This surprisingly good-value bistro located in the high-rent seventeeth, not far from the Arc de Triomphe, has had the Paris food press buzzing since it was opened not too long ago by Japanese chef Hide Kobayashi. Be forewarned however that no sushi or California rolls are on the menu, rather there's a well-turned out classic French menu from the Robuchon trained chef. For 29€ you get perfectly cooked dishes such as leeks with vinaigrette sauce and a dusting of Guérande salt, entrecôte from Hugo Desnoyer or cod on a bed of puréed mashed potatoes, and standard yet good French desserts including île flottante and tarte tatin. Book in advance, as the tiny dining room is always packed with locals and in-the-know foodies. AM

Duck foie gras duo, part of 45€ lunch menu.

A longtime favourite of Parisian food critics, the Stella Maris only received its first Michelin star in last year’s guide. Recognition long overdue given Japanese chef Tateru Yoshino’s two decades of unswerving – almost religious – devotion to creating perfect examples of classic French cuisine, that many insist rival the best French chefs’. A recent lunch offered a taste of pristine ingredients such as the langoustine tempura, accompanied with green and white asparagus, perfectly cooked, and fillet of sole with a side of cheesy brocolli and a mind-blowingly good portion of ‘bubble and squeak’. Special mentions go to the amuse bouches of parmesan galette and gaspacho with cucumber jelly. The 45€ lunch menu is excellent value. AM

'Assortment of marinated herring, 18.50€.'
The Maison du Danemark’s downstairs restaurant is suddenly cool thanks to its masterful redesign. Classic forms like Jacobsen’s egg-chair, Boje Estermann chairs and Nanna Ditzel’s round banquette crested by a sculpture of cylindrical lights make it a living design museum, plus there’s a wooden terrace with a lush jungle of plants for the last warm days. The food is no less impressive, and the maître d’ wasn’t joking when he said we’d ordered too much: portions are truly Viking. Among the fine offerings are a plate of smoked herring in different flavours (orange, fennel, curry) and the ‘unilateral’ salmon, a huge pink slab that comes off in firm chunks from its crispy base. Meat-eaters should not miss the tender reindeer steak, served with cherry compôte, peaches, apricots and an aromatic salad with sage flowers. You’ll be encouraged to drink beer or vodka, but decent wines are also served by the glass, such as the Château Cagnan Bordeaux, a perfect match for the reindeer. At lunch the place fills up with cigar-smoking heads of industry, so come late, or better still, in the evening when a trendier crowd enjoys the artfully lit garden atmosphere.