Le Centre Pompidou (or the Pompidou Center in English) is Paris’ modern art museum. Located in the Marais neighborhood of Paris, the museum itself is a stunning work of modern architecture and worth a walk-by, even if you are not a modern art lover. Earlier this year when I visited Paris on a Girls’ Trip, I lunched at le Centre Pompidou’s upscale restaurant, Georges, located on the roof of the museum, with stunning views of Paris. Georges ended up being everyone’s favorite meal of the trip, and eating there was a blast. Highly recommended for visitors searching for a delicious, somewhat upscale meal in an Instagrammable setting.

To lunch or dine at Georges, I recommend making a reservation online in advance, although you can often walk-in. Georges is located on the rooftop of le Centre Pompidou, with indoor and outdoor seating. Assuming you have made reservations in advance, check-in your reservation outside the museum at the Georges kiosk on the left side (facing the museum) of Place Georges Pompidou in front of the museum. And no, you do not need a museum entrance ticket to go to Georges, nor does Georges include entrance to the museum. Once you check-in, you take an elevator behind kiosk directly to the roof. The entrance to Georges is at the end of the rooftop hallway. Don’t worry, while you can’t take the fun elevators going up, you can take them back down!

We were very lucky and visited Georges on a sunny 60 F degree afternoon in February. Yes, in February!! I had made a reservation in advance, and Georges sat us at an outdoor table overlooking Paris. It was an awesome setting for a final meal of the trip!

If sitting outside is not your style (or the weather does not cooperate), Georges’ interior is just as fabulous, decorated with uber modern design furniture, including hot pink seating! Very Instagrammable!! However, if you can, I recommend sitting outside. The views are unbeatable and some of the best of Paris.

In any case, back to our meal! The menu at Georges is not large and its fairly expensive, especially for lunch. In fact, it was our most expensive meal of the trip. However, everyone loved their food, the drinks, and the views! As you can see below, Georges’ menu is a mix of French classics and some international standards, making Georges a decent stop for groups with differing palates. The lunch menu offers a few additions, such as a Croque Madame, which are slightly less expensive than the standard mains.

Our lovely lunch started with a cover of fresh French bread, nuts, and olives in olive oil. And for those unfamiliar, “cover” in Europe is usually a Euro or two per person for small starters such as bread, butter, etc. (which are often “free” in other countries, like the US), as well compensation for using the table. While such a charge may put you off, this is totally standard and you should just plan to pay it as a cost of your meal. At some more upscale restaurants, the “cover” price is worked into the price of the food. In any case, don’t be surprised to see it on the menu!

Since we were on a bit of a time crunch, and it was lunch, we all skipped formal starters and went straight to mains. For me, Pryor and I split a Croque Madame and the Mushroom Ravioli with Truffle Cream. The Croque Madame was served on long bread and was definitely large enough to split. The Mushroom Ravioli was about 8 raviolis stuffed with mushrooms and topped with a few mushrooms and truffle cream sauce. Both were EXCELLENT choices. However, I must say, the Mushroom Ravioli took the cake, so to speak. It was ridiculously delicious!! I would 100% order that again!

Everyone else enjoyed their food, as well. Although I cannot recall what everyone ordered. I do know that Betty ordered the “exotic hamburger” at the recommendation of our waiter, and it was all she hoped for and dreamed of…

Others went with the beef filet with Bearnaise sauce and mashed potatoes on the side, which received raving reviews! All in all, everyone was totally satisfied with the meal, despite the fact that it was a bit more expensive than usual.

With our meal, we split a (couple…) bottles of fancy Bordeaux wine. Particularly, a 2015 Maucaillou, which was extremely tasty! I mean, it was our last day! Georges had a decent wine list, as well as cocktails and beer. If you have questions about the drinks, just ask your waiter.

After our mains, we just had to have dessert, especially since Joanne’s birthday was the following day! The table split several dessert dishes. First, fresh strawberries and raspberries with homemade whipped cream. Then, an amazing lemon tart with an “Italian Meringue Crust.” This was to die for. Seriously, that good! Finally, a gluten free molten chocolate cake for Joanne’s birthday, complete with a sparkler! The desserts were just as good as our mains. And really, do not miss the lemon tart!

We ended the meal with a round of French 75 cocktails, before heading back to the hotel for the airport. This may not have been the best idea…but it was fun!!

STEAL OUR TRIP

Brasserie Georges: 6ème étage (6th Floor) Palais Beaubourg Place Georges Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France. Closed Tuesday. Open 12h – 23h30 Wednesday – Monday. Reservation recommended. 

Centre Pompidou: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France. Closed Tuesday. Open 11h – 21h Wednesday – Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online. There are lots of touristy shops and cafes lining Place Georges-Pompidou.