Balzar has been a fixture of the Rue des Ecoles since 1890, when Amedee Balzar - a bearded, red-headed fellow from Picardy - first started pulling pints near the Sorbonne. Teachers and students have always made good dining companions, and this classic Parisian brasserie has served as their unofficial canteen for well over a century. The interior is quintessential Left Bank: brass fittings, mirrored walls, white tablecloths, and an atmosphere thick with conversation and the clatter of plates. The menu runs through the brasserie standards - roast chicken, steak tartare, sole meuniere, and the inevitable profiteroles - prepared with the consistency that only comes from a kitchen that has been cooking the same dishes for decades. The service is brisk, professional, and distinctly Parisian. Located steps from the Sorbonne and the Pantheon, Balzar remains one of the Latin Quarter's essential dining addresses.

Type: Restaurant

Address: 49, rue des Ecoles, Paris, France

Telephone: 01.43.54.13.67

Website: www.brasseriebalzar.com

Open Days: Monday to Sunday