chef | Thierry de la Brosse | Christophe David | This hotel

3-5 Rue de la Paix; 011-33-1-42-44-2662
$75
This hotel really broke ground by using superb modern art throughout, and the restaurant, with its arcade of pillars and its open kitchen, was built around the idea of the grill - unique in this city. Chef Christophe David delights in the challenge, serving up simple, clean flavors in dishes like venison with quince, a grilled brochette of scallops, Breton lobster with fennel and curry, chargrilled foie gras with roasted black figs, and an array of crustaceans with several different mustards. Desserts come in colorful profusion. Try the pistachio risotto or passion fruit soup.

AUX LYONNAIS
32 Rue St. Marc; 011-33-1-42-96-6504
$45
At 110 years old, Aux Lyonnais is the brightest "newcomer" to the Paris bistro scene, thanks to the way illustrious owners Alain Ducasse and Thierry de la Brosse have scrubbed it all to a burnished sheen, yet retained its cozy charm with antique globe lights and lace curtains. Chef Christophe Saintange, at the ripe age of 25, sends out pots and pans full of calf's liver with parsley, skate with arugula and capers, and an irresistible slab of good French beef with shallots. Wines are very reasonably priced, too. It has caught on fast.

ROME

IL CONVIVIO
Vicolo dei Soldati 31; 011-39-06-686-9432
$45
At their new, large location across the Tiber, the Troiani brothers - Massimo, Giuseppe, and Angelo - have taken Roman cuisine to a higher level, all with a rare finesse in this city of bustling trattorias. The wine list is one of the finest, all the better to match to exquisite, seasonally driven dishes such as caramelized tuna with chestnut honey and ginger; ravioli with housemade butter and shavings of white truffles; orange-scented tagliatelline pasta with a quail ragu, goose liver, and chanterelles; and roast pigeon in cherry sauce.

UNO E BINO
Via Degli Equi 58; 011-39-06-446-0702