Impérial Choisy

The Verdict

Impérial Choisy earns its back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) by doing something most Parisian Chinese restaurants do not: delivering genuine kitchen craft at a price point that makes the 13th arrondissement worth the Métro ride. If you are looking for Cantonese cooking that Michelin's inspectors have twice confirmed as worth-the-detour value, book here. If you want white-tablecloth formality or a private-room banquet setting, look at Imperial Treasure instead.

Portrait

Avenue de Choisy is the backbone of Paris's most concentrated Chinese neighbourhood, weekend mornings here have a particular texture: the pavements fill early, the dim sum counters move fast, the leading tables disappear before most of the city has finished its first coffee. Impérial Choisy sits in the middle of this rhythm, that rhythm is the point. The atmosphere runs to functional warmth rather than designed calm — it is louder than a bistro, livelier than you might expect for a Bib Gourmand address, completely unconcerned with performing quietness for anyone's comfort. If you are searching for a hushed, ceremonial lunch, this is not the room for it. If you want the energy of a busy neighbourhood restaurant that happens to cook at a level Michelin has noticed twice, the trade is a good one.

The Bib Gourmand designation is not a consolation prize in 2025 — it is the guide's explicit signal that the cooking here delivers quality above what the price would lead you to expect. Two consecutive years of that recognition, under chef Jeremy Cheminade, confirms this is not a fluke. The €€ price bracket means you are eating meaningfully below the level of Paris's starred Chinese options while still in a kitchen that has been audited at the highest level of the guide. For food-focused travellers who treat Michelin recognition as a research filter rather than a prestige target, this combination of Bib status and mid-range pricing is the most decision-relevant fact about the venue.

The editorial angle worth tracking now, in the current season, is the weekend dim sum and brunch service. The 13th's Chinese quarter draws its most concentrated foot traffic on Saturday and Sunday mornings, when families, regulars, visitors converge on a stretch of avenue de Choisy where the competition for seats is real. Impérial Choisy is part of that competitive set, the Bib Gourmand gives it a legible claim to being the quality benchmark of the strip. Arriving early is not optional advice, it is the single most important logistical decision you will make for this visit. Weekend morning demand at addresses like this one outpaces capacity in a way that does not apply Monday to Friday. Plan accordingly or accept a wait.

For the food-focused traveller who wants to cross-reference Paris Chinese cooking against a wider map: the Bib Gourmand format here sits in a different category from the approach taken by LiLi or Madame FAN, both of which operate at higher price points with more formal service structures. Taokan offers a mid-range alternative in a different arrondissement for those who want to compare approaches. None of these comparisons diminish Impérial Choisy, they clarify who it is for: the diner who wants demonstrably good Chinese cooking in Paris without a tasting-menu price tag.

For broader context, Michelin Bib Gourmand Chinese restaurants are relatively rare in European capitals. Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin and Mister Jiu's in San Francisco represent how seriously the guide takes Chinese-influenced cooking when the kitchen earns it. Impérial Choisy belongs to that conversation at the value end of the spectrum, which, for most travellers, makes it the more practical starting point.

Booking is direct. This is not a venue where you need to plan weeks ahead for a Tuesday lunch, but weekend brunch slots fill earlier than a casual walk-in strategy would allow. The sensible approach is a same-week reservation for weekday visits, a few days' lead time for weekends. There is no evidence of an elaborate booking system, the address operates as a neighbourhood restaurant, which means the logistics are proportionate to that format.

If Paris is a wider trip rather than a dedicated food destination, the 13th arrondissement requires a specific decision to visit, it is not a walk-from-the-centre neighbourhood. That decision is worth making for a Bib Gourmand address at €€ pricing, but it should be a decision, not an accident. Pair it with a broader plan for the day or use it as a deliberate anchor for exploring the Chinese quarter on foot. The full Paris restaurants guide and Paris hotels guide can help you plan around it. The Paris bars guide, Paris experiences guide, and Paris wineries guide are useful if you are building a full itinerary.

For those who treat France as a culinary geography rather than a single-city destination: the country's Michelin map extends well beyond Paris. Mirazur in Menton, Flocons de Sel in Megève, Troisgros in Ouches, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, Bras in Laguiole, and Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or each represent a different register of French kitchen ambition. Impérial Choisy is not in that conversation by format, but it is in it by standard, at a fraction of the cost.

Ratings & Recognition

• Michelin Bib Gourmand, 2025 (current)
• Michelin Bib Gourmand, 2024

Two consecutive Bib Gourmand awards are the operative trust signal here.

Booking & Access

Address: 32 Avenue de Choisy, 75013 Paris

Booking difficulty: Easy for weekdays; reserve a few days ahead for weekend brunch

Price range: €€

Chef: Jeremy Cheminade

Practical Comparison