French Bistro€€€2eMon-Fri 18:30-23:00, Closed Sat-Sun
Gregory Marchand's Frenchie sits on Paris's Rue du Nil, the alley he and his suppliers turned into a four-shop street: bistro, bar, wine cellar.
Signature: Beef bavette, Pavlova
Order: Whatever the bavette is dressed with that week, and the pavlova for dessert.
Tip: If the bistro is booked, the Frenchie Bar à Vins across the alley takes walk-ups and runs the same kitchen.
French Bistro€€11eMon-Fri 12:00-14:00 19:30-22:30, Sat 19:30-22:30, Closed Sun
Tatiana and Katia Levha's Le Servan in Paris reads the seasonal-French rulebook through a Filipino lens. The dining room is loud, the menu changes weekly.
Signature: Pork rillettes, Tomato salad with anchovy
Order: Whatever short-rib or pork shoulder dish is on, with a glass of côtes-du-rhône.
Tip: Lunch is a third of the price and almost as good as dinner. Booking opens 30 days out.
French Bistro€€6eDaily 12:00-23:00
Yves Camdeborde's Le Comptoir du Relais in Paris helped invent the term bistronomie in the 1990s and still serves the dining-room version every weeknight.
Signature: Pâté en croûte, Têtes de veau
Order: The pâté en croûte for two and whatever offal main is on the chalkboard.
Tip: Lunch and weekend service runs walk-in; dinner Mon-Fri needs a booking six weeks out.
French Bistro€€20eTue-Fri 12:00-14:30 19:30-22:30, Sat 19:30-22:30, Closed Sun-Mon
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: Veal sweetbreads, Pigeon
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.
Seafood€€11eDaily 12:00-14:30 19:00-22:30
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.
French Bistro€€11eTue-Sat 12:00-14:00 19:30-23:00, Closed Sun-Mon
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.
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.