Drouant

Drouant has been hosting the Prix Goncourt jury on the first Tuesday of every month since 1914, the salon Goncourt upstairs is where the most famous French literary prize is decided each November. Downstairs, chef Romain Van Thienen runs a French classics menu with serious technique: vol-au-vent, sole meunière, steak tartare prepared tableside, and the famous hors d'oeuvre carousel that arrives in four small dishes. The room has the dignity of a 1880s grande maison without the stiffness. It is the literary destination of the 2e and a benchmark French lunch when you want competence rather than experiment.