September 2026 Restaurant Buzz: Where to Eat in Paris

“I drink to make other people more interesting.” —Ernest Hemingway 

Autumn/Harvest Festival Greetings! “Fall is the best time to eat and drink in France,” says longtime Paris resident and culinary historian David Downie. “Everyone knows that. It’s when everything comes in – it’s the harvest season.” Here’s a round-up of food and restaurant news. 

Astier

Frédéric Hubig-Schall tells BP that September’s one of his “favorite times of the year.” We adore this authentic bistro, the red check tablecloths, delicious food and divine wines. Curious to find out how Frédéric manages his restaurants (Astier, La Marée Jeanne, Jeanne A, Jeanne B, Sassotondo), we asked him to tell us about the most complicated part of running the five addresses today.  

“Recruitment”, he says. “It’s very difficult to find good staff for both cooking and waitering. Energy charges give us headaches! Electricity and gas prices have nearly doubled in the last two years.” Other costs are going up, too. “Wine, meat, fish and vegetable costs increase daily! Guests drink less wine which brings revenue loss for the restaurants.”  

Where do you source your ingredients? 

“Meat from Boucherie de La Villette, a traditional Parisian butcher, pigeons and poultry from Pornic. Fish comes via L’Ecrevisse, Rungis ,and various fishermen from the Brittany coast. Fruit and vegetables come mostly from Rungis and Ferme des Gogottes in the Seine et Marne region. Wines come directly from the producers.” 

Which is the most popular dish on the menu?

“Our most famous starters are: marinated harengs, grenaille potatoes, frog’s legs and broccoli mousse, and in winter, roasted scallops with buckwheat butter and slow stewed leeks. Our most famous main courses are roasted turbot with white butter/tarragon sauce and seasonal vegetables; beef filet, black pepper sauce, Dauphine home-made potatoes; and roasted half-pigeon, cacao and lemon, potato-cake.”  

And desserts? 

“Our most popular are the classic, rum-soaked baba topped with whipped cream, and Black Chocolate soufflé with candied kumbawa zests. And, of course, our seasonal cheese board.” 

Astier’s excellent wine list focuses on Burgundy, Rhône and Loire Valley wines.  

A favorite white is La Vie on y est, 2022 from Gramenon (Rhône Valley, €49 per bottle) and a popular red is Mercurey, Château de Chamirey 2024 (€65 per bottle, €12 euros by the glass).

DETAILS  

Lunch Menu from Monday to Saturday: €25 euros (2 courses) or €29 (3 courses)
44, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 11th
Tel: 01 43 57 16 35
Metro: Parmentier
Lunch & Dinner Monday-Thursday
Average Spend €40-€100 + wine

Ducasse-sur-Seine

No Passport required! Enjoy an Autumn “Quiet Cruise” on the 100% all-electric boat that glides along without noise or vibration. Epic views via the glass windows include the Eiffel Tower, Le Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Pont Neuf etc. Delicious food prepared fresh on the boat by chef Jean-Philippe Berens and his brigade of 36 chefs! The atmosphere’s calm – no irritating loud loudspeaker commentary. What’s not to like?

DETAILS 

19 Port Debilly, 16th
Metro: Iéna
Tel: 01 88 40 36 55
From €115-€530 + wine

Mégie – Concept Store Extraordinaire

Exciting news at this location – part of the buzzing historic quayside famous for its traditional booksellers.  Now taking on a chic contemporary style look, Mégie’s the brilliant concept of two women, Anne-Sophie Labruyère from Burgundy — who has organized high-profile culinary competitions, from the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie to the World Championship of Pâté en Croute — and Emmanuelle Tonnellier, Fine Arts graduate, who expanded the decorative side of fab floral house Claude Quinquaud. 

Serving a plant-forward, seasonal lunch menu (12 noon to 2 pm) Mégie transitions to coffee-shop mode during the day, offers wine and cheese boards in late afternoon until 6 pm and there’s no standard “seven-day schedule” because evenings are dedicated exclusively to hosting private events and floral art workshops.

DETAILS 

2ter Quai de la Megisserie, 1st
Tel: 01 40 26 64 12
Metro: Chatelet/Pont Neuf

L’Alcazar

Version 2026 – Dinner & Show 

In  the heart of Saint Germain since 1968, this iconic address writes an exciting new chapter in its history starting September 1st, 2026. Billionaire French-American businessman Walter Butler (owner of Le Paradis Latin) tells BP that this historic lieu reopens for dinner and “spectacles”, sporting luxurious, love it or loathe it décor, combining Art Deco glamour with contemporary luxury, using rich red velvet, polished brass, and sculptural marble by Bureau Lacroix. 

Among the iconic Parisian addresses tied to the avant-garde’s nightlife and art scene, L’Alcazar has staged performances from the likes of David Bowie, Liza Minnelli, Duke Ellington, Joséphine Baker, Dalida, Serge Gainsbourg and Jacques Brel.  

