Enjoy the capital in a historic restaurant of Paris

The inn, created in 1580, still proudly stands over the banks of the 5th arrondissement of Paris. Historically, the Tour d’Argent’s reputation has attracted celebrities from France and elsewhere. To this day, it brings happiness to the most discriminating palates.

In the kitchen, the Michelin-starred chef Yannick Franques uses his savoir-faire as French craftsperson of the year to do justice to the restaurant’s reputation. While respecting its classics such as the pressed duck, the chef proposes an exceptional neoclassical cuisine.

Aside from its excellent cuisine, the restaurant enjoys a beautiful view over the Seine. Enjoy your meal in the company of Notre-Dame de Paris.

In its early years, le Procope was a café. But not any old café. The first in Paris! Since its creation in the very heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, it quickly became a favourite spot for literary people, politicians and later, revolutionaries.

Transformed into a brasserie during the 20th century, the restaurant was able to conserve its reputation as a “Tout-Paris” meeting place. Its menu, just like the café, has stood the test of time by preserving what French cuisine did - and still does — best: braised beef cheek, coq au vin, calf’s head, etc. Enjoy these classic dishes on the terrace or, for a journey back in time, inside the restaurant, surrounded by souvenirs of its prestigious past.

How to summarise an experience at Le Grand Véfour? A poetic, gastronomic cuisine and a breathtaking historic setting. The restaurant takes centre stage in the Palais Royal district, opposite the gardens, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. In the main room, the Directoire-style of the decor will put you in a dreamlike state. It is no wonder that Victor Hugo and Georges Sand enjoyed eating here.

Follow in their footsteps by enjoying the interior setting of the restaurant or its terrace. In the kitchen, the chef Guy Martin works his magic. The menu, which is more accessible than certain gastronomic restaurants, has a market feel to it.

A culinary hot spot, Lapérouse embodies the memory of Paris and the captivating je-ne-sais-quoi of our capital city. In 1766, this former hotel was transformed into a wine shop and private rooms were created. The establishment swayed between restaurant and brothel for several centuries. The cuisine was particularly well renowned, as were the favours from the women who roamed there.

Today, the rooms are the scene of a very different thousand and one pleasures. They welcome the most discriminating palates who have come to taste the establishment’s three-star cuisine. A reputation that the chef Jean-Pierre Vigato maintains on a daily basis, accompanied by Christophe Michalak, whose desserts will win over those with a sweet tooth.

An abundant decor, a green terrace, a luminous veranda… La Closerie des Lilas calms souls as much as it satisfies them. This bar, brasserie and restaurant welcomes you in the heart of the Notre-Dame-des-Champs district in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. A former café, the Closerie des Lilas was a meeting place for artists. Thus, Zola, Baudelaire, Picasso and Hemingway came here for the friendly atmosphere and inspiration. The establishment has maintained its Parisian charm and this bohemian chic décor, typical of the late 19th century.

Depending on your mood, sip a cocktail in the bar area, the historic centre of this site. Or enjoy the chef Johann Staskiewicz’s traditional cuisine in the brasserie part. This same chef also runs the establishment’s gastronomic restaurant. The pan-fried fillet of beef “Hemingway” style is highly recommended.

Endowed with rooms listed as historic monuments, the Train Bleu is easily one of the most emblematic gastronomic restaurants in Paris. Located on the 1st floor of the gare de Lyon, in the 12th arrondissement, it attracts both curious travellers and discriminating palates. A Belle Époque décor, a few touches of Art deco and you’ll find yourself in the early 20th century, alongside Coco Chanel, who used to be a regular.

Echoing the richness of the decor, the chef Michel Rostang’s cuisine places an emphasis on seasonal dishes. The brasserie recipes are revisited under the leadership of the two Michelin-starred chef and is accompanied by a selective wine menu.

Since 1832, this restaurant has been able to preserve the very best part: its Burgundy snails. With all due respect to the critics of the — sometimes original — specialties of France, the flavours of this dish are that of a historic cuisine.

To discover all of the nuances, with brie, with foie gras, or with truffles, the restaurant welcomes you in the Halles district, at the gateway to the 1st arrondissement. Once inside, the woodwork and the warm atmosphere of the place will instantly transport you into the past to enjoy a typical Parisian brasserie meal.

In the heart of the 9th arrondissement, the Café de la Paix invites you to take a sophisticated break. From the terrace, sip your favourite drink with a stunning view of the Opéra Garnier. Observe the hustle and bustle of the district’s artistic life. Inside the café, admire the Napoléon III décor bequeathed by the history of the establishment.

Despite its name, the Café de la Paix is also a restaurant. In the kitchen, the executive chef Laurent André reinvents classics and celebrates a historic French savoir-faire. The café’s famous French onion soup au gratin is proof of this and has been on the menu since 1862.

A literary and culinary meeting place, the Drouant welcomes you with its decor combining history and modernity. This ‘bistronomy’ restaurant is renowned for being the meeting place for the Prix Goncourt jury members. The members announce the winner every year from its iconic Art deco staircase.

In the kitchen, the chef Romain Van Thienen lets his passion do the talking, while respecting the restaurant’s spirit: traditional and modern dishes. The menu flaunts the philosophy of Parisian brasseries, but is sprinkled with excellence on par with the capital’s gastronomic restaurants.