Eating out in Paris can be the experience of a lifetime or the ultimate let down. Without an insider's tip for the best bistro or the latest hot restaurant, you could end up leaving the City of Light with a bad taste in your mouth. Fortunately there is the brasserie - one of the great culinary and social institutions of the French capital that has remained unchanged for well over 100 years. A meal in one of these cultural monuments - for they are more than mere restaurants - is always a memorable experience, because not only do you eat well at a reasonable price, but you'll experience at first hand an authentic slice of Parisian life. These sumptuous dining rooms began life as simple beer taverns - 'brasserie' actually means 'brewery' in French - at the end of the nineteenth century when residents of Alsace fled to Paris as refugees after their region had been annexed by Germany. The good news is that the brasseries are here to stay as most have been classified monuments historiques by the French Government. The great brasseries boast beautifully preserved Art Nouveau decor. Each one with its own personality and specialities. The dishes on the menu haven't changed much in the past 100 years either a mountain of crushed ice covered with freshly shucked oysters and shellfish, a steaming tureen of choucroute , sauerkraut garnished with a dozen different sausages, an irresistible tarte tatin , and a chunk of the wonderfully pungent cheese from the village of Munster served with a hot potato and cumin seeds. The brasserie is one of the few places you can still feel, see and smell the real Paris. Here's our selection of 10 of the finest. If calling from the UK, prefix all phone numbers with 00 33 1. 1. Au Pied de Cochon 6 rue Coquilliere, 75001 Tel 40 13 77 00 Au Pied de Cochon - The Pig's Trotter - is right by Les Halles, what used to be the central food market of Paris. Open 24 hours a day, it has not shut its doors since it reopened after the Liberation of Paris. It is perfect for a late-night meal and, after 2am, when not many places are serving good food, the atmosphere really hots up with a colourful mix of stage people, clubbers and curious tourists. If you're not faint-hearted then go for La tentation de St Antoine , a mix of pig's tail, ears, trotters and museau -the snout. 2. Brasserie Flo 7 cour des Petites-Ecuries, 75010 Tel 47 70 13 59 Hidden down a dimly lit mews courtyard, this one-time favourite haunt of actress Sarah Bernhardt is the ultimate spot for a romantic dinner. Brasserie Flo was originally named Chez Hans, until it was ransacked by an anti-German mob just before the outbreak of World War I. Monsieur Floderer then meticulously recreated the charm of an old Alsatian tavern with opulent Art Nouveau decor tiny statues hidden in corners, ornate light fittings, hand-painted murals depicting rural scenes in Alsace, and intri cate marquetry on the darkened wood panelling. The menu changes every day, rotating more than 500 dishes, but you'll always find the Flo classics steak tartare, huitres chaudes au champagne hot oysters served in the shell with a champagne sauce, petit sale aux lentilles salted pork with lentils. 3. Bofinger 5-7 rue de la Bastille, 75004 Tel 42 72 87 82 The oldest surviving brasserie in Paris, the perfectly preserved Bofinger is a museum of Belle Epoque decor. In the centre of the main dining room is a magnificent stained glass coupole, and although the food is excel lent, especially the oysters, half the fun of dining here is watching the spectacle going on around you waiters yelling ' chaud devant ' to clear a path as they balance a gigantic seafood platter; a diva making a grand entrance after a performance at the nearby Bastille opera house; and the occasional clamorous mishap when a serveur bumps into one of his colleagues, plates and glasses crash everywhere and diners stop for a moment to applaud the disaster. 4. Brasserie Lipp 151 boulevard St-Germain, 75006 Tel 45 48 53 91 With its mirror-lined walls and ceiling, Lipp is the absolute Paris dining spot to see and be seen in. Maintaining a tradition of never accepting a reservation, tables are allocated depending on the diner's position in the hierarchy of Parisian social life - with the ultimate humiliation being banished to a table upstairs. Lipp is irrevocably linked to the Cazes family, the owners who created their own literary prize and made their brasserie both the intellectual rendezvous of the capital, as well as the centre of political intrigue, with governments being made or broken over a meal. Regular clients may say the place has gone downhill since the death of Roger Cazes, but that is typical Parisian cynicism, and a meal 'chez Lipp' is still an unforgettable experience. 5. Brasserie ma Bourgogne 19 Place des Vosges, 75004 Tel 42 78 44 64 The most beautiful square in Paris, La Place des Vosges, the heart of the historic Marais neighbourhood, has a fine brasserie, where the prized tables - even in winter - are outdoors, beneath an ancient vaulted arcade. Opened in the 1920s as a simple café tabac, Ma Bourgogne, as its name implies, has a different culinary heritage from the Alsace brasseries. Here you will discover France's cuisine du terroir , hearty dishes from Burgundy, Auvergne and the Beaujolais countryside, with delicious daily specials like chou farci stuffed cabbage, a spicy Beaujolais sausage or a rich bowl of tripous du Rouergue tripe stew cooked with wine and tomatoes 6. Le Balzar 49 rue des Ecoles, 75005 Tel 43 54 13 67 Balzar is discreet and friendly, the insider's brasserie and real favourite of many Parisians. When Jean-Paul Bucher, the uncrowned King of Paris brasseries and already owner of the likes of Flo and La Coupole, took it over recently, loyal diners who feared its unique ambience would disappear, formed a protest group, Les Amis du Balzar. The brasserie, however, remained unchanged. Just by the Sorbonne, you'll see students sitting next to poets, and personalities like Wim Wenders, Francoise Sagan, and Yves Saint Laurent enjoying an intimate dinner. 