42 Av. Gabriel

"Just a block from the Champs-Élysées, this restaurant is set in the elegant and luxurious La Réserve. Refinement is the name of the game in this 19C Napoleon III-style mansion done out in magnificent materials, such as gilt Spanish leather and featuring Versailles parquet flooring, as per Jacques Garcia's redesign. Jérôme Banctel asserts his unique culinary personality with two tasting menus: "Virée", a tribute to his native Brittany, and "Périple", an invitation to travel the world – taking in Japan, as well as Turkey, where the chef discovered the incomparable textures produced by cooking with lime water; there is also a game menu in season. These high-calibre menus conjure up a vast range of sensations and flavours – whether tart or sweet and sour, or drawing on spices or seafood. And his talent as a cosmopolitan alchemist enables him to draw everything together harmoniously. The full-bodied, concentrated sauces are the best way to understand this cuisine, which may be highly technical but it keeps that under wraps. The sand carrot with peppery ginger, and the artichoke heart with cherry blossom vinegar deserve a special mention. An exceptional mealtime." - Michelin Inspector

"In taking over a stately 1854 Haussmann-style hôtel particulier (private mansion) in the well-heeled 8 th arrondissement, hotelier Michel Reybier sought to revive the high elegance of 19 th -century Paris and an era of grand travel. For this Paris outpost of his revered La Réserve property (the brand already has well-established institutions in Geneva and Ramatuelle, near St. Tropez), Reybier enlisted the talents of acclaimed interior designer Jacques Garcia, whose penchant for 19 th -century Napoleon III style dovetailed beautifully with Reybier’s vision for a quintessentially Parisian abode befitting the neighborhood. The hotel is complete with a library of antique books, acigar lounge, and a 52-foot indoor pool, all reserved exclusively for guests. The interiors are done up in gold leaf embellishments and silk taffeta drapery. Rooms feature Toto toilets, and private butlers are on call for late-night cravings. Even the newer design elements, like the black-and-white tiling on the ground level, are distressed to deliver the wonderfully worn-in sheen of an old family home. Guests are welcomed in the luxurious Louis XV reception lounge, with its crimson sofas crafted by Henryot, repurposed pieces of Versailles parquet, and antique wood furnishings. Two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Gabriel serves both lunch and dinner."