Note: Goni wrote these recommendations in 2015. Joël Robuchon (1945-2018) has since passed away, and prices, branches and menus have changed, so check each place’s website before you go.
I first met Goni through the Francophiles Anonymous Facebook page, and I had the pleasure of meeting her in person in Paris. Goni recently finished a cooking and pastry course at Le Cordon Bleu, and she’s currently doing an internship at the restaurant Dessance. During her studies, Goni visited quite a few gourmet restaurants and some of the best pâtisseries in the City of Light. So when we met, I asked her to share a few recommendations for pâtisseries and restaurants with the Francophiles community. She happily agreed, and here’s what she had to say:
Pâtisseries you can’t miss (all of them!):
Sadaharu Aoki – a Japanese pastry chef I personally admire. He makes desserts with wasabi, yuzu and matcha tea, and I haven’t had a single one of his creations that I didn’t love. He blends French pastry with Japanese pastry to perfection.
L’Éclair de Génie – of course you’ll stop by the Marais (the Jewish quarter), and whenever I’m there, after grabbing a bite at a food stand, I always finish with an éclair by Christophe Adam. His éclairs look like paintings: each one is a work of art, and they taste so good your palate can barely handle it. On top of that, in summer he even has éclair ice cream (haven’t tried it yet, but very soon!).
Ladurée – one of the most famous pastry houses in Paris, with its biggest branch on the Champs-Élysées. Even if you’re wearing sneakers and a tank top, you’ll feel like royalty there. I recommend planning your walk along the Champs-Élysées after eating a little beforehand: take the right side (coming from Concorde), cross near the Arc de Triomphe, and then settle in there for a couple of good hours with coffee (or an amazing hot chocolate) and macarons, which are a must, along with a dessert, or even a full meal (the food is amazing but a bit pricey).
If you happen to find yourself at the Louvre, across from the security line, meaning underground, there’s a place called La Maison du Chocolat, and it’s simply the most delicious chocolate I’ve ever had. I recommend buying a small box of pralines to snack on while waiting in line, and another box as a gift for yourself, for when you get back home and start missing Paris…
Angelina – if you’re visiting in winter, you have to stop by Angelina on Rue de Rivoli and drink the most famous hot chocolate in France: thick, rich and amazing (if you’re heading to the Palace of Versailles, there’s also a branch of the pastry shop there). Don’t forget to ask for whipped cream if they don’t bring it automatically: sweet, cold white clouds that make the drink even richer and bring pure happiness.
Café Pouchkine – a pastry shop that blends French desserts with Russian flavors, and does it perfectly! Everything there is bursting with flavor, impressive and stunning, almost too beautiful to eat.
Recommended restaurants in Paris
All the expensive restaurants, even the Michelin-starred ones, offer a lunch menu that’s cheaper than the dinner menu, and usually some kind of fixed-price deal. For lunch, I recommend going nowhere else but Robuchon! The chef whose mashed potatoes earned him a Michelin star serves them with every main course (even with rice). He also has a vegan menu option. There are branches in Saint-Germain and on the Champs-Élysées. The lunch menu runs between 40€ and 80€, depending on how many courses you choose (I went for two starters, two mains and a dessert… like a true French person).
Restaurant Le Chateaubriand – a small restaurant with absolutely incredible food. Everything is delicious, original and amazing, and it’s not too pricey (for Paris, anyway: it’s not Michelin-starred). You need to book a table 10 days before you arrive and hope there’s room. If not, you can just show up around 9 or 10 p.m. for the second seating, wait a bit, and they’ll let you in.
Crêperie de Clown – my favorite crêperie in Paris, located in Saint-Germain. I recommend ordering a galette, then a crêpe, and pairing the whole meal with traditional semi-sweet apple cider. Francophile’s note: if you get there in the evening, feel free to stop for a glass of wine in a magical atmosphere at “Chez Georges“, right across the street.
Frenchie – a cool, young, small restaurant. You need to book ahead (and keep trying, because they never answer) or show up on your first evening here and try to book for a later date while you’re still around. They’re simply excellent, truly, I have nothing more to add except… if you can’t get a reservation or there’s no room, there’s a wine bar across from the restaurant that serves tapas, which is really cool and also belongs to the same chef. And if that’s not available either, right across from that there’s Frenchie to Go, his little sandwich spot: the sandwiches are ridiculously good, the vibe is really fun, and there’s even a banknote pinned to the wall, so it’s definitely worth coming by! By the way, he’s called “Frenchie” because he worked with Jamie Oliver (the Naked Chef), who’s the one who gave him that nickname.
Looking for more recommended restaurants and pâtisseries in Paris?
- Feel free to check out the Paris restaurants page on my site to find a variety of recommended restaurants, and you might even score a discount of up to 50% off the menu.
- Want to read about more excellent pâtisseries? I highly recommend the article by Ruth Ofek, a lawyer and an incredibly gifted baker: A Trip to Paris: Six Days of Culinary Adventures.
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