Eating Italian in Paris: here are the restaurants chosen by Gambero Rosso

While at the Wine Paris fair, Italy doubles its space, we can’t help but think that the same is happening on the streets of the Ville Lumière, where the presence of Italian restaurants is growing both in number and quality. We take pleasure in noting the renewed vigour of les italiens, nearly 20 years after the bistronomie movement brought so much prestige to our young chefs who had moved across the Alps. They are still here, of course, and alongside them are new standard-bearers or familiar faces of Italian cuisine. Some push ten steps further and embrace a more international offering, like Martino Ruggeri with his Maison Ruggeri or Aurora Storari and Flavio Lucarini with Hemicycle. Others, however, are making their mark in their own way, each with their own style, approach, and gastronomic identity—whether it's a wine bar, a grand dining table in a luxury hotel, or a gourmet food stall inside a market (as is the case with Mangiamo Italiano in the Marché des Enfants Rouges on Rue de Bretagne, in the Marais). Whether it's to satisfy a nostalgic craving for the flavours of home or to explore new expressions of our cuisine—which, even abroad, never loses its identity—here’s a selection of some must-visit nouveaux Italiens.

The best Restaurants in Paris chosen by Gambero Rosso

L'Altro Frenchie

Unafraid of crossovers, we highlight an author's bistrot offering a contemporary take on Italian cuisine. Located in the 2nd arrondissement, on the most gourmet street in the Sentier district, Greg Marchand opened Frenchie over ten years ago, gradually building a small citadel of fine food, where the latest addition is a bistrot creating a corner of boundless Italianity, where the chef’s experiences are freely expressed. It’s no coincidence—Marchand discovered our cuisine in London, and today he offers his own take on it. So, for example (though the menu may change), you’ll find pork tonnato, pizzettes with gorgonzola, fig chutney, and walnuts, fettuccine with nduja and mussels, and mains like cotoletta alla milanese, red mullet with breadcrumbs and fennel. Desserts include panna cotta and tiramisù, while for aperitivo, there are pickled vegetables and marinated Sicilian olives, paired with Italian wines (and a few French ones) or maybe a Negroni.

Caffè Stern

The French outpost of the Alajmo brothers is perfect at any time of day, from coffee paired with flaky croissants in the morning to dinner featuring the creative dishes of chef Denis Mattiuzzi. The service is highly professional, and the wine list is impressive, with classic labels, rare bottles, a keen focus on traditional styles, and a brilliant by-the-glass selection. The interiors match the mood: housed in an engraving workshop at 47 Passage des Panoramas, restored by architect Dominique Averland, the venue is furnished—unsurprisingly—by Philippe Starck, with antique pieces dating from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Caffè Stern – Paris - 47 Passage des Panoramas - +33 175436310 - https://alajmo.it/en/pages/homepage-caffe-stern

Il Carpaccio

So many big names in one place! Just steps from the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, the luxurious Hotel Le Royal Manceau is home to Il Carpaccio. In the kitchen are Alessandra Del Favero and Oliver Piras, whom we got to know years ago at Aga in the Dolomites. Today, they helm the French branch of the Cerea group, quickly earning recognition, respect, and love even among our French neighbours. The menu features top-quality fresh products and dishes that showcase culinary expertise and respect for ingredients. The wine list is extensive and demanding, as one would expect from such a setting.

Il Carpaccio – Paris - 37 Avenue Hoche - +33 142998800 -https://www.leroyalmonceau.com

Dilia

Dilia reaches its 10th anniversary in 2025, the establishment through which Michele Farnesi—a young talent from Lucca with great experience and solid skills—has earned acclaim and notoriety in Paris. His cuisine is bold, defined by strong contrasts and pronounced flavours. He embraces challenges, even when balancing land and sea elements with precision and flair. Over the years, his approach has gained maturity. His is an enticing take on the Italian bistrot, and for some years now, there has also been Dilia La Cave on Rue Étienne Dolet, offering a well-curated selection of small producers and age-worthy wines, many of which now feature at Wine Paris. Dilietta, a gourmet shop offering fresh pasta and traditional Italian appetisers, opened last August at 26 Rue Étienne Dolet.

Langosteria

Product, product, product. A disarmingly simple and surefire formula, especially when paired with a spectacular location (opened in collaboration with Cheval Blanc), on the seventh floor of LVMH’s Samaritaine store, featuring a spacious interior with a terrace and a breathtaking view of the Seine. Raw seafood, from Sicilian red prawns to exquisite tartares, holds a place of honour on the menu curated by Executive Chef Michele Biassoni, while Gianluca Penna serves as Restaurant Manager. An excellent selection of top-tier Italian and French wines completes the picture. Prices are reflective of a high-end restaurant.

La Manifattura

Pizza and more: La Manifattura is a stronghold of Italian flavours, from classic meat and fish dishes to traditional favourites. The pizza is Neapolitan, with a well-defined crust, available in both classic and more elaborate Pizza Gourmande versions. The drinks menu offers well-crafted cocktails, perfect for starting or ending a meal.

La Manifattura – Paris - Boulevard du Montparnasse, 106 - +33 143355366 - https://lamanifattura-paris.fr/fr

Mori Venice Bar

Right in front of the former Stock Exchange, Maurizio Mori’s elegant venue (he also owns the excellent Emporio Armani Caffè, the most authentic of the brand’s locations worldwide, where Sicilian chef Massimo Tringali works) brings a slice of baroque Venice to France. Designed by Philippe Starck, the interiors are opulent, and the menu pays homage to Venetian specialities while also drawing from Italian cuisine more broadly—particularly the north—without ever compromising on quality ingredients from ethical producers. The highlights include pasta and risotto, granseola, ossobuco with gremolata, and vitello tonnato, but the fritto is the real must-try. A great selection of Italian wines, including by the glass, and Venetian-style cicchetti transport you straight to the lagoon.

Passerini

Originally from Rome but with solid international experience, Passerini is perhaps the most emblematic example of how that wave of young Italian chefs has taken its own, more mature, and refined path—without losing intuition, pleasure, or originality. His cuisine is contemporary yet deeply rooted in tradition, acting as a foundation rather than a constraint. Fresh pasta is an obsession, as are meats, and his cooking techniques are of the highest calibre. The references to Italy (and to Rome) are clear, bright, and decisive, never dull or stale. The wine selection is equally compelling, so much so that a few years ago, he opened a wine bar with a kitchen—cheekily named Passerina—right next to the restaurant. Evviva!