L’Ami Jean

"L’Ami Jean is a lively, rickety bistro with mismatched furniture and crooked artwork, and the food is excellent and hearty—think roasted veal cheek and confit beef shoulder. The €98 tasting menu includes smaller portions of the greatest hits, plus seasonal standouts like stuffed butternut squash and a foie gras-packed tuna belly “sandwich” topped with marinated melon. No matter what, you'll want to zero in on their famous rice pudding, which comes in a wooden bowl with a big serving spoon that you’ll be tempted to use as your own personal utensil. Go for lunch, maybe after a visit to the Eiffel Tower, and make sure to book a few days, if not weeks, in advance." - sara lieberman, lindsey tramuta

"The smoky scent of roasted beef draws you into L’Ami Jean’s packed dining room, where locals and tourists raise their voices to be heard over the chef’s booming baritone. It’s the best kind of sensory overload and a preview of the food’s intense flavors. Wild game is the way to go: Seasonal grouse is roasted with thyme, oregano-marinated duck breast is perfectly char-grilled, and the wild boar stew arrives in a generous vat that’ll convince you that small portions are a Parisian myth. While saving room for their incredible riz au lait might be impossible, you should order it anyway. The rice pudding becomes a top contender for the most memorable dessert in Paris once you add the salted butter caramel sauce and housemade nougatine." - emily monaco, sophie friedman, sara lieberman

"The smoky scent of roasted beef draws you into L’Ami Jean’s packed dining room, where locals and tourists raise their voices to be heard over the chef’s booming baritone. It’s the best kind of sensory overload and a preview of the food’s intense flavors. Wild game is the way to go: Seasonal grouse is roasted with thyme, oregano-marinated duck breast is perfectly char-grilled, and the wild boar stew arrives in a generous vat that’ll convince you that small portions are a Parisian myth. (Plan on a post-meal nap on the Champ de Mars.) While it isn’t physically possible to save room for their incredible riz au lait, you should order it anyway. The rice pudding, subtly flavored with vanilla, is total comfort food as is, but becomes a top contender for the most memorable dessert in Paris once you add the salted butter caramel sauce and housemade nougatine. " - emily monaco

"Near: Musée de L’Orangerie, Petit Palais, Musée d’Art Moderne Make your way to L’Ami Jean after a morning of 19th-century French art and before an afternoon visit to that other icon from the same era: the Eiffel Tower. Settle in at one of the long wooden tables for a semi-communal meal of big, hearty plates straight from Basque Country. Expect this to be your last official plan for the day—if the roasted sweetbreads braised in salted butter or the confit veal cheeks don’t do you in, the giant portion of their must-order rice pudding with caramelized nuts and cream will. " - sophie friedman

"Stéphane Jego is among the visionaries of the early bistronomy movement, which in this case simply means the environment is anything but stuffy, the food is hearty (think American hearty, not your usual French hearty), the ambience is rollicking, and the food has the technique and presentation of fine-dining establishments without the exorbitant prices. And good thing because the food is absolutely the star of the show and far more refined, adventurous, and surprising than the space would lead you to believe it will be. A few sample dishes: Parmesan soup with cabbage and bonito flakes; roasted pigeon with thyme and garlic; pork belly and lentils; and a rice pudding, the chef's signature dessert." - Lindsey Tramuta, Sara Lieberman