Gastronomy is practically synonymous with French culture. While Paris sees new restaurants regularly open — and close — there are numerous long-standing establishments that never lose their appeal. On this trip, we tested out two new spots and re-reviewed four celebrated restaurants that have undergone noteworthy changes.

Mistinguett

Opened in November 2023, this glamorous restaurant within the Casino de Paris, an iconic music hall dating back to the 18th century, is illuminated by its massive stained-glass window. The restaurant pays tribute to Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois, a showgirl who made her debut using the stage name of Mistinguett at the casino in the mid-1890s and became legendary for her ostentatious costumes and risqué routines. Decorated with massive glass-feather chandeliers, red-velvet curtains and a dreamlike ceiling of a clouded sky, the barrel-vaulted dining room is as theatrical as Mistinguett herself. In contrast to the dramatic décor, the elevated French dishes are straightforward and simply plated. While I very much enjoyed the sea bream flambéed in whisky and paired with a Jerusalem-artichoke purée, the real highlight at Mistinguett is its dessert menu. The fresh gariguette strawberries accompanied by a rich mascarpone mousse, strawberry jam, crumbled shortbread and caramelized pistachios were nothing short of heavenly.

Mistinguett
16 Rue de Clichy, 9th arr. Tel. (33) 1-48-74-85-41

Hémicycle

It took only four months for this restaurant, helmed by two Italian chefs, to earn a Michelin star after its opening late last year. Serving creative Italian-French-fusion cuisine, Hémicycle is a popular destination for power lunches, since it stands adjacent to the National Assembly. The small open kitchen bustled with an Italian-speaking staff who conversed nonstop throughout the service. Their energy brought a welcome touch of conviviality that tempered the formal midcentury-modern design of the restaurant, which is detailed with countless crystals, marble and Lalique chandeliers. Our meal began with an assortment of amuse-bouches, each as colorful and original as the last. The bright-green spinach tempura drizzled with Dijon aioli and placed atop a thick wood branch was an especially photogenic dish. My starter — a large morel filled with chopped beef and mushrooms and accompanied by a flaky brioche and mixed-herb emulsion — was delectable, as was my entrée of roasted sea bass served with turnip ravioli in an elderberry-infused lemon sauce. This bright dining spot creates gustatory works of art that showcase regionally sourced ingredients. The owners opened a dessert bar shortly after our visit. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Hémicycle
5 Rue de Bourgogne, 7th arr. Tel. (33) 1-40-62-98-04

Laurent

Discreetly situated amid lush gardens at the end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, this acclaimed restaurant is set within a pretty pink building that was originally a hunting pavilion of Louis XIV. After a lengthy renovation, Laurent reopened in September 2023 with a new chef at the helm. The menu, backed by a 46-page wine list, remains grounded in French staples — duck foie gras, escargots and veal terrine — and, to Parisians’ great relief, chef Mathieu Pacaud still serves the restaurant’s original blue-lobster salad. The lavish semi-rotunda dining room features exquisite flower arrangements, tall potted palms and grandiose chandeliers. We started with a refreshing wild sea bass marinated in a lime-leaf juice, followed by the signature langoustines with basil, which were perfectly crispy yet tender. And the rum baba on the dessert trolley was too tempting to resist! The fare here is excellent, but the service is lacking. As soon as our food was served, we were ignored. At one point, we had to stand up to find our bottle of wine (all bottles are kept near the employees’ work station) to pour ourselves a refill. Even so, I will return in summer to dine under the 100-year-old chestnut trees that tower over the restaurant’s gorgeous private garden terrace. Closed Sunday.

Laurent
41 Avenue Gabriel, 8th arr. Tel. (33) 1-42-25-00-39

Ogata

Described by The Japan Times as an “embassy for Japanese elegance in Europe,” Ogata is a hidden gem comprising a tearoom, restaurant, pastry shop, art gallery and boutique selling high-end handcrafted homewares, all housed within a 17th-century mansion in the Marais. We felt transported east as soon as we stepped into the hushed, templelike entrance hall, with its vaulted double-height ceilings and calming monastic simplicity. We were escorted to the restaurant on the second floor and seated at the long counter that wraps around a spacious, immaculate open kitchen. The silent ballet of the cooks and the precision of their movements was mesmerizing. The tasting menu began with an assortment of starters placed within a bento box of eight compartments. The soy-glazed tuna and smoked daikon offered a subtle interplay of flavors, as did the miso-glazed scallop in a delicate scallop-based broth. The binchotan-grilled pork that followed was impeccably cooked. The service, dishes and atmosphere at this serene Japanese restaurant are flawless, and we already have plans to come back for a tea ceremony.

Ogata
16 Rue Debelleyme, 3rd arr. Tel. (33) 1-80-97-76-80

La Tour d’Argent

Surely the most anticipated restaurant reopening of 2023 was the iconic La Tour d’Argent, which had closed in May 2022 for renovations. Knowing full well that, with its prime location overlooking the Seine, the restaurant will offer front-row views of the opening river parade of the 2024 summer Olympics, the owners have added a rooftop bar. Other changes include a new polo-themed bar-lounge on the ground floor and an exclusive fifth-floor apartment available for rent. La Tour d’Argent is renowned for its 400-page wine list and its specialty of pressed duck. The tradition of numbering each bird began in 1890 and, at the end of the meal, I was presented with an illustrated card with the number of my particular duck (No. 1184357). With roots that reach back to the 16th century, La Tour d’Argent manages the trick of being simultaneously historic and totally relevant. A meal here is simply an irreplicable experience. The impeccable service, elegant clientele, breathtaking panoramas and fine cuisine make this one of our favorite tables in town.

La Tour d’Argent
15 Quai de la Tournelle, 5th arr. Tel. (33) 1-43-54-10-08

Maxim’s

This restaurant and jazz haunt dating to 1893 was the place to see and be seen in its heyday. An art nouveau masterpiece, Maxim’s was where wealthy tycoons and aristocrats could rub shoulders with celebrities, and it drew renowned personalities including Jean Cocteau, Brigitte Bardot, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Marlene Dietrich. The luster of this establishment slowly faded after its owners began licensing its name to companies producing Champagne, chocolates and even coffee mugs. In October 2023, Paris Society, a high-end restaurant group, took over the management of this grande dame, with the goal of restoring the establishment’s prestige. This was a siren call to revisit it. We were led through a maze of extravagant rooms to our table. The carved mahogany panels, walls adorned with intricately designed bronze foliage and stained-glass detailing were a feast for the eyes. The traditional fare isn’t especially imaginative — I dined on sea bass carpaccio in a lemon-and-basil-infused olive oil and beef fillet paired with a truffled potato gratin — but it was all flavorful and well presented. As waiters in tuxedos and bow ties maneuvered through the crowded space while a pianist crooned love songs, we couldn’t help but be smitten by this old bastion.

Maxim’s
3 Rue Royale, 8th arr. Tel. (33) 1-42-65-27-94