Restaurant in Paris, France
Paris izakaya with real OAD credentials.
Le Rigmarole is one of Paris's only serious izakaya-format restaurants, OAD Casual Europe-ranked three years running (currently #71 in 2025) and rated 4.7 on Google. Based in the 11th arrondissement, it's the right booking for a celebration dinner where you want consistent quality and a convivial, sharing-plates format rather than a structured tasting menu. Booking difficulty is Easy; aim for two to three weeks ahead for weekend dates.
If you're choosing between Le Rigmarole and one of Paris's grand French restaurants for a special occasion dinner in the 11th arrondissement, Le Rigmarole is the more interesting decision. This is an izakaya in a city that does izakaya rarely and does it well even more rarely — and Le Rigmarole has ranked on the Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe list three consecutive years running (ranked #74 in 2023, #84 in 2024, and climbing back to #71 in 2025). That consistency is a meaningful signal in a category where one-season spots are common. Book it for a date night or a celebratory dinner where the experience should feel personal rather than ceremonial.
Le Rigmarole sits at 10 Rue du Grand Prieuré in the 11th arrondissement, a neighbourhood that has gradually become one of Paris's most credible dining destinations without ever feeling like it was engineered to be one. The restaurant is an izakaya format in a city whose dining culture skews heavily toward classical French or its modern derivatives. That positioning matters: there are very few places in Paris where you can eat at this level of informal, Japanese-influenced cooking, and Le Rigmarole has become the reference point for that category locally.
Chef Robert Compagnon leads the kitchen. The izakaya format, for context, is a Japanese dining style built around sharing dishes alongside drinks — it is convivial and paced by the table rather than the kitchen, which makes it well-suited to celebrations and long evenings. In Paris, where the dominant mode is either prix-fixe formality or neighbourhood bistro informality, Le Rigmarole occupies a genuinely distinct register. For a date or a small group celebration, that matters: the format encourages extended meals without the structured march of a tasting menu.
The Google rating of 4.7 across 231 reviews sits comfortably above the Paris average for comparable venues, and combined with three years of OAD Casual Europe recognition, there is enough external validation here to book with confidence. The OAD Casual list specifically tracks restaurants that deliver high-quality cooking outside the white-tablecloth format , being ranked in the top 100 in Europe, three years consecutively, is a substantive credential. For comparison, Benikurage in Osaka and Berangkat in Kyoto operate in the same izakaya category in Japan; Le Rigmarole is doing something comparable in a European context where the format has far less precedent.
For a special occasion, the 11th is a good neighbourhood choice. It is less tourist-dense than the Marais or Saint-Germain, and the local dining scene around Rue du Grand Prieuré means you can extend the evening to a bar without going far. Check our Paris bars guide and Paris hotels guide if you're planning around the dinner.
If you're visiting Paris specifically for high-end French cooking, Le Rigmarole is not the obvious anchor , venues like Arpège or L'Ambroisie serve that purpose. But if you want a dinner that feels grounded in its neighbourhood, delivers consistent quality, and doesn't require navigating a tasting menu format, Le Rigmarole is one of the more reliable bookings in the city at this level.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Given the venue's OAD ranking and strong review volume, booking two to three weeks ahead is sensible for a weekend dinner or a specific celebration date , last-minute availability may exist on weekdays, but don't assume it for a Friday or Saturday. No booking method is specified in our data; check directly at the restaurant address or search for the current reservation channel before planning. Hours run 07:00–22:00 every day of the week, which is broader than most comparable Paris restaurants and means the venue is accessible for an early dinner if you prefer to avoid peak service times.
Quick reference: 10 Rue du Grand Prieuré, 75011 Paris. Open daily 07:00–22:00. Booking difficulty: Easy. OAD Casual Europe #71 (2025). Google 4.7/5 (231 reviews).
Le Rigmarole's peer set for a Paris special occasion dinner depends on what you're optimising for. If the priority is prestige and classical French cooking at the highest level, L'Ambroisie and Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V are the standard references , both are three-Michelin-star venues with formal service and price points to match. Neither is a casual dinner option. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and Kei sit in the creative and contemporary French space at the leading end of the market. These are the right choices if you want a highly structured, prestige-driven experience. Le Rigmarole is not competing in that tier by format or price positioning , it is a different kind of evening.
