104 Best Restaurants in France

A culinary institution since 1861, this warm and welcoming retreat in the heights of Suresnes has served generations of Parisians and locals who flock here for a reliably delicious meal. With a crackling fire in winter and a flower-bedecked terrace in summer, you'll enjoy gastronomic versions of French classics in every season along with fantastic views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Chef Guillaume Delage, who's plied his craft in some of France's greatest kitchens, specializes in seasonal dishes with extravagant touches, like the lièvre à la royale (wild rabbit stuffed with foie gras and simmered in red wine), a staple on the menu since 1861. Desserts are equally delicious and an encyclopedic wine list delights aficionados and amateurs alike. Though the restaurant is worth a trip on its own, being a three-minute walk from the American Cemetery makes it the perfect spot before or after a visit.

This beautiful historic bistro highlights the extraordinary synergy that can happen when French technique meets Korean flavors. Classics like pigeon or beef come alive with pickled daikon radish, tamarind, or Korean spice blends. You'll still find dishes firmly anchored in the French repertoire, like trout with trout caviar and whipped anchovy butter with lovage, or a caramel and quince dacquoise for dessert. This is a restaurant Parisians in the know will cross town for, and that's saying a lot.

Don't let its veneer of a mere neighborhood café mislead you—this is one of the most sought-after tables in the 7e arrondissement and a great option after a visit to the Musée d'Orsay just a few steps away. Jean and Roxane Sévégnès have transformed it into a restaurant Parisians adore, focused on seasonal dishes with a southwest flair that mix traditional recipes, like tripe, tête de veau (veal brains), or that hard-to-find favorite vol au vent (truffled sweetbreads with chicken and spinach in puff pastry) with a contemporary touch. A list of well-chosen wines, including natural and organic choices, and gentle prices for the quality make this a good choice, whether you happen to be in the neighborhood or not. Be sure to reserve, especially at dinner.

Lodged in one of Paris's most picturesque historic passages, the Italian Caffè Stern—a listed monument updated by designer Philippe Starck—is loaded with the sort of antique charm that makes a cup of coffee and dessert feel like a romantic moment in time. Full meals are a more elegant—and expensive—affair, though teatime (3 pm–6 pm, €26) and the prix-fixe lunch make for a more manageable splurge.

With two Michelin stars under his toque for his tony gastronomic Restaurant Gill, chef Gilles Tournadre jumped at the chance to open a bistro on Rouen's storied Place du Vieux-Marché. Sleek and modern, it specializes in updated bistro fare, offering a great value fixed-price menu.

No detective work is needed to find this popular spot—just follow the trail of local gourmands who make a beeline to this classic Périgord restaurant for its delicious cuisine and romantic ambience. Set in Périgeux's old town, you'll dine under vaulted stone walls almost as old as the Saint-Front cathedral a few steps away. Be sure to order the house-made foie gras served with passion fruit confiture or roasted duck breast with caramelized apples and cassis-"perfumed" spring vegetables. Everything here is homemade and seasonal so the menu changes frequently. Be sure to reserve ahead.

A favorite with the French and expats alike, this neighborhood bistro blends great dining with an inspired wine list and a handy location a stone's throw from the Louvre. Exquisite French ingredients are given an inspired, often slightly lighter, makeover by Chef Romain Roudeau, although hearty house-made terrines and foie gras as well as slow-cooked meat and game are frequently featured on the eclectic menu.

Picturesquely set in the old town, near the cathedral, this chic Michelin-starred restaurant is a big draw for foodies from near and far. Though unanimously lauded as one of the area's best restaurants, L'Essentiel won't give you an ounce of attitude, just excellent, market-fresh cuisine emphasizing the local delicacies—truffles, asparagus, duck, foie gras, chestnuts, and more—served with a smile. Though prices are reasonable for this superior quality, at €43 the fixed-price lunch menu is a steal.

Hidden over Place des Terreaux, this semisecret upstairs dining room in a former silk-weaving loft prepares some of Lyon's finest and most daring cuisine. A place at the window (admittedly hard to come by), overlooking the facade of the Beaux Arts academy across the square, is a moment to remember—especially during December's Festival of Lights. The six-course €59 tasting menu at dinner is a steal for this quality of dining.

In the heart of old Bergerac, this restaurant is full of character with beamed ceilings, openwork stone, brick walls, design lighting, and plush chairs. The lunch and dinner menus, which change with the seasons, are good values, considering you can start with such delights as warm oysters with saffron or a skewer of langoustine with honey and rosemary, and then move on, perhaps, to ravioli in a citron sauce. The cobbled outdoor terrace is the place to be when the weather is nice.

A perennial favorite, this lively, unpretentious bistro is prized by expats and locals for its friendly atmosphere, consistently good food, solid wine list, and English-speaking staff. Dishes like pork belly with crushed potatoes or swordfish with fresh vegetables always hit the spot, especially when followed by decadent chocolate ganache infused with candied bergamot or poached peaches with white wine and sorbet.

