Despite reading this site for over four years and listening to me ramble on about new food movements and young, rising chefs in Paris, my mother had no requests or preferences when it came to dining out during her visit. The ball is was in my court (or rather, the feat – most restaurants were shuttering for the holiday season); I was tasked with giving her the local perspective and she’ll be the first to tell you her experience was richer for it.
Sadly, not all travelers search beyond guidebook stalwarts or their friend’s glowing review of a prosaic corner café they tried on their sole visit to the city. For every magazine or newspaper article that extols the virtues of inventive new spots or even the top tables for classic French fare, visitors will continue to end up at places that peddle an erstwhile image of Parisianness like Les Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp, Angelina, Chartier and others but ultimately prioritize style over substance.
But if what you’re seeking is an experience at one of the many places shaping, improving and evolving the Paris food and drink scene that weigh quality and ambience equally -some quintessentially French in design, others whose inspirations…
