Christmas bookings are healthy but many restaurateurs are reporting that they are noticeably different from a year ago: individual numbers are down and customers are prone to trade down the menu and wine list.

ECONOMIST: Restaurants

This restaurant, dating to 1582, has a nice view of Notre Dame, a leaning toward duck on its menu and an extensive wine list.

FORBES: Connect

Another newbie is visually stunning Alto , with its impressive wine list, flawless service and a mouthwatering menu that keeps getting better and better.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Diners choose between seven or 12 courses and there is a comprehensive wine list or a wine-matching menu (there is also a wonderfully executed juice menu).

BBC: Copenhagen on a plate

Sit back and debonairly sip your choice of beverage from the extensive drinks menu, made up of creative cocktails, local specialist beers and a largely organic and biodynamic wine list.

BBC: Sydney��s hotel bars, back in vogue

The menu changes nightly, and features the best seasonal fruits of the land and sea, not to mention the most comprehensive wine list in town.

BBC: Art appreciation and more in Portland, Maine