This Restaurant Was Just Named the World's Most Beautiful-and It Has a Shower of Baccarat Crystal Raindrops and Marble Walls

"Paris isn't short on stylish dining rooms, from Le Train Bleu, with its frescoes, chandeliers, and Belle-Époque flourishes, to the almost mythical La Tour d'Argent with Seine river and Notre Dame views. But one restaurant has risen above all others in the city to be recognized as the world's most beautiful."

"Ducasse Baccarat, which opened in September 2024, has been crowned "Most Beautiful Restaurant in the World" in the 2025 Prix Versailles. The architecture and design awards, now in their 11th year, were announced during a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in the French capital on Dec. 4."

"Helmed by master of French gastronomy, Alain Ducasse, the restaurant is situated on the first floor of the Maison Baccarat, the French design firm's stately 16th-arrondissement townhouse dripping in history. The former residence of famous writer and art patron, Marie-Laure de Noailles, the address hosted some of the city's most lavish balls in the 1920s. That rich history is now fused with modern design innovation-and Baccarat crystals, of course, take center stage. Diners sit underneath a shower of bespoke crystal raindrops that sparkle against dark marble walls, gilded mirrors, and floor-to-ceiling shelving sculpted out of raw wood by French artist Jean-Guillaume Mathia."

"The star chef, who currently heads up more than 30 restaurants, including the three-star Louis XV inside Monaco's five-star Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, is joined in the kitchen by Christophe Saintagne and Robin Schroeder. The trio serve up a creative menu rooted in French tradition: shredded lobster on a frothy bed of rose-scented tapioca, and crunchy oysters from the Landes, the southern Atlantic coast region where Ducasse was born. Before their meal, diners can sample a cocktail list inspired by Baccarat glassware in the Midi-Minuit bar."

Ducasse Baccarat opened in September 2024 and earned the 2025 Prix Versailles title of Most Beautiful Restaurant in the World, announced at UNESCO on Dec. 4. The restaurant occupies the first floor of Maison Baccarat, a historic 16th-arrondissement townhouse that once housed Marie-Laure de Noailles and hosted lavish 1920s balls. Design blends historic opulence with contemporary innovation, featuring bespoke crystal raindrops, dark marble walls, gilded mirrors, and raw-wood shelving by Jean-Guillaume Mathia. Alain Ducasse leads the project, with Christophe Saintagne and Robin Schroeder in the kitchen serving inventive French-rooted dishes and a Baccarat-inspired cocktail program in the Midi-Minuit bar.

Read at Travel + Leisure