Paris
This 19th-century timber-lined restaurant (first opened in 1804 at No 59) is the last remaining legacy of the old oyster market. You can feast on oysters…
Must-see restaurants in France
Clermont-Ferrand
Globe-shaped lamps and model planes hang from vaulted ceilings, and jazz album covers plaster the walls at this retro bistro. Les Arcandiers doubles as a…
Tarn
This much-lauded local restaurant serves French comfort food with a refreshing edge. Superbly executed dishes include roasted cod, Pyrénées trout and beef…
Arras
Beloved for its marvellous vaulted cellar and friendly staff, this buzzing brasserie has a great range of salads alongside regional standards including…
Sète
Seafood lovers, you’ll find nirvana here: Oh Gobie has a wide assortment of fish delivered daily from the harbour. The quirky terrace complete with…
Blois
Hidden away on a tiny stone-paved square, Les Planches is a Blois favourite for its toasted bruschettas (open-face Italian sandwiches) and meal-size…
The Dordogne
This restaurant in a riverside hotel has the best position in La Roque, lodged in a solid stone building with river vistas. It is renowned for its…
Champagne
With tiled floors and marble-topped tables, Le G'Houlot Champenois keeps it sweet and simple. Its menu du jour, which changes daily, is cracking value at …
Languedoc-Roussillon
A daily market-sourced menu incorporating local organic ingredients is served on antique crockery at this locals' favourite down a cobbled laneway. Dishes…
Limoges
A contemporary bistro with quirky decor to match the inventive cuisine. Teardrop lanterns cast moody lighting, and one wall is taken up by wine. Dishes…
Touraine
'Between traditional and creative' – that's how chef Virginie describes the delicious dishes she prepares using vegetables that are both local and organic…
Perpignan
The fish practically flop from the market straight into this pleasantly furnished restaurant tucked into the heart of the old town. There's an agreeable…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Reserve ahead for haute cuisine on the summit of Puy de Dôme, from pork and lentils to seafood steaks surfing a herbal foam and artfully arranged macarons…
Collioure
Lost in the tangled old quarter, this simple Catalan bistro relies on the quality of its ingredients: bream tartare, cod with mussels and oysters, or king…
Dauphiné
The Gargoyle’s Foot is as well-suited to diners seeking hearty mountain meals like fondue and beef grilled over a wood fire, as those in need of a…
Grenoble
Regional cuisine takes centre stage at this small and friendly restaurant, like trout in Vercors-style sauce (lemon and capers), gratin of Beaufort cheese…
Latin Quarter
Stop by this lauded Vietnamese spot for a bowl of pho (noodle soup with thin slices of rare beef, mint, anise and lime) or bobun (cold rice-noodle salad…
Finistère
This contemporary bistro with a pinch of post-industrial flavour (suspended lamps, zinc tabletops and walls done up in greys) cooks up just a few starters…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Delicious homemade soups, quiches, savoury cakes and tarts are the stock-in-trade of this pastel-blue-fronted cafe on a Belleville backstreet. Pile in…
St-Jean Pied de Port
Farmers from the surrounding hills bring fresh produce – chillies, local cheeses and much more – to the town's Monday market. In high summer, a weekly…
Touraine
Serves traditional and creative French gastronomique cuisine, prepared with fish, hare, quail, veal sweetbreads and lobster, inside an ancient half…
Côte d'Azur
With its elegant red-and-blue nautical decor and portside terrace within grasp of the bobbing yachts, Le Sloop is a cut above the rest on this popular…
Lyon
With big windows facing place Sathonay, this delightful eatery has earned many fans for its satisfying bowls of silky ramen, served up eight different…
Paris
For made-to-measure sandwiches built from five different bread types and countless fillings and dressings, there is no better address than this large, hip…
Paris
Banana-leaf prints line the walls of this organic, gluten-free cafe, where in addition to salads and açaí bowls, you can detox with fresh juices, avocado…
Languedoc-Roussillon
With a choice of dining either in an atmospheric vaulted dining room or out in a shaded courtyard, this much-loved old-town restaurant serves classic…
Paris
While the hanging plants inside this popular eatery aren't exactly tropical, the convivial setting and piquant flavours will do on a cold, grey Paris day…
À la Table du Bon Roi Stanislas
Nancy
À la Table du Bon Roi Stanislas dishes up good old-fashioned French food with lashings of bonhomie. Menu classics feature escargots with dill and duck…
Nancy
Healthy and 100% organic fast food is the raison d'être of L’Appétit Bio, which makes the most of fresh local produce in its tasty burgers, soups and…
Orléans
Locals flock here for traditional French gastronomique cuisine made with fresh seasonal products. The menu changes every four weeks, evolving with the…
Paris
Food is delicious, innovative and mostly organic, with great bowls, healthy plats chauds (hot dishes), zesty salads and tasty buns – not to mention…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
In business since 1856, this venerable bakery near the train station is one of the best places to sample Valence's classic orange-rind-flavoured…
Arles
There's a French portion to the menu at this popular Moroccan brasserie by the Rhône, but we strongly recommend you stick to wonderful Maghrebian…
Alsace
Precisely as an Alsatian winstub (wine tavern) should be: beamed and bustling with diners tucking into earthy dishes such as fat pork knuckles and…
Vaucluse
Old-school French dining is the order of the day at Auguste's Cave – an apt name, as the restaurant is half-built into the rocky hillside. Food-wise,…
Latin Quarter
For a casual breakfast or vegetarian lunch, this cafe hits the spot. Temptations run from sweet-potato curry, salads and slices of quiche to sweet and…
Normandy
Locals claim that you won’t find better seafood anywhere in town than here: fish and seafood – that’s all that matters at quayside La Marée, Fécamp’s…
Auvergne
Crowned world master of pâté en croûte cookery in 2009, chef Florian Oriol serves his speciality pâté-and-mushroom pies (€11) alongside an ever-changing…
Fontainebleau
Tucked away in a cobbled courtyard, this Breton hidey-hole cooks up authentic sweet crêpes and simple (single thickness) and pourleth (double thickness)…
La Rochelle
Smart without being stuffy, this is a top-notch place for market-driven, French gourmet cuisine, much of which originates from the ocean depths. Try the…
