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A hang-out for artists and intellectuals since the 1920s, its regulars have included Salvador Dali and Albert Camus. During World War II Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir “more or less set up house in the Flore”. Although its prices have skyrocketed, its Art Deco decor hasn’t changed and it’s still a favourite with French filmmakers and literati.

Rival to the neighbouring Flore as the rendezvous for the 20th-century intellectual élite. Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, Djuna Barnes, André Breton and Paul Verlaine were all regulars, and Picasso met his muse Dora Maar here in 1937. Similarly pricey, with outside tables facing the boulevard and the square.

This legendary watering hole opened in 1911 and many an ex-pat found inspiration here, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and George Gershwin, who reportedly envisioned his An American in Paris orchestral work over a few drinks here. It still draws a lively American crowd, who come both for nostalgia and some of the best martini cocktails in town.

Superbly situated in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre (see Musée du Louvre), the café offers simple but expertly prepared brasserie fare (steaks, salads, salmon tartare, sandwiches) as well as delicious cakes and pastries. The dining room has plush decor and velvet armchairs, but the best spot is under the arcade overlooking the glass pyramid and the cour Napoléon.

A grand Parisian café with prices to match, but it’s worth a visit to enjoy the frescoed walls and sumptuous surroundings, designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Opera House across the square (see Tuileries and Opéra Quarters). This is another Paris landmark with a string of famous past patrons, and arguably the best millefeuille cakes in town.

The main restaurant here is expensive, but the bar is a good spot to soak up the atmosphere of this historic site where artists and writers from Baudelaire to Archibald MacLeish have drunk since 1808. Look for the famous names etched on the tables. The brasserie also has live piano music and attracts a chic crowd.

This classy Bastille bar and restaurant has chic Chinese decor, as reflected in its name. The long ground-floor bar has romantically intimate tables and live jazz music is played at weekends. The upstairs bar is like an intimate drawing room. The cocktails are excellent, as is the Chinese food in the restaurant. Popular with Paris’s young and trendy.

This tiny wine bar near the Aligre Market is like taking a step back in time. Dozens of wines are available by the glass, or you can fill up your own bottle from the barrels bulging in the doorway. On fine days empty barrels are up-turned to make instant outdoor pavement tables, attracting an interesting local crowd. Cold snacks, such as pâté and cold meats, are also served all day.

Unpretentious but stylish Bastille café with three large rooms, decorated with everything from spears, to old film star publicity stills. The simple food, such as onion soup, is good value. Popular local hang-out.

A gregarious wine bar off the beaten track and full of character, with a rustic beamed ceiling hung with country hams and a vine growing around the walls. The moustached owner from Auvergne is an enthusiastic wine lover and aims to please with his reasonably priced cellar. Closed in August.