Le Duc is an institution and one of the best places in Paris to enjoy seafood. The interior, with its gleaming wood-paneled walls evoking a yacht’s interior, is truly one of a kind. Wes Anderson is rumored to be a regular customer, and that makes a lot of sense. Sole meunière is the thing to order here – the fish is presented whole before being filleted and plated table-side (most of the servers used to work as fishermen). Oysters are spectacular at Le Duc, and the carpaccio of dorade is rightfully renowned. Personally, I adored my dish of Saint-Pierre in a vodka butter sauce. It felt deliciously old-fashioned and I devoured every morsel of it. Desserts like île flottante and baba au rhum are served from a retro rolling cart, and the meal finishes with buttery financiers as mignardises. It’s a pricey affair, but the food is great and there are thoughtful touches and careful service throughout the meal.
Le Duc has been included among our 50 Favorite Restaurants in Paris.
lE DUC
243 Boulevard Raspail, 75014
Open Monday–Saturday for lunch & dinner
Closed Sunday
Reservations at +33 1 43 22 59 59
Their Instagram / Our Instagram
OUR PHOTOS OF LE DUC
IN OTHER WORDS
- Michelin Guide “Despite being in the heart of the left bank, you would be forgiven for thinking you were in the cabin of a yacht, packed with seafaring acolytes… Chef Pascal Hélard works with first-rate fish and shellfish and is a consummate craftsman: sole meunière, Brittany lobster in stock, grilled young turbot”
- Gayot “In a décor that would have pleased both Hemingway and Captain Nemo, Le Duc continues its journey of more than 30 years purveying the freshest of fish, sometimes served raw or simply prepared — fried, smoked, grilled, meunière, steamed — according to the species and the season.”
- Alexander Lobrano “With its jaunty nautical decor–the late great French restaurant designer Slavik was surely inspired by one of Gianni Agnelli’s Riva speed boats when he set to work here–and conditionally lordly service, this place is rather like the catch-of-the-day oriented little sister of Le Voltaire, another vintage beau-monde monument of a restaurant on the Left Bank.”
- Goop “Fresh and wonderful seafood—served in a dining room that feels like the captain’s dining room in a ship—justifies the haul to this slightly out of the way institution (unless you’re hoping to hit up the nearby Marché aux Puces de Vanves flea market, in which case it’s convenient). The preparations here are blessedly simple and unflashy, which further underlines the consistently excellent quality of their catch.”
- TimeOut “Behind the blue and white frontage, the wood-panelled dining room with fish drawings on the walls feels like the interior of a luxury yacht, an impression enhanced by the affable service. On the menu, nothing but ultra-fresh fish and seafood, simply prepared to preserve their flavour. One of the first restaurants in Paris to servce raw fish, Le Duc continues to offer many different types of tatares and carpaccios – look out for the raw scallops served from October to May.”
- Financial Times “On my Friday night visit, the clientele was distinguished-looking and of a certain age. Among the men there was a prevalence of navy blazers, the discreet uniform of the Parisian upper crust, while the women sported the remnants of an off-season tan – more St Lucia than St Tropez, I suspected. It might have been the lighting, but our charming waiter seemed tanned and fresh off a yacht too.”