Montparnasse and southern Paris
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Chez Paul

Montparnasse

Cafés and Bars

La Closerie des Lilas 171 bd du Montparnasse, 6^e. The smartest and most ancient Montparnasse café of them all, with excellent cocktails for around €12 and a resident pianist. The tables are name-plated after celebrated former habitués (Verlaine, Mallarmé, Lenin, Modigliani, Léger, Strindberg). The restaurant is very expensive, but brasserie main courses can be had for under €20. RER Port-Royal. Daily noon–1.30am.

Mustang Café 84 bd du Montparnasse, 14^e. Open long after other bars close, Mustang draws a happily drunken international crowd for dancing, cocktails and beers. M° Montparnasse-Bienvenue. Daily 10am–5am.

Le Rosebud 11bis rue Delambre, 14^e. A faintly exclusive bar just off the boulevard Montparnasse where the clientele tries bravely to maintain the arty traditions of the area. The barmen, who seem to date from the same era as the decor, serve up wonderful, traditional cocktails – think Martinis rather than Sex on the Beach – for around €10. M° Vavin. Daily 7pm–2am.

La Rotonde 105 bd du Montparnasse, 6^e. Another of the grand old Montparnasse establishments, frequented by Lenin and Trotsky in their time. Decent menu at lunch for €12.50 with wine and coffee. M° Vavin. Daily till 1am.

Le Select 99 bd du Montparnasse, 6^e. The least spoilt and most traditional of the Montparnasse cafés. M° Vavin. Mon–Thurs & Sun till 3am, Fri & Sat till 4.30am.

Tea and Tattered Pages 24 rue Mayet, 6^e. This secondhand English-language bookshop is rather a long way from anywhere, but inside you can have tea and cakes, speak English and browse through a very good selection of English books. M° Duroc. Daily 11am–7pm.

Restaurants

Chez Maria 16 rue du Maine, 14^e tel 01.43.20.84.61. Zinc bar and candlelight, posters and paper tablecloths – an intimate gloom that appeals to arty theatre creatures after hours. Tasty traditional French food in the evening for around €25; inexpensive quiches and salads only at lunchtime. M° Montparnasse. Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 8pm–midnight.

La Coupole 102 bd du Montparnasse, 14^e tel 01.43.20.14.20. The largest and perhaps the most famous and enduring arty-chic Parisian hangout for dining, dancing and debate. Although lavishly renovated by the prince of Paris's turn-of-the-century brasseries, Jean-Paul Bucher of Flo and Julien fame, La Coupole remains a genuine institution, buzzing with conversation and clatter from the diners packed in tightly under the high, chandeliered roof. Lunch menus at €16.50 and €29, evening menu at €30.50, with a €21.50 menu served after 10.30pm. Montparnasse traditions – of a sort – are even kept up with a downstairs nightclub. M° Vavin. Daily 8.30am–1am.

Le Dôme 108 bd du Montparnasse, 6^e. Three doors down from La Coupole (see above), and another of Sartre's haunts. Wonderful but expensive (upwards of €50) seafood at the bistrot, but you can soak up the atmosphere in the café section, where cinema pics decorate each alcove. M° Vavin. Daily noon–3pm & 7pm–12.30am; café 8am–1.30am.

Le Parc aux Cerfs 50 rue Vavin, 14^e tel 01.43.54.87.83. Once an artists' hangout, this is now a restrained but not overly formal little restaurant with some modern touches – a touch of chorizo here, crayons to draw on your paper place mat there. Delicate, occasionally exquisite French dishes feature on all the €20–30 lunch and evening menus, and there's a brilliant wine list and a small garden. M° Vavin. Daily noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10.30pm.

The 14^e

Cafés and Bars

L'Entrepôt 7–9 rue Francis-de-Pressensé. Arty cinema with a spacious, relaxed café and outside seating in the courtyard. Plats for €10–15. M° Pernety. Mon–Sat noon–2am.

Le Rallye 6 rue Daguerre. A good place to recover from the catacombs or Montparnasse cemetery. The patron offers a bottle for tasting; gulping the Lot would be considered bad form. Good cheese and saucisson. M° Denfert-Rochereau. Tues–Sat until 8pm; closed Aug.

Restaurants

Aquarius 40 rue de Gergovie tel 01.45.41.36.88. Hearty, homely vegetarian restaurant serving wholesome if not spectacular meals to a friendly, noisy crowd, with main courses for around €10. A sister restaurant is located in the 4^e. M° Pernety/Plaisance. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10.30pm; closed Sun and three weeks in Aug/Sept.

