8 Best Restaurants in Champs-Élysees, Paris

Tucked away in a quiet garden across from the Petit Palais, Ledoyen—open since 1779—is a study in Empire-style elegance (this is where Napoléon first met his eventual wife Joséphine). Star chef Yannick Alléno injects the three-star dining room with a frisson of modernity by putting fresh farmhouse ingredients front and center in his €415, nine-course tasting extravaganza (a seven-course menu is a slightly more reasonable €295, and there are à la carte options). This may seem de trop, but in Alléno's hands dishes like smoked eel soufflé with watercress coulis and candied onion, tender mussels with tart green apple and caviar, or artichoke-and-Parmesan gratin are rendered as light as a feather. The desserts are tiny masterpieces.

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. 

Christian Le Squer is among the most famous and most respected chefs in Paris, as proved by his turn here at one of the city's most deluxe dining rooms. You'll find all the luxury products you might expect—caviar, truffles, game in season—along with a masterful touch that often transforms homey Breton ingredients such as oysters or lamb into imaginative tours de force. A perfect example would be his famous Île de Chausey lobster, marinated in citrus and served in a heart of caramelized romaine with a featherlight beurre blanc mousseux. Desserts are ethereal, wines are top-notch, and service is unfailingly thoughtful.

Perhaps the most traditional of all Paris luxury restaurants, this elegant two-star grande dame basks in renewed freshness under chef Giuliano Sperandio, who brings a welcome contemporary spirit that translates to daring on the plate. Dishes such as scallops meunière (with butter and lemon) are matched with contemporary choices like a splendid line-caught Saint-Pierre cooked over fennel twigs with a gratin of herb mussels and roasted langoustine or duckling poached in vin jaune with saffron-caviar sauce. One of the 19th-century paneled salons has been turned into a winter garden, and contemporary paintings adorn the walls. The service is flawless, and the legendary wine list is full of classics.

If you want to venture to the frontier of contemporary cooking—and if money is no object—dinner here is a must (reservations essential). One of the longest Michelin three-star holders in France (since 1996), chef Pierre Gagnaire's work is at once cerebral and poetic, often blending three or four unexpected tastes and textures in a single dish. Just taking in the menu requires focus (ask the waiters for help), so complex are the multiline descriptions about each dish's luxury ingredients. The Grand Dessert, a seven-dessert marathon, will leave you breathless, though it's not as overwhelming as it sounds. The occasional ill-judged dishes linger as drawbacks, and prices keep shooting skyward, so Pierre Gagnaire is an experience best saved for a mega-splurge.

This legendary French provincial dining room has entered a new era with the departure of chef Éric Fréchon, tapping Arnaud Faye, previously of Chantilly's Chèvre d'Or, to take his place, and so far, retaining its three Michelin stars. Faye has brought his own flair while upholding a standard of excellence and finesse befitting the dining room. If €360 (for six courses; €490 for eight) seems high, you might think of it as an investment in a sublime evening and a beautiful memory. In summer, dining out in the hotel's French garden is a delight.

Chef Thomas Boullault made a seamless transition when he took the helm of this storied dining room, a favorite among Parisian gourmets. Expect seasonal dishes with a touch of finesse from the open kitchen. Elegant creations like tartelette (tartlet) of venison with squid and trompettes de la mort mushrooms in a wine reduction might be featured. There is no à la carte, and if the dinner menus seem steep at €140 (several dishes have supplements), try the lunch menu for €85. Watch out for the pricey wines by the glass.