April 2026 Restaurant Buzz: Where to Eat in Paris

April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
No one can ever reprise 

Penned by E.Y. “Yip” Harburg in 1932, the haiku-like lyrics of “April in Paris” are an ode to spring in our favorite capital. The music, by Vernon Duke, is harmonically and melodically idiosyncratic. La Cuisine Paris, the beloved cookery school, notes that “Saint-Félicien cheese is at its best in April, paired with chilled Sancerre.” Michelin Guide 2026 notes that this year, “small restaurants are dominating, often helmed by chefs who’ve left larger, Michelin-star, kitchens to create their own relaxed, high-concept spaces.” Here’s the latest food news in the French capital.   

By the way – “The only weapon I tolerate is the corkscrew.” – Jean Carmet, French actor (1920-1994)

Monsieur Dior – Yannick Alléno 

At the glittering 2026 Michelin Guide France and Monaco ceremony, Monsieur Dior restaurant at 30 Montaigne was awarded its first star – after only seven months serving delicious food to happy diners, who confirm, “this distinction recognizes the fusion of the creative universe of the House of Dior and the sublime cuisine of Chef Yannick Alléno.” 

Monsieur Dior is located in the heart of 30 Montaigne, the sumptuous private mansion where Dior was founded in 1946 and still preserves its historic workshops. Helmed by Yannick Alléno since September 2025, the culinary domains include three exciting spaces (also a pâtisserie and café). How about L’After-noon Tea de Monsieur Dior? Splurge on the Menu Montaigne €145-€175, or go a la carte with Couture Lasagne served with artichoke pleats (€43), the Iconic Salad (€41)and the chocolate soufflé tart (€27). 

Alléno now has 18 Michelin stars at restaurants around the world. With 30 Montaigne, he sought to create a restaurant that Monsieur Dior would design if he were alive today. The menu is imagined like a fashion collection. Exciting!

DETAILS

32 avenue Montaigne, 8th 
Metro: Franklin D Roosevelt 
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 73 53 63 

L’Arrêt by The Grey 

United by a shared vision of what makes food delicious, multi-talented restaurateur Johno Morisano and award-winning chef Mashama Bailey got together to create The Grey, located in the USA in the historic center of Savannah, Georgia. Having celebrated The Grey’s 10th anniversary, Mashama and Johno expanded their horizons by launching a restaurant in the 7th arrondissement, introducing Parisians to the culinary scene of the American South.

DETAILS

36 rue de l’Université, 7th 
Metro: rue du Bac 
Tel: +33 (0)9 84 00 09 08 
Never on Sunday! 
Lunch €25-33 or A La Carte €30-40 
Dinner €50-70 + wine 

Galanga by Monsieur George

This achingly chic space is located in the Art Deco-inspired Hotel Monsieur George, just off the Champs Elysées, with outside eating and Eiffel Tower views. At the helm the nice, Nice-born chef Florian Gravelle creates modern menus with sun-drenched Mediterranean dishes with veggies playing the starring roles. High-precision cooking, big-boned jus and delicately balanced seasonings set the scene, illustrated by, say, marinated fillet of mackerel in tosazu vinegar. Desserts are equally exciting – here’s the quintessence of fine dining paired with suitably slick service (€100+). Florian Gravelle recommends starting with a Monsieur George cocktail, fruity with Havana rum, Acai Berry liquor, and cedrat syrup (€23). And don’t ignore teatime! From 3:30- 6 pm,  the chef presents his daily inspirations (€50). 

DETAILS

17 rue Washington, 8th 
Metro: George V 
Tel: +33 (0)1 87 89 4848 

Manko  

This legendary address has reopened with a redesign and an exciting new menu by chef Melio Oriundo Chavez. Nestled in the basement of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, this reinvented venue combines spectacular décor and cuisine which celebrates the alliance between Peru and Japan. The finesse of Japanese techniques sublimates the power of Andean products: hot ceviche, refined tiraditos and charcoal-grilled meats. 

The new design by talented Sophie Lacroix creates a warm atmosphere with golden and mineral hues. Check out Manko Loko (a sexy weekly event on Thursday evenings) with live performances, musicians and DJ sets, transforming dinner into a memorable celebration. 

DETAILS

15 avenue Montaigne, 8th 
Metro: George V 
Tel: +33 (0)1 82 28 00 15 
Monday-Friday Lunch 12 noon-3 pm, Dinner 7 pm-2 am 
Saturday Dinner & Cocktails 7 pm-2 am

Prunier – Le Sunday Brunch Club 

Prunier is launching Brunch! RDV at this iconic address for a new Sunday experience with a jazz playlist surrounded by historic decor. Dishes include: salmon gravlax; soft-boiled egg with caviar; a plate of six Carnac oysters; Norwegian eggs; avocado toast; the Bikini – a brioche croque monsieur with salmon roe and guacamole; toast de caviar façon Jondal; clams with caviar beurre blanc; a selection of Prunier caviars; Mediterranean carabineros prawns; Yuzu sea bream tartare; Wagyu beef tartare.

The highlight is the Art Deco bar, where pastry chef Francesca’s dessert buffet awaits! French toast, assorted fruit, homemade whipped cream, strawberry pavlova, canelés, blueberry clafoutis. Upstairs, the children (future caviar-0-philes) gather enthusiastically around games and workshops. On their table? Pasta with homemade tomato sauce or fried monkfish nuggets. For dessert, it’s pure nostalgia: chocolate mousse or a scoop of Berthillon ice cream. 

“With this brunch, Prunier isn’t just adding another chapter to its story, the Maison is excited to offer a new way to enjoy your Sundays,” explains Benjamin Patou, president of the restaurant group that now runs Prunier.

DETAILS

Brunch price: €75 / €32 junior caviar-o-philes
16 avenue Victor Hugo, 16th 
Metro: Victor Hugo/Charles de Gaulle Etoile 

Leriche – Cuisine Antillaise 

Guadeloupean chef Jean-Rony Leriche opens the heavy door of his braising oven, and aromas of smoke, herbs, citrus and caramel waft through the kitchen. Divine! On the grill, the chef has arranged drumsticks and chicken thighs, as well as fillets of sea bass. Before the glowing embers, he feeds the fire with successive additions: coconut shells, banana peel, eggshells, sugarcane stalks. Leriche offers the only Caribbean gastronomic experience in Paris, using ingredients gathered in the Antilles.

“What I put on the fire depends on what nature provides,” explains Jean-Rony Leriche who returns frequently to the Antilles, bringing back treasures such as adò yam, soursop, okra, and breadfruit, extending this connection to the plant world in the tiny garden of his home in Vanves (Hauts-de-Seine) where he cultivates herbs and aromatic plants to enhance his cooking.

At Leriche, the only restaurant in the capital to claim a gastronomic approach to Caribbean cuisine, “boucanage” (smoking) acts as a heritage, a language, an anchor. “In the Antilles, where the climate’s hot and humid,” explains the chef, “this method of cooking over fire was initially used to better preserve food, protect the meat, and extend its shelf life.”

DETAILS

16, rue Brey, 17th 
Closed Sunday & Monday 
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 54 03 33 
Metro: Ternes 

Spring gift idea – no calories! 

Conversations from Paris by… Terrance Gelenter. “Your American friend in Paris” has spent decades in conversation with the people who shape our understanding of film, food, literature, and history. In this collection drawn from his much loved podcast Café Terrance, TG sits down with 27 remarkable guests – biographers, filmmakers, war correspondents, chefs, critics, and cultural icons – and transforms their exchanges into intimate, first-person narratives that read like the best kind of memoir.