Raquel Carena cooks Argentine-French intuition food at Le Baratin, the Belleville room every Parisian chef calls their favourite when no one is listening.
Signature dishes: Veal sweetbreads, Pigeon
Must order: The sweetbreads if they are on, and a glass from Philippe Pinoteau's natural list.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday, often Saturday too. Phone bookings only, no website.
Address: 3 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
Septime's seafood little sister, Clamato in Paris runs no-reservation oysters, ceviche and grilled fish from 19:00. Walk-in only; queue forms by 18:45.
Signature: Oysters, Hake ceviche
Order: Half a dozen Gillardeau oysters, the hake of the day, and a plate of lardo on toast.
Tip: Arrive at 18:45 for the first seating or after 21:30 for the second. No bookings ever.
Bistrot Paul Bert is Paris's textbook bistro: zinc bar, chalkboard menu, steak frites cooked rare with hand-cut fries, île flottante for two on a single platter.
Signature: Steak frites, Île flottante
Order: Steak frites cooked saignant, île flottante for two, a pichet of house red.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book two weeks ahead for a weeknight or take the 19:30 first seating.
Two centuries of dining-room history at Le Grand Véfour, the Palais-Royal mirror-and-velvet salon where Paris cooked dinner for Napoleon, Colette and Cocteau.
Signature: Ravioles de foie gras, Soufflé
Order: The ravioles de foie gras at the chef's prix-fixe lunch.
Tip: Tuesday-Friday lunch is a third the price of dinner and books two weeks out, not four months.
Iñaki Aizpitarte's Le Chateaubriand in Paris invented the modern neo-bistro tasting menu in 2006. A fixed five courses, no swap, runs €85 a head.
Signature: Tasting menu, no choice
Order: There is no a la carte. Trust the menu and order a bottle from the natural list.
Tip: Bookings 09:00 the day prior; or take a 21:30 walk-in slot at the second seating.
Le Cinq Mars is the kind of Paris room a gallerist takes a writer to: red banquettes, chalkboard, an endive salad with Roquefort and walnuts that has not changed.
Signature: Endive salad with Roquefort, Pot-au-feu
Order: The endive Roquefort salad and pot-au-feu in winter; vitello tonnato in summer.
Tip: Lunch is open to walk-ins; dinner books a week ahead, two weeks for a weekend.
Chez Georges has run the same Paris bistro menu since 1964: sole meunière, oeufs en gelée, profiteroles. The handwritten carte still uses the original prices format.
Signature: Sole meunière, Profiteroles
Order: Sole meunière, gratin dauphinois, profiteroles to finish.
Tip: Closed weekends and August. Tables turn twice; book 19:30 or 21:30 a fortnight out.