“For this new version, the project intends to preserve that spirit of liberté while placing it in an entirely reimagined setting”, explains Walter Butler. “The stage takes pride of place, with evenings featuring singers, dancers, acrobats and drag performers. The central banquette transforms into a podium, allowing performers to circulate right among the guests.” So, what about the food? Well taken care of by the culinary team of Zouhair and Guillaume Lutard. featuring delicious dishes including: Tarragon sea-bass mousseline: Smoked salmon heart and Beef chuck blanketed in rich Saint-Émilion wine sauce. Classic desserts of Pavlova, Vanilla-Mille Feuille, Rum Baba and, house signature, Raspberry & Liquorice Vacherin are superb. Excellent cheese selection. “Rather than interrupting dinner, the performances become part of the rhythm of the experience.

DETAILS 

Lunch from €43 – Dinner from €44 – Sunday Brunch from €32 – Children €16 approx.
62 rue Mazarine, 6th
Metro: Odeon
Tel: 01 53 10 19 99

Quelque Part…Les Abyssses

Three years ago, chef Florian Barbarot and pastry chef Pierre-Henry Lecompte joined forces to launch a restaurant with a name as mysterious as the culinary journey it offers: Somewhere… The Abyss. Behind its doors, a chic and intimate “Abysse” world evokes the seabed, a plunge into a delicious and unexpected immersive universe. To celebrate three exciting years of exquisite cuisine, the team creates an exclusive four-course tasting menu, “The Moment,” which reflects the passion for fine ingredients and the talent of the two chefs.

The Anniversary Menu, for example, features scallops as an amuse-bouche, followed by octopus confit with merguez jus, semolina maki with lamb, couscous broth with smoked vegetables; soft-boiled farm egg in a dark bread crust, roasted eryngii mushrooms and coffee butter mushroom broth; there’s yellow chicken with foie gras consommé and daikon radish, potato and buckwheat emulsion. To finish on a sweet note, there’s a mysterious chocolate shaped like a pebble, mousse-like, soft, and creamy. “These dishes will change regularly according to chef’s inspiration and the season”, they promise. Here’s a chance to (re)discover the restaurant in a new format at anniversary prices!

DETAILS 

Menu L’Instant €78
1, rue Ambroise Thomas, 9th
Closed Saturday – Open from Wednesday-Sunday for dinner
Metro: Saint Ambroise (Line 9)

Aqua Kyoto

Following success in Hong Kong, London, New York, Miami, and Dubai, Aqua’s in Paris! Launched in Hong Kong in 2000 by the Singapore-born David Yeo, the group opens Aqua Kyoto on the 7th floor of Avenue des Champs-Élysées, with and impressive terrace and epic views of our favorite capital. There’s no celebrity chef here, but rather a businessman who knows how to choose his locations and create memorable experiences. The décor’s chic and minimalist, with sushi chefs at the counter and excellent service.

Delicious dishes include black cod gyoza with green seaweed and ponzu: sushi-toro, amberjack, lobster, eel, mackerel – and the caramelized black cod with miso, yuzu cream, and broccolini is divine! The wine cellar is equally impressive, featuring Philippe Alliet Chinon, Jean Fournier Marsannay, Terrebrune, Galoupet, and Château Simone, Provence. A few off-season offerings, such as scallops in “crystal sushi,” serve as a reminder that the restaurant primarily caters to an international clientele. Desserts showcase originality with chocolate-black sesame flan and matcha ice cream or “Kyoto Forest.” Paris is at your feet.

DETAILS  

Open daily from noon-2am – Brunch is served (from €75) Saturday & Sunday 12 noon-3pm
7th floor at 26 avenue des Champs Elysées, 8th
Metro: Saint Philippe du Roule
Tel: 01 86 22 35 85

Amuse-Bouche

That fromage feeling…which is your favorite? Mine’s Epoisses! Napoleon adored its pungent, rich, creamy flavor. Made with cow’s milk in the Burgundy region in Epoisses Village, Côte d’Or – washes down well with Red Burgundy wine, bien sûr. 

Need to Know… L’Attilio (*Michelin) 

From Friday, September 11th, the restaurant launches its signature musical evenings. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:30 pm-11:30 pm, the dining space presents live performances ranging from violinists to curated DJ sets to accompany Chef Attilio Marrazzo’s exciting menu (he learned his craft chez Joel Robuchon). 

Need to Watch: “TONY” 

The Anthony Bourdain biopic (June 1956-June 2018) was directed by Matt Johnson and stars Dominic Sessa as a 19-year-old Bourdain navigating a chaotic, formative summer working in a Provincetown restaurant kitchen. The late great chef (who ended his own life) considered himself a writer first –  and a “skilled cook” second. His memoir Kitchen Confidential has sold millions of copies.