Restaurant

Best restaurant in world is in France, say Tripadvisor reviews

The eaterie’s original dishes, top-notch service and beautiful setting were all praised

Cheese naan was our invention, says Paris’ first Indian restaurant

The Indian restaurant favourite may in fact be a French invention dating back to the 1960s

MAP: Where do diners tip the most in France - and how much is usual?

It is more widespread in some regions, but nowhere is it as common as in America

news

52 new Michelin star restaurants in France - is there one near you?

See our list region by region

Can you bring your own wine to a French restaurant?

The practice is becoming increasingly popular as people’s budgets are squeezed, but it is important to be 100% clear on the restaurant’s rules before showing up bottle-in-hand

Bustling French brasseries offer delicious food and stunning decor

We explore eight iconic brasseries across France for traditional, good-value meals in sumptuous surroundings

Can French restaurants ask for card details to make a reservation?

No-shows are having a significant impact on restaurants

Michelin Guide to include exceptional French hotels

The hotel guide will use keys instead of stars to show excellence, as a way to ‘establish a truly trusted benchmark for the hotel industry’

French restaurants add €5 to bill if you do not eat all your meal

The move aims to raise awareness of the rising cost of food - and the growing issue of food waste

Trend for simple traditional restaurants continues in north France

Old-fashioned ‘bouillons’ are being revived and aim to provide dishes at low prices that people could have been served by their grandmothers

Restaurant in France sets prices depending on what diners can afford

The charity restaurant wants to people from different backgrounds to mix by reducing prices for those who are struggling

Buy a €50 ticket for chance to win a restaurant in France

The owners came up with the novel way to sell their family restaurant after repeated failures to find a buyer by the usual methods

Popeyes, Wendy's, McDo: why fastfood restaurants are booming in France

Fast-food outlets from more and more companies are growing in France.

How to find good local restaurants when travelling in France

From dedicated apps to using your own network, we look at tips on how to seek out the best local eateries

Lyon restaurants turn out the lights to protest soaring energy bills

Dozens of restaurants served dinner by candlelight to highlight enormous financial difficulties

The 2023 Fooding Guide announces its best restaurants in France

Categories for the offbeat guide include best bistrot, best team spirit, best ‘antidepressant’ and best for little luxuries, with an eclectic mix of sites from across the country

French vegan restaurant closes a year after winning Michelin star

Chef-owner Claire Vallée says she had to shut down as she could not find enough staff despite being fully booked months in advance

Michelin 2021: Vegan restaurant first in France to win star

Chef Claire Vallée’s restaurant ONA has become the first vegan site to win a star, in a ‘difficult year’ for the restaurant world

Restaurateur in France beats no-shows by charging for bookings

The bar and restaurant manager has implemented the system in a bid to deter customers from not showing up, which can be extremely costly for businesses

Photos: The Paris restaurant that serves food without plates

Diners at the vegetarian, eco-friendly Ora eat (almost) directly off the table with dishes arranged artfully on layers of recycled paper. The aim is to be original and to save on water for washing up

Restaurants try new ways to recruit to tackle chronic waiter shortages

‘Not one single CV sent in for our job ads,’ a restaurant owner tells The Connexion as the consequences of Covid lockdowns hit the industry

French restaurant whose staff have Down’s syndrome sets global example

Most of the ‘extraordinary’ staff at Le Reflet in Paris and Nantes have the condition and work in the busy restaurants with a few simple modifications

1,500 French restaurants offer 50% discount as part of food festival

Tables can be booked through TheFork website with participating restaurants located across the country. The offer will end on June 5

Bird mess, fake restaurants: Six scams to watch out for in France

From fake emails to accident set-ups, and restaurants that don’t exist, here are some of the most recent scams in France to beware of

Lyon restaurant launches monthly subscription fee for meal deals

Locals can sign up to pay around €6 per month and, in return, receive major discounts across the menu

Are any of France’s 41 new Michelin Star restaurants near you?

