A classic choice for high-end, traditional French food, Allard is part of the Alain Ducasse empire. With its 1930s interiors, the dining room feels like being at your grandparents’—think flowery wallpaper with pencil-drawn artworks, old photos and 1900s paraphernalia hanging on the walls, plus velvet banquettes in front of wooden bistro tables. On the menu, there’s cabbage stuffed with lobster and chestnut and pan-seared veal sweetbread, braised lettuce and black trumpet mushrooms.

Possibly one of the most beautiful spots in town, the ornate 1906 pistachio green Art Nouveau interiors are the main draw here, along with the well-valued menu including classics like snails and calf’s head, as well as tamer options like steak.

A brilliant and busy bistro full of locals of all ages and backgrounds, Chez Pradel ticks many traveler’s boxes: simple interiors reminiscent of the early 1900s with cement tiles, wooden tables and red banquettes; really good service from a personable staff; and excellent, well-priced food like slow-cooked chicken with tasty gravy and moreish mashed potatoes. It’s usually full, so get there early. There’s a second outpost in the 11th, but the one in the 18th has the most soul and is where the owner is based.

This is one of the city’s coolest spots, set inside a 1700s upscale brothel that transformed into a handworked leather atelier. Push open a door hidden inside a fitting room of the boutique where young designers showcase their work, and step inside the moody space. It is bookended by chef Victor Blanchet’s open kitchen, encased in deep moss-green marble, where he whips up colorful plates focused on fish scattered with delicate foraged flowers. Downstairs is a club space with its own bar and mystical light art projected on the walls, as well as a private dining room.

One of the prettiest spots in town (which is admittedly the main draw) this boutique hotel—which has hosted Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie—is tucked in a hidden gated passage. Cross the patio garden to the front door of the white standalone house and inside, the restaurant takes up the ground floor and is best appreciated at lunch or brunch for its garden views. There’s a beautiful cocktail bar downstairs, the Très Particulier, which opens out onto the garden.

Recently revamped by third-generation owner, Monsieur André Terrail, this is one of Paris’s most exclusive spots. Tethered to the River Seine, it has wrap-around windows with views of Notre-Dame Cathedral and the surrounding Haussmannian buildings. Chef Yannick Franques puts a lighter spin on traditional French classics like the signature dish of pressed duck. The wine list is also a landmark in itself and is so huge that it has to be wheeled out on a trolley, which is no surprise, considering the restaurant has one of the biggest and oldest collections of wines in its maze-like subterranean wine cellar. One of the city’s oldest restaurants, said to have opened in 1582, it has an unrivaled rollcall of A-list diners, from monarchs to politicians and Hollywood stars. Today, there’s a must-book rooftop bar and a ground-floor salon that serves lunch and drinks, and there’s even an apartment with more of those “big” Paris views that you can have all to yourself for the night.

Perfect for a casual lunch or dinner, this quintessential neighborhood bistro is open every day with sidewalk tables and daily menu changes.

To get a taste of bistronomy cuisine, a laid back strand of French gastronomy that has been updated for contemporary tastes, it’s worth the schlep to this hugely popular restaurant in the bustling bar-lined Oberkampf area. An 1890 former grocery store is the setting for chef Iñaki Aizpitarte, who made La Famille in Montmartre a smash hit before opening this spot and is often credited with being one of the founding fathers of the Bistronomy movement. Closed Sunday and Monday.

For a grand celebration or night to remember, Le Clarence is the perfect spot. Located in a 19^th century mansion, the restaurant was opened by the owner of Chateau Haut-Brion, who wanted a setting worthy of his family’s legendary wines. Prince Robert de Luxembourg, whose grandfather Clarence Dillon bought the Haut Brion domaine almost a century ago, has transformed a splendid marble-clad mansion just across from the Grand Palais. The space evokes the atmosphere of a Bordeaux chateau, where diners feel like invited guests in the home of a warm and welcoming royal. The six-story townhouse’s salon and dining rooms have been furnished with the finest French fabrics, antiques, china and crystal—all selected by Prince Robert himself. For cuisine to suit the surroundings, he hired the talented two-Michelin-star chef Christophe Pelé (formerly of Ledoyen and the Bristol) to helm the kitchen. Rounding out the restaurant is one of France’s top wine lists, with wines from all over France as well as the special cave on property, which, of course, contains some very rare bottles of Haut-Brion. (In addition to the wood-paneled main restaurant, there are private, small dining rooms, which are perfect for small groups.)

In the less-trodden but trendy local 18th district at the bottom of Montmartre is this little tavern, with a frills-free dining room with formica-top tables and red banquettes. The focus is on the small daily-changing menu of bistronomic-style dishes (namely French classics with an updated twist), rustled up using mainly seasonal produce sourced in Franc

Open since 1845, in its heyday this traditional French bistro in the Latin Quarter was the stomping ground of many poets and writers from Hemingway to Verlaine. It was recently refurbished, keeping to its original style of wood paneled walls, wall paintings and cement tiles. We recommend the Dauphiné ravioli with truffle cream or the garlicky snails and boeuf bourguignon with fluffy mashed potatoes, and ending with a slice of sticky tarte tatin.

Another splendid dining experience in Paris, the century-old Prunier restaurant is the spot to book for caviar lovers. Overseen by Michelin-adored chef Yannick Alléno, the listed Art Deco space is reason alone to cross town to this quiet residential area. The team serves excellent cuts of salmon and a reworked Christian Dior egg doused in caviar (a house special), while the mains are fish focused. Make time for a pre-dinner drink at the champagne bar upstairs.

The talk of the town since opening in the spring of 2011, one-Michelin-starred Septime is notoriously hard to book for dinner. An easier route to the delicious culinary offerings is to come for lunch when chef Bertrand Grebaut serves the same five-course carte blanche tasting menu served in the evening. The courses do not appear on a written menu, but the waitstaff will describe each plate in depth when it is brought to your table. (Be sure to mention food allergies when placing your order and the kitchen will substitute accordingly, and without attitude.)  On a recent visit, the substitution for a razor clam entrée was a vegetarian succotash, which was every bit as tasty and beautifully-presented as the standard dish. Complementing the inventive and fresh nouvelle French cuisine, Septime has an impressive carte des vins featuring biodynamic wines, many of which can be purchased to-go at their nearby wine bar, Septime Cave.

Israeli chef Assaf Granit and his team serve up creative Mediterranean cuisine with a fresh spin in this industrial-chic restaurant with an open kitchen.