The Best Italian Restaurants in Paris

As the name suggests, this restaurant is quirkily located on the first floor of the St Germain des Prés Armani store, near the church. However, window shopping is not the only activity available here; this ristorante is one of the best Italian spots in the French capital. Fresh, succulent, well-crafted food is the order of the day at this haute couture establishment.

The latest addition to the Alain Ducasse empire ticks all the right boxes with its buzzy vibe, modern bistro interior and service team dressed in red-and-white striped jerseys. Behind the scenes, Chef Matteo Lorenzini, whose CV boasts stints in Starred establishments (including three years at Louis XV), crafts a knockout seasonal Italian menu that is irresistible from the antipasti to the dolce. It's a feel-good hit of authentic, flavoursome food.

This restaurant is small in size, but big in the quality of its cooking. In a modern interior, you will sample market-fresh fare that speaks Italian like a native: straightforward flavours and premium ingredients in recipes such as spaghettoni alla carbonara with an oozing egg yolk. The dishes provide addictive from start to finish.

Alessandra Del Favero and Oliver Piras, both of whom hail from the Dolomites, offer first-rate Italian cuisine steeped in simplicity and restraint. In a tribute to Italian Baroque, the restaurant lies at the end of a corridor adorned in thousands of seashells. The equally elegant dining room pursues this theme in a winter garden setting flooded in light.

This welcoming restaurant is in the capable hands of two dedicated Italians, Simone and Marzia. He crafts authentic dishes made with produce imported direct from Trentino, Friuli and Venezia, including: burrata, radicchio and pumpkin in a sweet-sour sauce; tagliatelle with goat confit, milk and mint; and mascarpone and vanilla torta, a sort of Italian-style cheesecake. The lunchtime menus are very reasonably priced.

Sporting a glamorous, 1970s-inspired interior, this Italian restaurant is the brainchild of star Chef Cyril Lignac. The menu reads like a bible of Italian cooking: anolini di Parma pasta, Venetian-style carpaccio, veal escalope alla Milanese, pizzette, limoncello baba. This is feel-good food at wallet-friendly prices.

This aptly named Italian trattoria ('midi' can mean 'south' in French) is defined by its contagious joie de vivre. Fresh pasta is made in the upstairs workshop, and succulent cured hams (the prosciutto di Parma is to die for), mortadella and bresaola are on offer. Don’t forget about the fine regional wines and coffee  that is as strong as the tables are tightly packed.

Since September 2016, the opulent Le George (think Baccarat chandeliers, a pristine white colour scheme and graphic flower arrangements) has been basking in the culinary wizardry of Chef Simone Zanoni. In an ode to Italy, each delicately portioned dish is a masterclass of Mediterranean cooking techniques that demonstrates fervent respect for the ingredient.

Owner Massimo Mori meticulously sources the ingredients for this ristorante opposite the Paris stock exchange. Take a seat in the dining room (notice how the tables are cleverly placed for maximum privacy) or at the counter to sample delicacies from Venice and Northeastern Italy. House specialities include Venetian-style spider crab, calf’s liver, 'passere alle vongole' and ice creams sprinkled with Piedmont hazelnuts.

A retro, authentic interior (1930s period tiled floor and parquet, the ubiquitous wooden counter, stone or wainscoted walls) sets the scene for a memorable meal. The Sicilian Chef crafts a relatively concise menu of deftly curated Italian dishes: risotto with green peas and Piacentinu Ennese; ravioli stuffed with stracchino and potato.

In his cheerful, friendly eatery, Giovanni Passerini treats diners to carefully crafted Italian fare of textbook perfection, like his trippa alla romana. Authentic produce is the focus here and dishes to share are also a house speciality, illustrated by suckling lamb or whole pigeon in two courses. The restaurant is often fully booked, so make sure you plan ahead and book.

Italians, as we know, have taste. Milanese Chef Alberico Penati has set up shop in this chic place decorated with light woodwork, whose bay windows open onto 'Les Invalides' garden – an oh-so-desirable location. The Chef’s main focusg is tradition; without concession to fashion, his menu is a roll-call of transalpine classics made with hand-picked produce. The homemade pasta is a highlight and the 100% Italian wine list highlights Piedmontese wines, notably barolo and barbaresco.

Welcome to Pierre Gagnaire’s Italian trattoria. The master chef has devised an Italian menu that is deftly crafted by youthful Chef Ivan Ferrara (who spent time at Florence’s Three Star Enoteca Pinchiorri). Michele and Gianluca walk you through the menu, explaining the hand-picked ingredients and offering wine tips in a smart, yet casual, ambience. Bookings are highly recommended.

This elegant ristorante, which features a string of small, tastefully appointed dining rooms, is living proof that Italians do it better. The food of Pascal Fayet, grandson of a Florentine cabinet maker, sets the mood in this dolce vita-inspired eatery. The menu is 100% Italian, with half of it devoted (when in season) to truffles (fried eggs with truffle, black truffle lasagne); however, don't overlook the joys of the lobster ravioli or the fine selection of Italian wines.

Italy has found a home away from home in this stylishly appointed, small-scale restaurant in the French capital. The food sings an aria to Italian gastronomy: meat, olive oil and cheese. Rather classical at lunchtime, the menu is more refined, even inspired, in the evening. The Splendide Royal Hotel (former home of Pierre Cardin) offers lavish, elegant suites for those staying the night.