Granite
“The star survived a chef change: Yoshitaka Takayanagi now cooks Granite's stone framed room near the Louvre. Book the €68 lunch.”
About Granite
Six months after opening in September 2021, Granite had a Michelin star; four years later it survived the harder test, a change of chef. Tom Meyer, the Anne Sophie Pic alumnus who won the star, left in 2025, and Yoshitaka Takayanagi took the stoves of the stone walled room on rue Bailleul, two minutes from the Louvre. The 2026 guide kept the star with the new name on the door, which tells you what the inspectors thought of the handover.
Takayanagi arrived with a serious Paris resume: Le Meurice, then La Scene Theleme and Agape, kitchens where Japanese precision learned to speak French terroir. His cooking at Granite keeps that accent: French produce, clean lines, seasoning that stops a half step before comfort. The room helps the argument, raw stone and pale wood, compact enough that the kitchen's rhythm reaches every table. It is the 1st arrondissement's best case for the one star format: ambition without ceremony.
The pricing ladders neatly: lunch menus run €68 and €98, and the evening tastings, Silice, Quartz and Granite, climb from €128 to €188. That spread makes it one of the few starred rooms in Paris where both a working lunch and a blowout fit the same address. Book one to two weeks ahead on the restaurant's site; the room is small, the Louvre crowds never find it, and the €68 lunch is the quiet bargain of the neighbourhood.
The Room
Exposed stone, pale oak and linen, a room that reads mineral without feeling cold. Tables sit close in the Paris way but the acoustics forgive it. Dress is relaxed for a starred address: no jackets required, the 1st at its ease. Ask for a table along the stone wall for the best light, and give the house notice for parties beyond four; the room is genuinely small.
Why book it, occasion by occasion
A table this hard to win should be spent on the right night. This is who should book Granite, and when.
For a first date with a star and no starch
Granite solves the first date paradox: the star signals effort, the room's stone and linen keep it from feeling like a job interview, and menus from €128 at dinner leave the evening's length negotiable. The Louvre is two minutes away for the walk after, which is the rare built in second act. Book the stone wall tables for the warmth of the light, and open with the shortest tasting; you can always slow down.
For the solo lunch that outsmarts the Louvre queue
The €68 lunch is built for one: a starred menu served at gallery pace, a compact room where single tables draw no glance, and a location that turns a museum morning into a civilized afternoon. Takayanagi's plates reward attention, which solo diners have to spare. Book a weekday, ask for a seat with a view of the room rather than the wall, and take the signature lunch at €98 if the morning earned it.
For a birthday that prefers new chapters
A restaurant that just survived its own reinvention is a fitting room for a birthday: Takayanagi's first full year holds the star, the Granite menu at €188 gives the table a proper arc, and the mineral room photographs warmly without a single balloon. The kitchen marks occasions with a plated flourish rather than theatre. Book dinner, mention the date in the notes, and put the table's trust in the longest menu and the sommelier.
What to order
The menus ladder from €68 to €188, so the real decision is how far up to climb. These are the calls.
- The Granite menu at €188
The full length of the new kitchen's argument; take it at dinner on a first serious visit.
- The €68 lunch
The lowest ticket into a starred kitchen this close to the Louvre; it books only a few days out.
- The fish courses
Where the Japanese training shows most plainly: exact cooking, sauces with French depth and no excess.
- Wines by the sommelier's hand
The list is compact; state a budget and let the pairing follow the menu's ladder.
Practical
- Address
- 6 rue Bailleul, 1st
- Reservations
- Restaurant site · one to two weeks ahead
- Menus
- Lunch from €68 · tastings €128 to €188
- Star
- One Michelin star, 2026 guide
- Chef
- Yoshitaka Takayanagi, since 2025
- Opened
- 2021, starred within six months
- Dress
- Smart casual
- Nearby
- The Louvre and rue de Rivoli
Questions diners ask
Is Granite worth it?
Yes, and 2026 is an interesting year to go: the Michelin star survived the handover from Tom Meyer to Yoshitaka Takayanagi, and the kitchen cooks with a confidence that suggests the inspectors called it right. Lunch at €68 is among the best starred tickets near the Louvre, while the €188 Granite menu shows the new chef's full range.
How do I get a reservation at Granite?
Book on the restaurant's site one to two weeks ahead for dinner; lunch often opens within a few days. The room is small, so Friday and Saturday evenings go first and larger parties should contact the house directly. Tables along the stone wall are the ones to request in the booking notes.
Who is the chef at Granite now?
Yoshitaka Takayanagi, who took over the kitchen in 2025 after Tom Meyer's departure. He cooked at Le Meurice, La Scene Theleme and Agape before rue Bailleul, and the 2026 Michelin guide confirmed the restaurant's star under his name. The style blends Japanese precision with French produce, tighter and quieter than the opening era.
What does a meal at Granite cost?
Lunch menus run €68 and €98; the evening tastings, Silice, Quartz and Granite, climb from €128 to €188 before wine. Pairings scale with the menu, and a couple sharing the middle tasting with a bottle typically lands near €450 total. The €68 lunch with a glass keeps a starred meal under €100 a head.