This is a trendspot. Designed like an aquarium that floats over two floors, this restaurant near Les Halles opened only last year. Its owners have a string of successes under their belts (Curio Parlor, Experimental Cocktail Club) soi t's not surprising that this one has gotten well off the ground, too. Mackerel is served two ways here, on a cutting board after its been seared and then served with a spiced quinoa side dish. Or you can have it barbecued on skewers inbetween chunks of chorizo. Peruvian-based seasonings seem to be favored here with lots of lime, ginger, red pepper, and garlic present which they also use as a marinade for a ceviche dish called the � Tiger's Tongue � (leche de tigre). Persistence pays when it comes to getting a reservation. It also leans towards the expensive side.
Recommended for Seafood because: Everything these guys do, whether it's a cocktail club, a steak joint, or now this fish restaurant, turns to gold.
Paige's expert tip: Cocktails created around pisco are a must-try at the Fish Club. Then again, nearly everything here is a must-try though if you want the sure bet, stay with the fresh-caught special of the day.
Much to the delight of patrons, chef G�rard Allamandou doesn't feel compelled to mask fresh seafood in elaborate sauces or so much fussy preparation. Instead, he lets the Montparnasse restaurant's just-caught bounty speak for itself. A hint of bacon, a touch of oil, and everything's just as it should be. Though the menu changes seasonally, an example of what you might find on a day in September includes steak from salmon raised organically, grilled mackerel filets in a mustard sauce, European raised lobster roasted à la nature and a starter might be fresh anchovies served with a garnish of fried parsley. A great wine list also helps coax out the flavors of fish and shellfish. Daily set price menu �23 or �38. METRO: Ga�t� (line 13)
Recommended for Seafood because: Though the exterior façade might feel a bit modern, this is one of Paris' go-to fish restaurants and has been for a long time.
Paige's expert tip: If there is someone in your party who prefers meat, just ask for it and they will provide you several options. There is also a notable cognac wine list here for that after-dinner aperitif.
The signature of Michel Rostang's fish restaurant is the entire fish grilled whole, "en croute de sel." For turbot, sea bream and sole weighing over 3lbs. and caught fresh that morning, this kind of succulent seafood dining is unique in Paris. The kitchen is presided over by Chef Olivier Fontaine who faithfully uses only the ingredients that have been personally sourced by M. Rostang himself : crawfish and fish from Lake Geneva, the wild bar from Charles Henri Cantot, the vegetables from Annie Bertin's garden and oysters from Normandy and Brittany gathered by David Hervé. The restaurant's interior had a full refresh just this past September. Thanks to the husband-wife team of Lempereur they translated the Rostangs' warm personality into the interior of Dessirier. Walls are of leather strips and fabric, the flooring is reminiscent of fish scales and warmth is added through a gentle incorporation of colors and lights.
Recommended for Seafood because: Michel Rostang's inventive, classic know-how of French culinary arts is one of the pillars of this country's contemporary cuisine landscape.
Paige's expert tip: Signature dishes include the roasted lobster served with a nut-infused butter and medley of fresh spring vegetables. The tomato and basil waffle is also an interesting accompaniment to the fish and softshell crab dishes.
In the few short years since it opened, Antoine has quickly made its mark on the capital and snagged a reputation as one of the finest fish restaurants in town. The young and fairly new chef here, Thibault Sombardier, is a native of Lyon. He was inspired to become a chef the moment his father took him to visit the kitchens of Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or. What you will find on the menu at this 1 Michelin starred, aesthetically elegant restaurant is the freshest and choicest fish delivered direct from Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, the source considered the best for fish by Parisian chefs. Another one of the guiding principles at Antoine is a made-to-order attitude. So, often the rarest of fish and other seafoods will not even be listed on the menu. That's to say, it pays here to ask what the day's specials are.
Recommended for Seafood because: Nighttime dining offers delicious romance with the twinkling of the Eiffel Tower visible just across the Seine.
Paige's expert tip: Valet Parking is complimentary. Weekday lunch is a relative bargain at 35euros for Entree and Main or Main Dish and Dessert. The chef here is a rising star and lucky for us he has chosen to specialize in fish and seafood.
The name the two sisters who founded and run the place gave to their restaurant is derived from a Wong Kar Wai film, My Blueberry Night. Its significance here is the California connection, an element these two restaurateurs, Florence and Marie, infused in their Pacific-themed restaurant, where a California-meets-Japan vibe and menu reigns supreme. On offer are traditional Japanese sushi and classic California makis re-visited. What that translates to is a use of French-imagined ingredients such as truffle, strawberries, yuzu, smoked mozzarella, Thai basil, shizo and more. You can expect your fish to come to you in all its cooked forms, like as in Tempura, or perhaps raw, or even maybe seared or half-cooked or marinated in citrus. The atmosphere leans towards zen and loungey with a neon pop here and there.
Recommended for Seafood because: The makis are the stars here, with creative ingredients like black truffle carpaccio and wild strawberries.
Paige's expert tip: The Japanese Spritz, the house cocktail made from gin and yuzushu, washes down well with the pacific-inspired plates. Their signature soup, which is a clear broth delicately flavored with vegetables, is a one-of-a-kind.
