Paris: Thieves have broken into the cellar of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris and made off with at least 150 bottles of some of the world's most expensive wine.

The wine was stored in the catacombs beneath the prestigious Maison Rostang restaurant in Paris. Credit:Shutterstock

They are thought to have reached the catacombs of the Maison Rostang restaurant by entering the maze of tunnels under the French capital.

Employees discovered a 50cm hole in the wall of the wine cellar that was made during the break-in on Monday, a police source said.

The restaurant, in the north-eastern 17th district near the Arc de Triomphe, has two stars from the Michelin food guide and is described as having a "magnificent wine list" which includes bottles from the famed French vineyards of Petrus and Romanée-Conti.

The stolen wine, which was taken from the cellar while renovation works were being carried out, could be worth as much as €400,000-€600,000 ($645,868-$968,800), the police source said.

In 2009, French police arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of having stolen more than 500 bottles of fine wine worth hundreds of thousands of euros from some of the best restaurants in Paris.

Telegraph, London