The 17 most beautiful restaurants in Paris

Bistrot Paul Bert, 11th arr.

An 11th arrondissement gem, long-standing favourite Bistrot Paul Bert dishes out some of the best steak frites in the city. Once a butcher’s shop, then bar, it has the look and feel of a restaurant that’s been around since La Belle Epoque: dimly lit, with fanciful mouldings and packed with rickety wooden chairs. Waiters run around taking orders to long-term locals who don’t need to read the scribbled menu board. The three-course lunch for €18 is also a steal. +33 1 43 72 24 01

Le Train Bleu, 12th arr.

An ornate Art Nouveau restaurant located within one of the city’s busiest train stations, Gare de Lyon in the 12th arrondissement, it is named after the so-called ‘blue train’ that sent sun dwellers down to the Riviera. Doused in opulence, with gilded frames, large-scale paintings and chandeliers galore, Le Train Bleu has served Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau and Coco Chanel. le-train-bleu.com

Dersou, Bastille

Chef Taku Sekine’s attention to detail is evident in the tasting menus of his French-Asian restaurant, down a back alley in Bastille. International dishes are paired with drinks crafted by Amaury Guyot (previously of hip Parisian joint Sherry Butt and Experimental Cocktail Club) – a bourbon, Madeira and walnut syrup cocktail goes with mirin-soy-marinated foie gras, blueberries and corn cream, for example. Interiors are unassumingly smart, with distressed walls, mid-century Danish chairs and creaky wooden floors, as well as backless stools for diners looking to be near the action of the busy kitchen. dersouparis.com

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