The great thing about bucket lists is that every single one is different. Your particular bucket list may be about unique places to stay or unique places to eat, it may centre around traditional local cultures or culinary experiences, you may be in the market for outdoor activities, or you may just want to add some breathtaking views to the memory bank. Wherever your travel interests lie, we know that as a Luxury Gold guest, you will want to do it in style. Here are 10 unique vacations of the moment.

1. Chase the Northern Lights

Scientists think the furthest south the aurora borealis has been spotted is in Honolulu, and over recent years parts of Europe have had surprise sightings. But if you want to be fully immersed in the holographic splendor of the sun and earth’s clashing magnetic fields, you will have to commit more time and patience to the experience. To “chase” the northern lights, your best bet is to head to northern Norway, somewhere like Tromsö, where your probability of seeing the sky lit up with blues, greens and purples is 70-90% in cloudless conditions between August and April.

You may also enjoy reading:Unusual Architecture: Design Marvels Across Europe

2. Receive a Shaman’s Welcome in the Sacred Valley

Our Treasures of the Incas journey is one of our most unique vacations; once you’ve met a local artist in Lima, it’s time to venture into the Sacred Valley in the Andes of Peru, north of the Inca capital of Cusco. Here, a local shaman will perform a welcoming ceremony, designed to connect you to this magical, mystical place of natural beauty, before you head on to the travel bucket list classic, Machu Picchu. Dating back to pre-historic times, the welcome ceremony is a way to celebrate and show gratitude to Pachamama, the only goddess revered by the Indigenous people of the Andes. The journey continues on to Buenos Aires and to Rio de Janeiro for cocktails on Copacabana Beach.

3. Sleep Under the Stars in California

Don’t overlook what’s on your doorstep in favor of getting off the beaten path to find the world’s “hidden gems”. California’s National Parks are home to some of the most iconic views and landscapes on the planet. Yosemite is popular because it’s special – it has glacier-sculpted geology, fairytale sequoias, jewel-like lakes and so much more. Everyone who enters falls in love, particularly if they stay at one of 13 campgrounds, with access to a campfire.

4. Enjoy a Soothing, Open-air Onsen in Japan

Hot springs and the bathing facilities around them are called “onsen” in Japan, where they constitute an important part of daily life and are deeply rooted in the culture. Benefits of bathing in hot springs include relaxation, improved sleep, improved circulation, less joint pain, better skin and a clearer mind. Onsen etiquette usually requires full nudity and no tattoos. Our Majestic Japan journey features the Oirase Keiryu Hotel, one of our most unique places to stay, thanks to its onsen deep within the forest.

Bookmark for later: These Are The Most Unique Romantic Getaways The World Has To Offer

5. Get a Taste for the Wine Life in South Africa

South Africa is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the world. It’s a wildly diverse place to travel, with culinary experiences, wildlife spotting and outdoor activities all on the agenda. Those looking for unique family vacations choose the safari, but if following the vines has always appealed to you, this is the place to do that, too. On our Spectacular South Africa journey, we head to the historic Cape Winelands, where we travel by chauffeured vintage car to indulge in a wine tasting at Vergelegen Estate and a farm-to-table lunch at Boschendal Wine Estate. Sip a delicious Pinotage surrounded by astounding natural beauty – it’s one for the books.

6. Behold an Uluru Sunset

Two weeks in Australia – you’ve probably been meaning to do it for a while, if you haven’t already. Our luxury journey takes in some of the country’s more unusual vacation destinations, as well as classics like Sydney, Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. Near the centre of Australia is Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, a large sandstone monolith. It is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area, known as the Anangu. Stopping here to see the sun slip behind the rock is soul-stirring experience – this is a landscape of surreal proportions, awash with the pinks, purples and oranges that only the sun can conjure.

