Beef Stew

In the olden days, Parisians didn't worry about their weight and enjoyed meals as serious as they were copious. Nowadays, thanks to Denise, alias Raymonde Benariac, nothing has changed. For over 40 years, she has been keeping up the authentic tradition of Les Halles bistros. Noisy, friendly, always full of regulars, celebrities, and others, this is the ideal place to raise your fork and attack pork, calf's head, mutton stew, rib of beef, grilled pig's foot, andouillette, fries, chocolate mousse, and rum baba. Pay-as-you-drink wine, chequered table cloths, and impressive looking waiters in big black aprons are also part of La Tour de Montlhery's offerings.
La Tour de Montlhery
5, rue de Prouvaires. 1st.
Metro: Chatele or Louvre-Rivoli.
Meals served noon to 3pm and 7:30pm to 6:30am.
Closed Saturday, Sunday and July 14 to August 15.

People (except those in the know) tend to forget that the nightclub Chez Castel houses one of the best bistros in Paris. Easy to do, since its name is the more banal Le Foyer. To book a table here, you don't have to be a member of the club, just a friendly person. Le Foyer is small, noisy, and very lively. Diners rub elbows with celebrities, top models, and the cream of the Parisian nightlife while nibbling simple, very good food. Soft-boiled eggs with salade frisee, steak, hachis parmentier, and veal stew in white sauce are prepared by Chef Claude Morin, who has helmed the bistro kitchen for over 35 years.
Le Foyer (Chez Castel)
15, rue Princesse. 6th.
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Pres or Mabillon.
Open 9pm to 1:30am.
Closed Sunday, Monday, and three weeks in August.

In the rural Aubrac region of France, people don't worry about their waistlines. This is the place to find creamy chestnut soup with farm ham, beef with aligot (a puree of cheese and garlic), marinated crayfish and other "light" dishes. Old France lives on! The strange wood interior recalls a farm or stable. All kinds of night birds flock here until dawn—jet setters, dawdlers, bartenders, showbiz types looking for a bite to eat. Local wines, nice but somewhat pricey, are served by the glass. Vegetarians and strict dieters be warned: there's not much here for you.
La Maison de l'Aubrac
37, rue Marbeuf. 8th.
Metro: Franklin-D.-Roosevelt.
Meals served daily, 24 hours a day.
Closed two weeks in August.

Owner Brice Fournier is an incorrigible globetrotter, so this exotic Thai restaurant had to be named after the famed explorer, Livingstone. The cosy, colourful, and comfortable interior has a subdued wanderlust ambience. The cuisine, on the other hand, is radical Thai including curried monkfish, sugared beef, salt and pepper king prawns, and scallops served in coconut. Sure, Paris hotels and room service might be tempting, but why stay in when Livingstone beckons?
Livingstone
106, rue Saint-Honore. 1st.
Metro: Louvre-Rivoli.
Meals served daily 7pm to 2am.

Roo Sadegi is an online travel writer based in London's East End, although he spends much of his time travelling around Europe's travel hotspots.

Recommend : anolon professional 12 piece nonstick cookware set circulon infinite 10 piece cookware set all clad masterchef 2 10 piece cookware set