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Three Michelin stars and a dining room that opens onto a private French garden — the most light-filled romantic table in Paris. Reserve a month out.
Why Épicure Ranks #32 Most Romantic
The macaroni arrives stuffed with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras, gratinated under aged Parmesan — and it has been on the menu at Épicure for years. Eric Frechon's flagship dining room at Le Bristol holds three Michelin stars, but its place at #32 on our Top 50 most romantic restaurants worldwide is earned by the room as much as the cooking: it is bright, white and garden-facing, the rare Parisian three-star that romances you in daylight.
Frechon has run the kitchens at Le Bristol since 1999 and won the third star in 2009, holding it ever since. His cooking is classical French at full voltage — the Bresse hen cooked in a pig's bladder with vin jaune sauce is the other signature, carved tableside — and the service is the formal, choreographed Parisian standard. The wine list is one of the deepest in the city, and the sommeliers steer confidently between Burgundy and Champagne.
What sets Épicure apart from the city's darker, cellar-bound rooms is light and green. The dining room opens onto Le Bristol's interior French garden, and the most requested romantic seats look directly onto it. For a proposal lunch or an anniversary that you want suffused with daylight rather than candlelight, there is no better address in the 8th.
The Signature: Truffle Macaroni and the Bresse Hen
Two dishes define the kitchen. The macaroni — filled with black truffle, artichoke and foie gras, finished with aged Parmesan — is Frechon's most copied creation and the one regulars order on sight. The Bresse hen, poached whole in a pig's bladder with a vin jaune and morel sauce, is the showpiece for two, carved at the table. Build the meal around either and let the sommelier pair a mature Burgundy alongside.
How to Book Épicure
The tasting menu runs roughly €390 per person, with à la carte higher; the garden-side lunch is the more romantic and slightly gentler way in. Reserve three to six weeks ahead for a prime evening or a window-facing midday table. Book through Le Bristol's dining team directly.
The dress code is formal — jacket expected. Épicure sits inside Le Bristol Paris at 112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement, steps from the Élysée Palace and the city's luxury houses.
Who It's Not For
Skip Épicure if you want intimacy through darkness and intensity — this is a luminous, formal grand-hotel dining room, not a hushed corner table for two. It is a poor fit for a casual date or a budget evening; the spend is at the very top of Paris pricing with no soft entry point at dinner. Diners who find tableside ceremony and jacket-required service stiff rather than romantic will be happier elsewhere.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the chef at Épicure?
Eric Frechon, executive chef at Le Bristol since 1999, who won the restaurant's third Michelin star in 2009. Épicure is his flagship dining room and a three-star fixture in the MICHELIN Guide France.
What is the signature dish?
Macaroni stuffed with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras under aged Parmesan, alongside the Bresse hen cooked in a pig's bladder with vin jaune sauce.
Why is it considered romantic?
The dining room is bright and garden-facing, opening onto Le Bristol's interior French garden rather than a dark cellar. The garden-side tables are among the most requested romantic seats in Paris.
How much is dinner and how far ahead should I book?
The tasting menu runs about €390 per person; à la carte is higher. Reserve three to six weeks ahead for a prime evening or garden-side lunch; the dress code is formal.
Related Reading
- Top 50 Most Romantic Restaurants Worldwide. The full editorial ranking, of which Épicure is #32.
- Paris restaurant guide. The full city directory across every occasion.
- Best Paris tables for a proposal · romantic first-date rooms.
- Browse all RFK Top 50 rankings.
- Top 50 Most Romantic. How the garden rooms compare with the candlelit cellars on the list.