7. Spy the Elusive Tigers of Ranthambore

On the Essence of India, we take the Jan Shatabdi Express from historic Bharatpur to Ranthambore, one of our favorite and most unusual vacation destinations. It’s a vast expanse of wild jungle, with a 10th century palace at its centre, and it’s the greatest place to spot wild tigers. In the former private hunting grounds of the maharajahs of Jaipur, we join a Local Expert on a quest, exploring the fort’s crocodile-filled lakes and vine-laced chhatris (dome-shaped pavilions) along the way.

You may also like: Step Inside the Most Unique Luxury Retreats in India

8. Take the Orient Express to Venice

This one is high on many bucket lists, and rightfully so. It is simply one of the world’s most decadent ways to travel, and it seems fitting that you should take it between two similarly decadent destinations: Paris and Venice. The carriages on the world famous train date from the Golden Age of travel, the 1920s and 30s, and the art-deco features are a feast for the senses, even without the views through the windows. Every detail and moment of a journey on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has been carefully considered.

9. Go Whale Watching in Kaikoura

New Zealand dazzles from top to bottom, with the makings of unique vacations every stop of the way. Our luxury journey, The Long White Cloud, takes in the wilderness of Wanaka, the adventure of Queenstown, the mammoth serenity of the Fiordland National Park and sulphuric Rotorua, where we tour a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. There are nonstop bucket list ticks here, but Kaikoura often tops them all, particularly if you love wildlife spotting. Giant sperm whales live reasonably close to the shore of Kaikoura year-round, and there is little on earth that tops spying one of these glorious creatures from a catamaran.

More travel inspiration for those seeing a unique vacation: These Are The Most Unique Romantic Getaways The World Has To Offer

10. Dance at Mardi Gras in New Orleans

You are never short of unique things to do in New Orleans, and a trip here should be considered a bucket list trip anyway, particularly by those seeking new culinary experiences. But if you can make it here for Mardi Gras, there is simply nothing on earth like it. On Fat Tuesday, right before Ash Wednesday, it’s an epic carnival featuring parades and parties of pure, unadulterated revelry. And if you can’t make it in March, our Southern Grace journey includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Mardi Gras World’s Blaine Kern Studios, a workshop that has created floats, costumes and props since 1947. It’s a whirlwind of colour and culture.

Feeling inspired be there unique vacations? Take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys. 

If you’re looking for a vacation that focuses on wellbeing and relaxation, you may be eyeing up some spas and wellness retreats, but where to begin? It all depends on what you’re hoping to achieve. Perhaps you’re seeking stress relief and rejuvenation and would like world class treatments in a pampering setting that’s supportive and sumptuous? Or maybe you’re looking to jump-start a lifestyle change, with a vacation that includes fitness, healthy food, meditation and yoga. Here, we’ll begin by answering a few FAQs about spas and wellness retreats, and then we’ll jump into some of our favorite options.

What is a spa?

There are always exceptions, of course, but generally speaking, a spa is a place of wellbeing, pampering and relaxation. You might attend a spa for one treatment, or for a package that spans the whole day. And there are countless types of spa – for instance, medical spas offer advanced aesthetic treatments alongside the usual facials, while thermal spas use heat to soothe the body, through baths, steam rooms and hammams. Spas might have specialisms in aromatherapy, ayurveda or thalassotherapy. Increasingly, the world’s best hotels are devoting time and money to elaborate spa offerings, so in the best case scenario, you’re also sleeping in the same building.

What is a wellness retreat?

This tends to be a structured vacation, based around one or more activities, like yoga, pilates, hiking or meditation. Guests are encouraged to really break from their everyday lives and feel invigorated by programmes that include meals cooked by private chefs, time for reflection, nature walks, rest, and classes and workshops, possibly with some treatments woven into the itinerary, too.

What is included in a spa day?

Sometimes, you just want to lie down and luxuriate somewhere that was purpose built to be soothing, and not leave it for a full day. That’s where spa days come in. Whether you choose one or six treatments to have while you’re there, a spa day will usually involve paying a fee to use facilities like relaxation lounges, thermal suites, baths and pools.

