Benoit, a bistro on rue Saint-Martin since 1912

Benoit, a bistro on rue Saint-Martin, took its name in 1912, when Benoit Matray, a butcher by trade, bought the restaurant. Blessed with an excellent palate and memory for flavour, he greeted guests as a generous friend and made it a much sought-after address.

Traders from Les Halles, then the great market of Paris, rubbed shoulders with artists. In 1961 Michel Petit, the founder’s grandson, took over straight from hotel school. He added a private room upstairs, enlarged the dining room and brought back old Mère Marie, author of the recipe book behind the house’s success.

His wife, Catherine Petit, designed the plates and the trompe-l’œil of the salon; the pyrographer Lesage, a loyal customer, came up one evening with the motto Chez toi, Benoit, on boit, festoie, en rois. In April 2005 the Petit family sold Benoit to Alain Ducasse; Benoit bistros opened in Tokyo that year and in New York in 2008.

Close to the Hôtel de Ville, the Centre Pompidou and the Tour Saint-Jacques, it keeps its red velvet banquettes, brass and engraved glass. Since 2022 chef Kelly Jolivet has served pâté en croûte, snails, black pudding, sweetbreads, profiteroles and savarin.