Soul, charisma and a distinctly Parisian fire

In the vibrant Marais district, Anahi remains one of Paris’s most seductive and characterful dining addresses - a restaurant where history, emotion and contemporary energy come together with unusual ease. More than a simple revival, it is the continuation of a spirit first shaped by Madame Carmina Lebrero, whose warmth and charisma turned this intimate house into a true Parisian institution. Even today, Anahi feels less like a conventional restaurant than a living meeting point of cultures, memories and personalities.

Under the creative direction of Mauro Colagreco and Riccardo Giraudi, Anahi has entered a new phase that respects the soul of the original while giving it renewed clarity and international reach. Colagreco brings his Argentine roots and instinctive understanding of flavour, while Giraudi contributes a global perspective on exceptional beef and a long-standing expertise in modern meat culture. Together, they have refreshed the restaurant without stripping it of what made it special in the first place.

The setting remains central to that identity. Housed in a former butcher’s shop, Anahi retains the charm of its past through original mosaic floors, wrought iron details and mirrored ceilings, while soft lighting and the rhythm of the open kitchen lend the room a sense of intimacy and allure. It is a space that feels both stylish and alive - as much salon as dining room, deeply atmospheric and unmistakably Parisian in the way it balances elegance with ease.

At the heart of Anahi lies a serious commitment to meat. Working with beef sourced from Europe, the United States, Japan and South America, and combining both wet and dry-ageing, the restaurant builds a programme that is broad in scope yet precise in intention. This international range gives the kitchen a rich palette of flavour, texture and style, while the cooking remains disciplined and direct. Using a high temperature broiler, each cut is treated with care and control, allowing the natural depth and character of the meat to emerge without unnecessary weight or complication.

Yet Anahi’s appeal extends beyond the steak itself. There is a strong emotional register to the restaurant - a sense that Latin soul and Parisian elegance are not merely themes here, but genuine elements of its personality. Details such as chimichurri, music and the wider rhythm of the room all contribute to an experience built on warmth, memory and connection. The food may be precise, but the feeling it leaves is generous and human.

The wine and cocktail programmes follow the same line. Argentine Malbecs sit comfortably alongside expressive European bottles, while cocktails draw on both South American botanicals and Parisian polish. The result is a drinks offering that feels fully integrated into the identity of the house - bold, graceful and full of life rather than merely decorative.

Service at Anahi is personal, warm and aligned with the spirit of the restaurant. The team does not simply deliver plates, but sustains the atmosphere, helping guests feel part of a house with both history and pulse. At the same time, as is so often the case in Paris, both kitchen and service can be somewhat dependent on the form of the day. On the very best days, Anahi can feel truly world-class - and in those moments, it is nothing less than a genuine coup de coeur restaurant.

Anahi deserves its place in the ranking for offering one of Paris’s most atmospheric and distinctive expressions of modern meat dining - a restaurant where heritage, reinvention and fire come together with charm, style and genuine emotional resonance. Its legacy now extends beyond the Marais, with Anahi Monte Carlo trying to carry the same spirit to the Riviera, but Paris remains the place where its identity feels most vivid and complete.