Au Pied de Cochon

What it is

A brasserie by the site of the old Les Halles market in the first arrondissement, open since 1947 and famous for serving through the night.

Why travelers eat here

For the hours. It is the reliable answer to being hungry in central Paris at an hour when the city has otherwise given up, and the two-course menu is fair for the location.

What is genuinely good

Round-the-clock service, a 19.90 euro two-course menu, proper onion soup, and the grilled trotter the place is named for.

Downsides

Firmly on the tourist trail. Brisk service. Bright and noisy. The trotter is not for everyone.

Best for

Late arrivals, early departures, and anyone who wants an old-fashioned brasserie dish done properly.

Consider eating elsewhere if

You want a quiet, considered Parisian dinner. This is a market brasserie and behaves like one.

Practical advice

Go late or very early, when the room is at its most characteristic. Order the onion soup. Try the trotter once, and know that it is mostly skin, fat and gelatine on the bone.

Prices and reservations

Two courses 19.90 euros, three courses 26.00 euros, drinks extra. A la carte also available. Reservations possible but rarely necessary.

Getting there

Metro 4 to Les Halles or 1 to Louvre-Rivoli, both about five minutes away. Rue Coquilliere runs off the top of the Forum des Halles.

Where it sits

Rue Coquilliere in the first arrondissement, on the site of the old wholesale market, between the Louvre and the Bourse.

How long to allow

An hour and a half.

The RuinMyTrip verdict

The answer to being hungry in Paris at three in the morning, and a fair 19.90 euro menu at any hour. Order the onion soup.

Sources

Every figure above was checked against these before publication. If one has since changed, tell us and we will correct it.

• A two-course menu is 19.90 euros, drinks not included. source
• A three-course menu is 26.00 euros. source

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