Hôtel de l'Espérance

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

Between the Left Bank and Boulevard St Germain, this dinky restaurant celebrates the alliance of Shawn and Toshi, respectively in charge of the dining room and the kitchen, and partners in this culinary adventure. Chef Toshitaka Omiya prefers authenticity to fancy frills. His cooking, which revolves around fine seasonal ingredients, hits the spot every time, regaling both the eye and the tastebuds, as he rolls out disarmingly, yet stunningly simple, subtle recipes. His surprise menus, which are practically made to measure for each of the establishment’s 8 tables, are a treasure trove of imagin

A stone's throw from the banks of the Seine, this small, quietly unobtrusive restaurant sports a minimalist interior in line with today’s quest for authenticity rather than hot air! Chef Tanaka, formerly of Pierre Gagnaire, is a fan of fresh ingredients and precision. Armed with boundless creativity and imagination, he conjures up enticing dishes that keep us drooling right up to the very end. The vaulted cellar in the basement is home to a wine bar and delivers take-away meals. It is also nice to know that you will always be surprised here, because the single set menu changes regularly.

"Here, the bouillabaisse cosies up to the aioli and the pissaladière (tart with onions, olives and anchovies) hobnobs with the socca (chickpea flatbread), hot from the charcoal-fired oven": Julia Sedefdjian is happy and thriving. Her colourful, fragrant cuisine is an ode to the Mediterranean: roast and stewed venison, puntarelle and gnocchi or Kintoa pork, bao of BBQ pork belly, stuffed cabbage and jus… Julia painstakingly selects and creatively blends premium produce, without forgetting her Nice heritage. The "Bouillabaieta", a superb take on bouillabaisse, is a must and your tastebuds will b

Established in 1582, this legendary restaurant continues to enchant diners with its magical view of the River Seine and Notre-Dame, its huge open kitchen and its steel kinetic-effect ceiling. In the kitchen, chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Yannick Franques strikes the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary, not least on account of his fine work with sauces. Presented in the form of an elegant triptych, the menu features a modernised take on the house classics, which are masterfully finished tableside, as well as more personal elements that reflect the chef's years spent in th

Just a stone's throw from the Seine overlooking Notre Dame, you are definitely in Paris – yet also in Japan! Sola is full of contrasts from the pared-back pale wooden furniture to the coffered ceiling and massive solid wood doors, while the vaulted cellar sports a Japanese-inspired dining platform (be sure to remove your shoes). Japanese chef Kosuke Nabeta serves a delicious fusion of the knife-edge precision we associate with his native cuisine paired with a cornucopia of produce from the French countryside. Nabeta introduces us to traditional culinary techniques that he wields exquisitely (s

Chef Alain Pégouret inherited his love of precise, painstaking work from Joël Robuchon. For a first-hand taste of his craftsmanship, you only have to enter Le Sergent Recruteur, a historic tavern on Île Saint-Louis that has morphed into a fine dining establishment. The former chef of the Laurent displays an impressive command of his craft. His delicate dishes abound with crisp flavours – you can taste his solid classical foundations – and linger in the memory thanks to their coherence, the sophistication of the jus and sauces (illustrated by the Périgeux sauce that flanks the egg and black tru