Restaurant in Paris, France
Serious cooking without the ceremony tax.
Le 39V is a Michelin Plate-recognised modern French address on Avenue George V with a seasonal menu led by chef Martin Enström. At €€€ pricing, it delivers a genuinely strong kitchen experience without the €300-plus commitment of the neighbourhood's starred competition. Booking is easy — one to two weeks ahead is usually sufficient — making it a practical choice for a special occasion dinner in the 8th arrondissement.
With 802 Google reviews averaging 4.5 stars and a 2025 Michelin Plate recognition, Le 39V makes a clear argument for itself among Paris's mid-to-upper tier of modern French dining. At €€€ pricing (expect roughly €80–150 per head depending on what you drink), it sits one tier below the city's full-blown tasting-menu institutions. That gap is useful. If you want a serious kitchen without committing to a four-hour, €300-plus omakase experience, Le 39V is worth booking. If maximum Michelin prestige is the goal, you'll need to look at a different address.
Le 39V occupies the upper floors of 39 Avenue George V, one of the 8th arrondissement's quieter residential-facing stretches, despite the address's grand associations. The room reads formal without being stiff — expect white tablecloths, unhurried pacing, and a noise level that allows actual conversation. This is not a venue that doubles as a scene. The energy is calm and deliberate, which makes it well-suited to a business dinner or a date where the conversation matters as much as the food. For a raucous birthday celebration with a large group, the mood may feel a touch restrained.
Chef Martin Enström leads the kitchen, and the menu at Le 39V is structured around seasonal rotation. This is consequential for when you book. Spring and summer visits lean into lighter preparations — vegetables, fish, and herb-forward sauces that reflect the markets at their most generous. Autumn and winter shifts the kitchen toward richer, more grounded plates: game, root vegetables, and preparations that suit the shorter days. The practical implication: Le 39V rewards repeat visits timed to the seasons, and a November visit will deliver a materially different menu than a May one. If you're visiting Paris once and want to eat here, book for whichever season you're in rather than holding out for a different time of year , the kitchen adjusts competently across all four.
Enström's approach sits within the Scandinavian-influenced modern French tradition , precise technique, restrained presentation, an emphasis on product quality over theatrical flourish. Diners familiar with the cooking at Frantzén in Stockholm or Maison Lameloise in Chagny will recognise the register, though Le 39V operates with a lighter formality than either.
The menu changes with the season, so specific dish recommendations have a short shelf life. The principle that holds across menus: the kitchen performs leading on protein-forward plates where technique is visible , fish cookery, sauce work, and anything involving aged or rested meat. Seasonal vegetable courses tend to be more interesting here than at comparable addresses, which often treat produce as a placeholder between proteins. On the wine side, the list skews French with depth in Burgundy and the Loire; if you're ordering by the glass, ask the sommelier to guide you toward the current season's food pairings rather than ordering independently.
Le 39V is a strong choice for a dinner where the occasion matters but you don't want the full ceremony of a three-Michelin-star room. It's quieter and more personal than Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V two minutes away, and considerably more affordable. For an anniversary, a significant business dinner, or a trip where you want one genuinely good meal without the planning overhead of a starred reservation, this is the right level. It lacks the institutional weight of the grand addresses, but that is also why you can usually get a table.
Booking is rated Easy. This is one of Le 39V's practical advantages over its neighbours in the 8th , you are not competing with a six-week waitlist or a reservation system that opens at midnight. Book one to two weeks ahead for weekday dinners; weekend evenings may need a little more lead time, particularly in spring (April to June) when Paris restaurant demand peaks. The address is 39 Avenue George V, 75008 Paris, walking distance from the George V metro station. Smart casual to business smart dress is appropriate; the room's formality level suggests avoiding overly casual attire even if no explicit dress code is published.
For more context on dining in the city, see our full Paris restaurants guide, and if you're planning a wider trip, our Paris hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.
If you're exploring other strong kitchens in Paris at the same price tier, Accents Table Bourse and Anona both offer seasonal modern cooking worth considering. 114, Faubourg is a good alternative if you want the 8th arrondissement address with a slightly more relaxed format. For something further afield but in a similar culinary vein, Flocons de Sel in Megève and Bras in Laguiole represent the seasonal-first, French-modern tradition at its most committed. If you're building a broader France itinerary, Troisgros in Ouches, Mirazur in Menton, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, and Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or cover the full range of what French fine dining looks like outside the capital. Also worth knowing: Amâlia and Auberge de Montfleury are Paris options with distinct personalities if Le 39V's register isn't quite right for your group.
Quick reference: Le 39V, 39 Av. George V, 75008 Paris. Modern French. €€€. Michelin Plate 2025. 4.5/5 (802 reviews). Booking: Easy, 1–2 weeks ahead. Leading for: special occasions, business dinners, seasonal French cooking without a four-star price tag.
Yes, with one qualification: at €€€ pricing, the tasting menu represents good value relative to the neighbourhood. You're getting Michelin Plate-level cooking at a price well below what Plénitude or Pierre Gagnaire charge. The format suits diners who want a structured, seasonal progression rather than a single dish. If you prefer to order freely, the à la carte option provides more flexibility but the tasting menu gives the kitchen a better chance to show its range across the season.
