Lunch at the bouillon CHARTIER, Paris

The "bouillon" had its origins in the mid 19th century, when eating establishments were needed for the many thousands of building workers creating the new Paris masterminded by Haussman.  The word bouillon actually means a stew: a simple, nourishing dish.

The choice of food grew, and a distinctive style of establishment - very different from the traditional restaurant.  This delightful bouillon, from the late 19th century, is the last existing in Paris.  (A few decades ago I used to eat at the Drouot, a bouillon run by the same Chartier family, but its doors are long since closed.)

Simple, tasty dishes at a reasonable price, open from 11.30am to midnight.  A large team of waiters, your order scribbled on the paper tablecloth (no such things as formal bills, but at a pinch you could use scissors to cut out the information), speedy service, a great atmosphere. And you never know who will come to sit next to you.