Most wouldn't be surprised to learn that over half of the world's top 50 restaurants deal in some soft of French cuisine. Being one of the most popular cooking “styles” in the world, French cuisine can be found all over the globe. So that's no surprise. It is surprising to learn, however, that only a handful of these restaurants are actually located in France. Behind El Bulli (#1), Pierre Gagnair (#3), and Bras (#7), L'Astrance is the 4th highest ranked restaurant in France, making the list at #11 in the world. With classical French cuisine served up by head chef Pascal Barbot, L'Astrance continues to climb the ranks in popularity.

Barbot opened L'Astrance in 2000 and has since been making big waves throughout the world. With his small and formal dining room tucked away on a quite street in Paris, the unassuming L'Astrance is a total paradox from outer shell to inner beauty. Chef Barbot is only in his mid 30s, but has honed his talents for the cuisine in some of Europe's top restaurants. Recently, L'Astrance was the recipient of a two-star rating from the Michelin Guide, and both sides of the Atlantic have praised his cuisine as among the best and most innovative the world has seen in decades.

L'Astrance isn't overly traditional. This fact could have easily worked against the restaurant and forced its closing. Paris is an explicitly traditional city, and with Chef Barbot's attempts to reinvent classical French cooking, no one knew for sure whether or not L'Astrance would make it. However, using little more than fresh produce and simple techniques, Barbot put L'Astrance on the map in a matter of months. He's known best for using minimalism as a vehicle for showcasing the best of what a particular ingredient has to offer. It's not a vegan's dream, but L'Astrance puts a strong emphasis on produce and not so much on meats and seafood. Tomatoes and mushrooms are two of the chef's favorite ingredients.

The inside of L'Astrance is contemporary. The metal railings upstairs give a steely, stark contrast to the well-lit wooden main floor. Walking into the restaurant and looking up, the ceiling appears to be hundreds of feet high. Long pillars in the middle of the floor work to give it that effect; the place looks enormous but is relatively small. It doesn't boast extravagant décor, but it's clean, modern and beautiful. The atmosphere is open and the simple dishes like the avocado ravioli and sweet onion salad make you feel as if you're outside and surrounded by pine trees.

There's really no set menu; the maître D' will come by and custom-fit your order to your liking. Everything you eat inside of L'Astrance will be based on the freshest local ingredients of that particular day. So don't be surprised if what you ordered on your first visit isn't available on your second. Because the restaurant has earned such recognition, there's a minimum two-month waiting period for reservations.