Clamato
Heard of the impossible reservation that is Septime? Well, owners chef Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat’s recently opened a no-reservations spot (yes, there is hope!) right next door. Clamato is a casual “seafood bistro,” a fish shack of sorts with a French bent, and one of Paris’s best kept secrets. I say secret not because Clamato flies completely under the radar or anything, it’s just not on anyone’s must-try list and it should be. I actually had a reservation at Taillevant for dinner, but after forty straight days of mostly eating tasting menus at serious restaurants, I wanted something light and not-so-serious. So I wandered over to Clamato and was lucky enough to grab the last open bar stool. Talk about a great vibe: The place is buzzing with chatter, a breeze blowing through the room by way of bay windows...
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L’Arpege
When I think of French food, I think of creamy sauces, rich reductions, and decadent meats. Vegetarian fare? Now, that’s not something I’d ever associate with France. But I recently had over twenty, mind-blowing courses at L’Arpege and most of them were vegetarian, and every one was divine. You see, the chef, Alain Passard, is like the vegetable whisperer, teasing maximum flavor our of nature’s produce, plucked from Passard’s own garden and farm. He earned three Michelin stars at L’Arpege and he deserves every one of them. (In fact, he earned two stars elsewhere at the tender age of 26.) His Onion & Parmesan Gratin with Black Truffles is perfectly caramelized; sweet and savory Cevennes Onions and just plain unforgettable. So is the Vegetable Consommé with Four Ravioli, each tucked with a different vegetable from Passard’s garden; a delicate...
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La Regalade Conservatoire
Most of us don’t have the luxury to pick up and spend two, three weeks, or even a month in another country. (I’m still not sure how I pulled off six weeks in Paris, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.) When you only have a few nights in a country, you have to pick your restaurants very carefully. You google online, pulling up Travel & Leisure, Frommers, Fodor’s and the like, ask a friend who’s been, maybe skim a few, local blogs, then hope for the best. If I had to pick my top five Paris restaurants, I would most definitely include La Regalade Conservatoire and that says a lot. La Regalade is the perfect example of a modern French bistro with authentic French cooking. It’s not one of those been around forever bistros with rickety...
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Aida
Sick of eating French food in France? Hey, it happens. Though it’s an exemplary cuisine, it’s also a decadent one, and sometimes you just need a break, which is what compelled my husband and I to take a night off and eat Japanese. Before you get too excited, I should warn you that most Japanese in Paris aren’t great. In fact, the sushi is downright mediocre. But there are a few, fantastic exceptions and Aida is most definitely one of them. (Thus, all the Japanese guests in the dining room.) That’s because the chef and owner, Koji Aida, came to Paris straight from the countryside of Japan. And after an hour inside this serene oasis in the 7th arrondissement, you may forget your in France entirely. Both the food and the space is traditional teppanyaki with only chef...
Read MoreYam’Tcha
If you’ve spent time traveling abroad, I’m sure you’ve realized it isn’t exactly the easiest thing to make dinner reservations on your own, what with country codes and different time zones. Never mind foreign countries with languages that are foreign to you, too. And it’s even harder to get a table at a hot restaurant where prime time tables are scarce. If you don’t speak the language, you have to rely on your hotel’s concierge to do the negotiating for you. (And if you rented a flat, villa, apartment, or chateau, well, it’s even more impossible.) According to the food blog, Eater, a reservation at Yam’Tcha is one of the “Eleven Toughest Reservations in the World.” (It’s in such esteemed company as Noma, Tickets and The Fat Duck.) Truth be told, one of the reasons it’s so difficult is...
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Le Chateaubriand
Wander by Le Chateaubriand and you’d never guess it was one of the top fifty restaurants in the world, at least according to San Pellegrino’s annual list. In fact, it ranked number nine in 2009, which is no small feat. This humble bistro looks like it’s been around forever: The tables are a weathered wood, the floors made of faded tiles, dim globes hanging from the ceiling, and chalkboards along several walls, featuring wine makers and wines by the glass. Upfront, there’s a quaint bar with a Marzocco coffee maker and a window onto the street. Not exactly what you’d imagine to find at one of the toughest reservations in the world. The menu is a 65 Euro tasting menu, a pretty good deal considering there are over six courses. The most pretentious thing about Le Chateaubriand is its...
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Le Relais Louis XIII
The thing about dining in Paris nowadays is that there are so many modern French restaurants that it’s hard to find a traditional, fine French one. You know, the kind that features Quenelles, Frog Legs Provencale, Sole Meuniere, and a proper Grand Marnier Souffle (I don’t know about you, but I’m salivating already!). Classics are what French food is about really. After eating my way through Paris for six weeks, I’d yet to even spy Quenelles — light-as-air fish dumplings — on a menu. In fact, I was worried this menu warhorse was in danger of extinction. It was actually a local, a born and bred Parisian driver named Thomas, who tipped me off to Le Relais Louis XIII. Now, I’d done plenty of due diligence on where to eat and Louis XIII was not on anybody’s must-try list....
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Breizh Cafe
You can’t go to Paris and not eat crepes. Quelle sacrilege! After all, crepes are one of France’s most beloved street foods, and one of the world’s greatest hangover remedies. (Well, it’s true.) These savory and sweet, wafer- thin pancakes are sold on nearly every corner. Though I prefer to eat them sitting at a table with a bowl of cider (that’s the traditional way to serve it). While there’s no shortage of Creperies in Paris, two of the best happen to be in the Marais: Creperie Suzette, and my all-time favorite, Breizh Cafe. Owner and Brittany born Bertrand Larcher first opened back in 2007 and it’s been packed ever since. Don’t take my word for it: Just check out the crowds spilling out onto the sidewalk on the stylish Rue Vieille du Temple in hopes of a table. My...
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Saturne
There’s a new school of, well, new restaurants in Paris that all seem a lot alike, so I was worried Saturne would feel like deja vu. (A little like Spring, a little like Bones and Roseval.) But it didn’t look much like the others, most of them tiny, no frills spots with not much to look at except your plate. Saturne, on the other hand, is a breezy beauty with soaring ceilings and huge picture windows flung open onto the street on warm days. There’s a second dining room in the back with a glass roof, which is equally as interesting as the front, so don’t fret over which room you’re sat in because they’re both great! The space itself is modern and yet casually elegant, furbished with blonde wood floors, tables and even a wood-topped bar, dark leather banquettes and...
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Rech
Talk about an underrated restaurant: Not once did anyone mention Rech when recommending restaurants to visit in Paris. That’s a mistake. I make to sure hit up Rech every time I head to Paris because it’s all the things you love about France wrapped up in one casually elegant spot. Why? For starters, there’s a terrific selection of Oysters from all over France. But that’s just one of the stellar slurry of shellfish on display outside the entrance of Rech, a compelling lure to step inside and order the Seafood Plateau, brimming with Langoustines, Mussels, Clams, Crayfish, Whelks, Shrimps and I could go on. You could order the Plateau, nibble on great French bread and butter, drink some Chablis and call it a good night here. But then you’d miss the Vegetable Tart, a vibrant melange of spring produce —...
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