Bouillon Julien

Bouillon Julien opened in 1906 on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, and its dining room is one of the finest Art Nouveau interiors in Paris. The room is lined with carved mahogany, stained glass, mirrors and painted panels of women representing the seasons, set beneath a glass ceiling. After decades as a smarter brasserie, it returned to the bouillon tradition in recent years, offering classic French food at low prices, so the setting is now accessible to almost every budget.

The menu follows the bouillon formula of short, inexpensive dishes: eggs with mayonnaise, leeks in vinaigrette, snails, onion soup and terrines to start, then main courses such as steak with peppercorn sauce, sausage with mash, duck confit and fish of the day, followed by profiteroles, chocolate mousse or baba au rhum. Wines are available by the glass, carafe or bottle at modest prices. The cooking is straightforward, but the quality is consistent and the value is hard to beat in such a room.

Julien suits couples, families, groups and budget travellers who want a memorable setting without a large bill. It is livelier and more crowded in the evening, when the room fills quickly, while lunch is a little calmer. Service is fast and friendly, though the pace means it is not ideal for a long, lingering dinner.

The restaurant is open every day from 11.45am to midnight. Unlike some bouillons, it takes reservations online, which is the best way to avoid a queue at dinner and weekends; for 24, 25 and 31 December, bookings must be made and paid online. Walk-in diners can usually be seated more quickly in mid-afternoon. A two-course meal takes about an hour. The restaurant can also be booked for private events, and the room is particularly atmospheric in the evening, when the stained glass and mirrors catch the light.

Strasbourg–Saint-Denis station on metro lines 4, 8 and 9 is two minutes' walk away, by the Porte Saint-Denis arch. Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis is one of the liveliest food streets in Paris, with bakeries, grocers and bars, and the area also has the Passage Brady, known for its Indian restaurants, and the theatres and cinemas of the Grands Boulevards.