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which led to his renown as one of the more inventive young chefs in Paris, Eric Frechon became head chef at the Bristol, the home-away-from-home for billionaires and power brokers. Frechon creates masterworks—say, farmer’s pork cooked “from head to foot” with truffle-enhanced crushed potatoes—that rarely stray far from the comfort-food tastes of bistro cooking. The €85 lunch menu makes his cooking accessible not just to the palate but to many pocketbooks. No wonder his tables are so coveted. Though the two dining rooms are impeccable—an oval oak-panel one for fall and winter and a marble-floor pavilion overlooking the courtyard garden for spring and summer—they provide few clues to help the world-weary traveler determine which city this might be. | Hôtel Bristol, 112 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, Champs-Elysées | 75008 | 01–53–43–43–00 | www.hotel-bristol.com | Reservations essential; jacket and tie | AE, DC, MC, V | Station: Miromesnil.

Pierre Gagnaire.

$$$$ | HAUTE FRENCH | If you want to venture to the frontier of luxe cooking today—and if money is truly no object—dinner here is a must. Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s work is at once intellectual and poetic, often blending three or four unexpected tastes and textures in a single dish. Just taking in the menu requires concentration (ask the waiters for help), so complex are the multi-line descriptions about the dishes’ six or seven ingredients. The Grand Dessert, a seven-dessert marathon, will leave you breathless, though it’s not as overwhelming as it sounds. The businesslike gray-and-wood dining room feels refreshingly informal, especially at lunch, but it also lacks the grandeur expected at this level. The uninspiring prix-fixe lunch (€105) and occasional ill-judged dishes (Gagnaire is a big risk taker, but also one of France’s top chefs) linger as drawbacks, and prices keep shooting skyward, which makes Pierre Gagnaire an experience best saved for the financial elite. | 6 rue de Balzac, Champs-Élysées | 75008 | 01–58–36–12–50 | www.pierre-gagnaire.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed Sat. No lunch Sun. | Station: Charles-de-Gaulle–Étoile

Fodor’s Choice | Rech.

$$$ | SEAFOOD | Having restored the historic Paris bistros Aux Lyonnais and Benoît to their former glory, star chef Alain Ducasse has turned his piercing attention to this seafood brasserie founded in 1925. His wisdom lies in knowing what not to change: the original Art Deco chairs in the main floor dining room; seafood shucker Malec, who has been a fixture on this chic stretch of sidewalk since 1982; and the XXL éclair (it’s supersized) that’s drawn in the locals for decades. Original owner Auguste Rech believed in serving a limited selection of high-quality products, a principle that suits Ducasse perfectly, and from the compact open kitchen upstairs, young chef Baptiste Peupion turns out impeccable dishes such as octopus carpaccio with Genovese pesto, lobster ravioli, and astonishingly good clam chowder. Save room for the whole farmer’s Camembert, another Rech tradition. A good-value €30 menu is available at lunch. | 62 av. des Ternes, Champs-Élysées | 75008 | 01–45–72–29–47 | www.rech.fr | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed Sun. and Mon.

Senderens.

$$$–$$$$ | HAUTE FRENCH | Iconic chef Alain Senderens waited until retirement age to make a rebellious statement against the all-powerful Michelin inspectors, “giving back” the three stars he had held for 28 years and renaming his restaurant (it was Lucas Carton). He also updated the decor, juxtaposing curvy, white, new furnishings and craterlike ceiling lights against the splendid Art Nouveau interior. The fusion menu spans the globe, though Senderens has also, happily for the patrons, reintroduced the occasional Lucas Carton signature dishes such as polenta with truffles in winter. Some dishes work, as in warm semi-smoked salmon with Thai spices and cucumber, and some fall flat, as in a too-rich starter of roast foie gras with fig salad and licorice powder. Upstairs, Le Passage Bar serves tapas-style dishes for less than €20 a plate, or €36 for four small courses.