2 Best Restaurants in Challiot and Ternes, Paris

Despite overseeing 33 eponymous restaurants, it’s clear that 21-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse has put heart into his newest culinary endeavor, set in the beautiful Maison Baccarat, home to the esteemed glassmakers’ newest collections. In partnership with talented chefs Christophe Saintagne and Robin Schroeder, there’s a palpable synergy expressed in dishes that artfully balance myriad flavors and textures: sea scallops infused with coriander-spiced kumquat and accompanied by tender lobster and John Dory in a wine-infused cream; or duck with tender cabbage, foie gras, and crispy oysters with spaghetti squash and flecks of cacao. Though the superimposition of a contemporary sculpture sadly obscures the original gilded and frescoed walls, the dining room sports a more contemporary appeal.

Pascal Barbot, who rose to fame at his Rue Beethoven digs (where he earned three Michelin stars), recently reopened in a larger, more luminous dining room. Though he lost a star in 2019, his cuisine remains resolutely haute (and his clientele just as loyal), with dishes that often draw on Asian ingredients, as in black-curry roasted pigeon or suckling lamb in a date and ginger sauce followed by a palate-cleansing white sorbet spiked with chili pepper and lemongrass. The restaurant offers à la carte dining, as well as lunch menus for €85 or €125 and the full tasting menu for €285 at dinner (this is what most people come for). Each menu also comes at a (significantly) higher price with wines to match each course. Barbot's cooking has such an ethereal quality that it's worth the considerable effort of booking a table—you should start trying well in advance.