Julia Child's Favorite Restaurant In Paris Is An Iconic Gem Still Serving No-Nonsense French Food, According To Reviews

One of the world's most famous food cities, Paris is home to around 45,000 restaurants — a fact that makes a dining recommendation from a reputable source especially valuable. Ernest Hemingway and Anthony Bourdain both favored bistros in Montparnasse, the former being a fan of La Closerie des Lilas and the latter calling Le Dôme the best restaurant in Paris. Julia Child, meanwhile, preferred to dine at Chez Georges on 1 Rue du Mail, an iconic gem that's about a ten-minute walk from the Louvre, the world's busiest museum.

Julia Child eagerly explored the city's bustling food scene after arriving in Paris with her husband, Paul, in November 1948. She first tried one of her favorite dishes, sole meunière (pan-fried sole served with a sauce of brown butter, lemon, and parsley), in another restaurant — none other than La Couronne in Rouen, one of Europe's oldest dining institutions. ("A morsel of perfection," she wrote in her memoir, describing the experience as "the most exciting meal of my life.") Luckily for those visiting Paris, you can try a great version of the dish at Chez Georges, an unassuming bistro specializing in French-style comfort food.

Decades after Child last dined at Chez Georges, the classic dish remains on the restaurant's menu alongside escargots (snails), pommes frites (fries), free-flowing Bordeaux, and a range of decadent desserts, including a show-stopping mille-feuille cake. According to hundreds of reviews on Google, Tripadvisor, and local experts at Paris by Mouth, the iconic spot has remained consistent in its meal quality over the years, expertly preparing and serving up the no-nonsense French food that the popular American chef fell in love with.

With over 700 user reviews, Chez Georges has a 4.5-star rating on Google. Many diners shared thoughts on Julia's favorite dish. "Best sole meunière I've tasted," wrote one guest. "Lovely, buttery, they even prepared it by removing the bones." There's plenty of praise for other classic staples, too. As one appreciative visitor commented, "Most of the French classics were delightful — maybe the best steak frites I've ever had, the sole was perfection, escargot amongst the best I've ever had." The restaurant's traditional French desserts are a hit as well, as the reviews clearly indicate. Foodies recommend the crème brûlée and the famous mille-feuille with vanilla bourbon custard, lauded by one guest as "one of the most exceptional things I've ever tasted." 

Diners also note that the setting feels authentically Parisian, with low-lit tables set close together and large antique mirrors lining the wood-paneled walls. Part of the appeal, of course, is the fact that French people regularly eat there. Town & Country noted that there's no English-language menu, and Paris by Mouth described the clientele as "a mix of savvy tourists and dedicated locals." 

Unsurprisingly, it's not easy to reserve a table. Your best bet is to call Chez Georges to try to book a reservation or show up in person and prepare for a wait. Either way, you'll have to squeeze in during the week; the restaurant is only open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday (noon to 2 p.m. and 7:00 to 10:30 p.m.). Of course, if neither of those options works for you, you can go on an award-winning food tour to uncover the secrets of Paris' most delicious dishes instead and save your Chez Georges experience for your next visit.