Chez Janou

Chez Janou is the Marais bistro you go to when you don't want to think about it. Provençal cooking — ratatouille, tian, daube — served on a quiet corner near Place des Vosges, with terrace tables that fill from spring through October. The house is famous for two things: an 80-strong pastis selection that earned it the local nickname 'temple of pastis,' and a self-service chocolate mousse so generous that it's become a Paris dining-rumour in its own right. It's not a critic's restaurant; it's a regular's restaurant. Recognised by Gault & Millau, beloved by neighbourhood gallery staff, and exactly the kind of unfussy, place-rooted dinner the Marais does well.