10 Of Julia Child's All-Time Favorite Restaurants
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We all know Julia Child loved to cook, but it all started with her passion for food. Surprisingly, those two don't always go hand in hand. It wasn't until Child was gushing over an incredible dish in France, perhaps at La Couronne with her husband Paul, that she had an epiphany — I want to do this for a living.
Julia Child is an inspiration for pursuing her culinary dreams on a whim. After working in Aircraft Warning Services and espionage, Child changed direction at 36 and enrolled in culinary school, and not just any culinary school, but France's elite Le Cordon Bleu. It didn't take long for her (and everyone else) to see that Child was born to cook. Her dedication to the craft was incredible, which led to her career soaring at breakneck speed. Child's first influential cookbook hit the shelves in 1961 and just two years later she was hosting her very own show, "The French Chef," right in her Cambridge kitchen.
Regardless of her cooking skills, Child never stopped dining out. She loved savoring her favorite meals just as much as she loved trying new dishes, but the act of going out to eat, taking in the atmosphere, and sharing with others was half of the fun. Julia loved all things food; eating it, making it, and talking about it. She never tired of raving about her favorite dishes and restaurants all over the world, but these were 10 of her all-time favorites.
La Couronne
Julia Child is known for many things, but her love of French cuisine was what harnessed all of her success. La Couronne, situated in Rouen's historic market square, is where this love affair first began in 1948. Child fondly recounted her first meal at the Parisian restaurant, noting it as one of the most exciting meals she had ever eaten. She dined on simple French pairings like Chablis and oysters, followed by sole meunière, which she described as being the best version of the dish she'd ever tried. The sole meunière, in particular, became a dish she would master and teach to thousands, but none ever matched that first transcendent bite at La Couronne. She had tasted her true calling.
This wasn't just a delicious lunch for Child, but a truly life-altering one. This meal arguably set in motion the entire revolution in French cooking in American restaurants. It led her to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu, write "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," and become America's most beloved ambassador of French cuisine. "It was my first French food and I never got over it," Child later reflected (via CNN), describing the eye-opening experience of her first trip to the restaurant. You could say this is where Julia Child became the Julia Child.
+33 2 35 71 40 90
31 Place du Vieux Marché, 76000 Rouen, France
Le Grand Véfour
Julia Child and her husband Paul adored dining out, especially in Paris, and after their first extremely memorable experience, Le Grand Véfour quickly became one of their favorite spots for date night. In her memoir "My Life in France," Child daydreams about that first elegant meal the two shared. "The meal began with little shells made with sea scallops and mushrooms robed in a classically beautiful winy cream sauce, and then we had a wonderful duck dish, and cheeses, and a rich dessert, followed by coffee," she gushed (via Vogue).
The food was — and still is — outstanding, but the atmosphere plays a huge part in the overall experience. The restaurant, located in the stunning Palais Royal, is as grand as the name hints, with a dining room drenched in gold. A seat in the dining room is practically a ticket to an immersive museum. Mirrored walls multiply the sparkling chandeliers and every corner reveals an intricate hand-painted motif. As one of Paris' oldest eateries, Child felt the draw, falling deeper in love with French cuisine and culture with every visit. "It was expensive," she wrote, "but, as Paul said, 'You are so hypnotized by everything there that you feel grateful as you pay the bill.'"
+33 1 42 96 56 27
17 Rue de Beaujolais, 75001 Paris, France
Chez Georges
Chez Georges is another Parisian treasure that nurtured Child's love for French cuisine. The eatery's comfortable balance between elegant and casual attracted not just Child, but dozens of famous faces. She was spotted there often, enjoying duck confit and a glass of Burgundy. Located on Rue du Mail, the restaurant offered everything she cherished about traditional French fare: warm hospitality and deeply satisfying dishes. She set high expectations after La Couronne, but Chez Georges was quick to top her list, with many declaring this famous bistro Child's all-time favorite.
She may have fallen in love with that first sole meunière she tried at La Couronne, but the preparation she tried at Chez Georges blew her mind, ultimately inspiring her recipe in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." She chased the more extravagant establishments around France, but Chez Georges gave her the impetus to bring French cuisine back to America, allowing her to see how attainable it can be.
+33 1 42 60 07 11
1 Rue du Mail, 75002 Paris, France
Les Deux Magots
The last Parisian pit stop for Julia Child is Les Deux Magots. Dining on oysters and wine well into the morning is one of life's great pleasures, but when in France, a slow morning is just as treasured. Les Deux Magots is allegedly where Child enjoyed her very first breakfast in Paris — the first of many. Her favorite cafe order was France's most classic breakfast, the café complet. Translating to "complete coffee," the morning routine included coffee, a viennoiserie, baguette, and butter, but the cafe's legendary hot chocolate, "Chocolat des Deux Magots à l'ancienne," was enough to charm Child into becoming a regular.
Located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this iconic café beckoned Julia and Paul as they sauntered down the street. It was more of a chic hang-out than just an ordinary bistro, attracting all sorts of local creatives. The best part of spending a leisurely morning at Les Deux Magots is the unbeatable people watching. The café's patio stretches around the corner offering a front row seat to Parisian life, a show that Child could have watched all day.
+33 1 45 48 55 25
6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006 Paris, France
Union Oyster House
While no Paris, New England also had Child's heart, especially Boston. Her favorite spot to stop for seafood was actually one of America's oldest operating eateries — Union Oyster House. This old school oyster hall was the first spot to serve up steamy cups of clam chowder and it reminded Child of her childhood in California and what she loved about American cuisine. Whenever she wasn't jet-setting around the world, Julia would always find herself just down the street from Faneuil Hall at Boston's Union Oyster House. She stopped by so often that the restaurant even honored her with a commemorative plaque.