Read more about spa treatments with: Ayurveda to Onsen: These Wellness Practices Have Stood the Test of Time

Soma Byron Bay, Australia

 

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Give our Inspiring Australia journey a boost by booking into one of the best wellness retreats in the world while you’re in the right hemisphere. In the middle of the Australian rainforest, Soma is architecturally unique – all sharp-edged and super luxe, purpose built to offer people a place to escape and “reengineer their lives”. It’s run by Gary Gorrow, a Vedic meditation expert with CEO clients, and Peter Ostick, a founder and business person who went on his own life-saving mindfulness journey. Through the bamboo thicket is a see-through geodesic dome, where classes take place. Retreats are two to three days long, with a focus on meditation, yoga, rounding (advanced, for Vedic meditators) or immersion (for those experiencing burnout). When guests are not in breathwork, yoga or meditation classes, there is a freshwater infinity pool, a whole food plant-based menu, and a schedule of bodywork treatments.

Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada

On our Majesty of the Rockies journey, we spend two nights at this hotel, a castle in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by lush forest. The castle contains one of the best spas in the world, and certainly one of the most picturesque: the Willow Stream Spa. Here, a gentle soundtrack for your relaxation is provided by burbling mineral pools and trickling waterfalls, and treatments are designed with the landscapes in mind. The Signature Healing Ascent is two hours of deep relaxation and rejuvenation for your whole body: a warm, aromatic footbath, followed by a dry-brush exfoliation and a soothing, hydrating massage. And the Alpine Glow LED Facial promotes healing, stimulates collagen production, and leaves you as radiant as the Rockies.

Bookmark for later: In Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Natural Wellness and Luxury Go Hand in Hand

Acquaforte Thalasso and Spa, Sardinia

 

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This dreamy, bougainvillea-adorned Sardinian estate contains one of the best spas in the world, and one of the best thalassotherapy centres in the world. Thalassotherapy is all about the healing powers of seawater, something the Romans knew all about – there are ruins of their thermal bath in Nora, a few minutes from the resort. Then, 25 years ago, a medical team led by Dr Angelo Cerina came to finish what the Romans started, creating an extraordinary method for detoxing and rejuvenating the body. At Acquaforte now, there are six pools of Sardinian sea water, with varying saline densities and at varying temperatures. There are also wonderful massages, including one with honey and salt, designed to “purify and smooth the skin, preparing it to welcome the smiling sun”.

Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand

This tends to be a wellness retreat for people who are serious about doing a lot of work on themselves, people who might describe themselves as being on a journey. There are also what you might call regulars who return year after year to this, one of the best spas in the world. On the other hand, maybe you just feel it’s high time for a gut cleanse, or to master some pranayama breathing techniques, and you’d like to do so on a tropical hillside sanctuary, with a private beach. Rightfully on any list of best spas in the world, Kamalaya offers comprehensive wellness programmes dealing with detoxing, stress and burnout, and creating healthy lifestyles. Whether you’re searching for “internal harmony” or something less ambitious, as soon as you land here, you’ll feel better.

You might also enjoy:  For Stress-Free Travel, These Luxury Products Make All the Difference

Six Senses Vana, India

 

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This one-of-a-kind Himalayan resort falls wholeheartedly into the wellness retreat category. Your experience begins before you even arrive, when you’ll be asked for all the information staff need to draw up your custom health and wellness plan. On arrival, your guest experience manager will provide detox tea and linen kurta pyjamas, and from there it’s a minimum of five days of immersion in healing, rebalancing, rewilding and rechilding. Each day of your stay involves yoga, meditation, workshops, functional fitness, wellness consultations and treatments. The food is wonderful and your menus will be tailored to which Ayurvedic dosha you are diagnosed as: vata, pitta, or kapha. Meals are not meagre bootcamp offerings, but feast-like thalis, abundant with curries, salads, rice and chutneys. Explore our luxury India vacations.

