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Paris · France · To eat

Le Grand Café

Location & practical

A Very Parisian Affair at the Grand Palais

  • Grand Palais grandeur, velvet banquettes.
  • A magnificent Belle Époque terrace.
  • French classics and Parisian theatre.
  • Champs-Élysées / Grand Palais (8th arrondissement)
  • French and Seafood

At 1 place Clemenceau, Le Grand Café brings serious appetite to the newly restored Grand Palais. The monument, built for the 1900 World’s Fair and fully reopened in 2025 after four years of renovation, gives the restaurant instant historical weight without any need for theatrics. Executive chef Benoît Dargère leans into polished French brasserie cooking with craft and restraint: think oysters from the écaille counter, œufs mimosa with bottarga, sole cooked properly, and comfort dishes sharpened by exact technique. The setting, designed by Joseph Dirand, balances grandeur and ease with marble, terrazzo, velvet banquettes and a long, lush terrace under the colonnade facing the Petit Palais. It feels unmistakably Parisian, but not frozen in amber. 

Dress code: smart casual, and no sneakers.

  • Urban setting Champs-Élysées / Grand Palais (8th arrondissement)
  • Former civic building Historic setting
  • Restaurant
  • Bar

Good to know.

Location
1 Pl. Clemenceau, 75008 Paris, France
Open map & directions
Parking
Valet parking is advertised by the restaurant. Charges, vehicle restrictions and collection arrangements are not published; ask when booking.
Getting around
Métro Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13), a short walk from the restaurant; several buses serve the Grand Palais area.
Arriving
Use the separate entrance at Rotonde Clemenceau, 1 place Clemenceau, facing the Petit Palais. You can dine without an exhibition ticket. Valet service is advertised by the restaurant.
Pets
Dogs are listed as welcome on the restaurant’s managed Tripadvisor page. Mention your dog when booking to confirm any seating restrictions.
Accessibility
The restaurant is described as wheelchair accessible. A published review states that lift access is available by asking at the valet parking station; arrange the route in advance if step-free access is important.
Dietary options
Vegetarian and Pescatarian

Worth knowing

  • The terrace is the standout seat in fine weather; its availability and seating arrangements depend on season and conditions.
  • Restaurant entrance: Rotonde Clemenceau, 1 place Clemenceau; there is no view into the Grand Palais’s famous glass-roofed nave from the dining room.
  • Budget is an indicative per-person à la carte spend: approximately €55 for a modest two-course meal without drinks, to about €170 for an indulgent meal with oysters, sole, dessert and a cocktail. Caviar, seafood towers and fine wines can push spending higher. Based on the official menu checked on 2 November 2026.
  • Lunch is served from 12:00 to 16:00 (kitchen closes at 15:45); dinner runs from 19:00 to 23:00 Sunday to Wednesday and until 23:30 Thursday to Saturday. The bar is listed as open from 18:30 until 02:00.
  • The venue is glamorous and sociable, particularly around the bar on live-jazz evenings; a window-side banquette may suit a quieter conversation.
  • Smart casual is a sensible choice, but the strict no-sneakers rule in the existing description could not be verified from the restaurant’s published policy.
  • The Grand Palais is explicitly named by UNESCO in its Paris, Banks of the Seine World Heritage property; Le Grand Café is not a separately inscribed UNESCO site.
  • The published menu identifies allergens on request; discuss allergies or strict vegan or gluten-free needs with the restaurant in advance.

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