Chez Michel

Following in the footsteps of Thierry Breton, chef Masa Ikuta (ex-Agapé and Table) whips up Amorican classics with panache (along with other good things!), while proudly running this historic and timeworn bistro – tables with patina, blueish rafters, Celtic knickknacks. On the menu, the night we went: tourteau crab with creamy avocado and buckwheat chips; fabulous free-range chicken with morel mushrooms and mashed potatoes – or an excellent bouillabaisse with sea bream, chanterelles, palourde clams and lobster; and for the rich finale, a voluptuous brioche French toast topped with crème brûlée – or an unstoppable Paris-Brest to anchor you in place. To drink, there’s a Crozes-Hermitage from Yann Chave (€8.50 a glass), a Petit-Chablis from Oliveira Lecestre (€30 a bottle) or a Bourgeois Saint-Estèphe from the Château Picard (€89 for a magnum). Set menus €29-35 (lunch), €38 (dinner menu-carte), à la carte €35-57. // N.K.