The Spa at Coworth Park, UK

If you’re the sort of traveler who has our Castles & Kingdoms journey on your to-do list, you will adore the traditional spa at this Berkshire country estate, amid green fields and wildflower meadows, a mere hour from London. Guests in thick, white robes follow the English oak trees to the dual level eco-luxury spa, where they can pick and choose from personalised massages, skincare (“the Germaine de Capuccini Timexpert Hydralyronic facial” reaches deep into the skin for “noticeable outcomes”), nail care and more. Visit for one treatment or stay for the day; it’s a beautiful place to luxuriate, with a gym and a gorgeous indoor pool.

Go behind the scenes: Skip The Jacuzzi and Brave the Ice Bath: Industry Insider Joanna Moran Reveals Her Top Spa Secrets

Le Grand Spa at Le Grand Bellevue, Switzerland

 

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Extend your Luxury Gold journey through Majestic Switzerland to incorporate the divinely alpine town of Gstaad. Le Grand Bellevue is a lemon-coloured Wes Anderson-style palace that’s spilling with blooms through summer and thickly snow-clad through winter. Within, there’s caviar at Leonard’s, truffle fondue at the log cabin Le Chalet, adaptogenic coffee at the art deco bar and reviving sleep in sumptuous suites. But Le Grand Spa is the cherry on the layer cake, with its 17 wellness zones including steam baths, an ice fountain, a herbal sauna, a hay sauna, a salt inhalation grotto and an outdoor relaxation pool. And if that doesn’t soothe and calm you, the Swiss Back Release will restore you to a truly blissed, Swiss state.

SHA Mexico

The original SHA opened in Alicante, Spain in 2008, when its in-depth approach to holistic living made it stand out from wellness culture as a whole. Their follow-up property is even better. It’s in the north of the Riviera Maya, on the coast of Costa Mujeres, with acres of wild white sands and turquoise waters. If you want all that natural beauty, but you also want a program that’s “data driven and science-led”, SHA is for you. The ‘recover and energize’ program, for instance, is a minimum of four days and includes a 3D body scan, various medical appointments with clinicians, tailored meal plans, acupuncture, osteopathy, Abhyanga massage, intravenous ozone therapy treatment, personal training, cryotherapy and so much more. SHA’s are the best wellness retreats in the world if you want a true 360-degree experience.

Dior Spa at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, France

 

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There are a few Dior spas, including a cocooning, white, sanctuary-like space at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, but for a more escapist wellness vacation, this one in Antibes is more invigorating. The spa is on the edge of the hotel grounds, beyond a 150-year-old rose garden and a grove of imposing pine trees. The treatment rooms are adorned with Dior textiles, mostly white and blue to echo the glittering French Riviera location. There are four Dior-designed wellness programs available: relaxation therapy, detox and slimming therapy, reverse aging therapy and homme therapy. And there’s an Eden-Roc eau de parfum to take home with you, so the scent of salty sea air and pine lingers, along with your newfound sense of wellbeing. Our Ultimate France journey begins at the Fairmont Monte Carlo, less than an hour from here.

More inspiration for spa lovers: Expert Selected: The 4 Best Hotel Spas You Can Visit With Luxury Gold

Two Bunch Palms, USA

An actual oasis in the Californian desert, this is a contemporary wellness hotel and hot springs, with mineral waters emerging from a 600-year-old spring. Sprinkled among the palm groves are hammocks, parasols and shaded rock grotto pools – it offers the sort of relaxation that involves quietly padding around barefoot in the sunshine. One of the best spas in the world, the treatment rooms are cool, breezy standalone bungalows for individual massages and facials, or you can go all-in with the four-hour Desert Revival, which includes massage, reiki and an adaptogen wrap. The rest of the experience is distinctly Californian, with sound baths, cacao ceremonies and vision board creation available, plus vegetable-forward dinners, matcha lattes and date shakes made with dates from Coachella Valley.

