Saint James Paris

Verdict: Book Saint James Paris if the combination of Michelin-starred cooking, château grounds, and a Guerlain spa is worth a premium evening — or a full stay

Saint James Paris earns its place at the top tier of the 16th arrondissement's dining options. With a Michelin Star and a Green Star both awarded in 2025, chef Grégory Garimbay's creative kitchen is producing food that justifies the €€€€ price point. The setting — a private château within its own grounds, interior design by Laura Gonzalez , gives the experience a register that Paris hotel restaurants rarely match. This is not a casual dinner. It is a deliberate, occasion-grade booking, and it rewards guests who treat it that way.

If you are choosing between this and Le Gabriel at La Réserve Paris for a special night, Saint James wins on atmosphere and outdoor setting. If you want pure Parisian grandeur on a historic axis, Le Meurice Alain Ducasse competes directly. The difference here is the château-in-a-garden context , there is nowhere quite like it inside the city.

Portrait

The building that houses Saint James Paris has been a private mansion, an American foundation, and now a Relais & Châteaux property. That arc matters because it explains why the address still feels residential rather than hotelier. Guests arrive through private grounds, not off a boulevard. The interiors, handled by Laura Gonzalez, use colour and texture in a way that feels more collected than designed , which is the appropriate register for a 19th-century château rather than a contemporary luxury hotel.

Chef Grégory Garimbay leads the kitchen with a creative approach that Michelin has now recognised twice over: a Star for quality and a Green Star for sustainable practice. The Green Star, increasingly rare among Paris's leading tables, signals a kitchen committed to sourcing decisions that go beyond prestige ingredients. In practice this means the menu rotates with seasonal availability more actively than at purely classical addresses. Visiting in autumn or spring, when the kitchen has the widest range of French produce to draw from, gives you the strongest version of the menu. Summer, when the château garden is fully open, adds a dimension that is entirely absent in the colder months , the grounds become part of the experience in a way that closed-season visits cannot replicate. If timing is flexible, late spring through early autumn is the window to aim for.

The Green Star commitment also points toward what to expect on the plate: preparations that work with the integrity of an ingredient rather than against it, sourcing that follows the French agricultural calendar, and a menu that will look different in February than it does in September. For a food-focused traveller who has already eaten at the more static tasting menus around Paris, this is a meaningful distinction. You are not eating a fixed repertoire; you are eating what Garimbay is working with right now.

The Guerlain spa on-site is relevant even if you are booking only for dinner, because it changes the calculus for a full afternoon-to-evening visit. Arriving for a treatment before dinner, then moving to the table without leaving the property, is an itinerary that few Paris addresses can offer at this level. For guests considering whether to stay overnight, the presence of the spa alongside the Michelin kitchen makes the room rate easier to justify than at a comparably priced property with neither credential. See our full Paris hotels guide for broader context on where this property sits in the city's accommodation tier.

Google reviewers rate the property at 4.7 across 1,290 reviews , a high volume for a property of this exclusivity, which suggests the experience is consistent rather than occasionally brilliant. The Relais & Châteaux membership, with a 4.8 member score, reinforces that consistency signal. These are not numbers that drift upward from a handful of reviews; they reflect a pattern across a substantial sample.

The 16th arrondissement location means you are not in the central dining corridors of the 1st, 6th, or 8th. That is neither a problem nor a bonus , it is simply the reality of a château property that requires space. For guests already in the west of the city, or arriving from the 17th or Neuilly, it is entirely convenient. From central Paris, allow extra travel time in the evening. Explore our full Paris restaurants guide and our full Paris experiences guide to build a full day around the visit.

For context on the broader French fine-dining tier this kitchen belongs to, consider that Garimbay is working in the same national conversation as addresses like Flocons de Sel in Megève, Mirazur in Menton, and Bras in Laguiole , all of which pair Michelin recognition with strong commitments to terroir and seasonal cooking. Saint James Paris sits within that current, but with the particular advantage of a Paris address and a setting that none of those regional properties can match for urban occasion dining. Internationally, the creative ambition of the kitchen is comparable to Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona and Enrico Bartolini in Milan , both of which balance technical creativity with a clear sense of place.

Practical Details

Reservations: Book at least 4–6 weeks ahead; the combination of limited covers, a hotel dining room with competing priorities for tables, and Michelin recognition makes this a hard booking, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings. Contact directly via the Relais & Châteaux channel or the property email (saintjames-paris@relaischateaux.com) or phone (+33 (0)1 44 05 81 81). Budget: €€€€ , expect a tasting menu at the leading end of Paris's one-star pricing tier; factor in wine pairing if the seasonal menu is your primary draw. Dress: Smart. The château context and Relais & Châteaux positioning make this a dress-up occasion; casual attire would feel out of register. Leading timing: Late spring to early autumn for the garden grounds and widest seasonal menu range. Getting there: The property is in the 16th arrondissement near Place du Chancelier Adenauer; allow additional travel time from central districts.

Also Worth Considering in Paris

If you are building a multi-night itinerary around Paris's leading creative kitchens, Arpège and Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen both operate at comparable ambition and price. Blanc is worth considering if you want a shorter, sharper creative menu without the occasion overhead. For full context on Paris's fine-dining tier, including bars and wine, see our full Paris bars guide and our full Paris wineries guide.

FAQs

• What should I order at Saint James Paris? The kitchen operates a creative, seasonally rotating menu under chef Grégory Garimbay, which means there is no fixed dish to anchor on. The most reliable approach is the tasting menu, which gives you the fullest picture of what the kitchen is working with at the time of your visit. Given the Green Star commitment to sustainable sourcing, the menu will reflect whatever the French agricultural calendar is producing , which is a reason to ask your server what is currently at its peak rather than anchoring to a previous visit's dishes.
• What are alternatives to Saint James Paris in Paris? At the same €€€€ price point and creative ambition, Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen is the most direct comparison for technical ambition in a grand Paris setting. Le Meurice Alain Ducasse competes on occasion atmosphere. If you want something more intimate and less hotel-dining in register, Arpège is a stronger choice. For a broader sweep of the city's leading tables, see our full Paris restaurants guide.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Saint James Paris? For a food-focused visitor who values the combination of seasonal creativity, a Michelin Star, a Green Star, and a setting that does not exist elsewhere in Paris, yes. If you are primarily interested in classical French cooking or a la carte flexibility, the investment is harder to justify against alternatives like L'Ambroisie. The tasting menu earns its price when the seasonal programme is at full range , late spring and autumn give you the strongest version.
• Can Saint James Paris accommodate groups? The property is a château with private grounds and Relais & Châteaux status, which means group and private dining enquiries are handled directly by the venue. For groups of six or more, contact the property in advance via email or phone to discuss private room options. The general dining room is not a large-group format , this is a property geared toward intimate dining, couples, and small parties.
• How far ahead should I book Saint James Paris? A minimum of 4–6 weeks for a standard weekend booking; 8 weeks or more for peak season (May through September) and key occasion dates like Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve. This is a hard booking: Michelin recognition, limited covers, and a hotel context that competes for tables all reduce availability. Do not arrive expecting a walk-in.
• Is Saint James Paris good for a special occasion? This is one of the stronger special-occasion choices in Paris for a specific profile: guests who want the Michelin table but also want an environment that goes beyond the restaurant room. The château grounds, Guerlain spa, and Relais & Châteaux polish combine into an occasion that extends well before and after dinner. If the occasion is purely about the food, addresses like Le Gabriel at La Réserve Paris or Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen compete more directly. Saint James earns the special-occasion premium most when the setting and the full property experience are part of what you are booking.