Paris

If Paris has lost any gastronomic sheen, it would be hard to notice through the windows of packed brasseries in Montparnasse, the cafes of Montmartre and the haute cuisine establishments all over the city. Outer arrondissements burgeon with ethnic eateries, pastry and chocolate shops prosper and the standards for excellence are unrelenting. If Paris has lost any of its eminence, blame its chefs' spirit of adventure—to some degree, evolution in this tradition-bound metropolis is slow. Fortunately, its gastronomy has such extraordinary strengths that its reputation is barely tarnished.