The Verdict
Jean-Louis Nomicos grew up in Allauch, above Marseille, learning Provençal cooking over his grandmothers' shoulders from Reboul's bible. He spent his twenties with Alain Ducasse, five of those years as sous-chef at the three-Michelin-star Louis XV in Monaco. The macaroni he stuffs with black truffle, duck foie gras and celery, blanketed in béchamel and gratinéed under parmesan, he invented at the Grande Cascade in 1995, and it has followed him ever since: through the two stars he held at Lasserre, and here to 16 avenue Bugeaud, where it anchors a menu that opens at €55 at lunch.
The Kitchen
Nomicos earned his grounding the hard way: a CAP from the Marseille hotel school, then, at eighteen, a decade with Ducasse that ran from Juan-les-Pins to those five years at Louis XV. His cooking is Provençal at the root and classical in its discipline. The signature is that macaroni, fresh tubes piped with black truffle, duck foie gras and celery, blanketed in béchamel and gratinéed under parmesan, a dish he created at the Grande Cascade in 1995 and carried through the two Michelin stars he held at Lasserre between 2001 and 2010. Les Tablettes opened on avenue Bugeaud in December 2010 and took its star within the year; it still holds one in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide France, and Nomicos collected a Gault&Millau d'Or in 2024. Lunch starts at €55; the dinner tasting menus run €98 to €150, with à la carte around €130. He has consulted back at Lasserre since 2019, but the avenue Bugeaud kitchen, now trading simply as Nomicos, is the one with his name on the door.
The Room
The room is small and unshowy: a calm, contemporary dining room in a residential pocket of the 16th near Victor Hugo, more hushed than the palace dining rooms a few métro stops east. Tables are spaced for conversation, the service is formal without being stiff, and the lighting is low enough to flatter. Dress is smart-formal; this is the 16th, and the regulars dress for it. It is a room built for talking and tasting, not for being seen.
Best for Impressing a Client
Book this room to impress a client who actually knows Paris. Three reasons: the Ducasse and Louis XV pedigree reads instantly to anyone fluent in French kitchens; the 16th address signals discretion rather than spectacle; and the macaroni is the kind of single, legible dish you can recommend across the table without a lecture. It is a quieter flex than booking Le Cinq or L'Ambroisie, which is precisely the point with a guest who has already done the palaces.
Not For
Not for a buzzy night out or a first date built on people-watching: this is a hushed, formal, truffle-and-Burgundy room where the bill climbs quickly, and the pleasure is in the cooking, not the scene.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nomicos worth it? Yes, if you value technique over theatre. Jean-Louis Nomicos cooks at the level that earned two Michelin stars at Lasserre, and his truffle-and-foie-gras macaroni is one of the most original dishes in modern Paris. The room is quiet and the 16th setting low-key, so go for the food and the pedigree rather than a scene. Lunch from €55 makes the kitchen unusually accessible for its class.
How hard is it to book Nomicos? Not especially hard by Paris standards. Two to three weeks ahead is usually enough, and lunch is easier than dinner. Reserve online or by phone. Truffle season, roughly December to March, tightens availability because that is when the macaroni is at its peak, so book earlier if the black truffle is your reason for coming. See more options in our Paris dining guide.
What is the dress code at Nomicos? Smart-formal. This is a Michelin-starred room in the 16th arrondissement, where regulars dress for dinner; a jacket for men is the safe call, though a tie is not required. Avoid trainers and shorts. The tone is residential elegance rather than flash, so err toward the understated.
What does dinner cost at Nomicos? Expect roughly €98 to €150 per person for the dinner tasting menus, with à la carte around €130 before wine. Lunch is the value entry point, starting near €55. Wine pushes the total well up, particularly if you pair the truffle macaroni with Burgundy. Prices exclude drinks; service is included in French custom.
What should I order at Nomicos? Order the macaroni stuffed with black truffle, duck foie gras and celery, gratinéed under parmesan. Nomicos invented it at the Grande Cascade in 1995 and it is the dish to define the meal around. Build the rest from the seasonal tasting menu, lean on the sommelier for a Burgundy, and in winter make sure the black truffle is on the table.
Also in Paris
Explore the full Paris dining guide, or read our best restaurants to impress clients, where to close a deal in Paris, and birthday dinner picks. In the same 16th bracket, compare Hexagone and Pages.
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