France - Best of the Best
A handful of the top 30 best rated designs are shown here. For the remainder, see book information below.
France - 'Very' Best of the Best
Pavillion Ledoyen - Paris
An exceptional, understated, yet uniquely detailed and elegant room. The main walls are all custom bay windows that flood the space with natural light and great views of the Champs-Élysées gardens. The ornate ceiling molding continues to the very ornamental patterned back wall. White shade floor lamps surround the room, topped with warm Art Deco-inspired ceiling lamps. Dining tables look at the windows and are surrounded by square back Louis XVI-inspired style chairs in a muted green-colored velvet.
Epicure - Paris
French Architect Pierre-Yves Rochon designed a very large dining room by 3-star standards with over 45 tables. The best tables overlook the Le Bristol hotel's French garden and terrace. Fine draperies, coffered ceilings, classic lamp-shaded chandeliers, and white-washed Louis XVI chairs create a timeless sophistication in this bright sunlit room. A fireplace has an 18th-century painting of a waterfall above it. Baccarat crystal and white bone china dinner service created by Raynaud in Limoges and silver cutlery exclusively made by Christofle - the exclusive old guard triad for the best French tabletop.
Le Pré Catelan - Paris
The first thing you notice in the dining room are the tall and stately marble Corinthian-style columns and bas-reliefs. They frame custom-draped windows looking out to a garden with a fireplace on the opposite wall. The color scheme is mainly green with black, white, and silver accents. Neutral-colored Louis XVI 'modern club style' dining chairs and some object d'art, including tall white urns, are the only notes of modernity in the room. Green tufted sofa seats adorn the corners of the room. A custom rug covers most of the room's floor with an elegant large chandelier with shades above it.
Les Prés d'Eugénie - Eugénie-les-Bains
The restaurant is set in a stately old chateau mansion with lush grounds. The timeless dining room has a country French décor, less formal than its city cousins. Old stone floors, fireplaces, and exposed, very old unpainted rustic wood ceilings are complimented by food and hunting scenes paintings on the walls. Tables covered with white table cloths are surrounded by Louis XV cane-back French provincial chairs. Chef and owner - Michel Guérard developed this room over a 40-year period. This restaurant is so timeless that if it were 1983, you would not note anything looked newer for this country French style, which was at the height of popularity back then.
La Vague d'Or - Saint-Tropez
Recently remodeled by renowned French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the dining room has been transformed to a more modern decor that includes sleek lines, modern art, light vertical wood tones, very comfortable large upholstered barrel back chairs, soft blue carpeting, and water glasses reflecting the water outside the window. It has stunning views over the petite plage and bay. On the large terrace in a French chateau setting, elegant dark metal ladder-back chairs with off-white cushions are set amongst pine trees.
France - Top Favorite 'Best of the Best' Designs That Did Not Make The Top Restaurants List
Their rating is below Michelin 3 stars and Gault & Millau 18.
Ducasse At The Meurice - Paris
Inspired by the Salon de la Paix at the Château de Versailles and designed by Philippe Starck. Crystal chandeliers, gilded glass, paintings and moldings, antique mirrors, bronzes, marbles, and frescos with views of the Tuileries gardens through floor-to-ceiling windows. A modern touch is added with white sculpted armchairs with round bases.
The Restaurant des Rois - Beaulieu-sur-Mer
The most stunning grand room with a view for lunch in the world, in my opinion. A very long room with high vaulted ceilings and crystal chandeliers, inlaid wood floors, and very large windows with elegant draperies overlooking the Mediterranean and terrace dining.
Les Crayères 'Restaurant Le Parc' - Reims
The country home version of Le Cinq with Louis VXI wood-paneled walls and armchairs, rich tapestries, and bronze object d'art in a park setting.
11 Madison Park - New York City
A very large modern room with a very high, custom millwork ceiling, hanging art deco pendant lights, very large windows, and a muted neutral color palette with grays and browns). Seating includes round back upholstered dark wood armchairs, dark blue fabric and wood-backed custom banquettes, inlaid rugs, and a focal point abstract painting of Madison Square Park by Rita Ackermann.