Where Le Rigmarole has a clear advantage is in the combination of quality and format: OAD-listed quality in an informal, shareable-dishes structure that doesn't require a €200+ per head commitment or a suit. For a date or a celebration dinner where the atmosphere matters as much as the food, and where the 11th's neighbourhood feel is part of the appeal, it is the more practical booking than any of the €€€€ venues listed above. Pierre Gagnaire is the right call if creative French cooking at the very leading of the market is what you're after; Le Rigmarole is the right call if you want a long, convivial evening without the formality.
For broader Paris dining context, see our full Paris restaurants guide. If you're planning a wider French trip, 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 represent the range of serious dining options across the country.
Specific dishes are not confirmed in our data, so we won't invent menu items. What we can say: the izakaya format at Le Rigmarole is built around sharing plates, so ordering broadly across the menu rather than anchoring to a single main dish will give you the leading return on the experience. Given the chef and the OAD recognition, the kitchen's strongest work is likely in the more technically demanding small plates. Ask the server what's current when you arrive.
For izakaya-style dining in Paris, Le Rigmarole is the reference point at this quality level , there are few direct comparisons. If you want a different cuisine format at a similar informal-but-serious register, look at the broader 11th arrondissement dining scene. For high-end French cooking as a special occasion alternative, Kei offers a French-Japanese hybrid at the Michelin three-star level , a different price point and format, but the closest cuisine overlap among Paris's top-ranked venues. Arpège is the go-to if you want creative, produce-driven cooking in a more formal setting.
Seat count is not confirmed in our data. The izakaya format is generally group-friendly by design , sharing plates work well for four to six people. For larger groups or a private event, contact the restaurant directly at 10 Rue du Grand Prieuré, 75011 Paris to confirm capacity and any private dining options. Don't assume walk-in availability for groups of four or more on a weekend without a reservation.
No dress code is specified, and the izakaya format and casual OAD category positioning both suggest smart casual is appropriate. This is not a white-tablecloth venue. For context, the OAD Casual Europe list specifically recognises restaurants that operate outside formal dining conventions , you are not expected to dress for a Michelin ceremony here. If you are coming from a more formal venue like Le Cinq earlier in the evening, you'll be overdressed but not out of place.
No specific dietary policy is confirmed in our data. The izakaya format, which involves multiple shared dishes, can typically be adapted with advance notice , but confirm directly with the restaurant before your visit, particularly for serious allergies or strict dietary requirements. Contact them at the restaurant address; a phone number is not currently available in our records.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Rigmarole | Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #71 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #84 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #74 (2023) | — | |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Kei | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| L'Ambroisie | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Specific menu items are not confirmed in available data, so ordering based on the server's current recommendations is the practical move here. Le Rigmarole operates as an izakaya, meaning the format leans toward smaller, shareable plates rather than a single main-course structure. Chef Robert Compagnon's kitchen has held a consistent OAD Casual Europe ranking since 2023, which suggests the kitchen is dependable rather than a one-hit menu. Ask staff what's driving the most orders that week.
If you want classical French prestige over izakaya-style sharing plates, L'Ambroisie or Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V are the obvious alternatives, though both sit at a significantly higher price point and formality level. Kei offers a French-Japanese crossover if that intersection appeals. For a direct casual-dining peer with OAD recognition, look at other 11th arrondissement independents, though Le Rigmarole's three consecutive OAD Casual Europe rankings (2023–2025) make it harder to match on documented consistency at the informal end of the market.
No group capacity data is confirmed for Le Rigmarole. At 10 Rue du Grand Prieuré in the 11th, the izakaya format typically suits tables of two to four better than large parties. check the venue's official channels before planning a group booking of six or more, as shared-plate formats can work well for groups but seating layout may limit options.
No dress code is specified in the venue record. As an OAD-ranked casual dining venue in the 11th arrondissement, the environment is unlikely to require formal attire. Clean, put-together casual is a reasonable read for the format and neighbourhood, but this is not a venue where turning up in a jacket is necessary or expected.
No dietary restriction policy is listed in the venue data. Given the izakaya format, which often involves fish, soy-based sauces, and meat across multiple small plates, guests with strict dietary needs should contact the kitchen ahead of the visit. The sharing-plate structure can make substitutions more complex than in a standard à la carte setting.
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