Au Bon Coin

This characterful wine bar and restaurant near to the Jules Joffrin Metro station is as friendly as its clientele. The wine list offers a plethora of well-chosen local vintages at all price levels, and for all tastes: light, robust, round, fruity, dry, sweet… and you only have to ask for advice if you’re unsure. There’s no dinner served on weekends, but the rest of the time, this neighbourhood canteen offers affordable specialities from the South-West of France cooked with local ingredients.

The owners come from the Aveyron region, arriving in the capital in the 1930s, and they’ve kept good contacts and a supply of local meat. The dishes are enormous – vast starters and gargantuan mains – but you’ll want to lick your plate clean. If you’re not that hungry, there are great salads and the charcuterie and cheese boards, accompanied by a good full-bodied red wine, are worth a look. In summer, a few tables are put on the terrace so you can look out over the passers-by.