Union Oyster House owner Joe Milano remembers her frequent visits in the '70s, recalling "She loved oysters, seafood. She was kinda the renaissance lady" (via Boston.com). Julia had a deep love for oysters, whether raw, grilled, or baked. At this Boston oyster house, she could enjoy them fresh and briny at the marble raw bar, paired with a crisp white wine. Oyster bars are all about the quality of ingredients, so as a chef, it's an inspiring place to be.
(617) 227-2750
41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108
In-N-Out Burger
It's easy to assume that all talented chefs only want to indulge in five star meals, but between Anthony Bourdain's love for Gray's Papaya and Giada De Laurentiis' loyalty to McDonald's fries, that's been proven wrong time and time again. Even celebrity chefs get homesick for comfort food. Julia Child shared that affinity for fast food, particularly the one and only In-N-Out burger, and she's far from the only one. The California-born burger chain has a cult following, with East Coasters begging for a taste of the chain on their half of the country, and that includes celebrity chefs. Ina Garten is a fellow In-N-Out burger lover, as is Gordon Ramsay and Thomas Keller.
Child could hardly pass by an In-N-Out without making a detour. As her colleague and road trip companion, Chef Jamie West could confidently speak to her obsession. "On the way up the coast, we ate In-N-Out burgers in the car...On the way back, we went inside to order at the In-N-Out Burger in Santa Maria," West recounted of a trip with Childs back in 2009 (via the Los Angeles Times).
(800) 786-1000
Various locations along the West Coast, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas
Harvest
Harvest was no doubt one of Julia Child's favorite restaurants, and she even earned herself a dedicated corner with her very own table — number 102. Child spent the better part of her career living in Massachusetts, from 1961 all the way until 2001, and Harvest was her sanctuary in Harvard Square. In fact, she felt so at home there that she even celebrated her 90th birthday at the Brattle St. restaurant. It really became a gathering place for her, a place of community.
Child really cherished hospitality, and Harvest embraced it. Despite her renowned fame, everyone connected with her and treated her like a restaurant regular rather than a celebrity. As important as the food was to her, she lived for the experience and always put comfort first. The seasonal New England foods on the menu were everything Child could hope for, and she appreciated their commitment to quality and balance. For a woman who encouraged home cooks, Julia also loved to celebrate restaurants that elevated American cuisine without being pretentious.
(617) 868-2255
44 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Peach Farm
Living a hop and a skip away from Boston's Chinatown for decades, it was only natural that Julia Child developed a passion for Chinese cuisine. Options can feel endless in the brick lined town, but Peach Farm was always Child's favorite. She adored Chinatown, which her dear friend and fellow chef Lydia Shire could attest to. The two frequented the restaurant together, and Child quickly developed her standard order of fried stuffed taro root with duck. "Let's go to Chinatown," Julia would regularly insist, and she and Shire would be off to Peach Farm (via the Boston Globe).
It was hard to skirt away from her signature French culinary persona, but Julia Child had a long list of favorite foods and aromatic Chinese dishes ranked high. The laid-back restaurant's menu is dominated by seafood specialties like prawns and wild black bassas of this publication, which must have captivated Julia from the start. They're still open and thriving to this day, pulling in a boisterous hungry crowd well into the night.
(617) 482-3332
4 Tyler St, Boston, MA 02111
La Super‑Rica Taqueria
Julia spent the last chapter of her life in Santa Barbara and couldn't get enough of La Super‑Rica Taqueria. She declared it as "one of the most authentic Mexican home-cooking restaurants around" (via National Geographic) which is high praise for a Californian taqueria. It's a departure from the heavy French dishes we tend to associate with Julia Child, but, as a true chef, she could clock excellence in any cuisine. After one bite, it was clear to Child that tacos called for the same attention to detail as any elaborate French dish. The taqueria's commitment to making everything fresh daily, from hand-pressed corn tortillas to tamales, demonstrated the same dedication to craft that Child valued in French cuisine.
La Super-Rica opened in 1996, but ever since Julia Child started dishing out shout-outs for the taqueria, they've had a daily line around the block. She wasn't shy about her admiration for the modest restaurant, singing its praises on "Good Morning America" and in various interviews around the late '90s. She would line up on the corner of Alphonse and Milpas just like everyone else, sometimes waiting hours just for lunch. Her praise helped put the little taqueria on the map, and there are still crowds rushing through the bright turquoise doorframe the moment they open as of this publication.
facebook.com/lasuperricataqueria
(805) 963-4940
622 N Milpas St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Lutèce
Last but not least, we have NYC's forever missed Lutèce. The famed restaurant sadly closed back in 2004, but it's still a cherished New York memory. Any chef would be magnetized to New York's culinary landscape, and naturally, Julia Child was drawn to one of the city's best French restaurants of the '80s: Lutèce. Child dubbed Lutèce the best restaurant in not just New York, not even in the region, but in the whole country.
This place was extremely special to Child, and not just for the obvious reasons like outstanding food, impeccable service, and a warm ambiance. The restaurant was helmed by Chef André Soltner, a New York culinary icon, but also a friend and inspiration to Child. As an expert in French cooking, Soltner was invited on Child's show, "Cooking with Master Chefs," where he prepared tarte flambée and an Alsatian potato stew. The two were close pals, with Child even featured in his 1995 book sharing the restaurant's name, "The Lutèce Cookbook."
Lutèce had the inviting atmosphere that Julia lived for, but with a fine dining experience. She wasn't the only one amazed by Soltner's talents. He was consistently named best chef in NYC.
Formerly 249 E 50th St, New York, NY 10022