Restaurant in Paris, France
One star, serious wine, book early.
L'Écrin holds a Michelin star inside the Hôtel de Crillon on Place de la Concorde, with one of Paris's most serious wine programs: 2,700 references and 225,000 bottles under Wine Director Xavier Thuizat. Chef Boris Campanella's creative French cooking is the right match. Book for dinner, plan for the wine, and reserve at least three to four weeks out.
L'Écrin earns its Michelin star and deserves your reservation — but book it for the wine program as much as the food. Housed within the Hôtel de Crillon on the Place de la Concorde, this is one of the few €€€€ addresses in Paris where the cellar genuinely competes with the kitchen. Wine Director Xavier Thuizat oversees a list of 2,700 selections across a 225,000-bottle inventory with particular depth in Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, and Champagne. Chef Boris Campanella's creative French cooking is the right match for that kind of commitment. If you're returning after a first visit and wondering whether to push further into the wine pairing, the answer is yes.
L'Écrin sits inside the Hôtel de Crillon, one of the grand palace hotels of Paris's 8th arrondissement, overlooking the Place de la Concorde. The address alone places it in a specific tier: this is not a neighbourhood restaurant or an independent chef's project. It is a formally resourced dining room with the backing of a palace hotel operation, and that distinction matters when you're deciding how to spend €€€€ in Paris.
What makes L'Écrin worth returning to, and worth recommending over several strong competitors at the same price point, is the wine program's structural depth. Xavier Thuizat took over wine direction when the hotel reopened in July 2017, and the list he has built since then reflects serious institutional commitment. With 2,700 references and 225,000 bottles in inventory, this is not a curated boutique list — it is a comprehensive archive, priced at the $$$ tier, meaning the list carries significant representation above €100 per bottle. The core strengths are French: Burgundy and Bordeaux for depth, Rhône for breadth, and Champagne as you'd expect from a property at this level. If you came on your first visit and ordered conservatively, a return trip should go deeper into the Burgundy selections, where the vertical range and producer breadth are the real argument for this address over peers with smaller programs.
Chef Boris Campanella's cuisine sits in the creative French register , technically grounded classical cooking with contemporary presentation. The Michelin star, retained in both 2024 and 2025, confirms the kitchen's consistency. The pairing between Campanella's approach and Thuizat's cellar is the central reason to book: this is a room where asking for a serious wine recommendation will get a serious answer. Dinner is the only service offered, which keeps the rhythm deliberate. Factor that in when planning: this is not a lunch option, and the evening pacing suits extended wine exploration better than a compressed schedule.
For a returning guest, the practical question is how far to push the tasting format. The wine program rewards longer menus , the inventory depth and Thuizat's expertise are most visible across multiple courses with guided pairings. If you're coming back with someone who shares that interest, request the pairing at the time of booking rather than at the table; the kitchen and cellar work together better with advance notice at this level.
The address also matters for context. The 8th arrondissement's concentration of palace hotel dining means L'Écrin competes directly with [Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/le-cinq-four-seasons-hotel-george-v) and [Le Meurice Alain Ducasse](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/restaurant-le-meurice-alain-ducasse-paris-restaurant) for the same guest. What separates L'Écrin from both is the wine inventory scale: 225,000 bottles is a meaningful operational commitment, and it shows in range and rarity of what Thuizat can offer at the table. If your priority is service formality above cellar depth, Le Cinq is the stronger call. If wine is the primary reason you're booking, L'Écrin is the right choice in this part of Paris.
Beyond the 8th, Paris has other creative French addresses worth knowing. [Arpège](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/arpge-paris-restaurant) works from a different culinary philosophy, and [Le Gabriel - La Réserve Paris](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/le-gabriel-la-rserve-paris-paris-restaurant) offers a comparable palace-adjacent experience in a smaller, more intimate room. For a broader view of where L'Écrin fits within Paris dining, [our full Paris restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/paris) covers the competitive set in detail. If the trip extends beyond the city, [Flocons de Sel in Megève](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/flocons-de-sel-megve-restaurant), [Mirazur in Menton](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/mirazur-menton-restaurant), and [Troisgros - Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/troisgros-le-bois-sans-feuilles-ouches-restaurant) represent the range of serious French cooking outside Paris. Regionally, [Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/auberge-de-lill-illhaeusern-restaurant) and [Bras in Laguiole](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bras-laguiole-restaurant) offer comparable commitment to French terroir in very different settings. For creative cooking benchmarks elsewhere in Europe, [Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/cocina-hermanos-torres-barcelona-restaurant) and [Enrico Bartolini in Milan](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/enrico-bartolini-milan-restaurant) are useful reference points. Paris's broader offering , hotels, bars, and experiences , is covered across [our Paris hotels guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/paris), [bars guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/paris), [wineries guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/wineries/paris), and [experiences guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/paris).
