3 Best Restaurants in The Latin Quarter, Paris

This charming Quartier Latin bistro with woodwork and murals dating from 1925 is always packed and boisterous. A glance at the affordable menu makes it easy to understand why: dishes such as chestnut soup with spice bread, sea bass marinated in lime and coconut, and apple and quince tatin (upside-down tart) with gingerbread ice cream put a fresh twist on French classics. Service is reliably courteous. If you don't finish your bottle of wine, you can take it with you to savor the last drops.

Settle in on the terrace for lunch (try the beef tartare or the pavé de salmon) or join the locals along the zinc bar at this Latin Quarter favorite. Nestled at the foot of gently sloping Rue Monge, it offers friendly service amid an old-school bistro ambience.

If you're young—or young at heart—come here to hang with the Sorbonne crowd at this bustling brasserie on a shaded pedestrian lane. It's steps from campus and also near Le Jardin du Luxembourg.