Le Comptoir de la Relais

Yves Camdeborde led the pack of French chefs who eschewed the Michelin rat race and founded the ’90s Bistro Moderne movement. His first venture, la Regalade, became a gastronomic benchmark. That reputation has followed him to these new digs, making it almost impossible to get a reservation. The €50 tweaked bistro menu swings both ways: thyme-juiced lamb with veggies, or crab jelly bathed in zucchini mousse and topped with herring eggs. If you can’t snag an evening table (and good luck with that), come for the less imaginative but equally delicious lunch. Or grab a plate of charcuterie at his next-door tapas bar, planned to open in early 2009. It's linkage with the hotel Relais Saint-Germain means the Comptoir is open every day.