Americans flocking to the Paris 2024 Olympics look forward to morning cappuccinos and croissants; afternoon crèpes, babas au rhum or îles flottantes and late day apéros, bières or coupes de Champagne. More pressing is finding authentic restaurants to dine à la française and celebrate Parisian cuisine. These are just a few recommendations and identified by arrondissements.
LA BAUHINIA, 16th
The 19th-century river view Palace that houses Shangri-La Paris was designed to showcase the elegance and grandeur worthy of Prince Roland Napoleon, the emperor’s nephew. Executive Chef Quentin Testart heads La Bauhinia, its gourmet restaurant, in a spacious window-walled ground floor space overlooking a landscaped garden over which the nearby Eiffel Tower looms high, like a soaring tree. Our dinner started with beautiful bread, long hand-shaped bread sticks, slices, and madeleines. Fish and seafood are the chef’s specialties, and Asian-influenced selections include Tuna Tataki, Sesame Marinated Shrimp, and Crispy Rice Tartare (tuna or shrimp). Favorite French fish are for sharing: Bar, Saint Pierre, Sole, Grilled Lobster or Turbot. Plus, there’s Wagyu beef and poultry. Chef Pâtissier Maxence Barbot prepared an amazing Baba au Rhum, for which the waiter used a “Whiskey Thief” to extract extra rhum from the decanter. Info: labauhiniarestaurant.com
BELLEFEUILLE, 16th
Guests feel the magic of Saint James Paris from the wrought iron gates of the 50,000 square-foot landscaped estate to the entry fountain and, inside, where interior design icon Laura Gonzalez reimagined the high-ceilinged, neoclassic chateau, a Relais & Chateaux affiliate. Here, guests and club members enjoy the best burgers at Bar Bibliothèque, a cozy retreat with book-lined walls, comfortable leather sofas, and armchairs atop thick patterned rugs. For gastronomy, they dine at Bellefeuille, the in-house destination restaurant, where one-star Michelin Chef Gregory Garimbay reigns and which was also awarded a Michelin Green star for sustainability. I opted for Vitello tonnato, Suprème de Volaille (chicken from Landes), and crèpe brulée. I tasted the Warm Lentil Salad, and Artichoke prepared barigoule style (braised in white wine and olive oil). Info: saint-james-paris.com/en/bellefeuille
CARETTE, 3rd and 16th
This appealing bakery café has two well-located venues. Jean and Madeleine Carette opened their namesake spot on Place du Trocadero with a view of the Eiffel Tower in 1927. The outdoor terrace under the arcade’s exposed bricks is at the Place des Vosges in the super-trendy Marais. Carette serves specialty pastries, macarons, and baked goods, including their Paris-Carette, a Paris-Brest made with praline on a choux pastry. Their hot chocolate served in a silver bowl topped with a swirl of Chantilly whipped cream, rivals Angelina’s (but without long lines). I savored Tarte Tatin, and my friend loved the crèpe. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner choices range from eggs to saumon fumé, tomato and mozzarella, onion soup, quiche, salads, and sandwiches to plats, such as Boeuf Bourguignon or Entrecôte or Escargots and Linguine. Info: carette.res-menu.com
DESSIRIER SEAFOOD, 17th
Super chef Michel Rostang took over Dessirier Seafood, a specialty restaurant near his exemplary Maison Rostang in the 17th arrondissement in 1996. Today, Caroline and Sophie, the fifth-generation culinarian’s daughters, head Rostang Père & Filles. Everything looks, feels, and tastes the best within the elegant, curved contemporary space textured with mosaics, wood, velvet, and leather. There’s handmade Beillevairebutter from the Loire Valley, a wine list curated by Caroline Rostang, and the freshest catch from artisanal fishermen in Normandy, Brittany, and Vendée prepared by Chef Olivier Fontaine, formerly at famed La Tour d’Argent, Among Les Plateaux, we indulged in langoustine and admired platters of Les Crustacés, starring homard bleu, Brittany’s famed blue lobster. There are oyster and shrimp options and classics, such as bouillabaisse, scampi terrine and fritto misto, salmon, and fish in puff pastry à la Bocuse. My chocolate soufflé and my friend’s citrus-studded treat were divine.
