• Le Grand Véfour (Paris): There aren’t many restaurants where you can both savor an exquisite meal and eat it in a room where Napoléon Bonaparte once dined. Tucked under an arcade at the Palais Royal, Le Grand Véfour has fed everyone from Cocteau to Colette amid magnificent 18th-century decor—now it’s your turn. 
  • Le Domaine des Hauts de Loire, between Blois and Amboise (Loire): For more than 20 years, Rémy Giraud has been wowing locals and weary château-hoppers at his double-Michelin-starred restaurant. The menu showcases seasonal and regional ingredients, such as Aquitaine caviar on pecan shortbread or crispy Gatinais quail with celery cream. 
  • La Roche le Roy, Tours (Loire): The finest in Touraine cuisine is delicately prepared at this award-winning 18th-century manor. Maximilien Bridier adds contemporary flair to traditional dishes like meunière of Saint Pierre fish drizzled in Persian lime.
  • Didier Méril, Dinard (Brittany): Savor the best catches and flavors of Brittany at this well-loved local restaurant set in a picturesque stone building overlooking the beautiful Bay of Prieuré. 
  • L’Atlantide, Nantes (Brittany): The most inventive take on Breton cuisine can be sampled at this sleek panoramic restaurant dominating the city and the Loire River. Tantalize your palate with Chef Jean-Yves Guého's creative delights of ginger-glazed veal sweetbreads or ravioli of merlan in a lemongrass broth.
  • Auberge de l’Ill, north of Colmar (Alsace): For over 100 years the Haeberlin family have tempted gastronomes to their exceptional restaurant. They’ve maintained their three Michelin stars since 1967 with dishes like fillet of venison coated with grilled buckwheat and herb Kasknepfla and served with wild mushrooms and spicy beetroot compote.
  • Chez Yvonne, Strasbourg (Alsace): Sink your teeth into some of the region’s best sausage and choucroute at this charming winstub, a favorite with the locals since 1873. 
  • L’Escargot, Carcassonne (Languedoc-Roussillon): Serving great—and great-value—tapas, this bistro and wine bar is the place for a light lunch on the terrace. Try snails, Iberico ham, caramelized foie gras, and patatas bravas, and you’re set up for an afternoon walking around the ramparts of the fortified city. 
  • La Planque de l’Evêque, Albi (Languedoc-Roussillon): You’ll find it difficult to discover a more idyllic spot than this restaurant that looks out to the spectacular red brick cathedral. Make the short journey across the river for a south of France feast of red mullet with confit tomatoes and tapenade, chicken supreme with mushroom risotto, and a chestnut crème brûlée. 
  • Ostalamer, St-Jean-de-Luz (The Basque Country): Sample chipirones à la plancha with a side order of incredible views over the Atlantic at this wonderful restaurant in the Basque region. 
  • Pressoir d'Argent, Bordeaux (Bordeaux): One of the best restaurants in a city that is increasingly packed full of great places to eat, the Pressoir d'Argent is overseen by Gordon Ramsay and has a brilliant wine list that goes way beyond simply Bordeaux. 
  • La Couronne, Rouen (Normandy): Julia Child enjoyed her first-ever French meal at this traditional Norman restaurant. A bustling auberge in business for more than 6 centuries—and pulling in plenty of celebrity diners along the way—La Couronne makes the most of this region’s hearty produce, from côte de boeuf (rib steak) to aged Camembert cheeses. 
  • Marché aux Poissons, Trouville (Normandy): This fish market’s dozen seafood stalls perch on the banks of the Touques River. Each one will happily plate up your own unique plateau de fruits de mer (seafood platter): Take your pick of fresh oysters, lobsters, scallops and more, then dig in at one of the market tables. Be sure to order a glass of Normandy’s famous cider (cidre), a delicate, fermented version of apple juice that is a refreshing alcoholic tipple. 
  • Café de la Table Ronde, Grenoble (The French Alps): Founded in 1739, this is the second oldest cafe in France; only the well-touted Procope in Paris is older. The delicious fondue Savoyarde is the epitome of French alpine cuisine. 
  • Auberge du Père-Bise, Talloires (The French Alps): Helmed by Jean Sulpice, who received two Michelin stars at his Val Thorens restaurant, here the rich and famous enjoy dishes such as foie gras mousse on the shore of Lake Annecy. 
  • L’Assiette Champenoise, Reims (Champagne Country): This three-Michelin-star restaurant was voted 13th best restaurant in the world by La Liste 2018. 
  • Maison Lameloise, Chagny (Burgundy): Burgundian cuisine with a Modern French touch is the reason to visit this three-Michelin star restaurant in the heart of the vineyards. 
  • Régis et Jacques Marcon (Rhône Valley): On a plateau overlooking the Mézenc hills, this three-Michelin-starred restaurant abounds in local flavors such as Puy lentils, chestnuts, and mushrooms grown in the nearby pinewoods. This outstanding restaurant has created a village empire that now includes a cooking school, bakery, hotel and spa. 
  • Oustau de Baumanière, Les Baux (Provence): The cinematic setting of the ancient fortress of Les Baux had troubadours singing in its streets during the Middle Ages. Today it is no less romantic. Several picturesque hideaways are tucked into the hills surrounding the village, including this double-Michelin-starred gem housed in a 16th-century farmhouse. 
  • L'Atelier Jean-Luc Rabanel, Arles (Provence): Fixed-price tasting menus—no à la carte allowed—are becoming increasingly popular. If you’re ready to put yourself in the hands of one of France’s most talented chefs, try Jean-Luc Rabanel’s sublime creations. This culinary genius cultivates most of his organic ingredients himself. 
  • La Merenda, Nice (Riviera): Utterly unpretentious, this snug bistro doesn’t take reservations or credit cards. But it remains one of the Riviera’s top spots for sampling traditional Niçois cuisine. Try slow-cooked beef daube, petits-farcis (stuffed vegetables), and pissaladière, a pizza-like local flatbread topped with caramelized onions. 
  • Le Louis XV, Monaco (Riviera): Superchef Alain Ducasse oversees this iconic restaurant—regularly rated as one of the finest in the world—located in Monte-Carlo’s Hôtel de Paris. Dining is extravagant, with fare steeped in lavish ingredients, from white truffles to foie gras, and served in an ornate, golden dining room. Yet many dishes of elegant simplicity are equally magnificent. Best for serious epicureans. 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.