Natacha 17bis rue Campagne-Première tel 01.43.20.79.27. Cool, spacious bistrot that attracts a celebrity crowd. In the kitchen, they introduce warm Mediterranean flavours to traditional dishes, and there's even a pasta course. You could scrimp by for around €25, but double that figure for a full meal with wine. M° Raspail. Mon–Sat 8.30pm–1am.

Pavillon Montsouris 20 rue Gazan tel 01.45.88.38.52. A special treat for summer days. Sit on the terrace overlooking the park, and choose from a menu featuring truffles, foie gras and the divine pêche blanche rôtie à la glace vanille. Single menu at €44. RER Cité-Universitaire. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10pm; Sun noon–3pm.

La Régalade 49 av Jean-Moulin tel 01.45.45.68.58. You need to book several days in advance for this very high-class and good-value restaurant. The standard €30 prix fixe delivers a memorable meal, and for once the wines aren't marked up with the cooking. M°Alésia. Tues–Fri noon–2.30pm & 7pm–midnight, Sat 7pm–midnight; closed Aug.

Au Rendez-Vous des Camionneurs 34 rue des Plantes tel 01.45.40.43.36. No lorry drivers any more, but you'll get a warm welcome and a really good meal with a small pichet of wine for around €15. It's wise to book. M° Alésia. Mon–Fri noon–2pm & 7.30–10pm; closed Aug.

Restaurant Bleu 46 rue Didot tel 01.45.43.70.56. Excellent high-class cooking in a small and well-tended restaurant. The three-course menu du marché is €19, or else you can choose the speciality truffade (mashed potato and sausage) amongst others from the à la carte menu for €23. M° Plaisance. Tues–Fri noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10pm; Mon & Sat 7.30–10pm.

N'Zadette M'Foua 152 rue du Château tel 01.43.22.00.16. A small, cheerily tacky Congolese restaurant serving tasty dishes such as maboké (meat or fish baked in banana leaves). Menu at €14. M° Pernety. Tues–Sun 7pm–2am.

The 15^e

Cafés and Bars

Au Roi du Café 59 rue Lecourbe, 15^e. Traditional café with a decor that didn't change much during the twentieth century and a pleasant terrace, albeit on a busy road. M° Volontaires/Sèvres-Lecourbe. Daily 7am–2am.

Restaurants

Le Bistrot d'André 232 rue St-Charles, 15^e tel 01.45.57.89.14. A reminder of the old Citroën works before the Parc André-Citroën was created, with pictures and models of the classic French car. Homely dishes and great puds. Midday menu €11, otherwise up to €25. M° Balard. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10pm.

Le Café du Commerce 51 rue du Commerce, 15^e tel 01.45.75.03.27. A two-storey restaurant that's been catering for le petit peuple for over a hundred years. Serves varied, nourishing and inexpensive fare. Lunch menus from €10.60, evening meal around €20–25. M° Émile-Zola. Daily noon–midnight.

Sampieru Corsu 12 rue de l'Amiral-Roussin, 15^e. Decorated with the posters and passionate declarations of international socialism, this restaurant provides good meals for the homeless or unemployed. As a visitor, you pay what your conscience dictates – at least €8, though most will think a three-course meal is worth more. The restaurant only survives on the generosity of its supporters, and it's a wonderful place. M° Cambronne. Mon–Fri noon–1pm & 6.30–9.30pm.

The 13^e

Cafés and Bars

Le Diapason 15 rue Butte-aux-Cailles. Classic narrow, shopfront-style Butte-aux-Cailles bar, this time with a noisy reggae flavour. M° Place d'Italie/Corvisart. Tues–Sat 5pm–2am; happy hour till 8pm.

La Folie en Tête 33 rue Butte-aux-Cailles. Alternative-spirited bar with friendly Saturday-night World music dance sessions. Cheap drinks and snacks in the daytime. A very warm and laid-back place. M° Place-d'Italie/Corvisart. Mon–Sat 5pm–2am.

Le Merle Moqueur 11 rue Butte-aux-Cailles. Tiny bar with a distressed chic ambience, serving up laid-back music and homemade flavoured rums to young Parisians. M° Place-d'Italie/Corvisart. Daily 5pm–2am.

Restaurants

Auberge Etchegorry 41 rue Croulebarbe tel 01.44.08.83.51. A former guinguette on the banks of the Bièvre, this Basque restaurant has an old-fashioned atmosphere of relaxed conviviality, and the food's good too. Menus at €18.30 at lunchtime and €24 in the evening. M° Gobelins. Tues–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10pm.

