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brisk, black-and-white-attired waiters. While the cuisine is good enough, dine here for the
one-of-a-kind ambience in their elaborately decorated ground-floor rooms, reminiscent of
the Roaring Twenties. Eating under the grand 1919
coupole
is a memorable treat (as is
using the “historic” 1919 WC). (If you can't get a ground-floor table, skip it.) Their €29
two-course and €34 three-course
menus
are a fair value. If you've always wanted one of
those picturesque seafood platters, this is a good place—you can take the standard platter
or create one à la carte (open daily for lunch and for dinner, fun kids' menu, reasonably
pricedwines,5RuedelaBastille,don'tbeconfusedbythelesser“Petite”Bofingeracross
the street, tel. 01 42 72 87 82).
$$ Au Temps des Cerises
isawarmplaceservingwinesbytheglassandmealswith
a smile. The woody 1950s atmosphere has tight seating and wads of character. Come for a
glassofwineatthesmallzincbarandsay
bonjour
toBen(€4-6,trytheirViognier)orstay
for a tasty dinner (€10 starters, €19
plats
, good cheap wine, daily, at Rue du Petit Musc
and Rue de la Cerisaie, tel. 01 42 72 08 63).
In the Heart of the Marais
These are closest to the St. Paul Métro stop.
$$ Robert et Louise
(now run by Pascal
et
François) crams tables into a tiny, rustic-
as-it-getsinterior,warmedbyafireplacegrill.Thefoodisred-meatgood,well-priced,and
popular with tourists (€8 starters, €18
plats
, €7 desserts, closed Mon, 64 Rue du Vieille du
Temple, tel. 01 42 78 55 89).
$ Breizh (Brittany) Café
isworththewalk.It'sasimpleBretonjointservingorganic
crêpes and small rolls made for dipping in rich sauces and salted butter. The crêpes are the
best in Paris and run the gamut from traditional andouille (pork sausage) to Asian fusion
(buckwheat crêpe topped with seaweed butter). They also serve oysters, have a fantastic
list of sweet crêpes, and talk about cider like a sommelier would talk about wine. Try a
sparkling cider, a Breton cola, or my favorite—
lait ribot
, a buttermilk-like drink (€7-13
dinner crêpes and
plats
, serves nonstop from 12:00 to late, closed Mon-Tue, 109 Rue du
Vieille du Temple, tel. 01 42 72 13 77).
$ Le Bistrot des Compères
has a privileged location on a quiet corner in the thick
of the Marais; there's a warm and welcoming feel whether you sit inside or out. The
cuisine is traditional with creative twists—try the
crème brûlée de chèvre
for starters and
the profiteroles to end. The young owners speak English and the prices are very fair (€7
starters, €15
plats
, €7 desserts, closed Sun-Mon, 16 Rue Charlemagne, tel. 01 42 72 14
16).
$
On Place du Marché Ste. Catherine:
This small, romantic square, just off Rue
St. Antoine, is an international food festival cloaked in extremely Parisian, leafy-square
