Costes
By Albert & Nouri Beesemer — booked and paid for by us. No sponsored placements. Ever.
The courtyard restaurant at Hotel Costes is one of Paris's great people-watching addresses. The menu is intentionally simple. The garden is the point.
- City
- Paris
- Neighborhood
- 1ST ARR · RUE SAINT-HONORÉ
- Cuisine
- FRENCH
- Price tier
- $$$$
- VV Rating
- 8/10
First Impressions
The courtyard restaurant at Hotel Costes is one of Paris's great people-watching addresses. The menu is intentionally simple. The garden is the point.
The Costes courtyard is an institution entirely independent of whether you are staying in the hotel. The garden fills with Parisians from the neighborhood, guests from upstairs, and faces you recognize from magazines and the front rows of shows. You sit shoulder to shoulder with all of them — which is precisely what makes it work. The mix is specific to this address and cannot be manufactured elsewhere.
The menu is deliberately short and honest about what it is. The steamed salmon fillet — simply done, the kind of dish that makes you reconsider every salmon you've had before — with a side of proper french fries. It is the food of a room that knows the garden is doing the heavy lifting, and has the good sense not to fight that.
They are dog friendly, which tells you something about the clientele. Pookie had an excellent time.
What We Loved
Parisians from the neighborhood, hotel guests, visitors from around the world — all sitting shoulder to shoulder in the garden. The mix is the product, and it works every time.
The steamed salmon fillet is the order. Perfectly done, unfussy, the kind of dish you find yourself thinking about on the flight home. The french fries alongside are correct.
The enclosed courtyard is the beating heart of Costes — canopied, intimate, improbably green for a Rue Saint-Honoré address. It earns the prices.
They welcome dogs, which tells you everything about the ethos of the place. Bring Pookie.
Worth Knowing
- 01Request the garden specifically when booking — the interior dining room is fine but the courtyard is the reason to come.
- 02Book in advance. Tables fill quickly, especially for dinner.
- 03Dogs are welcome. Do not leave them at the hotel.