Reservations: Hard to secure , book at minimum 3–4 weeks ahead, longer for weekend evenings. Service: Dinner only. Address: 10 Rue Boissy d'Anglas, 75008 Paris, at the Hôtel de Crillon near Place de la Concorde. Budget: €€€€ for food; wine list priced at $$$, expect significant additional spend if exploring the cellar. Dress: Smart formal , palace hotel context applies. Nearest Metro: Concorde (lines 1, 8, 12). Wine Pairing: Request at booking, not at the table.
Book at minimum three to four weeks out for a weekday dinner, and six to eight weeks for Friday or Saturday. This is a single-service (dinner only) restaurant inside a palace hotel with a Michelin star, which means the room turns over once per evening and available slots go quickly. If you have a fixed travel date, book the day your reservation window opens.
There is no confirmed bar dining option in the available data for L'Écrin. Given its palace hotel setting and formal dinner-only format, bar seating as an alternative to the main room is unlikely to be available in the way it might be at a more casual address. Contact the hotel directly to confirm current options before assuming flexibility.
Come for dinner, plan the evening around it, and engage with the wine program , this is not a venue where ordering by the glass from a short list makes sense. The 2,700-reference cellar is the operational centre of this restaurant alongside the kitchen, and a first visit is well spent asking Thuizat's team for a guided pairing rather than ordering independently. Budget for the wine; a serious pairing at this level will add meaningfully to the food cost. Dress formally: the Hôtel de Crillon context is a palace hotel, and the room reflects that.
Solo dining at L'Écrin is viable but not optimised for it. The formal palace hotel setting and dinner-only format work better with two or more guests, particularly if you want to explore the wine list (half-bottles or pairing formats are easier to justify for two). That said, a solo guest with a genuine interest in the wine program should have no difficulty , request the tasting menu with pairings and the experience is self-contained. For a more intimate solo experience in Paris's €€€€ tier, [Le Gabriel - La Réserve Paris](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/le-gabriel-la-rserve-paris-paris-restaurant) is worth comparing.
No specific dietary restriction policy is confirmed in the available data. As a Michelin-starred kitchen with a creative French format, the team should be able to accommodate common requirements if notified at the time of booking , but confirm directly when you reserve. Do not assume flexibility on the night; advance notice is the right approach for any restriction at this level.
Group capacity data is not confirmed in the available data. Given the palace hotel setting, private dining or semi-private arrangements are likely available, but pricing and availability for groups should be confirmed directly with the Hôtel de Crillon. For a large group at this price tier in Paris, the logistical complexity , particularly around the wine program and formal service , warrants early direct contact with the restaurant rather than standard online booking.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Écrin | Creative | We take you to the heart of the famous place de la Concorde in Paris (8th arrondissement). On reopening in July 2017, Xavier Thuizat took over the management of the wine of the famous Hotel de Crillon...; Category: Prestige; WINE: Wine Strengths: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Champagne, France Pricing: $$$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Selections: 2,700 Inventory: 225,000 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: French Pricing: $$$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Dinner STAFF: People Xavier Thuizat:Wine Director Wine Director: Xavier Thuizat Chef: Boris Campanella; Michelin 1 Star (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Kei | Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Ambroisie | French, Classic Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | French, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Book at least 3–4 weeks out, and push to 6 weeks for Friday or Saturday evenings. L'Écrin operates dinner only inside one of Paris's most recognisable palace hotels, which limits covers and drives demand. If you have a fixed travel date, book the day your window opens.
There is no bar dining option documented for L'Écrin. The restaurant is a formal dinner-only operation at the Hôtel de Crillon, 10 Rue Boissy d'Anglas. For a more flexible entry point to the Crillon's food and wine program, check whether the hotel's adjacent bar offers access to Xavier Thuizat's wine selections.
Come for both the food and the wine list. Chef Boris Campanella holds a Michelin star (2024 and 2025), and wine director Xavier Thuizat oversees a 2,700-label list with 225,000 bottles in inventory, weighted toward Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, and Champagne. Dinner only, so plan your evening accordingly and treat the wine pairing as part of the experience rather than an add-on.
Solo dining is possible but not the format L'Écrin is built around. The Hôtel de Crillon setting and €€€€ price point mean most tables are couples or small groups. That said, a solo diner who wants to focus on the wine program — 2,700 labels, serious Burgundy and Bordeaux depth — will find the setting worthwhile. Call ahead to confirm counter or smaller table availability.
Michelin-starred kitchens at this price point (€€€€, dinner only) routinely accommodate dietary requirements when notified at booking. check the venue's official channels at time of reservation to flag restrictions — the creative French format under Boris Campanella should allow for adjustments, but confirm specifics when you book.
Groups are harder to place at a palace hotel restaurant like L'Écrin, where tables are limited and demand is steady. For parties of 6 or more, contact the Hôtel de Crillon directly well in advance — 6 to 8 weeks minimum. Smaller groups of 2–4 have more flexibility but still need to book 3–4 weeks out.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
