Les Ministères (CLOSED)

Les Ministeres restaurant resides among the historical antique shops of Paris’s Left Bank, near the Orsay Museum, and across the river from the Louvre. Popular among fashion models, politicians, journalists and military men since the second world war (though its origins stretch as far back as 1870), its semi-circular Belle Epoque booths, sheltered by a grand ceiling, are perfect for intimate tete a tetes among cosmopolitans. The seasonal menu is excellent: try a plate of oysters with a pichet of Petit Chablis, followed by sautéed rabbit a la Provencale, and a slice of classic pear and apple tart. A very good brasserie for lunch away from the Orsay's madding crowds, Les Ministeres offers swift service and decent prices.