The 'World's Most Beautiful Restaurant' Delights With Award-Winning French Cuisine And Elegance

For many, France brings to mind images of elegance, world-class cuisine, and extravagant beauty. After all, Versailles isn't exactly known for its minimalist style — just spend a night there to see for yourself. So, perhaps it's no surprise that the world's most beautiful restaurant combines all of these qualities and can be found in — where else? — Paris, the world's unfriendliest city. In December 2025, the Prix Versailles, the leading international prize for design and architecture, named Ducasse Baccarat "The Most Beautiful Restaurant in the World." 

The restaurant, which opened in 2024, is run by master chef Alain Ducasse, the most decorated living chef in the world, with 21 Michelin stars to date. Ducasse has over 30 restaurants, and his impeccable taste is visible in this location. The interior blends history with high-end crystals, all of which accentuate the restaurant's upscale French-inspired menu. After all, award-winning head chef Ducasse created this elegant sampling of French cuisine with Christophe Saintagne, a longtime top chef for Ducasse, and Santaigne's protege, Robin Schroeder.

As for the Baccart part of the name, ever since it unveiled its crystals at the first World Fair in Paris in 1855, Baccarat has been synonymous with glasswork and craftsmanship. The identity of this legendary French company is integrated into Ducasse's vision in this restaurant located on the first floor of the Maison Baccarat, the company's former flagship store that served as a showroom and museum. Now, you can dine under custom-made Baccarat crystal drop-shaped fixtures that glisten against warm, wooden floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with oak figurines carved by artist Jean-Guillaume Mathiaut. 

Located in the 16th Arrondissement on Place des États-Unis, Ducasse Baccarat is in a historic townhouse once owned by Marie-Laure de Noailles, patron of 20th-century surrealists like Luis Buñuel and Jean Cocteau. In fact, this residence was home to France's first private cinema, where these directors screened their work. For years, it was the site of anarchist and surrealist balls hosted by Marie-Laure and her husband, Charles. It's no wonder that the Maison Baccarat was featured in season four of "Emily in Paris" as the site of a grand masquerade ball.

Ducasse Baccarat has a modern library and salon-like feel, harkening back to the days of Marie-Laure bringing together some of the world's most influential artists like Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso. It's a set prix fixe menu that offers stand-out dishes like lobster with rose-scented tapioca; the Jardin de Provence bowl with radishes, olives, petit pois, and black-tinted parmesan; and squash flavored with coffee.

In the summertime, you can grab a seat in the lovely garden, which has a more laid-back feel and menu than the interior. Don't worry though, there are still Baccarat lighting fixtures setting the mood. For a more casual and affordable dining experience, head to the bar, Midi Minuit, where you can enjoy unique cocktails inspired by Baccarat pieces, as well as small bites. If you want to avoid the tourist traps of Paris and instead enjoy a memorable dining experience in the City of Lights, make a reservation online for lunch, dinner, or brunch (available only in the summertime when the garden is open). The three-course lunch menu is currently 90 euros, while the more elaborate menus go up to 240 euros per person.