My first meal at this restaurant took place many years ago, during my second-ever visit to Paris. I was lucky enough to be staying with friends who lived in Paris and loved to eat – friends who knew about special places like le Bistrot Paul Bert. Memory is patchy, but a few first impressions have stuck with me: the warm and sweetly worn décor, the generous cooking, and the delightful absence of other tourists.

Years later, shortly after moving here, I met a woman at a party who turned out to be the food editor for TimeOut Paris. I asked her, as More >