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 setting “re-enchants the dining experience,” Alain Ducasse said upon winning the award.
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.
The Prix Versailles, awarded every year since 2015, is judged by a global panel of tastemakers that, this year, included actor Emma Watson. In the restaurant category, Ducasse Baccarat beat out competition from around the world, including the two-Michelin-starred Blackswan in Beijing, China, commended for its interiors. Previous winners of the category have included New York’s ILIS in 2024 and Lisbon’s Palácio Grilo in 2023.
Also taking out top honors this year was the World’s Most Beautiful Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental Qianmen in Beijing. San Francisco International Airport Terminal 1 was judged the World’s Most Beautiful Airport.
