The most expensive roast chicken in the world, served in a room on Rue du Vertbois that has not changed since 1924 and has no intention of changing now. Chez L'Ami Louis is polarising by design: the portions are absurd (the roast chicken feeds three, the foie gras arrives in a block the size of a dictionary), the prices are eye-watering (a meal for two can easily exceed €300), and the room is deliberately spartan — dark wood, cramped tables, a heat that comes from the open fire where everything is cooked. The restaurant inspires either devotion or outrage, and both responses are correct. The foie gras is among the best in Paris, cooked over the wood fire with a simplicity that makes the price feel almost justified. The frites are hand-cut and excellent. The roast chicken — golden, crisp-skinned, cooked in the wood-fired oven until the juices run clear — is the dish that billionaires and food purists alike name as worth the journey. Whether it is worth the price is a question that Chez L'Ami Louis has no interest in answering.
Location
3rd, Paris
Insider Intel
Roast chicken and frites — the portions are meant for sharing and they are enormous. Foie gras to start if the budget allows. The escargots and the frog's legs are other house specialities. Do not expect refinement; expect magnitude. The wine list is French and classical. Come hungry, come with company to share, and come prepared for the bill.
Dinner when the old room glows with the heat of the wood fire and the energy of a restaurant that has been provoking this reaction for a century. Book well ahead — the reputation ensures a full house. Lunch is slightly calmer.
The most expensive roast chicken you will ever eat — budget €150-200 per person with wine. The portions are enormous and designed for sharing. The room has not changed since 1924 and the cooking is done over an open wood fire. Book well ahead. The 3rd arrondissement location near Arts et Métiers métro is surprisingly unassuming for a restaurant this famous. Beloved by billionaires and food purists alike. Cash and cards accepted.