Cafés and bars

 

au Bon Coin 85 rue Brancion, 15e. Mº Porte-de-Vanves. Daily till 9pm.
Located next to the Parc Georges-Brassens this well-established bar with original zinc counter attracts a well-read clientele looking for somewhere to have a drink and flick through their latest find at the secondhand book market over the road.

au Roi du Café 59 rue Lecourbe, 15e. Mº Volontaires & Mº Sèvres-Lecourbe. Daily till 2am. Traditional café with a decor that hasn't changed much this century and a pleasant terrace, albeit on a busy road.

Restaurants

Da Attilio 21 rue Cronstadt, 15e tel 01.40.43.91.90. Mº Convention & Mº Porte-de-Vanves. Mon-Sat till 9.30pm.
Close to the Parc Georges Brassens. Unprepossessing decor and run-of-the-mill food, but very friendly service and a great atmosphere. Different Italian specialities each day; plats du jour ¬7.62.

Le Bistrot d'André 232 rue St-Charles, 15e tel 01.45.57.89.14. Mº Balard. Mon-Sat noon-2.45pm & 7.45-10.30pm.
A reminder of the old Citroën works before the Parc André-Citroën was created, with pictures and models of the classic French car. Great puds: midday menu ¬9.91, otherwise around ¬21.34.

Le Café du Commerce 51 rue du Commerce, 15e tel 01.45.75.03.27. MºÉmile-Zola. Daily noon-midnight.
A two-storey restaurant that's been catering for le petit peuple for over a hundred years. Still varied, nourishing and cheap fare. Formules ¬13.26 and ¬17.53; carte around ¬22.11.

Sampieru Corsu 12 rue de l'Amiral-Roussin, 15e. Mº Cambronne. Mon-Fri lunchtime & 7-9.30pm.
Decorated with the posters and passionate declarations of international socialism, this restaurant provides meals for the homeless, unemployed and low-paid. The principle is that you pay what you can and it is left to your conscience how you settle the bill. The minimum requested is ¬6.86 for a three-course meal with wine. However poor you might feel, as a tourist in Paris you should be able to pay more. The restaurant only survives on the generosity of its supporters, and it's a wonderful place.

Student restaurant 156 rue Vaugirard, 15e. Mº Pasteur.