02 Septime, France
The incredibly hard-to-get-in Septime still gets our vote for some of the best dining in France. Still maintaining its ranking as one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the World, the Parisbased Septime’s owner, Bertrand Grebaut, has the reputation for being the only chef to graduate from Alain Passard’s famed Arpège. The menu changes almost daily, depending on the fresh local produce he can find, but one thing remains a fascination for the former graphic artist – a love for contrasts in texture and flavour. Think lobster with wild strawberries and boudin noir sausage, turbot with browned butter and fresh almonds, crispy caramelised pork belly and, for dessert, riz au lait vanilla with a passionfruit sorbet. What makes Septime such a success is its easygoing, bistro-like atmosphere. It’s also extremely reasonable pricewise – a seven-step tasting menu is all of EUR80 with the wine pairing going for EUR55. Good luck with a reservation, though: the wait list runs for as long as a month and that’s if you’re lucky. septime-charonne.fr
