Benoit

Owner/chef: Alain Ducasse

Head chef: David Rathgeber

Remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of central Paris and enter the supreme calm and vintage sophistication of Benoit, which has been here since 1912. It was owned by the Petit family for three generations, but they sold it in 2005 to the master chef Alain Ducasse. The head chef at Benoit is the youthful David Rathgeber, who cooks bistro food with exact precision. Here the quality, preparation, taste and presentation are of the utmost importance. This place is a real treat and you will not be disappointed. Benoit is packed with individuality; a maze of small rooms with highly polished brass and gleaming glass, elegant charger plates, fine silverware and glasses...but this is where the glitz stops. The food is classic bistro cuisine cooked with care and attention. There are two chefs working front of house presenting house pâtés and tarts, and a multitude of waiters, in traditional dress, serving at tables with great warmth and ease.