Le Relais de la Butte

This charming hotel-restaurant with its menu of expensive terroir dishes isn’t really designed for the average Parisian, but more for tourists avid for a bit of Montmartre glamour. The venue obviously uses its privileged location to put up the prices: right at the top of the Montmartre hill, its big terrace with 20 or so tables is next to a narrow paved street, facing a boundless view of northern Paris and the suburbs.

The tables are reserved for diners at lunch and supper, but in the afternoons it’s a great place to relax in a calm atmosphere. It’s not the easiest place to find, and all the better for it; few cars make it this far, and the little tree-lined pedestrianised square just behind the terrace gives it a villagey feel. Never mind the haughty service, you just have to be firm to get the attention of waiters used to floods of tourists.