French regional€Mon-Fri 12:00-13:30, 19:00-21:30; closed Sat-Sun
Chez Michel in Paris cooks Breton-Norman regional set menus at €36 for three courses, no a la carte at all. Kig-ha-farz, fish soup, kouign-amann to finish.
Try: Set menu
Tip: The annex tables in the cave are the quieter option; book at least a week ahead for the cave seats.
French bistro€Mon-Thu 12:00-14:30, 19:30-22:30; Fri 12:00-14:30, 19:30-23:00; Sat 12:30-15:00, 19:30-23:00; Sun 12:30-15:00, 19:30-22:30
Le Cinq Mars in Paris's 7e plates a €24 weekday lunch set: endive salad with Roquefort, plat du jour, dessert. The same kitchen runs the €60 dinner carte.
Try: Lunch set
Tip: Lunch is open to walk-ins; arrive at 12:30 to skip the gallery crowd that fills by 13:00.
French bistro€Tue-Sat 12:00-23:00; closed Sun-Mon
Le Bistrot Paris in the 7e plates a €24 lunch set Mon-Fri: steak tartare, plat du jour, profiteroles. At 33 Rue de Lille. Booking recommended.
Try: Lunch set
Tip: The lunch menu at €24 is the city's most under-rated set; book a window seat by phone.
Cafe€
Breizh Café on Rue du Cherche-Midi in Paris plates buckwheat galettes from €8. The galette complète with Bordier butter is €13; the dessert crêpe is €8.
Try: Galette
Tip: The Bordier butter caramel crêpe is the dessert; the galette complète is the lunch.
French bistro€Mon 17:00-21:00; Tue-Fri 10:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00; Sat 10:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-16:00
Le Baron Rouge in Paris's 12e shucks oysters on the pavement Saturdays for €2 each. Glasses of cru Beaujolais run €4; the cheapest serious oyster set in town.
Try: Oyster and wine pairing
Tip: Saturday 10:00-13:00 is the move: oysters on the street, cru Beaujolais from the barrel.
Brasserie€Daily 11:30-00:00
Bouillon Chartier in Paris is the 1896 workers' brasserie still plating œuf mayonnaise at €3 and a full bistro 3-course set under €18, no reservation.
Try: Three-course bistro classics
Tip: Queue moves fast. Arrive at 11:30 lunch or 18:30 dinner for the first wave of seating.