"Alajmo's Venetian kitchen inside an 1834 engraver's shop off the Grands Boulevards, book it for a Paris anniversary dinner."
About Caffè Stern
The room was a copper-plate engraver's workshop when Moïse Stern fitted it out in 1834, and the Alajmo family kept the gilded vitrines and dark panelling exactly where they found them. At 47 Passage des Panoramas in the 2nd, Caffè Stern is the Paris kitchen of the Padua dynasty behind three-star Le Calandre, and chef Alessandro Fornaro cooks their repertoire: the potato cappuccino with bolognese ragù, the dill tagliolini with lobster and dentex. Plan on about €85 a head, more once the Italian wine list gets going.
The Kitchen
Massimiliano and Raffaele Alajmo run Le Calandre near Padua, which has held three Michelin stars since 2003, and Caffè Stern has been their Paris outpost since 2014. The day-to-day kitchen is led by chef Alessandro Fornaro, who cooks the Alajmo canon rather than inventing a separate one. The signatures travel intact: the potato cappuccino with bolognese ragù served in a glass, the saffron risotto finished with liquorice powder, and dill tagliolini tangled with lobster, squid and dentex in a pistachio sauce.
Pasta is the heart of it, made in house and cooked precisely. Lunch is the value play, a short weekday formula from around €35 for a starter, the pasta of the day and a coffee. À la carte at dinner climbs quickly past €85 once antipasti and a glass of Soave are in. The wine list leans hard into Italy, with the Veneto well represented. Finish with the pistachio gelato, which is as good as the reputation suggests. For the wider field, see our best Italian restaurants in Paris.
The Room
The setting is the draw: a narrow, jewel-box room inside a covered 19th-century passage, lined with the engraver's original gilt cabinets and etched glass, lit low and warm. It seats roughly forty across the main room and a mezzanine, with tables close enough that a busy service hums rather than roars. Conversation stays easy. There is no dress code to speak of, though Parisians turn out smart, and the passage location makes an entrance feel like a small discovery. Service is Italian-warm and unhurried. Book the main floor rather than the mezzanine if you want the full effect of the room.
Best for a Celebration Dinner
Book this room for an anniversary or a milestone for three reasons: the covered-passage setting feels private and unrepeatable, the Alajmo cooking gives the meal real weight without a three-hour tasting, and the scale stays intimate enough for a proper conversation. It suits a couple marking something, or a small group who want Italian cooking with a pedigree rather than a trattoria. Picture arriving through the lamplit Passage des Panoramas after dark, the gilt cabinets catching the light, a bottle of Veneto white on the table. See our best restaurants for an anniversary and the best Italian restaurants worldwide.
Not for
Not for a quick, cheap pasta fix. À la carte dinner runs past €85 a head, and the kitchen is closed Sundays and Mondays, so plan the visit.
Frequently Asked
Is Caffè Stern worth it?
Yes, if you go for the room and the Alajmo pedigree rather than a bargain. Caffè Stern is the Paris kitchen of the family behind three-star Le Calandre, set inside an 1834 engraver's workshop in the Passage des Panoramas. At around €85 a head for dinner it is priced like a serious Italian restaurant, and the pasta justifies it. Lunch from €35 is the smart way in.
How hard is it to book Caffè Stern?
Moderate. Caffè Stern takes reservations by phone and online, and weekday lunch is usually available a few days out, but Friday and Saturday dinner in the small room fills a week or two ahead. The restaurant closes Sunday and Monday, which compresses demand into five days. Ask for a table along the gilded cabinets for the best of the room.
What is the dress code at Caffè Stern?
There is no formal dress code at Caffè Stern; smart-casual is the norm. Most Parisian diners arrive put-together, a jacket or a nice dress rather than jeans and trainers, but nothing is required. The room is intimate and a little theatrical, so people tend to dress for it. Neat denim is fine at lunch. The mood is relaxed and Italian rather than stiff.
What should I order at Caffè Stern?
Start with the potato cappuccino with bolognese ragù, the dish that defines the kitchen, then take a pasta: the dill tagliolini with lobster and dentex, or the saffron risotto with liquorice. The house makes its pasta daily, so it is the strength of the menu. Finish with the pistachio gelato. A Veneto white from the Italian list pairs the meal cleanly.
Is Caffè Stern good for an anniversary?
Yes. The covered-passage setting and the gilded 1834 interior make Caffè Stern one of the more atmospheric rooms in central Paris, and the Alajmo cooking gives the evening substance. It is intimate enough to talk and special enough to mark an occasion, without the length of a tasting menu. Book a main-floor table for two and see our romantic Paris tables for more.
