La Tour d'Argent

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.