7 La Coupole 102 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014 Tel 43 20 14 20 Opened on 20 December 1927 with a celebratory cocktail party at which 1,500 bottles of champagne were consumed by the likes of Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Ernest Hemingway and Blaise Cendrars, La Coupole has retained its reputation as the essential meeting place for Le Tout Paris despite a scandalous renovation 10 years ago. Long gone are the days when Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre held court here, but with its famous pillars decorated by the artists of Montparnasse, the ghosts of Josephine Baker and Henry Miller, and its famous 'Dancing', a downstairs ballroom that still swings with salsa and samba bands, La Coupole remains a very special place. And for a change from seafood, you can try their exotic speciality, curry d'agneau a l'indienne lamb curry. 8. L'Europeen 2 rue de Lyon, 75012 Tel 43 43 99 70 L'Européen is not one of the better-known Parisian brasseries, neither talked about in the press nor frequented by celebrities, which is why it is worth a visit. The place is unpretentious and serves just about the best, freshest seafood of all the city's brasseries. Opposite the grandiose Gare de Lyon, L'Européen was opened at the turn of the century and attracts a loyal clientele of Parisians. The decor is pretty tacky, but there's a delightful outdoor terrace where you can watch anxious travellers keeping an eye on the huge station clock as they hurry to finish their oysters before the train leaves. 9. Terminus Nord 23 rue de Dunkerque, 75010 Paris Tel 42 85 05 15 Your quest for the perfect Paris brasserie can begin the moment you step off the Eurostar, as opposite the station is the venerable Terminus Nord. Originally a cafe owned by the railway company that operated out of Gare du Nord, the premises were taken over in 1870 by Alsatian restaurateurs who created one of the city's most beautiful brasseries, a stunning mix of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Sadly, the salons that hosted afternoon concerts and the billiard room are no more, but diners can still marvel at the immense frescoes and colourful turn-of-the-century posters. There is also an elegant Limonade Bar , where travellers can stop off in the morning for a café au lait and melt-in-the-mouth croissant. 10. Les Grandes Marches 6 Place de la Bastille, 75012 Paris Tel 43 42 90 32 If your taste is more twenty-first century than Belle Epoque, you can try one of the several contemporary brasseries that have recently opened up. One of France's finest chefs, Guy Savoy, has created his own brasserie, Le Cap Vernet, by the Arc de Triomphe, while over in the chic sixteenth arrondissement, La Gare is a funky renovated train station that looks more New York than Paris. The hottest spot, though, is Les Grandes Marches, overlooking the Place de la Bastille. Styled by fashionable architect designers, Elizabeth and Christian de Portzamparc, the avant-garde interiors are complemented by an innovative menu by star chef Christian Constant. Diners can let themselves be seduced by Bresse chicken sauteed with crayfish or succulent lobster served in delicate puff pastry. Getting the best from brasseries dining The cost of a meal in one of the great brasseries does not vary a great deal. Count on an average of €30-38 £18-23 per person, with wine, although you can always settle for a plate of oysters at about €9 £6. Beware of expensive wine lists as the best bet is often a pichet carafe of the reasonably priced and eminently drinkable house wine. You will always eat well in a brasserie, but don't expect Michelin-starred gastronomic standards. Rather than be tempted by the gourmet-sounding dishes, which rarely live up to expectations, stick to classic brasserie fare a vast plateau of fruits de mer, a steaming plate of choucroute garnie, steak tartare with crispy frites, a tasty andouillette sausage, or a simple sole forget that the brasserie is open all day, so you can stop off for a beer or glass of wine anytime, a coffee in the morning or an armagnac after midnight. The service is always outstanding, and you'll discover that the waiters provide half the fun of a brasserie meal. It is wise to reserve if you don't want to queue, but many brasseries don't take reservations after 9pm. All brasseries now have no-smoking areas, but don't be surprised if this means you find yourself tucked away in some dark for yourselfIf you want to experience the brasseries of Paris, the following operators offer short-break packages. All prices are for B&B accommodation, based on two sharing in November. European Life 0870 242 4455 offers two nights at the three-star Hotel Marena, Paris for £151 per person including return Eurostar from London or Ashford to Paris. Peak service supplements are applicable at £26 per adult return if inbound or outbound travel falls on a Friday, Saturday or Holidays 020 7231 3333 offers three nights at the three-star Notre Dame hotel on the busy Quai St Michel waterfront on the Left Bank from £322 per person. The price includes travel by air or Eurostar, transfers to/from your hotel, a copy of Kirker's unique sightseeing and restaurant guide notes, a complimentary Seine River cruise and a carnet of 10 Metro/bus tickets per Off 0870 584 6363 offers two nights three-star accommodation for two at the Hotel de France from £322, including both BA 020 8424 9648 offers two nights at the two star Hotel Le Faubourg on the Grands Boulevards leading to the Opera Garnier from £166 per person for weekend travel. Includes Eurostar tickets.