Influencer, broadcaster, and cookery writer Rachel Khoo's latest book, "The Smallest Restaurant in Paris," details her journey to establishing a unique culinary venture in the French capital. The book, published on June 7, 2026, offers a glimpse into Khoo's life in Paris, a city she moved to after feeling disillusioned with London and seeking to complete an advanced patisserie course at Le Cordon Bleu.
Initially arriving in Paris as an au pair for the Clune family, Khoo enrolled in a language course at the Sorbonne. Her early experiences involved navigating Parisian life with minimal French, learning colloquialisms from her young charges, Beatrice and Claudine. She settled into a small studio apartment provided by the family and began to adapt to her new surroundings.
As Khoo's French skills improved and her patisserie studies progressed, she began to thrive. The narrative follows her life on the streets of the Bastille, detailing relationships with French suitors and her frequent moves between small apartments. To support herself, Khoo worked various jobs, including teaching English, working in a gallery and a department store, and babysitting. She also took a position in a cupcake-decorating bookshop, which is described as a serious, industry-recognized establishment. Throughout these experiences, the Clune family and Khoo's friends, Felicity and Siobhan, remain central figures in her life.
Khoo's writing style is noted for bringing Paris to life, and the book includes her schemes for cooking classes, photoshoots, and recipe development. Each chapter concludes with recipes that are described as mouth-wateringly good, with rhubarb macarons specifically mentioned as a delicious offering.
A point of mild disappointment for some readers, as noted by reviewer Katharine Spurrier, is that the titular smallest restaurant, which seats only two diners plus Khoo, does not appear until the penultimate chapter. Despite the anticipation built throughout the book, the restaurant's introduction is delayed. Nevertheless, the book is characterized as a perfectly packaged collection of culinary delights.
"The Smallest Restaurant in Paris" is available from the Mail Bookshop.
