You’ll feel like royalty at this 18th-century restaurant with décor befitting the excess mentality of the last kings of France. Velvet seats overlook massive, mirror-lined walls interspersed with delicate tableaux, and enough gold detailing to fulfill the Sun King’s loftiest dreams. You’ll drag crusts of excellent country bread through the complimentary Provençal olive oil as you peruse the menu, which includes simple glazed salmon, steak with roasted tomato coexisting with an out-there sea bass terrine with miso and black cardamom, and vegetarian options that leave much to be desired. If you don’t have an aristocrat’s budget, consider a weekday lunch visit when the €68, three-course prix fixe may feature an exquisite mushroom-studded chicken pâté, or one of the most monumental chocolate tarts ever.

It’s easy to get lost in Lapérouse’s labyrinthine corridors and hidden salons, which is probably why it was a go-to for filandrous 19th-century writers like Victor Hugo and Émile Zola. Their portraits still line the walls of the endless staircases leading you to the dining rooms, with astounding views of the Seine and the Louvre. The ghosts of former regulars must balk at the modern prices, which are probably why you’ll mostly hear Russian or English at neighboring tables. Ignore the siren call of truffle and caviar, however, and you’ll be surprised by simple yet delicious food, like an exquisite chateaubriand steak au poivre with crispy golden frites. The namesake cake is a multi-layered marvel of vanilla-scented cake and cream that even the pickiest diner will enjoy. Live piano music playing in the background may have you forgetting the wallet-lightening effects of both food and wine.

If lunch in a train station conjures images of sad, stale sandwiches, Le Train Bleu will change your mind. This dining room’s cathedral ceilings, exquisite wainscotting, and gilded chandeliers make it easy to forget you’re inside Gare de Lyon. Your only hints are the large, Impressionist-era paintings of Riviera destinations like Monaco or Cannes. It’s a step back in time to when train travel meant coats and ties rather than leggings and sneakers, and tableside theater was a matter of course. You’ll experience steak tartare prepared before your eyes, and succulent roasted lamb leg rolled over on a cart and sliced straight onto your plate. Spoon out your serving of one of the most decadent gratins dauphinois you’ll ever taste. The professionalism of the waiters is showcased in their efficient bustling, but you’ll never feel rushed, since this spot is for luxuriating.

Bofinger’s stunning seafood menu matches the grandeur of the space. The sprawling, 280-seat architectural marvel has soaring ceilings and a glass cupola buttressed by wooden walls depicting scenes of Alsatian village life. Even the bathrooms get a touch of glam with stained glass windows. Choucroute de la mer is the house specialty for good reason: salmon, haddock, bass, and prawns are artfully arranged around a mound of sauerkraut spiked with juniper and cumin, then generously doused in a rich beurre blanc that practically begs you to lick the plate clean. But fussier diners will also have their pick of fish and chips or steak-frites; choose the châteaubriand for a tableside flambage worthy of the luxurious space.

While this place won’t exactly inspire you to don your finest gown, it still captures Old World refinement. It’s the oldest steakhouse in Paris, with a ’30s-era dining room still lined with golden hat racks and Art Déco light fixtures. Giant portraits of shaggy cows confirm that the French are as comfy as ever with knowing the source of their beef, here served as red and rare as the velvet chairs. Choose from twelve cuts of dry-aged French beef, including a 300-gram entrecôte or 1.2-kilo beef rib for two, displayed whole like the gem it is before being expertly sliced and served with puffed potatoes. Don’t miss the pepper sauce, which doesn’t hide the spice behind layers of heavy cream.

Maxim’s has always been a place to see and be seen, and that holds just as true following its recent revival. The Belle Epoque details are alive and well, with stained glass and gorgeous murals lining the walls behind the velvet banquettes. While these days, there’s more athleisure than opera gloves in the dining room, you’re still in for an astounding show. Tiny tasselled lamps provide just enough light to choose from old-school French classics you won’t find in most modern restaurants, like garlicky frogs’ legs or ethereal cheese soufflé. And tableside service of lemony sole grenobloise or crêpes suzette en flambée only adds to the spectacle of the ever-changing live music offering on the central stage.

Most dinner cruises get away with meh food thanks to front-row views. But if you must eat on a boat in Paris, make it this one. The fancy two-hour voyage begins and ends across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, during which you’ll dine on approachable fine dining menus ideal for tourists who like the idea of fancy tuiles and flowers but don’t want to have to Google every ingredient. You can choose from a three- or four-course set lunch (starts at €115 per person) or a four- or five-course dinner, and pay when you book. Once onboard, you’ll sit at a white-linen-topped table on a chair cushion emblazoned with a greyscale city map underneath the ceiling’s silver wave motif with views from every seat. There are tweezer-applied flourishes and familiar flavors. Roast Guinea fowl with mustard jus has all the comfort of roast chicken in gravy, and soft-boiled egg with comté emulsion has major egg florentine vibes. The wine is ludicrously expensive, but it’ll be hard to say no to a glass of Champagne. After all, you’re dining on the Seine.

From the sky-high ceilings to the intricate tiled floor to the Art Nouveau sconces, Le Grand Colbert is the very picture of a classic French dining room. It’s no wonder it was given a starring role in Something’s Gotta Give. Unfortunately, Diane Keaton would be sorely disappointed by what’s meant to be Paris’ best roast chicken: Reheated in a rich yet salty gravy, its flabby skin is far from worthy of its silver screen début. Opt instead for a fish dish as impressive as the surroundings, like a towering seafood platter or buttery sole meunière filleted tableside. Split an order of perfect golden fries, and don’t miss one of the housemade classic pastries for dessert.