Arc de Triomphe
No one comes to Paris for Italian food. But if you return to Paris after several weeks of traveling in France, you may think an Italian restaurant sounds like a refreshing change of pace.
In a city that’s legendary for its food, you can expect the Italian restaurants to be as good as their French counterparts. They have to be outstanding to stay in business.
You’ll find classical Italian cooking as well as French-influenced interpretations. And wine lists with lots of Italian choices rarely found in the French restaurants of Paris.
Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Paris:
1) Bellagio
In the 17th, behind La Meridien Hotel, Bellagio serves excellent thin-crust pizzas, traditional favorites like beef carpaccio, osso bucco, and veal piccata, as well as rack of lamb and grilled prawns. Save room for the Baba al Limoncello.
2) Casa Luca
Whether you’re dining by the fireplace in the Pierre-Yves Rochen-designed dining room or at a sidewalk table facing the Arc de Triomphe, you’ll feel like you’ve arrived. Start with prosecco with Sardinian liquor, then have the Parma ham, and saltimbocca or veal with black truffles.
Casa Luca
3) Emporio Armani Caffé
Stop by between 5PM and 8PM on a weekday for Italian cocktails and appetizers like risotto with Fontina cheese or white truffles, or antipasto. Christian Liaigre designed the modern, Milan-style restaurant above the Aramani shop in Saint-Germain-des-Pres. It’s always packed with high-fashion types.
4) I Golosi
The name means “those who are fond of good food,” and I Golosi delivers. The menu here changes weekly based on what’s at its peak. Depending on what’s fresh, you might have Tripe Naples-style, risotto with calamari, pasta with cauliflower, or rabbit braised in beer. Great selection of Italian wines.
5) Il Vino
Wine lovers will enjoy Il Vino, where guests order wine and the chef creates dishes to match. The restaurant is the brain child of Enrico Bernardo who was named the world’s best sommelier in 2005. The four-course, four-wine tasting menu is a good value at 95 EUR per person.
6) L’Assaggio
In the Hotel Castille dining room formerly occupied by Il Cortile, L’Assaggio showcases the culinary skill of Vittoria Beltramelli. Pastas and risottos are especially delicious. In summer, you can dine in the pretty courtyard by the fountain.
7) La Taverna,
In a swanky part of the 7th, not far from the Eiffel Tower, chef Gustavo Andreoli specializes in risotto and the cuisine of Lombardy. You’ll find original dishes like pear risotto, Tallegio cheese and arugula tart, and tagliatelle with duck ragu. Desserts are terrific too.
8) L’Osteria
If you’re looking for Italian food in the Marais, make reservations at L’Osteria. With room for just 36 lucky diners, it’s usually full. If it’s on the menu — which changes frequently — try the spider crab on greens, lobster risotto, or gnocchi with white truffle.
9) San Francisco
Looking much the same as when it opened in 1947, San Francisco serves dishes from the Marches region of Italy. Veal with tuna sauce, linguini with clams, swordfish, and home-made pasta are specialties.
10) Sormani
When they’re in season, truffles are all over the menu at Sormain, which is not far from the Place de l‘Etoile. In fact, you can have them with every course. Sormani has one Michelin star, and the prices reflect that.
Find other Top 10 Italian Restaurant lists here.
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Arc de Triomphe Image Flickr: Guillaume Cattiaux
Casa Luca Image courtesy of Casa Luca.
