Auteuil Brasserie

Set in a former station building on the Petite Ceinture, the legendary abandoned railway that encircles Paris, the Auteuil Brasserie feels like a breath of fresh country air despite being only minutes along the metro line 10 to Auteuil. The building’s majestic wrought iron structure, enormous rooms and huge glass doors are perfectly suited to its contemporary makeover, starting with the massive bar that dominates the entrance hall.

Up the grand staircase studded with candles lies an even more brilliant surprise: the roof terrace, screened from the street by greenery like a chic country retreat. Inevitably, the short, alluring Italian menu is ambitiously priced: around €8 for a starter, €14-€19 for pasta, pizza and salads, stretching to €25 for the fish and meat dishes. But it’s worth it – we loved a starter of a simple ball of buffalo mozzarella on a bed of confit cherry tomatoes. Mains were simply presented and absolutely enormous – our succulent fish tartare with crunchy marinated vegetables and crisp, tender escalope Milanese were both very satisfying.

Happily, you can also enjoy the spectacular architecture without paying for dinner, and just have a glass of wine on the ground floor terrace. If you do want to eat on the rooftop, be sure to book in advance, especially in summer.­