This is Pierre Gagnaire's fish restaurant on the Left Bank in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It's not to be thought of as the "petite Pierre Gagnaire" but rather as its own concept. The restaurant serves the choicest and freshest fish (also meat cuts) prepared in the most creative and delicately masterful ways in the spirit of 3-Michelin star culinary legend, Pierre Gagnaire. This is very much a neighborhood restaurant infused with the famous chef's guiding principles of elegance, simplicity and honesty. A large selection of wines are served by the glass and such gems like Pascal Jolivet's Pouilly-fumé Nature are available by the bottle. The set lunch menu of appetizer, main course and dessert for 49 euros has you dining on Michelin quality fare without the lofty prices. The fairly recent move of this Gagnaire culinary institution up the street to this quieter location afforded it an up-do by way of Gagnaire's longtime interior decor collaborator, Marcelo Joulia. What's extra nice now is that the elegant bar affords light dining with a glass of wine or cocktail.
Recommended for Seafood because: Pierre Gagnaire is one of the culinary world's references when it comes to creativity, mastery and honesty as a top chef.
Paige's expert tip: The new location of this iconic Pierre Gagnaire fish restaurant - that also serves meat - offers bar seating now. It's a perfect place to wander in, order a fine glass of wine from their cultivated wine list (chablis-premier-cru from William Fevre) while nibbling on small plates. For proper dining, the set lunch menu is one of the best gastronomic deals in town and for dinner, well, it is Gagnaire.
One of the most elegant fish restaurants in Paris that is also affordably priced you'll find just steps from away from the Jardin du Luxembourg. The terrace dining in spring and summer has you looking out onto the gorgeous Place de l'Odéon and its backdrop of the Odéon-Theatre de l'Europe. What you'll find here is a discreet Parisian institution, favored by regulars who include Senators, publishers and authors. Its colorful interior evokes feelings of being in the warmer south of France and the incredibly fresh, high quality fish have you thinking of fishermen who have just cast their nets that morning for the day's catch, now sitting on your plate. The set menu features only wild fish and at �35 is a quality meal you'll be hardpressed to duplicate elsewhere. The fleshy Whole Turbot is served with vegetables and chanterelle mushrooms. Chef Denis Rippa trained at Le Divellec.
Recommended for Seafood because: If it's good enough for French senators, then it's surely a decent choice for you, too.
Paige's expert tip: The lime and coconut tiramisu is a light and sweet finish for your mediterranean inspired meal. And this location, being so near the Jardin du Luxembourg, affords you a beautiful after-meal stroll through some of Paris' loveliest gardens.
Known as much as one of the city's power tables as it is known for being one of the top fish restaurants in town, Le Duc is an elegant restaurant with a down-home feel for that upscale business lunch or that special occasion. You'll undoubtedly be rubbing elbows with other seafood devotees in this restaurant, which is reminiscent of an old � albeit tasteful � wooden boat. Fresh, simple preparations distinguish the food, and diners can't say enough good things about the variety of fish and shellfish dishes. The wine menu here is one of the most stellar in town, which is saying a lot since even 3-starred restaurants don't always have Romanée Conti on their wine list. Here they do. That gives you some idea as to the kind of diners this place attracts. METRO: Raspail
Recommended for Seafood because: Long-loved and appreciated by Parisians, Le Duc is worth going the kilometer past Tour Montparnasse since memorable dining like this is unique, even in Paris.
Paige's expert tip: Is there anything better than a glass of Meurseault to wash down carpaccio of espadon (swordfish). I think not. This restaurant starts its evening dinner seating at 8pm and not a minute sooner. By 8:15 all the tables are filled and the service has begun. This is a not-to-miss restaurant.
There are several good, even great, oyster bar restaurants in Paris. What makes this one so exceptional are two things: 1. The first being the quality and range of selection of the oysters here. That means you can taste oysters of any size from Normandy to Ile de Noirmoutier to La Rochelle to Beziers. And that in itself makes coming here worthwhile. But the second thing that puts this restaurant in the category of singular is that you can enjoy all of this seated on high steel stools around a 1920s era circular zinc counter. And for that, coming here becomes an excursion and dining experience. Their specialties, besides oysters, also includes fish served whole on a platter as well as shellfish and seafood platters. The wine list, too, has been written up even by major US wine publications, so impressive is its 4OOO bottle cellar. The oyster sommelier as well as the wine sommelier here are only too delighted to help guide you in your choices and selections. So if you're open to trying oyster and wine pairings that are sure to delight your taste buds, give yourself permission to enjoy this richly satisfying culinary experience.
Recommended for Seafood because: When the weather turns autumnal is the time oyster season begins. And when enjoying oysters you want the best, like the kinds they serve here.
Paige's expert tip: Montparnasse was of course the preferred hangout of Hemingway and Fitzgerald and so there are still locales in the neighborhood that seem to transmit this spirit of the Roaring 20s or the Crazy Years as they say in French. This is one of those restaurants that put you instantly into a Parisian time capsule. And of course the oysters here are assembled from only the best ostreiculteurs of France.
Late in the fall of 2013 the legendary Jacques Le Divellec retired from his decades of helming his luxury yacht of a restaurant which had been THE Paris reference for seafood. He sold with one stipulation, that the acquiring group keep his team in tact and fully employed. Without this great chef, the "Bocuse of seafood" as he was nicknamed, in charge of his kitchen, it is difficult to imagine that things are exactly the same as they had been. Still, Le Divellec promises much to love, including exceptionally fresh seafood, yacht-like decor, and a celebrated wine cellar. Popular specials include lobster with pan-fried duck foie gras and iced cognac soufflé. METRO: Invalides
Recommended for Seafood because: This was long considered the gold standard when it came to Paris fish restaurants.
Paige's expert tip: Sold in 2013 to the Costes Group, the restaurant still rides on its former glorious reputation when Jacques Le Divellec was still at the helm.