Le Dôme — Freshest Seafood in Paris

Unlike other brasseries, Le Dôme is strictly a seafood restaurant (except for one veal dish on the menu). With its own poisonnerie just around the corner from the restaurant, it is one of the finest seafood purveyors in all of Paris.

Best known for its oysters shucked on the half shell, you can literally order several different varieties of oysters and they are, in fact, some of the very best I have had anywhere in Paris. The Sole Munière is fantastic, as is the daurade (White Sea bass). For dessert, their Millefeuille is gigantic, and other classics such as is the Crème Brulee and Baba au Rhum will not disappoint.

The décor at Le Dôme has not changed much since the 1920s, as it remains rich in detail, with beautiful domed lamps, and photos of famous patrons adorning its walls. There may be one too many tourists here for my taste, but for oyster lovers there are few places that match the quality of the variety and freshness of oysters offered at Le Dôme.

Price wise, it is expensive for a brasserie (about 80-100 Euros per person), but given its quality, ambience, and history, it is a trip worth memory lane. Julia Child came here, and little has changed on the menu since she dined here, as have a litany of French presidents (Mitterand, Chirac, Sarkozy), movie stars, poets and Russian oligarchs.

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner (except in July and August when it is closed Sunday and Monday), reservations are recommended but not required.

Address: 108 Boulevard Montparnesse, Paris 75014

Telephone: 01-43-35-25-81