé, remains the highlight of the dessert menu.

In a quiet street just a stone's throw from the Champs-Elysées, this establishment offers well-crafted, pedigree Gallic cuisine with an occasional personal spin, such as breast of Dombes duckling, chutney of yellow peaches, pine nuts and duckling jus underscored by mulled wine. Cheerful and professional welcome in a stylish setting.

Fans of neo-bistro aesthetics will love this place done out in bare concrete and exposed stone, where diners tuck into cuisine infused with Asian flavours, as well as time-honoured bistro classics such as pâté de campagne (rustic-style pâté) or leeks in vinaigrette. The food is nicely washed down with fine wines or craft beer, and you can round off your meal with coffee selected and roasted by the owner. Please note: no reservations.

In a long, narrow interior, where black leatherette benches meet exposed stone, Stéphane Léger, former Michelin-starred chef, regales us with his Burgundian cuisine and dishes with a Mediterranean edge. Gently poached eggs in a chardonnay-based meurette sauce, slow-cooked bœuf bourguignon, snails, but also carpaccio of Palamos gambas, or monkfish bouillabaisse.

A ten - minute walk from the Centre Pompidou - Metz, this pleasant restaurant showcases Italian food, through carefully selected ingredients (charcuterie, burrata, pasta, wild fish, purebred meats). And to accompany it all, a fine selection of Italin wines!

A Casa di Mà

Lumio, a village of Haute-Corse, is the quintessence of light and flavour... The chef conjures up subtle, delicious fare, enhanced by creative touches and ever respectful of the fine ingredients in which the island abounds. Examples include poached langouste served with a shellfish butter, sabayon of shellfish and tomato-flavoured bisque or a 48-hour confit of goat with a Meaux mustard meat gravy, curatella and lemon paste. The contemporary interior leads onto a pretty terrace, providing the perfect foil to sample pared-back cuisine drenched in the flavours of the Mediterranean and the land of Corsica. Friendly, attentive service. Prolong the fine dining experience with a night at the hotel overlooking the Bay of Calvi.

Anthony Caillot's waterfront restaurant on the Presqu’île of Caen, overlooking the Bassin Saint-Pierre marina, is depicted by a stylish, trendy decor. The chef signs a several-course set menu starring Normandy produce courtesy of inventive, bold recipes: raviole of duck foie gras in a strawberry-spiked stock; red mullet with a crispy skin, cauliflower mousseline and yuzu-laced sabayon; barbecued lamb, carrots in orange blossom water and a spicy seasoning.

In this Alsace inn dating from 1769, catering has been a family affair for seven generations. The two sisters now at the helm serve traditional cuisine that is in lockstep with the seasons and which they vary with the odd modern touch (we recommend the knuckle end of lamb confit for three nights, accompanied by bulgur wheat with sultanas and aromatic coriander).

At one corner of this imposing village house, the wrought-iron eagle seems to herald your arrival. Inside, tuck into classic dishes (home-made goose foie gras terrine with port jelly, Paul Haeberlin's mousseline of frogs’ legs, sole meunière prepared tableside…) in a traditional and inviting setting. Less formal atmosphere in the winstub.

Mr Fritz is the chef - patron but the restaurant name also refers to the novel by Erckmann and Chatrian (1854), in which the hero sacrifices everything for good food. Quite a patronage for well - made Alsace cuisine, served in an interior that also showcases all the charm of the region.

In the heart of Colmar's Little Venice, this half-timbered building houses the Le Maréchal hotel as well as its restaurant, which is done out in a very classical style. Try to reserve a table in the blue room with exposed timberwork and a view of the River Lauch. Expect modern cuisine that revisits the classics of the local terroir and gastronomy.

Tucked away in a small Alsace village on the Mont Sainte Odile road, this traditional hostelry, opened in 1920, is today run by the fourth generation. A warm welcome and honest, homely recipes, starring market-fresh produce and a slate menu. For example, start with a waffle piled high with smoked salmon and citrus fruit, while offal fans won’t be able to resist the fried kidneys and sweetbread.

Chef Jean-Marc Notelet (formerly at Caïus) pays a heartfelt tribute to traditional cuisine and the simple pleasures of the bistro. The space has retained its original charm and old-school bistro aesthetic – wooden furniture, enamel signs, red checked napkins, and there are napkin ring holders for regulars. The menu changes daily: pâté des copains with hazelnuts, tender beef cheek in a red wine sauce, rice pudding with salted butter caramel. A vibrant, generous and appealing restaurant.

This has been the fiefdom of the François family since it was founded in 1954. After a worthwhile experience at the Bras family's Laguiole restaurant, Thomas (in the kitchen) and Laura, his charming partner (on the restaurant floor), have both returned to the fold in Delme. So it's now the third generation at the helm of this contemporary restaurant, which is popular with locals and visiting guests alike. The menu is both indulgent and delicate, oscillating between tradition and modernity, showcasing an appreciation for herbs and spices. Uplifting!

In an atmospheric interior reminiscent of historic Parisian bistros and two minutes from Lyon railway station, regulars and travellers rub shoulders as they dig into traditional no-nonsense nosh. Country terrines, Burgundy snails and Royan ravioles star alongside duck breast in honey, fillet of beef served with cèpes and foie gras or coq au vin (the house specialty), without forgetting game in season (venison and even Scottish grouse!). The crème caramel to finish is wickedly addictive…

This house rustles up wholesome bistro fare that shines the limelight on regional produce. The chef particularly likes devising dishes around a single ingredient, such as pork or lamb. House specialties include black pudding, a 64° egg and Guéméné andouille. Well worth discovering.

Recently taken over by its owner/chef, this small restaurant has been turned into a beautiful, contemporary eatery serving tasty and light modern cuisine.

This former sheepfold, a family business for 15 years, is perfectly in tune with its authentic, welcoming village. Corsican produce takes pride of place from the veg and herbs fresh from the garden to the grilled or spit roast suckling pork and tender lamb (wood fired cooking is the house specialty). Savour textbook perfect, generous fare on the refreshingly shaded terrace.