Amanemu, Japan

 

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Aman are responsible for many of the best spas in the world, and each suite or villa has its own onsen at their ryokan-inspired retreat in the south-western Ise-Shima National Park. Ancient pilgrim trails through dense forests lead to Shinto shrines, and guests have access to boats on Ago Bay, home to a community of pearl fishers and female freedivers, the ama. The spa features two private onsen pavilions, an outdoor yoga deck and hydrotherapy, and treatments incorporate local, seasonal ingredients, such as pearl powder, seaweed, and herbs and plants used in traditional kampo therapies. The area is renowned for its seafood, so there’s plenty of post-spa spiny lobster and abalone. And the Ise Jingu shrine breakfast is a deeply soothing tray of rice, fish, tofu, miso soup and pickles – a very alive way to start the day. Experience the majesty and mystery of Japan on our 11-day journey.

You may also enjoy reading: A Haven of Tranquility: Discovering the Best Luxury Spas in Japan

BodyHoliday Cariblue Beach, St. Lucia

This is everything you want from a luxury all-inclusive vacation in the Caribbean – beach location, lush tropical garden, butler service, hammocks, six restaurant options, spectacular views, scuba diving and kayaking – but with an added holistic living dimension at one of the best spas in the world. It’s a BodyHoliday, after all. Not a grueling one, though – the food is organic, with a farm-to-table focus, the daily lineup of fitness activities ranges from Beach Fit and BodySpin to beach trails, triathlon and yoga, and each day you can choose from a selection of 50-minute treatments, such as an aloe body wrap and a serenity massage. The resort also runs some more structured five-day wellness retreats, but it’s a delicious health and wellbeing reset whichever way you do it.

For the ultimate luxury vacation, take a look at our collection of limited-edition small group luxury journeys.

Eating well in Paris is not difficult (even un poulet rôti in a brown bag from the market is delicious, par exemple), but if you want to eat at only the best restaurants in Paris, you must take care and you must plot your bookings well in advance. The long-time food capital of the world has a food scene that stretches far and wide, across arrondissements and cuisines, and you need your little black book to be very detailed, lest you trip up on idiosyncratic opening hours.

If you’re in town for multiple meals, you may want to factor in one extraordinary tasting menu (or menu de dégustation), one classic bistrot and one modern French restaurant, overseen by a chef of impeccable pedigree. You’ll find all three of these – and more – in our list below, which features our 10 current favorites. If you’re traveling with us on our Ultimate France journey, do discuss the possibility of extending your stay in Paris, so you can immerse yourself in the food scene, and eat a little bit of everything the food capital has to offer.

Le Clarence

31 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, 8th arrondissement

 

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We’ll begin with a bang, at a restaurant that’s twice as elegant as its beautiful name. Le Clarence is a two Michelin star chateau of gastronomy set in a lavish 19th century private mansion, just off the Champs-Élysées. It has all the chandeliers, wood paneling, drapery and period artworks one could hope to see on a night out in Paris – a perfectly flamboyant setting for a high-end multi-course meal that’s always full of surprises. The restaurant describes its cuisine as “vibrantly modern” but chef Christophe Pelé’s history includes many of Paris’s most acclaimed French fine dining restaurants. Choose between a five or seven course tasting menu, and settle in to your jewel box surrounds as you’re regaled with – perhaps – kadaif of langoustine, pig ears, citrus and green chilli cream, or morel gyoza with caviar and squid ink, orgrilled scallop with Sicilian tangerine and sorrel cream. Who knows? No spoilers here.

Table by Bruno Verjus

3 Rue de Prague, 12th arrondissement

 

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Before he was a restaurateur, Bruno Verjus lived many lives – as a medical student, an entrepreneur, a food writer and a radio host – but he has always cared deeply about ingredients. Table – one of the best high-end restaurants in Paris – is his rightful place, where he sources the very best of everything and elevates each ingredient without distorting it. He will animatedly talk to you about his suppliers, if that’s your kind of thing. And though the table at Table is in fact a wave-shaped counter, this is not a restaurant with casual credentials –it has two Michelin stars, and currently sits at number 3 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It’s fine dining – a sensation of the Paris food scene –  but the atmosphere is warm and accessible. The daily menu is called “couleur du jour”, changing completely each day depending on what local producers have brought in. Bruno Verjus says, “we don’t place quantity orders, only quality”.

You may also enjoy reading: How Do Restaurants Get Awarded a Michelin Star?

