Le Vieux Comptoir

Walk into Le Vieux Comptoir and you're transported to a Parisian neighbourhood spot—all dark wood, compact tables, and the smell of butter and garlic. It's the kind of place where locals genuinely outnumber tourists, which tells you everything. The menu sticks to what matters: confit duck, perfectly executed steak frites, and fish that tastes like it actually came from somewhere. Prices sit in that sweet spot where you're getting proper French cooking without feeling like you've mortgaged your flat. The wine list is sensibly curated rather than showboating, and staff know their stuff without being snobbish about it.