Carving, flambéing, minute dressing: pedestal table service is one of the last bastions of the great art of dining. In these Parisian restaurants, the gesture counts as much as the plate.
Mathilde Bourge
in this age of open kitchens and instant meals, pedestal table service seems almost anachronistic. And yet it is. In some homes, it remains a precious ritual, a signature. The pedestal table imposes time, precision and dialogue between the dining room and the kitchen. It transforms the meal into an experience, restoring the central role of service and sublimating the relationship between guest and table. Let's take a look at some of the Parisian restaurants that elegantly perpetuate this demanding art.
Le Train Bleu
In the heart of the Gare de Lyon, Le Train Bleu (1 toque) makes table service a veritable art of living, inseparable from its Belle Époque decor. Here, cuts of meat and fish, flambéing and finishing touches in the dining room are all part of the experience, an extension of classic, generous French cuisine. The gesture is precise, elegant, almost ceremonial, and recalls an era when the restaurant was as much a place of spectacle as of gastronomy.
Where to eat? Le Train Bleu, Gare de Lyon, Place Louis Armand hall 1, 75012 Paris
The absolute institution of Parisian gastronomy, Le Taillevent (3 toques) makes the guéridon a language in its own right. Poultry cuts, sauce finishes, delicate flambings: every gesture is executed with choreographed precision. Here, service is an extension of the kitchen, magnifying it and reminding us that a great restaurant is also a matter of the dining room, know-how and transmission.
Where to find us Le Taillevent, 15 rue Lammenais, 75008 Paris
What could be more emblematic? at La Tour d'Argent (3 toques), serving certain dishes from a pedestal table is a ceremony. A particular favorite is the Crêpes Mademoiselle, the house's signature dessert, flambéed in front of guests. A suspended moment, where gesture becomes memory and tradition continues to be written before the eyes of our customers.
Where to eat? La Tour d'Argent, 15 quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris
At Nonos & Comestibles (1 toque) in the Hôtel de Crillon, room service becomes a playground. With the energy of a menu imagined by the indomitable Paul Pairet, some dishes are finished in front of the customer. Rib of beef cut up in the dining room, rum baba flambéed on the pedestal table, and above all this spectacular Gruyère soufflé that a nimble hand swells with a siphon of enticing cheese mousse. A moment that's both precise and jubilant, where the staging is never gratuitous.
Where? Nonos et Comestibles by Paul Pairet, Hôtel de Crillon, 6 rue Boissy d'Anglas, 75008 Paris
A legendary Montparnasse brasserie, La Coupole (1 toque) consistently perpetuates the art of room service, of which the famous crêpes Suzette flambéed on the pedestal table are one of the finest emblems. Prepared before the customer's very eyes, zested, topped with butter and orange, then set alight with precision, they offer a moment of theatrical indulgence, both masterful and comforting. In the listed Art Deco décor, this ancestral gesture takes on an almost timeless dimension, reminding us that great Parisian brasserie service is also a matter of savoir-faire, rhythm and memory.
Where to eat? La Coupole, 102 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris
just a stone's throw from Place des Ternes, Brasserie La Lorraine (1 toque) cultivates the art of room service with well-honed elegance. Here, fish cuts, seafood platters and certain preparations are finalized at the pedestal table, in keeping with the savoir-faire of a great Parisian brasserie. The gesture is sure, the rhythm mastered, and the mise en scène never forced. A house that reminds us that pedestal table service is not reserved for gourmet tables, but can also be part of a chic, generous and profoundly Parisian conviviality.
Where to find us Brasserie La Lorraine, 2 place de Ternes, 75008 Paris
Michel Sarran signs the menu for a new immersive restaurant in La Grande Motte
"The table where it all happens". This is the slogan of Groupe Partouche's new immersive restaurant, I-Motion, which Michel Sarran will take the helm of in a few days' time. Conceived as a culinary spectacle, the venue promises an experience where gastronomy meets emotion.
The Pasino La Grande Motte inaugurates its new restaurant, inspired by the world of gaming, which will open its doors on January 21, 2026. A proposal that aims to push back the boundaries of traditional dining to offer a moment out of time.
A moment of sight, sound and taste
I-Motion brings the experience to the table. In an intimate setting, around a table seating just 14 guests, guests experience almost two hours of immersion, at the heart of the Pasino Partouche in La Grande-Motte. Sounds, images and flavors combine to appeal to all the senses.
"Each tableau is conceived as a stage where subtle effects combine to surprise and amaze," declares Groupe Partouche. Each guest takes part in this living spectacle, where the scenography sublimates taste and awakens emotion.
A menu imagined by Michel Sarran
Michel Sarran explores a new facet of his "emotional cuisine", in a menu conceived as a sensory narrative. "Each dish corresponds to a different mood, passing in turn through hushed, mysterious, aquatic or sparkling atmospheres", explains the group.
The menu reveals itself progressively, service after service, through evocative titles such as the aperitif "Casino Lounge", the main course "Casino Sous l'Eau" or the dessert "Grande Roulette".
The walls and the table itself reveal a staging designed to accompany each stage of this unique six-course menu. Light projections and sound effects punctuate the tasting experience. "This project was born of a shared desire to offer a total experience, where gastronomy is experienced as much as it is tasted. Each sequence has been designed to surprise, move and leave a lasting impression", says the chef.
Single menu, €175 per person (vegetarian menu available). Food and beverage pairings extra.
Reservations now open on theI-Motion website
Mantra, Malaysian cuisine tinged with French gastronomy
In Paris, some openings are discreet but embody new propositions. Mantra is one of them. An intimate table at the crossroads of two cultures, between Malaysia and France.
From haute gastronomy to the most modern showcases, Philippe Conticini has fashioned a pastry of emotion and sharing. Here are five creations to retrace the career of a chef who has combined technique, sensitivity and pure gourmandise.
Our selection of the best galettes des rois for under 40 euros
There's no better way to start the new year than with a galette. All over France, artisans are revisiting the Epiphany, from classic frangipane to original flavors, for less than €40.
At Château Louise de La Vallière, chef Jeffrey Pestana, head of L'Amphitryon (1 toque), creates his cuisine with producers chosen by feel. Sincere encounters, nurtured by exacting standards, rigor and shared stories.
