Le Matré Restaurant

Mastery in Montmartre

18th arrondissement Contemporary FrenchParis Update Favorite

Montmartre has many, many restaurants, but few that deserve special mention. That has now changed with the opening of Le Matré, a little gem hidden on a side street off the beaten tourist track. Despite a mixup over our reservation, … Read More

Nessia Restaurant

A Chef for All Cuisines

3rd arrondissement Contemporary French€€€Paris Update Favorite

Our meal at Nessia started off well. We arrived unfashionably early and had the rather dark but stylishly decorated restaurant (black marble tables, designer chairs and sconces, open kitchen in the back) to ourselves. We also had the full attention … Read More

Godaille Restaurant

Almost Wrinkle-Free

12th arrondissement Contemporary French€€€Paris Update Favorite

Throughout our meal at Godaille, my friend Jean-Michel, a French linguist, puzzled over the choice of the restaurant’s name, a word that means “crease” (in clothing or fabric). We finally got a chance to ask our server, who explained that … Read More

Janine Restaurant

The NYT Effect

17th arrondissement Contemporary French€€€Paris Update Favorite

Call me a snob, but I tremble every time The New York Times publishes an article recommending Paris restaurants; it’s a surefire guarantee that they will be packed to the rafters with tourists from then on. Getting a reservation will … Read More

Grande Brasserie

Back to the Brasserie

4th arrondissement Classic French€€€Paris Update Favorite

Brasseries used to be the reliable mainstay of Paris’s restaurant world, open seven days a week and serving seafood platters and familiar dishes, usually of good quality. Nowadays, however, there are fewer of them, and the quality of many has … Read More