This world-renowned, cavernous spot with Art Deco murals practically defines the term brasserie. It's been popular since Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were regulars, and today it attracts a mix of bourgeois families, tourists, and lone diners treating themselves to a dozen oysters. Recent additions to the classic brasserie menu are a tart of caramelized apple and pan-fried foie gras, beef fillet flambéed with cognac, and profiteroles made with Valrhona chocolate.

Exposed beams, stone walls, and rustic tomette tiles assure a picturesque dining experience at this 1846 stone grange set among pretty gardens 3 km (2 miles) outside Cahors. But the real spirit of the place lies in the menu of deeply traditional French favorites: pig's cheeks, truffle omelet, beef onglet (hanger steak), local lamb, and Rocamador cheeses, all accompanied by Cahors wine. Despite the soaring ceilings, it's a cozy place, made all the cozier by friendly service and happy diners from near and far.

After taking over the original La Régalade, chef Bruno Doucet kept some of what made the old restaurant so popular (country terrines, reasonably priced wines, convivial atmosphere), but he also had a few tricks under his toque, notably creating a successful haute-cuisine-meets-comfort-food destination. With a good quality-to-price ratio, this chic bistro has evolved into a staple of the neighborhood.

With 100-plus locations worldwide, the largest branch of the Ladurée tea salon empire is worth the splurge, thanks to the sumptuous pastries, which steal the show. In addition to more than a dozen flavors of macarons, it has assorted cakes, ice cream, pastries, and beautifully boxed treats ideal for gift-giving. Reserve a table in the elegant wood-paneled rooms upstairs or the glassed-in storefront, or grab a bite in the secluded Art Nouveau bar in the back. Though pricey, the menu promises generous salads and flavorful plats du jour.

The Paul Bert delivers everything you could want from a traditional Paris bistro (faded 1930s decor, thick steak with real frites, and good value), so it's no wonder its two dining rooms fill every night with a cosmopolitan crowd. The impressively stocked wine cellar helps, as does the heaping cheese cart, the laid-back yet efficient staff, and hearty dishes such as monkfish with white beans and duck with pears. The prix-fixe lunch menu is only €22, or you can order à la carte.

This quaint, casual bistro a few blocks from the Musée d'Orsay is open seven days a week and serves its own scrumptious versions of the deeply satisfying French classics like a country terrine, brandade de morue (a garlicky, salty cod and mashed potato dish) and blanquette de veau (a delicious, creamy veal dish). Desserts are also traditionally French, and the giant dollop of chocolate mousse is to die for.

Across from a pretty square on the border of two up-and-coming neighborhoods, this light-drenched spot is one of Paris's standout gastro-bistros. By adhering to a tried-and-true formula—meticulously sourced produce, natural wines, and an open kitchen—the dishes here are small wonders of texture and flavor. This is a great choice for diners eager to experience what the Paris dining scene is all about in a hip, off-the-beaten-path locale.

Hide Kobayashi, known as "Koba," is one of several Japanese chefs in Paris who trained with some of the biggest names in French cuisine before opening their own restaurants. Not surprisingly, this great-value bistro near the Arc de Triomphe became instantly popular with locals as well as visiting Japanese and Americans who follow the food scene. Generosity is the key to the cooking here, which steers clear of haute-cuisine flourishes; both the monkfish fricassee with anchovy-rich tapenade and a classic veal kidney in mustard sauce, for instance, come with a heap of mashed potatoes. For dessert, try the stunning île flottante (floating island), made with oven-baked meringue. Wines by the glass start at €8—unheard-of in this area.

There's plenty of good dining in Blois, but this cozy restaurant on a pedestrian street among Old Town's half-timbered buildings is a true gem. Not exactly undiscovered—it's a foodie favorite—it's small enough to remain true to its credo of local, seasonal, and original cuisine. The chef has relationships with several small local farmers, cheesemakers, and fisherman (the catch of the day is often fresh from the Loire River), which they use in dishes like escargots de Cour-Cheverny with local mushrooms and trout filet with beurre blanc and local green peas from Chambord. Desserts are heavenly, like the pavlova with local strawberries and rhubarb. Ask the chef for wine pairings, sourced from the Loire's top small estate grower-producers.

Chefs Tabata and Ludovic Mey made instant waves when they opened this stylish but casual dining room serving a "liberated and sincere" menu that plays with textures, temperatures, and flavor pairings. Options include crisp white beans paired with velvety smoked eel and cubes of bone marrow with sparks of lemon thyme; you can also enjoy the crunch of roasted chamomile flowers over tender squid, with tart-sweet Meyer lemon and chamomile oil. The eight-course dinner menu (€98) is the best way to explore this virtuosic cuisine.

