Must-see restaurants in France

  • Les Halles

    Bayonne

    Bayonne's covered market is a beauty, standing right by the river and brimming with Basque Country goodies. After it closes, there are a couple of corner…

  • La Rapière

    Bayeux

    Housed in a late-1400s mansion composed of stone walls and big wooden beams, this atmospheric restaurant specialises in Normandy staples such as terrines,…

  • Niébé

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Inviting sunflower-yellow walls set the tone at this Left Bank hot spot for soul food. Ex-chef at the Brazilian Embassy, Rosilène Vitorino, oversees a…

  • Edouard Hirsinger

    The Jura Mountains

    Browse displays of ornate éclairs, coffee-almond 'Opéra' cake, and ginger ganache enveloped in the darkest chocolate. The choice of expertly made…

  • La Cloche à Fromage

    Strasbourg

    Au revoir diet. Loosen a belt notch or three for Strasbourg’s gooiest fondues and raclette at this temple to fromage, saving an inch for the 200-variety…

  • Bistrot Itsaski

    Bayonne

    This convivial stone-walled dining room is managed ably by warm proprietors who circulate making sure all guests are happy. And happy they are with the…

  • Brasserie Le Boulingrin

    Reims

    A genuine, old-time brasserie – the decor and zinc bar date back to 1925 – whose ambience and cuisine make it an enduring favourite. From September to…

  • Eternisula

    Southern Corsica

    The brainchild of an Anglo-Corsican couple, this gorgeous, central cafe-cum-gourmet deli offers charcuterie and cheese platters, espresso, sandwiches,…

  • La Fabrique Givrée

    Uzès

    Exquisite seasonal flavours at this late-opening artisanal glacier (ice-cream maker) range from chestnut, salted caramel and lemon to exotic Iranian…

  • Château Eza

    Èze

    The famous boutique hotel has a suitably swish restaurant, where you can dine on first-class Michelin-style food with dazzling sea views. It’s…

  • Le Bac à Glaces

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Apricot and ginger, lemon and basil, cinnamon, pistacchio, and flambéed banana are among the 60 flavours of all-natural ice creams at this luscious…

  • Le Foch

    Reims

    Michelin-starred Le Foch serves up cuisine that is as beautiful as it is delicious. Specialities like scallops with parsnip, butternut and truffle…

  • Pâtisserie Gilg

    Colmar

    Bitter-chocolate cake, desserts with fresh fruit, nuts or caramel, rainbow-hued macarons, magnificent millefeuilles – however will you choose? Gilg is…

  • Inévitable

    Nancy

    You can expect a warm welcome at this slick, monochrome bistro, which keeps its menu seasonal, simple and regional, along the lines of market-fresh fish…

  • Sylvain Depuichaffray

    Marseille

    This smart boulangerie and patisserie with a salon du thé (tearoom) attached produces some of Marseille's best pastries.

  • Halles Centrales

    Limoges

    Limoges’ central market runs the gourmet gamut from local cheese to Limousin beef.

  • Les Halles

    Biarritz

    Biarritz' lovely covered market is the place to come for picnic ingredients.

  • exterior, The Hood.

    The Hood

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Fusion French-Asian grub gives an alternative twist to this easygoing neighbourhood coffeeshop with vintage moulded ceiling, pea-green wall and mismatched…

  • Ellis Gourmet Burger, exterior (side view)

    Ellis Gourmet Burger

    Paris

    Paris' first branch of cult Belgian chain Ellis (named for Ellis Island, New York) occupies a beautiful wood-beamed building. Burgers made with French…

  • exterior, Champeaux.

