Au Vieux Comptoir

Forty seats, zinc bar, exposed stone, tables tight enough that the conversation at the next one becomes part of yours. Au Vieux Comptoir is the kind of bistro Istanbul visitors think of when they say 'a real Paris bistro' — not the brasserie postcard, the actual thing. The chef sources charcuterie from named Auvergne and Aubrac producers, eggs mayonnaise the proper way, knife-cut beef tartare, pâté en croûte sliced at the table, slow-cooked Charolais côte de bœuf. Three consecutive years of GaultMillau recognition (current 1 toque). A few contemporary touches — burrata-Kalamata, cacio e pepe ravioli — slip in without breaking the room's grammar. Châtelet location, walk from Louvre, no fuss.