Looking for a restaurant at La Défense? La City is a beautiful success designed by Jérôme Vigato. If you don’t know where it is, it’s normal, you have to look up towards the rooftop of La Défense Grande Arche.

This restaurant is a gem created by Jérôme Vigato, son of Jean-Pierre Vigato (former Apicius), former Apicius sommelier and a top wine connoisseur; when he had the chance to take over La Défense Grande Arche restaurant, he ran there to open a bistronomic restaurant!

To get there, you have to use the lifts to make it to the rooftop of the Grande Arche. Don’t be afraid of the admission fee (€12), the restaurant patrons on the listing enjoy a free access to the restaurant, fortunately!

La City doesn’t empty out, and you even have to book over 2 days in advance to be sure you get a table for lunch, we must say the concept is a success.

The key to success? A warm service, delicious dishes, large tables and a simple menu including a set lunch menu for €38 including a starter, a main course and a dessert of your choice.

For La City menu, Jérôme Vigato has found a young chef, 28-year-old Mathieu Dos Santos who trained at the greatest chefs’, Le Meurice, Fouquet’s. On the menu this winter, the chef has prepared oeufs parfaits Meurette style, home-smoked pork belly and a beef carpaccio with salsa avocado. Dishes are generously served but not too heavy, perfect for a business lunch.

Then, after these delights, the chef brings us a very beautiful monkfish poached in coconut broth, served with candied eggplants and butternut and a veal belly with roasted carrots and candied lemons. The veal belly is a delight, smooth as it can be, that makes the chef very proud. His secret lays in the low-temperature cooking for 48 hours, that he completes during the weekend!

And if the main courses whet your appetite, you haven’t seen La City signature dish yet: an Iberian pluma covered in maple syrup, served with mashed potatoes for the winter. It’s asked by everyone and regulars come back to make their guests taste it.

To accompany those dishes, delicious wines in a list unearthed by Jérôme Vigato during his tours on wine roads. Once your appetite stated, you think you can go? No way, because La City desserts are really worth it: the deconstructed meringue lemon pie is as sour as it should be. The fig in all its states, Tonka cream and verbena sorbet is a delight in addition to be well plated!

Be rest assured, La City team has though about everything because after the feast, you can go to the panoramic terrace for a digestive walk discovering Paris.

The only flaw is that the restaurant is only open at lunchtime during the week and on Thursday nights for after work parties.