Restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse

The Salle Pompadour at Le Meurice is the most theatrical fine-dining room in central Paris — Versailles-grade gilt, crystal chandeliers, full-height windows onto the rue de Rivoli arcade and the Tuileries beyond. Alain Ducasse oversees with executive chef Amaury Bouhours running a haute French menu built on cooked-and-raw vegetable plates and precise fish work. Cédric Grolet's pastry team handles dessert, which means the trompe-l'oeil fruits you've seen on Instagram arrive trolley-side. Three Écotable macarons signal the seriousness of the sourcing. Book lunch for the daylight on the gilding.