Bistrot Paul Bert

18 Rue Paul Bert, 11th arrondissement

 

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What is the best French restaurant in Paris? It can be difficult for outsiders to decipher which traditional French restaurants are worth their appetites, but this bistrot is everything you need it to be. It has a mostly burgundy color scheme and a prix fixe menu which is presented to your table on its chalkboard. This is not just one of the best bistrots in Paris, it’s one of the best places to eat in Paris, and you must book it in advance (by phone, in as much French as you can muster). The menu is all your French dining dreams come true. For instance, to start: crème de lentilles au fois gras or house terrine. Then: onglet with shallots and fries, or sole meunière. Leave space for dessert, because all the French classics are here, vying to live in your memory forever: chocolate mousse, Grand Marnier soufflé, or the crown of your vacation: the Paris-Brest (a choux pastry ring, with praline crème mousseline).

Kubri

108 Rue Amelot, 11th arrondissement

 

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If you want to book something dynamic and creative, this Lebanese restaurant in the trendy north Marais is special. Kubri is run by three women, including chef Rita Higgins, who has put her beloved Lebanese cuisine firmly on the lists of the best restaurants in Paris, where it belongs. In a white and terracotta dining room, Parisians have fallen head over heels for Kubri’s three types of hummus (classic hummus, with zaatar and and dukkah; pea, mint and feta hummus; cuttlefish hummus). The rest of the menu is a riot of color and flavor, with meze dishes like cauliflower fattoush, with feta, crispy shallot, pistachio, herbs and lemon, as well as larger ‘tabak’ dishes like Lala roasted chicken with toum and black lime labneh. There are beautiful French and Lebanese wines, plus fabulous cocktails and homemade iced teas. Kubri is just a damn good time – for vegetarians, pescatarians, meat-eaters and everyone else, too.

Bookmark for later: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024 and Where to Find Them

Septime

80 Rue de Charonne, 11th arrondissement

 

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Rue de Charonne is a long, winding 17th century road that spans the whole of the 11th arrondissement. There, eyewear boutiques sit between fromageries, concept stores and très chic French brands like Sessun and Isabel Marant. This is also where you’ll find Septime, which Michelin describes as “the quintessence of the new breed of Parisian restaurants, resolutely hip and trendy, but also unwaveringly committed to good food”. It’s true this has become a genre of its own, but Septime was early on the scene, with its stripped back, industrial style interiors (big wooden tables, exposed lightbulbs) and contemporary bistro kitchen helmed by a chef (Bertrand Grébaut) who rose through the ranks at three Michelin-star Arpège, with French food legend Alain Passard. The setting is relaxed, and the seven-course dinner is always a thrill from beginning to end. If you can’t get a table, its sister wine bar, Septime La Cave, is round the corner on Rue Basfroi, offering 10 rotating natural wines by the glass, and a few small plates.

Sushi B

5 Rue Rameau, 2nd arrondissement

If you love Michelin-starred sushi, find a way to make one of the eight seats at Sushi B your own. Close to the Richelieu site of the historic and grandiose National Library of France the diminutive Sushi B is quietly exquisite, with lots of marble, straight lines and fine glassware. Choose the omakase menu to enjoy the chef’s choice of sushi and sashimi as well as two plates of the day. Dishes that foodies wax lyrical about at Sushi B include Breton lobster with wild asparagus and broad beans in a soy-cream sauce, fillet of grilled seabass with spinach and lemon-flavored dashi, and sashimi of amberjack. Remember Sushi B if you need somewhere on a Sunday, when many restaurants are closed, or if you’re dining alone – you may just grab the last seat.

