Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [135]
Restaurant du Palais-Royal.
$$$ | BISTRO | This stylish modern bistro decorated in jewel tones serves food to match its stunning location under the arcades of the Palais-Royal, facing its magnificent gardens. Sole, scallops, and risotto—including a dramatic black squid-ink and lobster or an all-green vegetarian version—are beautifully prepared, but juicy beef fillet with pommes Pont Neuf (thick-cut frites) is also a favorite of expense-account lunchers. Finish with an airy mille-feuille that changes with the seasons—berries in summer, chestnuts in winter—or a decadent baba doused with rum from Guadeloupe. Book in advance, especially in summer, when the terrace tables are hotly sought after. | Jardins du Palais-Royal, 110 Galerie Valois, Louvre/Tuileries | 75001 | 01–40–20–00–27 | www.restaurantdupalaisroyal.com | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed Sun. | Station: Palais-Royal
Willi’s Wine Bar.
$–$$ | MODERN FRENCH | More a restaurant than a wine bar, this British-owned spot is a stylish haunt for Parisian and visiting gourmands who might stop in for a glass of wine at the oak bar or settle into the wood-beam dining room. The selection of reinvented classic dishes changes daily and might include roast cod with artichokes and asparagus in spring, venison in wine sauce with roast pears and celery-root chips in fall, and mango candied with orange and served with vanilla cream in winter. Chef François Yon has been in the kitchen for 15 years, ensuring a consistency that isn’t always reflected in the service. The restaurant is prix-fixe only but at the bar you order appetizers. The list of about 250 wines reflects co-owner Mark Williamson’s passion for the Rhône Valley and Spanish sherries. | 13 rue des Petits-Champs, Louvre/Tuileries | 75001 | 01–42–61–05–09 | www.williswinebar.com | MC, V | Closed Sun. | Station: Bourse
Zen.
¢–$ | JAPANESE | There is no shortage of Japanese restaurants in this area around the Louvre, but this recent addition is a cut above much of the competition. The white-and-lime-green space feels refreshingly bright and modern, and you can perch at one of the curvy counters or settle in at a table. The menu has something for every taste, from warming ramen soups (part of a €9.90 lunch menu that includes five pork dumplings) to sushi and sashimi prepared with particular care. For a change, try the donburi, a bowl of rice topped with meat or fish, or Japanese curry with breaded pork or shrimp. A sign of the chef’s pride in his food is that he offers cooking classes some Sundays (in French). | 8 rue de l’Échelle, Louvre/Tuileries | 75001 | 01–42–61–93–99 | MC, | www.restaurant-zen.fr V | Closed 10 days in mid-Aug. | Station: Pyramides or Palais Royal
2E ARRONDISSEMENT (BOURSE/LES HALLES)
Fodor’s Choice | Aux Lyonnais.
$$–$$$ | BISTRO | With a passion for the old-fashioned bistro, Alain Ducasse has resurrected this 1890s gem by appointing a terrific young chef to oversee the short, frequently changing, and reliably delicious menu of Lyonnais specialties. Dandelion salad with crisp potatoes, bacon, and silky poached egg; watercress soup poured over parsleyed frogs’ legs; and fluffy quenelles de brochet (pike-perch dumplings) show he is no bistro dilettante. The decor hews to tradition, too, with a zinc bar, an antique coffee machine, and original turn-of-the-20th-century woodwork. There is a no-choice lunch menu for €30, but the temptation is strong to splurge on the more luxurious à la carte dishes. | 32 rue St-Marc, Opéra/Grands Boulevards | 75002 | 01–42–96–65–04 | AE, MC, V | Closed Sun., Mon., and 2 wks in Aug. No lunch Sat. | Station: Bourse
Chez Georges.
$$$ | BISTRO | If you were to ask Parisian bankers, aristocrats, or antiques dealers to name their favorite bistro for a three-hour weekday lunch, many would choose Georges. The traditional fare, described in authentically indecipherable