What can you expect from a restaurant in the 7th arrondissement of Paris?
Set the bar high, and at the least treat yourself to a view over the Seine. Or better still, a view over the Eiffel Tower and the champ de Mars.
Or the Invalides. Even though the appeal of the trendiest avenue, that is Saint-Germain-des-Prés, is hard to rival.
It all depends on your expectations of your meal out…
Gourmet restaurants for a candlelit dinner
If what you have in mind is a gourmet restaurant in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, pair this thought with a stunning view right away. Just the place…
Les ombres, quai Branly Jacque-Chirac
Since we have already listed it as one of the capital’s best terraces as well as best rooftops , we could not overlook this wonderful gourmet restaurant perched on the roof of the museum.
Because that’s where the best view of Paris is. If you come here by night, you go from the soft light of candles to that of the illuminations of the Eiffel Tower. It will be hard for anyone to look you in the eye, as all your attention will be on another (iron) lady.
Straight from the kitchens of the great chef Alain Ducasse, you can get heaven on a plate in this fully glass-panelled restaurant, with names like grape medley and vanilla caviar.
Les climats, 41 rue de Lille
Les climats are parcels of Burgundy vineyards where knowledge of the degree of land sloping and sunshine feed into custom viticulture methods.
It’s the name of this restaurant, picked by Carole Colin and Denis Jamet.
Officially, it has one Michelin star, the title of Best Wine List in Paris and the Grand Award of Excellence.
The dining area is down in the wine cellars, where some vintage wines have a price tag close to €11,000.
The restaurant occupies the former headquarters of the telephone operator service (the good old “switchboard ladies”) set up in 1905. Right in this setting, which has been renovated to look exactly as it was, you’ll savour and sample tasty fare.
The view is that of a lovely enclosed garden, which in the heart of Paris is a sight rare enough to make it into our directory. There are a few tables out there to make the most of it, at lunchtimes only, weather permitting.
Madame Brasserie and the Jules Verne, in the Eiffel Tower
Without question these are the most iconic French restaurants in the capital, and in the whole of the 7th arrondissement.
Madame Brasserie, a restaurant owned by Thierry Marx, is on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. 58 metres up, it’s enough to give you goose pimples with an unobstructed view of the Trocadéro or an unusual view of the Tower’s iron core.
As for the high-end gourmet restaurant currently managed by Frédéric Anton, with one star in the Michelin Guide, it is on the 2nd floor, 152 metres up. It’s the place to be for Parisian gourmets, but if you want a table, you’ll need to book weeks or even months in advance.
The place is highly prized, and the experience exclusive.
Joël Robuchon’s workshop in the Pont Royal five-star hotel
In the lively neighbourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, here’s a Michelin-starred restaurant that’s among the most unconventional of its kind.
It will be hard to get a seat at a table, as the idea is that you eat at the counter, like in sushi bars in Japan. This may come as a disappointment to those who were dreaming of a cosy dinner for two. Or as a delight, since in the end (according to those who have dined there) it makes for a very enjoyable time.
While you’re at the restaurant you can stop at the hotel’s Signature bar for a cocktail first, and get direct access through to the restaurant.
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The quintessential fusion food and modern cuisine restaurants in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
The term fusion food refers to a blend of cultures, culinary techniques and specialities. Since it takes a real maestro to dare turning a great classic into a fusion food creation. Here are our carefully-chosen picks.
The Franco-Japanese fusion food restaurant Akabeko, 40 rue de l’université
In the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood, gourmets are very shortly expecting a Michelin star for this restaurant owned by chef Yasuo Nanaumi. He has also worked in other Michelin-starred restaurants, where he mastered the art of French gastronomy. That’s all he needed to serve up delicate fusion dishes that everyone loves.
A meal comprising several courses, lasting 2 hours 30 minutes, which is not suitable for those with special dietary requirements, except for pescitarians.
Restaurant Hémicycle
Right next door to the Assemblée Nationale and the Palais Bourbon, the establishment is already well known, but is under new management. At 5 rue de Bourgogne there’s an understated sense of humour that perfectly suits the illustrious gourmets who dine there. This becomes clear on the 3rd floor, with a bar that’s very understated, yet whose name jumps out at you: the 49.3 (named after the article in French law allowing the government to force through financial legislation).
There is a room almost entirely given over to secret negotiations, on the 2nd floor of the restaurant: the wine room. A single round table and some wine.
A couple in the kitchen, both of whom are Italian. Flavio Lucarini on savoury dishes. Aurora Storari on desserts. When booking a table, you also make your menu choices.
The 7th arrondissement of Paris: neighbourhoods packed full of very good restaurants, brasseries and bistros
Bordering on other Michelin-starred restaurants, grand hotels and palaces over in the 8th and 16th arrondissements, the 7th arrondissement also has a great many bistros and brasseries. The service is friendly and the prices reasonable, for a casual lunch between friends or for mixing with the locals in Paris.
To find them, head for rue Saint-Dominique or rue Saint-Germain with its many jazz bars.
While the 7th arrondissement of Paris is renowned for its refined restaurants and prestigious gourmet eateries, the importance of looking the part is not to be underestimated.
A made-to-measure suit is timelessly elegant, but is also about showing respect for the sophisticated atmosphere of these establishments.
By the same token,made-to-measure shoes will top off your outfit perfectly.
Whether it’s for a business dinner or a romantic evening, your attire is a key part of your dining experience in this iconic district of Paris.
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