L'Avant Goût 37 rue Bobillot tel 01.45.81.14.06. Small neighbourhood restaurant with a big reputation for excitingly good modern French cuisine, and wines to match. Cool contemporary decor and presentation. Superb value lunch menu at €11 and evening menu at €26. M° Place d'Italie. Tues–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7.30–11pm; closed three weeks in Aug.

Le Bambou 70 rue Baudricourt tel 01.45.70.91.75. Tiny Asian-quarter restaurant crammed with punters, French and Vietnamese alike, tucking into sublimely fresh-tasting Vietnamese food. Serves giant, powerfully flavoured pho soups, packed with beef and noodles (only choose the large version if you really mean it), a full menu of specialities, and the addictive Vietnamese tea and coffee that's made with condensed milk. M° Tolbiac. Tues–Sun noon–3.30pm & 7–10.30pm.

Chez Gladines 30 rue des Cinq-Diamants tel 01.45.80.70.10. This tiny corner bistrot is always warm and welcoming, and packed with a young clientele. Excellent wines and hearty Basque and southwest dishes; the mashed/fried potato is a must and goes best with magret de canard. Less than €20 for a (very) full meal. M° Corvisart. Daily 9am–1am.

Chez Grand-Mère 92 rue Broca tel 01.47.07.13.65. The name says it all: you could almost be in your French grandmother's parlour, though you'd be lucky if she cooked this well. Excellent terrines, rabbit in mustard sauce and stuffed trout on the menus, both of which are under €20. M° Gobelins. Open Mon–Sat noon–2.15pm & 7.15–10.15pm.

Chez Paul 22 rue Butte-aux-Cailles tel 01.45.89.22.11. This bistrot successfully treads a fine line between upmarket and relaxed. Warm wood is matched with designer cutlery, and the traditional French country food gets an elegant finish – expect lots of offal, superbly cooked. Such finesse doesn't come cheap: expect to pay around €40. M° Place-d'Italie/Corvisart. Daily noon–2.30pm & 7.30pm–midnight.

Le Jean-Baptiste-Clément 11 rue Butte-aux-Cailles tel 01.45.80.27.22. Specializes in filling, tasty charbonnades – meats chargrilled at your table, served with gratin Dauphinois and three house sauces. Menus at €14.95 and €18.15. M° Place-d'Italie/Corvisart. Daily noon–3pm & 7.30pm–midnight.

Le Languedoc 64 bd Port-Royal, 5^e tel 01.47.07.24.47. Actually, just in the 5^e, but closer to the Gobelins than the Latin Quarter. An utterly traditional check-tablecloth bistrot with an illegible menu on which you might decipher cassoulet, confit duck and other southwestern classics. Good value €19 menu. M° Gobelins. Thurs–Mon noon–2pm & 7–10pm; closed Aug.

Lao-Thai 128 rue de Tolbiac tel 01.44.24.28.10. Big, glass-fronted resto on a busy interchange, serving fine Thai and Laotian food. Midday menu at €7.95, otherwise from around €21.50 for two. M° Tolbiac. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun noon–2.30pm & 7.30–11pm.

Phuong Hoang Terrasse des Olympiades, 52 rue du Javelot tel 01.45.84.75.07. Take the escalator up from rue Tolbiac to this large, well-known restaurant serving Vietnamese, Thai and Singaporean specialities on a variety of menus from €8 and up. Not the most authentic of restaurants, but the food is reliable, and the skyscrapers around the terrasse loom overhead like a Modernist architectural fantasy. M° Tolbiac. Daily until 11pm.

Le Temps des Cerises 18–20 rue Butte-aux-Cailles tel 01.45.89.69.48. Truly welcoming restaurant – it's run as a workers' co-op – with elbow-to-elbow seating and a different daily choice of imaginative dishes. Lunch menu at €10 and evening menus at €12.50 and €22. M° Place-d'Italie/Corvisart. Mon–Fri noon–2pm & 7.30–11.45pm, Sat 7.30pm–midnight.

Tricotin Kiosque de Choisy, 15 av de Choisy tel 01.45.85.51.52 & 01.45.84.74.44. Tricotin's "kiosque", glazed in like a pair of overgrown fish tanks, is just set back from the broad avenue de Choisy, next to the Chinese-signed McDonalds. The two restaurants cover much the same ground, and cover it well, but no. 1 (closed Tues) specializes in Thai and grilled dishes, while no. 2 has a longer list of Vietnamese, Cambodian and steamed foods. Plats complets cost under €10, but you could multiply dishes and spend around €18. M° Porte-de-Choisy. Daily 9.15am–11pm.