The 2022 edition of the guide has just been announced, and alongside the new one-star restaurants are two new Michelin three-Star restaurants

Thou shalt not overcook: How Gault & Millau’s style freed French chefs

In our series providing a sideways glance at French food, we look at the impact of nouvelle cuisine and how it helped fuel innovation in a strict business

French vaccine pass and Covid mask rules to be removed from March 14

Health pass requirements will remain in certain settings, and masks must still be worn on public transport and in medical and care establishments

Masks, speed limits, meat labels: 16 changes for residents in March

Key changes this month in France include a possible end to the vaccine pass, clocks springing forwards for summer, speed limit changes in some departments, and more

French restaurant sells homemade dishes via vending machine

Four-to-six freshly-made dishes, including chocolate mousse, foie gras and andouillette, are on offer each day

British restaurateur in Aude calls for aid amid Omicron disruption

‘We are not shirkers looking for free money, just hard working people who have never been out of work, but really require government assistance’

‘No Phone January’: Restaurant in France launches new initiative

Diners are invited to spend their entire meal without using their smartphones, in the new initiative, with a free drink offered to those who succeed

Does law ban dogs from restaurants and cafés?

We went to a café and were told by the owner that there is a law that now prohibits dogs from restaurants (even outside) and anywhere food is being served. If the establishment is found to have allowed dogs in they will be fined €250. Is this true? S.E.

Covid-19: What happens to data I give to Paris restaurants?

Anyone dining out in Paris or other maximum alert zones in France now have to provide their contact information, sometimes handwritten in a notebook.

Serge Gainsbourg’s Paris home to open to the public in spring

Over 30 years after the singer’s death, Maison Gainsbourg will host a museum, bookstore and piano-bar

When can hotels in France reopen their restaurants?

France is set to ease Covid-related restrictions over the months of May and June

French restaurant chain Buffalo Grill loses its cowboy theme and name

The retail park chain steakhouse is swapping its Wild West saloon image for an American BBQ feel

Who is eligible for €1,000 payment for unemployed people in France?

The money will be given to some jobseekers to provide encouragement, and give funding to complete training courses with companies that are hiring

Why are shopping centre chain restaurants so popular in France?

France may be better known for its haute cuisine, but anthropologist Dr Fanny Parise says Covid could see humbler retail park eateries become more popular than ever

Tips made by card in French restaurants are to be made tax free

The government is hoping to encourage more people to join the hospitality industry, which is facing huge workforce shortages. What amount is considered right to leave as a tip in France?

McDonald’s France defends charging €1.75 for ‘filtered’ tap water

The chain claims it reduces use of bottle water and thus plastic but critics question the legality of charging. We look at France’s bottled water use and how tap water costs compare within Europe

Macron: France Covid lockdown will end ‘in stages’ from May 3

The president also said that the curfew, currently at 19:00, could be made later as restaurant terraces and cultural sites are set to reopen from mid-May

US potato-dish fan in France now raising money for Restos du Coeur

The American tourist’s passionate praise of a chain potato restaurant was retweeted worldwide and he has now prompted hundreds to give to charity – including the restaurant group itself

French restaurant reveals secret of US tourist’s 'best-ever potato'

La Pataterie chain is now trending on social media after the rave review of its Pom’ Au Four Savoyarde. We ask the restaurant about its ‘amazing’ baked potato dish

Daily lunch voucher limit to stay at €38 to support French restaurants

Upper limits for using tickets restaurant rose from €19 to €38 in 2020 to help support the restaurant sector during the health crisis

What’s Your View?: A fair lunch out in France costs at least €13

Don't judge the storefront too quickly: You can get good value for money if you know how to spot good restaurants. We give you some tips

Bordeaux trials 20,000 Covid health pass bracelets in restaurants

The bracelets will allow repeated entry to some 200 venues with the bearer only having to prove once that they are fully vaccinated

Police begin spot checks on French restaurants for Covid pass checks

It comes after a week-long ‘learning period’. Rule breakers risk being fined

France extends health pass today: Rules for residents and tourists

A health pass is now required to go to restaurants, cafes and bars - including on terraces - and to use long-distance transport services and to enter hospitals in non-emergency situations. Here is how it works

‘I’m not the police’: French restaurant owners reject health pass

A health pass will be required at restaurants, cafes and bars from Monday (August 9), but many business owners are unhappy with the rule and say they will not follow it

'Easy', 'Difficult': Four French restaurants try out Covid health pass

France is set to extend its health pass rules to restaurants, cafes and bars on August 9, but a trial in the Territoire de Belfort has shown mixed feedback

New French health pass rules will start August 9, says government

Official spokesman says ‘massive’ vaccination, which health pass is designed to encourage, can stop hospitals being overwhelmed this summer and at the rentrée

6000 businesses in France say they will not ask public for health pass

A website allows service providers to declare they will not ask for the ‘pass sanitaire’ – but some establishments have found other ways to get around the new rules

France’s health pass does not have a photo so must we show ID too?

