Le 404

Le 404 — named for the Peugeot 404 sedans that ferried North African families home each summer — has held the same address in a 17th-century mansion between the Marais and Beaubourg since 1990. Owner Mourad Mazouz keeps the menu unchanged for a reason: pastilla with pigeon and almond, lamb tagine with prunes and toasted almonds, méchoui shoulder, mint tea poured high from a brass pot. Low ceilings, tiled walls, candle-lit, packed every night. A cult-flag institution: declining the chasing of fads is exactly why it still works. Reserve two weeks ahead for a weekend table. The address most Istanbul visitors recognize before they've even landed.