    Champeaux

    Paris

    This landmark brasserie by superstar chef Alain Ducasse sits beneath the golden-hued canopy topping the Forum des Halles, the one-time wholesale market…

  • 21G Dumpling interior (kitchen)

    21G Dumpling

    Paris

    Xiao long bao (steamed Shanghai-style dumplings) with pork and ginger, shrimp and lemongrass, or chicken and peanut sauce are made to order at this corner…

  • Jouvence exterior (façade)

    Jouvence

    Paris

    Retaining exquisite timber cabinetry and floor tiles from its early 1900s incarnation as an apothecary, this mirror-lined space is now a locally loved…

  • Mel, Mich & Martin exterior (façade, close-up)

    Mel, Mich & Martin

    Paris

    Owners Mel, Mich and Martin all had different ideas when it came to utilising this exposed-brick space on a happening backstreet. The upshot is a hybrid…

  • L'Entre Pots exterior

    L'Entre Pots

    Marseille

    Doing double duty as a bar à vin (wine bar) and Argentinian restaurant, L'Entre Pots is a great place to snack on plump empanadas, juicy entrecôte and…

  • Aleph interior (pastries)

    Aleph

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Chef Myriam Sabet brings a modern twist to traditional levant pastry. Her exquisite creations include kadaïfi croustillants (crunchy angel-hair pastry) in…

  • exterior (rear/terrace), Ten Belles Bread.

    Ten Belles Bread

    Paris

    Set in a stark contemporary building opening to a vast terrace, this shiny space brews superb Belleville Brûlerie coffee and bakes organic bread (such as…

  • Chiche exterior (façade)

    Chiche

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Chiche's location close to Canal St-Martin makes it ideal for picking up Israeli street food – hummus and pita bread, meal-size bowls of madjadra …

  • Spoon 2 exterior (façade, close-up)

    Spoon 2

    Paris

    Superstar chef Alain Ducasse resurrected his iconic Parisian restaurant Spoon in 2017, this time in the colonnaded 19th-century stock exchange Palais…

  • Popolare exterior (façade)

    Popolare

    Paris

    Hundreds of brightly coloured glass bottles line the floor-to-ceiling windows of Popolare, which fires up Neapolitan pizzas made from imported Italian…

  • exterior, Ima.

    Ima

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Mosaic geometric tiles and exposed brick line the walls of Ima (Hebrew for 'mama') on the banks of Canal St-Martin. Middle Eastern flavours pack a punch…

  • Ober Mamma, interior (dining area/kitchen)

    Ober Mamma

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Queues stretch down the block from this authentic Italian trattoria where hams hang from the ceiling. Steaming pastas include pumpkin gnocchi with…

  • Carbón interior

    Carbón

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Exposed stone walls, leather seating, marble-topped tables and indoor plants (plus cocktail bar La Mina in the vaulted cellar) give Carbón a rustic appeal…

  • Mozzato, exterior (front-on)

    Mozzato

    Paris

    Mozzarella fans are spoilt for choice at this stylish spot, which serves the soft, white Italian cheese in every dish (except desserts), from simple…

  • Kopi Cream exterior (façade; angle)

    Kopi Cream

    Paris

    Choose from gluten-free soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches (with numerous vegetarian and vegan choices) and sweet treats such as orange poppyseed cake or…

  • Bachir ice cream (Centre Pompidou in background)

    Bachir

    Paris

    Lebanese ice-cream maker Bachir follows a family recipe dating back to 1936. Subtle flavours include rose petal, lemon, almond or coffee. Ask for a…

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    Chez Vallès

    Marseille

    Decorated with plenty of wood and splashes of colour, the 'neo-bistro' Chez Vallès exemplifies the rise of newly hip neighbourhood Vauban. Fresh…

  • La Cantine de Nour d'Egypte is also the Egyptian Cultural Centre

    La Cantine de Nour d'Egypte

    Marseille

    Nestled within a welcoming Egyptian cultural centre, this cheery restaurant serves dishes of thick Egyptian flatbread, chunky hummus, creamy aubergine…

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    Mardi Crêpe Club

    Paris

    Set on a triangular corner, opening to rues Montmartre and Notre Dame des Victoires, with pavement seating on both, this contemporary crêperie has a…

  • L'Esperantine de Marseille the chocolatiers

    L'Esperantine

    Marseille

    This award-winning artisan chocolatier uses olive oil to achieve an otherworldly creaminess in its products. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself…

  • doughnuts on display, Boneshaker Doughnuts.

    Boneshaker Doughnuts

    Paris

    Boneshaker creates dazzling small-batch, homemade doughnuts in fun flavour combinations such as cardamom and vanilla cream; chocolate and stout with…

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