You may also be interested to read: This Country Takes the Crown for the Most Michelin-Starred Restaurants in 2024

Plénitude

8 Quai du Louvre, 8th arrondissement

 

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Follow the trail of luxury: in the Samaritaine department store, a veritable palace of fashion, food and lifestyle, owned by LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA), you’ll find the Cheval Blanc Hotel, which describes itself as “a confidential haven”. Cheval Blanc is an incredibly sophisticated address, with glittering views of the Seine, and it contains the modern, light-filled dining room that belongs to Plénitude, a three Michelin-star cocoon of culinary wonders. Head Chef Arnaud Donckel is an artist and it’s impossible not to be awed by his process. He pays unfathomable attention to sauces, devoting himself to jus, dressings and elixirs and putting them centre stage. It’s like nothing you’ve seen or tasted before. And there’s yet more genius coming from pastry chef Maxime Frédéric, whose millefeuille took him two years to design. Plénitude means “fullness” and Michelin describes this epic Parisian restaurant as “the absolute pinnacle of fine dining”.

Le Colimaçon

44 Rue Vieille du Temple, 4th arrondissement

 

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Meandering the lively Marais on foot is a timeless activity for visitors to Paris, when the icons have been ticked off the sightseeing list. Once the city’s Jewish quarter, the Marais is full of patisseries, legendary falafel spots and big fashion brands, plus King Henry IV’s Place de Vosges, and the one-of-a-kind Centre Pompidou, too. But it’s never been a hub for the best restaurants in Paris, which is what makes Le Colimaçon such a find. It’s just a perfect little traditional French restaurant, exactly where you need it to be, with a big welcoming blackboard out the front, and adorable tables in windows with wrought iton balconies, overlooking the hubbub. It’s the pitstop you need in your back pocket. Head here for: six perfect crispy snails with garlic-parsley butter, eggs with truffle mayonnaise, knife-cut steak tartare with fries, duck confit, and bourbon vanilla crème brûlée. Then – if you can – get back out there and meander.

For even more French travel inspiration: Sophisticated And Stylish: Why Southern France Is Unmissable

Double Dragon

52 Rue Saint-Maur, 11th arrondissement

 

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Our fourth and final entry in the 11th arrondissement, where so many exciting menus are being drawn up every day, Double Dragon is an ‘Asian canteen’ run by sisters Katia and Tatiana Levha, who are also behind nearby Le Servan, the popular bistro with the big gold bar. Double Dragon holds a Bib Gourmand from Michelin for “cooking that is full of character”. Menus feature items like a Comte bao bun served with XO mayonnaise, a version of the Filipino dish lechon kawali (crispy, honey-glazed pork) and cauliflower kare-kare (Filipino curry) with peanut sauce and Thai chilli jam. Not forgetting the muscovado brownie with toasted rice ice cream. If they’re fully booked, you can usually put your name on a waiting list, so try your luck and head for the local caves à vin while you wait.

Les Arlots

136 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 10th arrondissement

This is a brilliant lunch if you need to be near the Gare du Nord, as visitors to Paris often do. But it’s one of the best places to eat in Paris if you don’t, too. It’s a small, cosy, carnivorous cavern, with a zinc bar and hundreds of wine bottles on shelves. There is scarcely a more ideal, more French plate than Les Arlots’ signature homemade herby sausage, with smooth, buttery mashed potatoes and gravy. And if that doesn’t sound very refined to you, wait until you eat it. There’s also (depending on seasonality and availability) a tuna tartare with (perhaps) artichoke and strawberry, and a divine dry-aged onglet steak (one of the best in the city). A sommelier will talk you through the wall of wine, and help you to choose something wonderful. Reservations are essential, particularly if you have a Eurostar to catch.

FAQs:

Is there a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower in Paris?

Currently, the two Michelin star Le Jules Verne occupies a space on the deuxieme étage (second floor), what they refer to as “a mythical setting”.

How many Michelin star restaurants are there in Paris?

As of 2024, there were 121 Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, making Paris the second city in the world for Michelin-starred restaurants, after Tokyo.

What is the most expensive restaurant in Paris?

At Guy Savoy, the 13-course tasting menu costs 680 euros per person. For comparison, Table by Bruno Verjus’s tasting menu costs 480 euros per person.

Of course exceptional French gastronomy is not only found in Paris. Take a look at our Ultimate France small group journey to see what else you could be tasting.