FIVE CLASSIC “CHEZ” BISTROS Chez L’Ami Louis

A neighbourhood bistro has been on this spot since 1900. The Paul family took over in the 1940s. In its latest iteration it’s boisterous and authentic, serving Gallic comfort food in a warmly glowing, yellow-painted room.

13 rue de Charonne, Paris, chezpaul.com

With a beautiful, mirrored room and a menu of classics that is almost encyclopaedic, this quintessentially Parisian restaurant is wildly popular, so do make a reservation.

1 rue du Mail, Paris, +33 1 42 60 07 11

This lively bistro has been a stalwart of the well-heeled 8th arrondissement, near Place de l’Etoile, since 1936. It still has lots of old-fashioned glamour, with its crisp white tablecloths, uniformed waitresses and original zinc bar.

12 rue Marbeuf, Paris, chez-andre.com

This bistro in Les Halles opened in 1958, and was named for its original proprietor, Adrienne Biasin (“the old lady”). Reinvented in 2016 by Daniel Rose

(Le Coucou) it still serves a hefty dose of welcome nostalgia.

1 rue Bailleul, Paris, chezlavieille.fr

AA Gill famously thought it overrated, but others swear by its legendary roast chicken. Tiny, clubby and devilishly expensive, it’s the antithesis of the inexpensive family bistro, and worth a splurge if you can get a notoriously difficult reservation and, best of all, a regular to take you.

32 rue Vertbois, Paris, +33 1 48 87 77 48