Eating in Paris: the back story

About Eating in Paris: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Paris Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

In the 2026 MICHELIN Guide France, nine Paris restaurants hold Three Stars: Épicure, Le Gabriel, Kei, Le Cinq, Plénitude, Pierre Gagnaire, Arpège, Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and Le Pré Catelan. Beside them, the city’s great everyday institutions carry on: the bistros and brasseries, the bouillons serving honest food at modest prices, and the boulangerie on every street.

Three stars

Two of the nine are in the palace hotels of the Golden Triangle (Épicure at Le Bristol, Le Cinq at the George V), Le Gabriel is at La Réserve, and Plénitude is at Cheval Blanc on the Seine. Arpège on the rue de Varenne is Alain Passard’s; Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen is in the gardens of the Champs-Élysées, and Le Pré Catelan in the Bois de Boulogne.

Bistros and brasseries

Brasserie Lipp on the boulevard Saint-Germain, La Coupole and Le Dôme on the boulevard du Montparnasse, Bofinger by the Bastille and Le Train Bleu above the platforms of the Gare de Lyon keep the grand manner. Benoit has been a bistro since 1912, in its own words.

Book the starred tables weeks ahead; for the bouillons, arrive early or book online.

The bouillons

Bouillon Chartier has served good, modestly priced meals since 1896, in its own words; Bouillon Pigalle, Bouillon République and Bouillon Julien carry the tradition on.

Bread and pastry

Ask for “une tradition”: the baguette de tradition française, defined in French law since 1993 as made only with wheat flour, water and salt, risen with yeast or sourdough, with no additives and never frozen.

Our advice: see our article on Parisian cuisine for the dishes to look for, and where to taste them.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Eating in Paris: the back story before you go.