Two-Michelin-Starred Chef David Toutain's Favorite Paris Eateries
The Relisher is the place where the world’s top chefs reveal their favorite spots in their home cities. This week, we met with Chef David Toutain, the chef and owner of two-Michelin-starred Restaurant David Toutain in Paris.
Chef David honed his skills working at some of the world’s leading culinary establishments, including as sous chef to French master Alain Passard of the three-Michelin-starred Arpège in Paris at the age of 21. Today, Chef David’s eponymous restaurant is highly regarded as one of Paris’ leading fine dining restaurants.
With the overwhelming eating options available in widely regarded as the culinary capital of the world, Chef David shares below his favorite spots in the city of lights.
*At the end of the interview, there is a Google Map link and a summary with links and price ranges for all the mentioned places.
Casual Restaurants: French Food Galore
I absolutely love Le Bon Georges. It is the type of experience that I expect when I go out to eat: excellent food, wine, and service in a lively, fun place. There's no set menu; the dishes reflect the fresh produce sourced from the markets that day, and you can order à la carte. I typically order the tartare de boeuf (steak tartare), a simple, classic dish.
Their wine list is also phenomenal, and all of the waiters and staff at the restaurant are very knowledgeable about wines. I always order a bottle of Domaine Comte de Vogue (note it's on the pricier side and can be hard to find). I work very hard — I'm always at my restaurant, and Le Bon Georges is where I like to go to truly disconnect.
L’Ami Jean is a quintessential traditional Parisian bistro, and wow what a brilliant chef. Whenever I have international friends or visiting chefs in town, this is the place I like to take them. For starters, order the Parmesan soup or pâté. But save room for the chef’s signature dish of rice pudding — it’s the best rice pudding you’ll have in your life.
For a quick bite, I like to go to Lastre Sans Apostrophe, which serves the best pâté en croûte (a traditional French meat pie wrapped in pastry) in the world. Lastre Sans Apostrophe is a takeaway restaurant that offers 10 varieties; my favorite is the oreiller de la belle aurore — it’s filled with foie gras, truffles, and meat.
Michelin Restaurants That You Can’t Experience Elsewhere in the World
For fine dining, the three-Michelin-starred Plénitude at the Cheval Blanc hotel, opened just two years ago, is by far one of my favorite restaurants globally. The whole experience is truly remarkable: incredible cuisine, sommeliers, service, and a sleek, contemporary space decorated in yellow and white hues. What makes Plénitude so special is the personalization — the chef tailors dishes to the sauce pairings you select. These sauces will blow your mind in terms of flavor and texture — I’ve never seen or experienced anything quite like it.
I love Restaurant Gaya; it's a brasserie that boasts one Michelin star. What stands out to me is its unique identity, blending the culinary style of Pierre Gagnaire (an acclaimed three-Michelin-starred chef known for combining seafood with meat) with a comfortable, casual ambiance. There are so many dishes on the menu that I adore like the oysters and bananas, and the pâté en croûte. They also have amazing sweet bread, escargot with endive, and lamb. The wine list is excellent as well. Dining here offers a very different and interesting experience.
One of The Most Incredible Breakfasts You’ll Have in Your Life
My favorite breakfast spot in all of Paris is at Hôtel Plaza Athénée — it’s one of the most beautiful and tastiest breakfasts you'll ever experience. It's incredibly over-the-top. This is illustrated through the presentation of the food and the restaurant’s decor. You can choose from the à la carte menu, and there's no need to stay at the hotel to have breakfast.
I usually order the scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon, along with an espresso and grapefruit juice. Some other items that I love and find unbelievably delicious include the pain au chocolat croissant, hot chocolate (which reminds me of my grandmother’s hot chocolate), and the cheese croissant with ham. I like to have business meetings here, or come with my family. Like this morning, I went with my son.
Where to Indulge Your Sweet Tooth
For sublime desserts and chocolates, head to Maxime Frederic at Louis Vuitton café located in the Cheval Blanc Hotel. Here you can indulge in visually beautiful desserts that aren't overly sweet in a tropical, jungle-like space. What makes this place special is that Maxime's creations cater to all palates, whether you're into fruit-like desserts or entirely chocolate-based. I personally adore the lemon pie and praline cubes.
Exclusively for chocolates, I like to go to the very talented Jade Genin, who opened her shop a few months ago. I love the milk chocolate pralines, chocolate pyramids, and chocolates filled with pistachios and macadamia nuts.
Iconic Paris Cocktail Bar & A Portuguese Wine Bar
For cocktails, visit the legendary Bar Hemingway at the Ritz hotel. It’s quiet, classy, and you can enjoy cocktails in the most beautiful bar adorned with wooden walls decorated with historic treasures - it’s a dream to be here. Besides the stunning decor, you will also experience world-famous cocktails served by barmen wearing white suits. I like to order a Black Russian.
For wines, I go to Casalegria, a wine bar that serves incredible wines from Portugal. The wines are so excellent that you might mistake them for those from Burgundy, but they're, in fact, from Portugal. The owner opened it about a year ago. I love to support people who are doing really special things, and Casalegria falls into this category.
Must-Visit Restaurants For First-Time Paris Travelers
If you’re visiting Paris for the first time, I recommend experiencing the below restaurants:
Brasserie Fouquet's Paris: This is one of Paris' most iconic brasseries, situated in the heart of the city at the crossroads of the Champs-Elysées and Avenue Georges V. I particularly love its location — it’s very beautiful. For the perfect French-cuisine experience, I recommend ordering the steak au poivre (a French dish of steak) and gratin dauphinois (a French gratin of sliced raw potatoes baked in cream).
Le Coq & Fils: You're likely to enjoy the best-roasted chicken of your life. Helmed by the three Michelin-starred chef Antoine Westermann, who actually poaches the birds before placing them on the rotisserie.
Favorite Restaurant Outside of Paris
If you're looking to escape Paris for an afternoon, I recommend visiting Le Doyenné in the charming village of Saint-Vrain. It's located on a farm about 40 kilometres from central Paris — you can take the RER C train towards St Martin d’Etampes.
Everything is grown on-site, from the produce to the livestock, and all menu items are sourced exclusively from their farm. Le Doyenné is surrounded by stunning countryside views for a true farm-to-table experience. It’s brilliant.
Favorite Restaurants in the World
Blue Hill at Stone Barns (two Michelin stars) in New York
Alexandre Mazzia (three Michelin stars) in Marseille, France
Thanks for reading — Gabrielle
HERE is the Google Map link with all of the places mentioned.
SUMMARY
BREAKFAST
CASUAL
FINE-DINING
Restaurant Gaya $$$
Plénitudeat $$$
SWEETS
BARS
Casalegria $$
RESTAURANTS FOR FIRST-TIME PARIS VISITORS
RESTAURANT OUTSIDE OF PARIS
Le Doyenné $$