At the beating heart of the Marché des Enfants-Rouges, The Butcher of Paris (alias Louis-Marie Martin, a former wine merchant) has whipped out his knife collection to break down the most beautiful cuts of meat two different ways: at his butcher’s stand supplied over the changing seasons by a dozen carefully-chosen producers and at a tiny bar where his XXL plates sometimes struggle to fit on the counter. The last time we went, we opted for a croque monsieur that was as robust as a rugby player, filled with baked ham from the Tessou farm and Comté aged for 16 months, all tickled by some powerful mustard – but no real sides to speak of, apart from a salad that paled in comparison. For those who prefer to share, there’s a charcuterie board option (headcheese, baked ham and rosette), along with the possibility of grilling up any piece of meat available at the butcher’s counter! // Noël Flantier 

THE HIDDEN GEM: The Corsican veal from Jacques Abbatucci (€58/kg).