Les Coquelicots

The restaurant’s name is a fusion of the chef’s first name, Mory, and that of Yasuke, the first and only African samurai of Japan, which rather sets the scene. The chef successfully mixes his Malian and Senegalese roots, his fascination for Japan and, of course, his passion for Gallic food and techniques. The end result is inspired and original, featuring dishes that are distinctive, accomplished and sprinkled in a melting-pot of flavours: flame torched langoustines, achu sauce, piquillos and aromatic herbs; confit of croaker, kik alicha, fermented cabbage and confit citrus fruit; Aubrac beef

After two years at Duende in Nîmes, Masaki Nagao is back on a pilgrimage to the capital as he breathes new life into this establishment. In the wake of Vantre and Le Clarence, the Japanese chef signs a crisp, modern, subtly inventive Gallic repertory guided by the seasons. He avows a weakness for briny shellfish, that he adds raw, cooked and in broth to structure his culinary score. You may sample a veggie composition on a carrot, radish and turnip theme, laced with a shellfish consommé, or sashimi of first-class scallops flanked by pear, smoked ricotta and Castelfranco. More concise menu at l

A young Japanese chef with an iron-clad CV crafts inspired, generous cuisine using the best ingredients of the neighbourhood. Semi-cooked fillet of bonito in a sweet-sour sauce with a tapenade of braised chard; shoulder of pork, mustard cream and mashed sweet potato; bergamot-laced cheesecake with red and black cherries spiked in Espelette pepper. A deftly crafted, out-of-the-ordinary lineup that changes weekly and never fails to hit the spot. At lunchtime, a trilogy of starters and a dish of the day at an unbeatable price.

Bang in the heart of a peaceful street of Montrouge, get ready to embark on a culinary voyage from Asia to South America. Nikkei cuisine, a genuine fusion of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions, emerged in the late 19C when Japanese migrants discovered the criolla flavours of Peru. In this welcoming eatery, globetrotting chef, Maïna-Sophie Conil, explores this gourmet marriage in flavoursome, fusion-inspired recipes: fragrant ceviche laced in ginger and lime; crunchy tempura fish or carpaccio of Simmenthal beef enhanced by a truffle jus. The garden terrace is a hit in fine weather.

Armed with an iron-clad CV (Atelier Guy Martin, Lucas Carton, Grand Véfour), Sébastien Dagoneau has been weaving his magic since he took over Le Cornichon in January 2020. Born in the Perche, the chef works directly with producers and suppliers from his homeland, in particular pork and poultry breeders. Examples include guineafowl cooked in morel mushrooms or melt-in-the-mouth pork and potato gnocchi, followed by a crunchy yet fluffy chou filled with Bourbon vanilla cream. Fine selection of organic and natural wines.

If there are "writers' writers", then there are chefs' chefs. A Meilleur Ouvrier de France, a mainstay of the Ferrandi gastronomy school, promoter of culinary design, restaurateur in Tokyo, Éric Trochon is that sort of chef – admired and yet relatively little known. He and his sommelier wife preside over this elegant, intimate-feeling restaurant with a decor that blends Brazilian rosewood furnishings and paintings and ceramics by a Korean artist. The menu also errs towards minimalism, with on-point proposals including an omakase menu. The dishes showcase modern cuisine with Asian touches, such

The elegant interior provides the perfect foil to food embodied by the “special something” that depicts the cooking of Hélène Darroze, descended from a family of cooks. Namely, the ability to scour her homeland of southwest France for ingredients that nurture her culinary inspiration, paired with an unmistakable flair for artistic plating: Landes foie gras, roasted with sesame and buckwheat, blue lobster in tandoori spices (a signature dish), armagnac-drenched baba. Her rigour, insatiable curiosity and mixture of talent and intuition hit the spot every time. A stellar success.