Restaurant Guy Savoy

My expectations were sky-high when I arrived at Restaurant Guy Savoy: according to La List, which aggregates data from thousands of reviews and guides in 135 countries to determine the world’s thousand finest dining establishments, this is No. 1—the best restaurant on the planet. I haven’t dined at enough places to attest to that, but my meal here suggested that Guy Savoy is at least a contender for the throne.

I’d barely sat down in one of the small dining rooms, adorned with contemporary artworks, in the 17th century Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) when a champagne-laden cart rumbled into view. The ballet of friendly servers bearing tidbits—including spectacular, peppery foie gras and a single perfect cep—was nonstop until the meal proper got underway. The great chef himself even breezed through the room. 

Lunch began with Savoy’s famous artichoke and black truffle soup, which looked like an abstract painting. This autumnal dish par excellence, with deep, dark, woody, almost meaty flavors, arrived with a devastatingly good mushroom-and-truffle brioche with truffle butter. The autumnal theme continued in the main course with strips of three mouthwateringly tender game birds—wild duck, pheasant, and wood pigeon—topped with foie gras and served over wild mushrooms and sauerkraut. 

The meal concluded with a towering mille-feuille filled with Tahaa-vanilla cream with an extra helping of cream on the side. 

Aside from the food, one of the joys of the restaurant is the fantastic view of the Seine from many of the tables, something to ask for when reserving. 

BJT’s reviewers dine anonymously and pick up the tab.

RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY
Monnaie de Paris, 11 quai de Conti,
guysavoy.com, 33 (0) 1 43 80 40 61