Clown Bar

GO HERE: to experience contemporary French cooking by a Japanese chef in a beautiful room covered with 19th-century murals of clowns. (The Cirque d’Hiver is nearby; this was the clown hang.) Even the ham-and-cheese plate is an intensely sourced work of art.

ORDER THE: meat pie (pithivier), rouget (red mullet fish) with foie gras and spinach, jamon Ibérico, tarte au citron, all washed down with whatever magnums they’re pouring.

THE VIBE IS: a comfortably casual mix of off-duty chefs, well-fed multigenerational families, and natural-wine enthusiasts of all ages.

PRACTICAL STUFF: Reservations recommended a few days in advance. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 to 2:30 and 7 to 10:30; it’s good for a wine-y weekend lunch, especially when you can grab a seat on the terrace. Parents: Come here before going to the circus. Shoppers: You’re about a minute from Merci, the one-stop mecca for French clothing and housewares.