No specific policy is published, but restaurants at this level in Paris routinely accommodate dietary requirements when notified in advance. Contact them directly at the time of booking , ideally more than 48 hours ahead , and confirm your requirements explicitly. Don't assume; state them clearly. The seasonal, market-driven menu structure means the kitchen has genuine flexibility to substitute rather than simply remove dishes.
The restaurant can accommodate small groups, though seat count data isn't published. For parties of six or more, contact the restaurant directly rather than booking online, and ask whether a private or semi-private area is available. The room's quieter atmosphere suits business group dinners well; for celebratory groups that want a livelier setting, the room's calm register may feel limiting.
The menu rotates seasonally, so the specific answer changes every few months. The consistent principle: trust the kitchen's fish and protein-forward plates, and let the sommelier guide wine pairings to match whatever season you're eating in. Visiting in autumn or winter, the richer preparations tend to be the kitchen's most confident work. Spring and summer, lean toward the lighter, vegetable-led courses. The tasting menu gives you the broadest read on what the kitchen is doing in any given season.
At €€€ (estimated €80–150 per head with wine), Le 39V is well-positioned. You get Michelin Plate-recognised cooking in a calm, formal room on one of Paris's better-known avenues, without the €250–400-per-head commitment that the neighbourhood's starred competition requires. Compared to Kei or Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, you're trading prestige ceiling for accessibility and price. If the goal is a genuinely good dinner rather than a trophy reservation, the value case is solid.
For a step up in prestige at higher cost, Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V is the obvious neighbour. For creative modern French at a comparable price point, Accents Table Bourse is worth considering. If you want to spend more and get a fuller tasting-menu experience, Plénitude is the current reference point for Paris contemporary French. Anona and 114, Faubourg round out the mid-to-upper tier options if Le 39V is fully booked.
No bar seating data is published for Le 39V. Given the room's formal register and the absence of any published bar or counter menu, this is not a venue configured for drop-in drinks or informal perching. Plan for a full seated dinner. If you want a pre-dinner drink in the area, the 8th arrondissement has no shortage of options , see our Paris bars guide for specifics.
Three things: First, the menu changes seasonally, so whatever you've read about specific dishes may be out of date by the time you visit , go in open to the current menu rather than chasing a dish you saw reviewed months ago. Second, booking is direct; you don't need to plan months ahead the way you would for a starred address in Paris. One to two weeks is usually enough. Third, the room is formal and quiet , dress accordingly and expect a paced, attentive service experience rather than a buzzy neighbourhood atmosphere. For broader Paris context before your trip, start with our full Paris restaurants guide.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Le 39V | €€€ | — |
| Plénitude | €€€€ | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | €€€€ | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | €€€€ | — |
| Kei | €€€€ | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | €€€€ | — |
How Le 39V stacks up against the competition.
At the €€€ price point with a 2025 Michelin Plate to its name, Le 39V makes a credible case. Chef Martin Enström builds menus around seasonal rotation, so the kitchen is working with a clear logic rather than a static showpiece. If you want a structured tasting experience without the full formality — and cost — of a three-star room on the same arrondissement, Le 39V delivers a reasonable return. If you need maximum prestige per euro, look at Kei or Alléno Paris instead.
Seasonal modern French kitchens of this tier routinely accommodate dietary requirements when notified in advance. Given that the menu at Le 39V rotates with the seasons, flagging restrictions at the time of booking gives the kitchen the best chance to adapt. check the venue's official channels before your visit to confirm specifics.
Le 39V is positioned as a quieter room compared to its neighbours in the 8th, which suggests it is better suited to small groups than large parties. For a dinner of two to four, it works well as a special occasion venue. Larger groups should contact the restaurant to confirm private dining availability before committing.
The menu rotates seasonally, so any specific dish recommendation has a short shelf life. The consistent principle: the kitchen performs best with produce-led courses that reflect what's currently in season. Book with the season in mind — spring and autumn menus in Paris tend to give chefs like Enström the most to work with.
At €€€ with a 2025 Michelin Plate and 4.5 stars across 802 Google reviews, Le 39V sits at a price point where the quality is substantiated. It is not cheap, but it avoids the premium you pay purely for address prestige at places like Le Cinq or Alléno Paris. For a dinner where the food needs to justify the bill rather than the room, it holds up.
At a similar price tier, Accents Table Bourse and Anona both offer seasonal modern cooking worth considering. For a step up in formality and ambition, Kei bridges French technique with Japanese influence. If budget is less of a constraint, Plénitude and Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen operate at a different level of complexity. Pierre Gagnaire is the obvious nearby reference if you want a chef-driven room with a longer track record.
There is no confirmed bar dining option in the available venue data. Le 39V occupies the upper floors of 39 Avenue George V, and the format appears oriented toward seated dining rather than counter or bar service. Confirm directly with the restaurant if this format matters to your booking decision.
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