Hotels near Chez L'Ami Jean

Stéphane Jégo has cooked Basque and Béarnaise food at Chez L'Ami Jean since 2002, in a room hung with rugby memorabilia and packed so tightly that dinner becomes a communal event whether you wanted one or not. Cuisine: south-west French with a Basque accent. The signature is the riz au lait at €15, a mixing bowl of rice pudding brought to the table with praline, salted caramel and whipped cream, built for sharing and rarely finished. The terrine, the ttoro fish stew and the haddock with celery and meat jus are why Paris chefs eat here on their own nights off. Individual plates run roughly €10 to €42, so three courses come in around €65 to €80 a head before wine, which arrives in pitchers from a natural list.

Gault&Millau rates it 13/20 with two toques. It serves Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm to 2pm and 7pm to 11:30pm. Two honest warnings: the noise is genuinely difficult if you came to talk, and Rue Malar sits close enough to the Eiffel Tower that the surrounding streets are full of far worse restaurants charging considerably more.

Pro Tip: Reserve two to three weeks ahead and take the 7pm sitting rather than the 9:30pm one, when the kitchen has run out of several plates. Share one starter between two people, because Jégo's portions are built for rugby players and you need to reach the rice pudding with room left.