Info: restaurantdessirier.com
LE GRAND CAFÉ FAUCHON, 8th
Fauchon has been synonymous with culinary excellence since 1886 when Auguste Fauchon launched a luxury food store across from La Madeleine Church in Paris. In 2018, Fauchon L’Hôtel Paris, a member of Leading Hotels of the World, opened nearby; recently, Baptiste Limouzin started as Chef de Cuisine at Le Grand Café Fauchon. Pink, the dominant accent color of the Fauchon hotel brand, appears on velvet chairs, carpet patterns, awnings, armoires, and even closet lights. Menu items printed in pink ink indicate gourmet Fauchon foods, such as fig compote (alongside the duck foie gras), strawberry and rose petal jam (with smoked salmon); mango chutney (with roasted asparagus and Basque bacon), and zucchini spread with goat cheese (aside snails in black garlic butter). Chef Limouzin served us my favorite “plat” in Paris: a tender veal cutlet sourced from southwest France, sliced for two and served with vine shoots. Info: grandcafefauchon.fr/menus-restaurant-paris-8
LE PERRAUDIN, 5th,
This small, typically French, bistro with red and white checked tablecloths and mirrored walls feels as authentic as it is, with a menu of favorites: boeuf Bourgignon, confit of duck, veal kidneys or set meals (16 to 30 Euros). The Perraudins turned the Left Bank café (near the imposing Panthéon) into a restaurant in 1872. Sungheui and Pierre Sahut, who worked for Chef Alain Ducasse for eight years, are the new-in-2023 owners; they continue to perpetuate the Perraudin tradition—including the carefully curated suppliers—and add their sophisticated gastronomic touch. My friend enjoyed escargots, and we shared a simple green salad, which was the most tender and delicately dressed young shoots. Info: leperraudin.fr/en
THIOU au Norman, 8th
Thiouis is named for owner Chef Apiradee Thirakomen, aka Thiou, whose specialty Thai dishes—particularly her prawn, soybean, and Thai chive studded “Best Pad Thai in the city”—have long attracted fans. Newly housed within the modernist Hotel Norman, near the Arc de Triomphe, guests dine at tables under large rectangular mirrored panes inset into the ceiling and centered with golden glass balls that reflect the light. The chef’s dishes incorporate top French ingredients and creative Thai sauces. We started with a rosé Champagne by Veuve Clicquot (Barbe Nicole Ponsardin introduced the first rosé). Our extensive menu sampling included: thinly sliced Artichoke Poivrade marinated in lemon juice and garnished with sliced radishes, fresh herbs, and pine nuts; Ravioli de Crevettes, a prawn ravioli coated with a lemongrass scented coconut cream and lemongrass; and Crispy Softshell Crabs with green mango and Thai herbs.
Info: hotelnorman.com/fr/restaurant-thiou.html
LE TRAIN BLEU, 12th
Rostang Père & Filles operates Le Train Bleu, an extravagant, over-the-top, Belle Époque destination restaurant with a two-star Michelin rating where impeccable French fare is served from early morning through dinner, which features tableside carved meats, flambéed dishes, and traditional cuisine. Built during the 1900 Universal Exhibition as a “station buffet” inside the Gare de Lyon train station and deemed a Monument Historique in 1972, the venue is reached via a glorious, opera-worthy double staircase from the train station or an elevator outside it. The extraordinary interior showcases arched Musée d’Orsay-sized windows overlooking the busy platform, gilded ceilings, plaster sculptures, magnificent chandeliers, and Frédéric Montenard’s paintings of Villefranche and Monaco plus long, narrow, Orient Express-style dining salons decorated in blue. Info:.le-train-bleu.com/en