It is in Paris where you can find the oldest restaurant in Europe (opened in 1582), La Tour D'Argent, famous for its specialty Ruan-style duck. The facility has a strict dress code (for example, jeans are not allowed here), and the average price of lunch will be at least 100 EUR.
The second Parisian "old-timer" is Le Grand Vefour restaurant. It is said to be the place where you can taste the best grape snails, foie gras and frog legs in the city. By the way, the legendary limbs are almost unavailable in restaurants today due to the ban on frog hunting in France, as well as the complicated procedure of their preparation. The average price for lunch in this restaurant in Paris is 250 EUR.
Another gastronomic legend and, judging by the number of reviews, the main restaurant in Paris is Maxim's, which has been open to the public since 1893. To get here, you need to book a table in advance (sometimes a month or more in advance), and prices at Maxim's are high -200-300 EUR per meal.
If you want to visit a place where Rodin, Renoir and Goncourt were regulars, go to Cafe Drouant. It's famous for its bouillabaisse (a soup of sea ruff and roasted vegetables) and oysters (oyster season in France runs from September to April).
The Gallopin restaurant has been serving the best onion soup in Paris since 1876! This world-famous dish is made with meat broth, caramelized onions, sherry, cheese and croutons. For the second course, we recommend ordering Coq au vin - that's what the French call young rooster stewed in red wine.
By the way, if you're on a budget, you can order the same dishes at inexpensive restaurants in Paris (the quality of the food won't be affected). For example, go to Maison de la Truffe Marbeuf, Sarah Bernhardt's favorite restaurant. Its main "feature" is truffles (dinner of risotto with truffle, salad with truffle and dessert with truffle will cost about 55 EUR). Or to La Coupole restaurant, where Edith Piaf and Pablo Picasso liked to order seafood (the average bill is 30-45 EUR).
In cafes in Paris, prices are even more affordable. For example, Chez Clement offers traditional French cuisine, while Leon de Bruxelles specializes in clams (lunch is 25-30 EUR).
Well, you just have to finish your lunch with a cup of coffee at one of the best cafes in Paris, such as Le Procope. The best profiteroles and millefeuille, crème brûlée and the "breakfast of a Parisian" (croissant with butter and jam) - everything remains just as it was in the time of Napoleon, who, according to local legend, forgot his triangle here.
On rue Montorgueil, at the Stohrer pastry shop, you'll be treated to the world's most authentic rum baba (Nicolas Stohrer invented the recipe here).
Andrey Burenok tells us how to eat Michelin chefs on a budget, and when to catch happy hours in Parisian restaurants and bars.
