On Île Saint-Louis, right across from La Tour d’Argent, you wouldn’t normally expect to stop for a bite. Yet this long-windowed, charmingly time-worn bar has wisely left the facelifts to the flashy neighbors. Credit goes to Dimitri Theuriau, the new owner, who’s behind the flamboyant bar lined with colorful liquors, paneled in real marble and faux-wood Formica. The rest? Original pixelated mosaic floors, a handful of well-loved bistro tables huddled together – a scene straight out of an authentic roadside stopover. Come lunch, American chef Matthew Robertson (ex-Auberge de Chassignolles, Le Garde Champêtre in the Aube region, La Vierge and Les Pères Populaires in Paris) serves humble yet dreamlike cuisine that hits the bullseye: a disarmingly simple lentil salad with flashes of carrot, onion and celery; plump hake steak cooked to perfection, doused in a divine beurre blanc, alongside tender carrots, just-wilted red cabbage and crisp turnips; before a stunning tarte Tatin with dark caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. At night, drinks are paired with lively snacks and ever-changing dishes crafted by Mélanie Guigon (ex-Les Arlots and Les Pères Populaires), and weekends bring Sunday roast chicken with fries – even on Saturdays! · Adémar a la Tinta

FEELING THIRSTY? As any good neighborhood bistro should, L’Escale offers a mix of natural wines and more conventional references: Extrait De Rambaud, a red Bordeaux from Daniel Mouty (€7.50 a glass), Orangette, a chenin maceration from Calvez Bobinet (€8.50), and Préambule, a savagnin from Jérôme Arnoux in the Jura (€65 a bottle)… As well as classic cocktails like the Negroni (€14).

PRICE: Appetizers €8-9, mains €16-20, desserts €8-9 (weekday lunch), snacks €5-15, plates €20-50 (evening), chicken and chips €17-32-64 (quarter, half or whole, weekend lunch).