The short answer is no, but you may be asked to prove your ID by police or gendarmes outside establishments. Police unions are not happy and say officers have ‘other things to do’

French health pass: Cafes, restaurants risk €45,000 fine if no check

Restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theatres, shopping centres and more could be liable for fines and one year in prison under proposed laws

Eating out, shops: What changes for Covid rules in France from June 30

Today marks the last part of the government’s deconfinement timetable - we explain what is now allowed. Restrictions to stay in place in Landes due to cases of the Delta variant

One in 10 bars and restaurants in France shut despite new Covid rules

Smaller restaurants say it is still unprofitable for them to open

Digital minister outlines France’s health pass for travel and events

The pass will come into effect on June 9 to allow access to events with over 1,000 people and travel within the EU. There will also be a digital check-in tool for bars, restaurants and gyms to help track Covid-19 cases

France deconfinement: What is opening from May 19?

Restaurant and cafe terraces will open, as will public spaces such as cinemas at reduced capacity – but health authorities advise caution

Restaurants struggle to recruit staff as terraces reopen in France

Around 18% of workers have left the hospitality sector during the health crisis with many citing long hours and low pay as a factor in the decision

McDonald's to grade its burgers in France with health A-E Nutri-Score

Fast-food giant will use French Nutri-Score system for its products online and on its app and later in order terminals in restaurants

Covid France: How will the weather be when terraces reopen on May 19?

Outside eating and drinking areas can reopen on Wednesday after being closed for more than six months, but will the sun be shining?

Restaurant bookings in France soar ahead of May 19 reopening

Popular reservation website The Fork has reported thousands of bookings a day – up from hundreds a week ago – as customers rush to book tables ahead of the extended 21:00 curfew

Covid-19: President Macron gives four dates for easing of restrictions

The curfew will gradually get later until it ends on June 30 while terraces of cafés, restaurants and bars are set to open on May 19

Macron: Terraces and museums to reopen from mid-May across France

No firm date was given and the President also suggested that openings could be staggered across the country dependent on the local health situation

Covid France: Tests and vaccination updates April 4

Updates on the health situation in France, including when at-home Covid tests will be for sale, party organisers facing jail time, and QR codes suggested for entering restaurants

3-stage plan to reopen restaurants in France but no date set

Stage 2 of the plan would cover terraces and inside areas of cafes and restaurants. Industry representatives are hoping for mid-May for this

French restaurants hope to open for lunch in late March

A three-step plan for reopening of restaurants and bars in France was discussed by government ministers and union representatives in a meeting on March 5

Christmas chalets used to serve French restaurant takeaways

The wooden huts are usually a familiar sight around Christmas time, but enterprising restaurateurs in Limoges are now using them to serve takeaways

Restaurants must reopen for lunch in March say French MPs

Reopening will help prevent staff shortages in the sector and give workers a ‘suitable’ place to eat in the middle of the day, MPs have said

Michelin nod for French vegan restaurant is ‘call for peace'

Awarding the first star to vegan restaurant ONA in Arès is a truce call for uncivil war between vegans and meat eaters, writes Nabila Ramdani

Paris restaurant offers €1 three-course menu to students

"Restaurant extraordinaire's" meals have already sold out for next week

Restaurants back down from vow to open in protest in France

Finance minister Bruno Le Maire warned restaurants that open would be stripped of help from government solidarity funds for a month

French restaurateur in police custody after illegal opening

The Nice restaurant owner said that he would ‘take the risks’ of reopening, and said the industry is ‘in agony’, as owners call for more ‘civil disobedience’ gatherings

Restaurateurs in France fear no January reopening

Government sources have suggested that the reopening of restaurant and cafes will not happen on January 20 as previously announced