Astier de Villatte

"Astier is a refreshing change-up steeped in old-school charm in an area overrun with small plates and minimalist Scandi-chic décor. Sit at a leather banquette, spread your gingham napkin on your lap, and soak in the service spectacle you'd usually find in places charging twice these prices. Many dishes arrive in glinting copper pots and plated tableside, like the spheres of fried mashed potato "dauphine" that come with the steak au poivre. Great classics aside, Astier hits its stride when it gets playful: a stewed lamb shoulder seasoned more like a tagine with lemon, spices, and olives, or French country lapin à la moutarde taken off the bone, rolled into a more refined roasted rabbit roulade, and smothered in mustard cream. Since their once-unlimited cheese basket is no longer on the menu (it’s now just five cheeses on a plate), you’ll have room to end date night with one of the city’s best babas au rhum." - Emily Monaco

"Though it's well located on Rue Saint-Honoré, this is the sort of spot that's easy to walk right by: There's not really even a sign, and inside it's hushed, dimly lit, cloister-like, and achingly cool, complete with rickety, slightly off-kilter shelves that literally sag under the weight of Astier de Villatte's ceramic tableware. Made from black terra-cotta clay and then finished in the brand's signature milky white, these perfectly imperfect dishes are the hallmark of some of the best-dressed tables we know. You'll also find the house line of geometric-print, gold-rimmed notebooks (made by the last master printer in Paris) and the gorgeously old-fashioned candle and incense collections, along with a handful of oddities, like glassware cast in the shape of skulls and stout little teapots."

"Though it's well located on Rue Saint-Honoré, this is the sort of spot that's easy to walk right by: There's not really even a sign, and inside it's hushed, dimly lit, cloister-like, and achingly cool, complete with rickety, slightly off-kilter shelves that literally sag under the weight of Astier de Villatte's ceramic tableware. Made from black terra-cotta clay and then finished in the brand's signature milky white, these perfectly imperfect dishes are the hallmark of some of the best-dressed tables we know. You'll also find the house line of geometric-print, gold-rimmed notebooks (made by the last master printer in Paris) and the gorgeously old-fashioned candle and incense collections, along with a handful of oddities, like glassware cast in the shape of skulls and stout little teapots."

Must-go!