Guy Savoy - Las Vegas
The restaurant's entrance has the same heavy modern woods as the dining room like the amuse-bouche telling of courses to come. Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the architect and designer who redesigned the Paris restaurant, made the theme for the Las Vegas restaurant with warm dark thick slatted woods extending to unusually high ceilings reminiscent of skyscrapers soaring to the sky. A glass wine wall with over 1000 selections, very colorful contemporary abstract art compliments recessed lighting for the white walls and spots for the widely spaced round (preferred) tables. The 75-seat dining room has an intelligent, clean, elegant modern design more evocative of New York City than Las Vegas or Paris. A large window frames the Eiffel Tower replica from the patio at the Paris hotel across the street.
Le Bernadin - New York City
A modern masculine room with Mies van der Rohe style flat bar steel and dark brown leather chairs, extensive custom teak woodwork from the ceiling down, and a very long mural of ocean waves. The waves are continued by walls framed with teak block screens, vertical metal twisted screens, and metal and fabric window sheers, creating a 'fishbowl' feel for this seafood/fish-oriented restaurant. The very smart lounge area has an onyx-wrapped bar with leather banquettes.
Per Se - New York City
World-renowned interior designer Adam Tihany designed the split-level dining room with a cozy fireplace, a coffered modern ceiling and lighting, Roman shades, and warm wood accents. Accents include tall six-light floor lamps with white shades and an artful display on the back wall of three groupings of sticks of wood resembling waves. Transitional French rococo dining room chairs further set the tone giving a nod to the French influence in the menu, reflecting Keller's training in France. Architecturally, it is a modern New York City room with Central Park providing the majority of the artwork. The Salon or bar area is inviting, having a modern 'club' feeling to it, as well as having a much lower-priced menu that requires less time to dine.
Le Cinq - Paris
The way I would design an updated yet classical, opulent, regal, and elegant space. One of my favorite grand dining rooms in the world. Stunning and classical yet not feeling dated with French rococo architectural details with gilt molding accents. The rococo continues with side tables and mirrors; custom coffered high ceilings; Louis XVI round back gold chairs; very tall palm tree accents for color and softness; stunning flower displays, and finally, carpeting that looks very Aubusson'esk'. The large dining room with 60 seats provides very widely spaced tables. Altogether, it evokes an air of opulent yet restrained regality.
Le Louis XV - Monte Carlo
Probably the world's most ornate and magnificent Belle Epoque dining room design. While retaining the elaborate and detailed Versailles-inspired ceiling and walls of the original space, they have used new colors and modern furniture to make the room less stifling. Very unique modern leather and chrome armchairs and a modern circular chandelier do not detract from one of the most ornate custom ceilings you will find anywhere. At eye level, there is a modern simplicity that will distract less from the dishes when eating than the older, all-classical room. Still, between dishes, you can look higher up and have plenty to look at and see the grandeur of one of the most regal rooms in the world for dining.
France -Top Favorite 'Very Best of the Best' Design
That Did Not Make The Top Restaurants List
Rated below Michelin 3 stars and Gault & Millau 18 threshold.
Jean Imbert at Plaza Athénée - Paris
The designer Rémi Tessier, wanted to celebrate the restaurant's history, steeped in the grandeur of a palace with 20,000 gold leaves adorning the walls and ceiling domes with large crystal chandeliers overhead. A long 12-meter royal banqueting table with a Breccia red marble top runs the length of the dining room down the center. Intimate smaller tables with lamps are next to the walls. A domed ceiling with gold-leaf medallions, gilded Corinthian columns, and custom wall panels is completed with an Aubusson'esk' carpet and hardwood floors with marble urns.
Ranking Best Interior Designs
United States - Best of Best
To buy a copy in ebook, paperback or hardcover format on Amazon, click here:
These are just a few of the top 30 restaurant designs from only two countries. For the remainder, see book information below