Paris's Best Vol-au-vent

The mere mention of its name transports you to a delightfully old-fashioned Paris, in the heart of chic bistros where the buzz of conversations barely covers the murmur of clinking forks and glasses. Could anyone have anticipated the return of cool for the vol-au-vent? Not really. Yet, this typically Parisian dish, consisting of flaky pastry filled to one's heart's content, now proudly takes its place on the most coveted menus in the capital. As sacrifice demands, we went to taste them for you and reveal our top 10.

If it's consistently on the menu at 110 de Taillevent, its recipe changes approximately every month with recurring variations such as sweetbreads and oyster mushrooms. On the evening of our visit, the chef delighted us with a pastry filled with lobster, oyster mushrooms, rooster crest, and lobster sauce (lobster, cream, tomato, bouquet garni, and basil), served with a spinach salad and mushrooms (€47). The perfection of a land-sea combination as lively as it is comforting.

110 de Taillevent, 195 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 8th. 01 40 74 20 20.

It's here that each year the chicest and most intellectual luncheon takes place, culminating in the awarding of the Goncourt and Renaudot prizes. It's therefore tasteful to be seen at Drouant, near the Opéra Garnier, especially to order their divine Albufera vol-au-vent tested and approved by us: sweetbreads, poultry, button mushrooms, seared foie gras (€49). Generous and refined.

Drouant, 16-18 rue Gaillon, Paris 2nd. 01 42 65 15 16.

© Arbès Food

Since being taken over by the duo Jean and Roxane Sévègnes, Café des Ministères has been constantly bustling. The politicians from the neighboring National Assembly and other gastronomy connoisseurs have made it their preferred canteen, enjoying the gargantuan portions and that classic Parisian bistro taste. Already legendary, its imposing Grande Tradition vol-au-vent with sweetbreads, free-range poultry, spinach, and truffle jus (€44) has become a genre-defining must-have. Be on the ball: reservations, in high demand, open 21 days in advance.

Café des Ministères, 83 rue de l'Université, Paris 7th. 01 45 33 73 34.

© Raphaël Quessada

Nobody really knows why or how this seemingly confidential address in the 14th arrondissement, near Gare Montparnasse, has become the must-book hot spot. Frequented by celebrities and food critics alike, you can indulge in a delicious farm-raised guinea fowl vol-au-vent with mushrooms, pearl onions, and shellfish sauce (€22.90) with perfectly crispy pastry, all served in a lovely copper dish to allow it to express itself once opened.

Le Petit Sommelier, 49 avenue du Maine, Paris 14e. 01 43 20 95 66.

Hailing from a family of poultry farmers in Limousin, Chef Emile Cotte presents at Baca'v an astounding vol-au-vent, a true homage to his grandmother's chicken and crayfish dish that has been on the menu for 20 years! An authentic land/sea combination filled with lobster claw, rooster crest, sweetbreads, poultry white pudding, oyster mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms, placed in a cast-iron dish that keeps the precious accompanying sauce warm (€39).

Baca'v, 6 rue des Fossés Saint-Marcel, Paris 5th. 01 47 07 91 25.

There's excitement in Issy-les-Moulineaux! Just five minutes from the metro, the Domaine de la Reine Margot now houses a hotel in a former 17th-century building, along with Marguerite 1606, led by Jean-Philippe Perol. Besides being genuinely friendly, the chef admits to a slight obsession with "bouchées à la reine," twin sisters of the vol-au-vent, here offered in three versions: roasted root vegetables with a short herb vegetable jus (€26), sweetbreads, mushrooms, spinach, and poulette sauce (€34), and lobster/clams, fennel, and white vermouth sauce (€38), all accompanied by a good herb salad.

Le Marguerite 1606 at Domaine de la Reine Margot, 3 Cr de la Reine Margot, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux. 01 87 53 65 81.

© Nicolas Fagot Studio9

This one is enjoyed as an appetizer! Frédérick Lyard, the new chef of Maison 28 restaurant (the chic table of the 5-star Roch Hotel & Spa), unveils a mini and vegetarian version of the vol-au-vent filled with smoked Jerusalem artichokes and a soft-boiled organic egg, all placed on a forest mushroom cream (€18).

Maison 28 at Roch Hotel & Spa, 28 rue Saint-Roch, Paris 1st. 01 70 83 00 00.

© Le Roch Hôtel & Spa

Savoring sauerkraut in the sublime brasserie Bofinger, right under the dome, is a bit of a must in Parisian gastronomic folklore. But the most famous restaurant in the Bastille area also boasts (and rightly so) of offering one of the best vol-au-vents in the capital, filled with sweetbreads, poultry, mushrooms, and fresh spinach (€31.50). Pair it with a glass of Alsatian wine, or nothing at all.

Bofinger, 5-7 rue de la Bastille, Paris 4th. 01 42 72 87 82.

Now under the Paris Society banner, Maxim's, the institution on Rue Royale, has not lost any of its splendor. In this extraordinary Belle Époque setting, one can still find today a historical dish of the place: the vol-au-vent with sweetbreads and poultry (€48). Well-executed, immaculate, and surrounded by its small forest of mushrooms.

Maxim's, 3 rue Royale, Paris 8th. 01 42 65 27 94.

The preferred haunt of the West Side of Paris, Le Perchoir Porte de Versailles combines charm with its extra-large terrace and a decor that exudes a holiday vibe, making you feel like you're outdoors even from inside the room. On its menu, you'll find a particularly light vol-au-vent with roasted winter vegetables and their reduction, offered at an unbeatable price (€20).

Perchoir Porte de Versailles, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, 2 avenue de la Porte de la Plaine, Paris 15th. 01 76 35 11 80.

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