11 of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in France
You don’t need to break the bank to eat at a French Michelin-starred restaurant, as these 11 restaurants prove
Japanese-born Takao Takano has earned his second Michelin star for his self-named restaurant located in the heart of Lyon. The restaurant may be one of the most revered in France’s capital of gastronomy, but you can still eat here without breaking the bank. A lunch (Monday to Friday) will set you back around €35. Evening menus range from €65 to €100. The restaurant also has an excellent choice of wines at very reasonable prices.
Located close to the Hospices de Beaune, Le Carmin is a warm, welcoming restaurant that specialises in regional Burgundian cuisine. The menu is subject to change, depending on the season and whatever the local producers have at the nearby market. Set menus start from €35 that includes dishes such as stuffed farm chicken breast, scallops and chocolate torte.
Located in Paris’s seventh arrondissement is the contemporary Restaurant Auguste. Chef Gaël Orieux’s menu wins points for inventiveness, as well as his focus on sustainable seafood; a passion inspired by his love of Finistère. You’ll find the best deals during the day – a three-course lunch is €37; a discovery menu starts at €88 and a set menu with wine is €154.
Restaurant Patrick Jeffroy, Carantec, Finistère
“Staying simple with nature” is the motto Patrick Jeffroy puts into practise in his two-star seaside restaurant. The dining room overlooking the ocean is the ideal place to sample seafood dishes including blue lobster, pressed brown crab and scallops of the bay. Meat lovers will also be pleased with offerings of roasted farm pigeon and veal sweetbreads. The three-course menu is €46; a five-course menu is €142.
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Lovers of both Asian and French cuisine won’t want to miss enjoying a meal at the Japanese restaurant Keisuke Matsushima in Nice where French classics get an Asian twist – foie gras with wasabi anyone? Order the Menu du Moment for €23 with either a starter or dessert. A three-course lunch costs €30 and for €40 you can add a glass of wine.
The name of this one-star cave à manger in Bordeaux loosely translates as ‘good taste buds’ – eat there and you’ll know why. The surprise menus are made up with fresh ingredients from the local market and are served in its light, bright, informal dining space – if the weather is in your favour you can dine in the garden. A five-course tasting menu is €75; a three-course lunch is €35; four courses is €45.
Les Genêts, Brem-sur-Mer, Vendée
Set in a renovated town house, Les Genêts has a familiar, friendly feel thanks to its owners, husband and wife Amélie and Nicolas Coutand. The restaurant celebrates regional ingredients, from asparagus from Anjou to duck from Challons. You can get a three-course meal here – including starter, fish or meat course and dessert – for €49; with wine it costs €79.
Chef Guillaume Momboisse may be a proud Toulousain but his menu has been inspired by his travels abroad. Lamb with yu choi sum and pear with peanuts and sweet clover are just some of the options to choose from. A three-course lunch menu is €30; for an extra €18 you can get two glasses of wine and coffee. A Menu Gourmand is €56 and a tasting menu is €76.
If you want creative and colourful Provençal cuisine, head to Marseille’s Une Table au Sud. The restaurant offers stunning views over the city’s Vieux Port and its 27-year-old chef Ludovic Turac makes the best of the port’s daily market; sourcing fish and Provençal vegetables from the market’s local producers. Lunch is very reasonable at €36; for €53 you can add wine and coffee.
Au Trou Gascon may be one of Paris’s best-loved restaurants, but its cooking is dedicated to the south-west of France. Located in the 12th arrondissement, favourites include duck confit and meat cassoulet. The restaurant has an excellent selection of Armagnac and wine – 10 of which are available by the glass. A lunch menu costs €48.
Restaurant L’Essentiel, Deauville
The seaside setting of Deauville is mirrored in this Michelin-starred restaurant’s menu that focuses on fresh seafood: oysters with clementines, marinated prawns and turbot are star dishes, while meat lovers will not be disappointed by the duck ravioli or Thai bisque served with chorizo. You can get a main course here for around €25; starters are priced at €19.
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