Au Pied de Cochon

Au Pied de Cochon has been feeding Paris around the clock since 1946, making it one of the most singularly useful restaurants in the city. Located on Rue Coquillière in Les Halles in the 1st arrondissement — the former site of the great covered market that once supplied the city's food — the brasserie is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a distinction that almost no traditional French restaurant can match. The restaurant began as a canteen for the market workers who arrived before dawn to load and unload produce; the pig's trotter that gave the address its name was the workman's fuel of choice at 4 in the morning. Today the clientele is broader — tourists, theatre-goers, late-night revellers, and workers of all kinds — but the menu retains its identity. The signature grilled pig's trotter remains the dish to order, prepared with mustard sauce and gratinéed; the French onion soup is among the most reliable in Paris at any hour; and the plateau de fruits de mer, assembled fresh daily, is a credible rival to more expensive seafood addresses. The room is large, animated, and unashamedly brasserie in character: banquettes, white tablecloths, bustling service. Prices are honest for the format — €40–€70 per head for a full meal — and the kitchen never sleeps. Walk-in customers are accepted at all hours, and online reservations are available for those who prefer to plan ahead.