In the vast landscape of French eateries—from restaurants and bistros to bouillons and cafés—perhaps the most beloved are brasseries. The story of their founding can’t help but stir the French love of la patrie: “It was the 1870 annexation of Alsace by Germany that forced some of the best cooks in the region, determined to remain French, to bring their sausages and their kugelhopfs to the capital,” writes Francois Thomazeau in The Brasseries of Paris. The Weplers, Bofingers, Lipps: the names are to this day synonymous with good dining and good taste.

Beyond this, the French appreciate brasseries’ spectacular Art Déco or Art Nouveau settings; the classic menu; and simply the impressive number of meals served each day (typically 200; 800 at Bofinger)—all distinctive qualities of these institutions that “rustle with all that makes Parisian life Parisian.” Francois Thomazeau’s profiles of the most beautiful brasseries of Paris provide a unique glimpse into their history, lore, legend, and atmosphere.

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