Don't be fooled by the casual interior: this popular "gastrobistro," helmed by two brothers passionate about food and wine, is where local foodies go for a special lunch or evening out. Products fresh from Compiègne's wonderful farmers' market are transformed into only a few sophisticated dishes each day that change with the season and are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious. Near the Oise River and a quick walk from the château, this is a great place for a two- or three-course lunch, but linger over dinner to fully enjoy this marvelous cuisine.

Market-fresh cuisine, industrial-chic decor with elegant touches of velvet and polished wood, and an adventurous wine list all help make this Michelin-starred bistro a standout on Nantes's culinary roadmap. Well-crafted dishes forego French fussiness in favor of innovative combinations like scallops with tamarind and roasted-red-pepper puree, seared monkfish with wild l'ail d'ours (French garlic) pesto, or succulent spring veal accompanied by tiny roasted veggies. The four, five, or six-course menus (€75, €95, €115) are your only option at dinner, an assurance of the freshest ingredients, though food preferences are honored. Don't let the lackluster area put you off, as this is a Nantes culinary benchmark.

One taste of this exceptional cuisine and you'll understand why dining on Syrian food in the center of Orléans makes perfect sense. Besides a powerful backstory—the owners fled the Syrian war with not much more than their recipes stowed in their suitcase and their hopes of starting anew—the warm atmosphere and fresh, traditional fare make this one of the most popular spots in town, serving up delicious comfort foods like slow-braised lamb and eggplant makloubeh, muhammara (a delicious walnut and red pepper dip), or slow-cooked beef kebab. Be sure to save room for the ethereal desserts, some inflected with rose or orange blossom.

There's no doubt that dining in the world's most famous palace at a restaurant conceived by the world's most famous chef is an experience worth having. Although Alain Ducasse is not actually cooking here, you can enjoy a gourmet version of breakfast, lunch, or teatime in splendid surroundings with views of the palace from the first-floor restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows. For the best value, go for the fixed-price menus. A six-course teatime (3:30 to 5:30 pm), with both savory and sweet offerings, is a particularly pleasant option. The restaurant also hosts several exclusive candlelit dinners after palace closing hours throughout the year. Be sure to reserve ahead of time online or by phone. Several of Ore's fixed-price menus include the price of admission to Versailles, allowing you to skip the long lines.

One of the city's best-kept secrets, this gem of bistro has been a fixture since 1936, and the new owners have retained the old-world vibe that's ever harder to come by in Paris, especially in the Marais. Cozy and full of charm—with beamed ceilings, stone walls, and a timeless decor—the atmosphere perfectly highlights chef Julien Chevallier's deliciously down-to-earth and seasonally inspired meats, fish, and charcuterie. A masterful wine list featuring natural wines rounds out the experience. Book a terrace table in summer. Stock up on gourmet items to bring home with you at the épicerie next door.

At the hottest gastro-bistro in Nantes, Dominic Quirke, a young English chef, who worked in some of Paris's top kitchens before striking out on his own, combines a sophisticated menu featuring the best of the local producers with a stellar list of natural wines. Locals know a great thing when they taste it, and that's why they come here for Nantes veal with tartare of Breton langoustine; Sologne lamb with grilled polenta, beet pickles, and glacéed vegetables; and roast sea bass with fennel risotto and capers with creamed zucchini. A pleasant, unpretentious ambience and a roster of talented visiting chefs keep the bistro's many regulars on their toes. At €55, the five-course tasting menu is a steal.

On full view from her open kitchen, chef Virginie Giboire is cool and precise as she prepares a sophisticated market cuisine that earned her a Michelin star, one of the few restaurants in Rennes to garner that distinction. Everyone nowadays is doing seasonal and local, but Giboire, who trained at Paris's prestigious Ferrandi school and with superstar Thierry Marx, wields a traditional mastery in dishes that carry her unique signature: mixing wild-crafted herbs and seasonal ingredients in dishes like John Dory with spring asparagus, wild garlic, and roasted buckwheat. The vibe is low-key and friendly, and the fixed price menus—there is no à la carte—are a good value.

Expect to have every sense engaged in the most delightful way at this warm, contemporary dining room overlooking the Odet River. Each dish is not just a pleasure for the eye, but a symphony of subtle flavors, mixing Japanese accents (ponzu, yuzu, shiso, ginger) with the freshest Breton seafood and local produce. A seat in the bay window with pretty views over the river is a bonus, but anywhere you sit you'll benefit from attentive service and an impeccable welcome.

With amazing food and a convivial, unpretentious atmosphere, Septime has become one of the hottest tables in town. Seasonal ingredients, inventive pairings, and excellent natural wines bring in diners ready for exciting and sophisticated dishes like creamy gnochetti in an orange-rind-flecked Gouda sauce sprinkled with coriander flowers.