Akira Back Paris – from Aspen slopes to Avenue George V

Inside the Prince de Galles, the Art Deco hotel on Avenue George V that has enchanted visitors since its opening in 1929, Akira Back Paris occupies the ground floor as the first European restaurant of American-Korean chef Akira Back. Back was born Sung Ook Back and grew up in Aspen, home to the legendary ski resort, where he spent years racing as a professional snowboarder before turning to the kitchen. He went on to win one Michelin Star in the MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2018 for his restaurant Dosa, and today operates a global portfolio of 28 restaurants under his name. Akira Back Paris is Selected in the MICHELIN Guide, its menu built around Back's speciality: AB Tuna Pizza, served beneath Art Deco light fixtures emitting subdued lighting, while the kitchen team busy themselves at the marble counter.

01The room and the setting

The Prince de Galles has stood on Avenue George V since 1929, its Art Deco bones intact through decades as one of the city's grand hotels, in the district known as the Parisian Golden Triangle. Akira Back Paris sits within it as a large modern restaurant with Art Deco light fixtures emitting subdued lighting, while the kitchen team busy themselves at the marble counter, so sushi preparation and grill work become part of the room's theatre rather than a hidden backstage. Step outside afterwards and the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, and the River Seine await, all within comfortable walking distance from the table.

02The chef

Akira Back's route to this dining room began far from any professional kitchen. He moved to Aspen, Colorado, at a young age, competed internationally as a snowboarder for over seven years, and then saw that career end abruptly after an injury. He had already drifted into restaurant work almost by accident, working for sushi master Kenichi Kanada in Aspen because he thought Kanada looked cool serving customers. Formal training followed, and in time he was recruited by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and later became the executive chef at the renowned chef's restaurant.

Insider tip

Dinner nightly 7pm–midnight; book ahead for weekends; smart casual dress; price category Spare no expense.

His own first restaurant, Yellowtail, opened in the Bellagio Las Vegas, launching a brand that now spans continents. He has since hosted the prestigious James Beard House dinners seven times, and in 2018 the Michelin Guide Seoul awarded chef Back's restaurant DOSA one Michelin star for its excellence in innovative cuisine and service — a restaurant he had opened in Seoul in July 2016. The Michelin star preceded his move into Europe, with the Prince de Galles address opened in 2022 as his first restaurant on the continent.

03The cooking

The kitchen's language is fusion in the most literal sense: creative Japanese cuisine infused with Korean and Western influences, built around well-established signature dishes and meticulous presentation, where a keen sense of visual impact complements an execution that is consistently precise. Gault&Millau's 2026 guide rates the address 13.5/20, naming it a Chef's Restaurant, and singles out dishes such as the grilled Chilean sea bass with yuzu beurre blanc or the black sesame cheesecake, while noting a classic, well-curated wine cellar designed more to reassure than to surprise.

04What to order

Begin with the dish that travels with Back wherever he opens: the AB Tuna Pizza, the Paris version finished with truffle. The Show Me the Roll follows the same instinct for spectacle, layering shrimp tempura, salmon belly, spicy tuna and chipotle mayo into a single roll. For the table, order the Wagyu bulgogi tacos, which carry the Korean half of Back's heritage onto the plate, alongside a salmon tataki dressed with mustard su-miso. Finish with the Gianduja cake.

05When to go and booking

Akira Back Paris serves dinner Monday to Sunday, from 7pm to midnight, so the kitchen is as busy on a quiet Tuesday as on a Saturday in the Golden Triangle. MICHELIN places the restaurant in its top price band, filed simply as 'Spare no expense'. Book at least a fortnight ahead for weekend tables; the dress code is smart casual, jackets welcome but not required.

06The neighbourhood

Avenue George V sits at the centre of the Parisian Golden Triangle, the grid of streets off the Champs-Élysées where Paris keeps its couture houses and five-star hotels within a few minutes of one another. From the restaurant's door, the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, and the River Seine await, all within comfortable walking distance, making Akira Back Paris as much a starting point for an evening stroll through the 8th arrondissement as a destination in itself.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.