Cafés and bars 

La Closerie des Lilas 171 bd du Montparnasse, 6e. RER Port-Royal. Daily noon-1.30am. 
The smartest, artiest, classiest Montparnasse café, with excellent cocktails for around ?9.15 and a resident pianist. The tables are name-plated after celebrated former habitués (Verlaine, Mallarmé, Lenin, Modigliani, Léger, Strindberg). Very expensive restaurant; brasserie main courses for under ?15.24. 

L'Entrepôt 7-9 rue Francis-de-Pressensé, 14e. Mº Pernety. Mon-Sat noon-midnight. 
Spacious arty café within an excellent arthouse cinema; ?11.74 midday menu, ?22.87 à la carte in the evening. 

Le Rallye 6 rue Daguerre, 14e. Mº Denfert-Rochereau. Tues-Sat until 8pm; closed Aug. 
A good place to recover from the Catacombs or Montparnasse cemetery. The patron offers a bottle of wine for tasting; gulping the lot would be considered bad form. Good cheese and saucisson . 

La Pause Gourmande 27 rue Campagne-Première, 14e. Mº Raspail. Mon-Fri 8.30am-7pm, Sat 8.30am-3pm. 
No imagination spared on the decor of this small café, but it does serve up delicious salads and savoury and sweet tartes from ?4.27. 

Restaurants 

Aquarius 2 40 rue Gergovie, 14e tel 01.45.41.36.88. Mº Pernety. Mon-Sat noon-2.15pm & 7-10.30pm. 
Imaginative vegetarian meals served with proper Parisianbustle. ?9.91 menu midday. 

Le Berbère 50 rue de Gergovie, 14e tel 01.45.42.10.29. Mº Pernety. Daily lunchtime & evening till 10pm. 
Very unprepossessing decor-wise, but serves wholesome, unfussy and cheap North African food. Couscous from ?7.62. 

La Coupole 102 bd du Montparnasse, 14e tel 01.43.20.14.20. Mº Vavin. Daily 8.30-1am. 
The largest and perhaps most famous and enduring arty-chic Parisian hang-out for dining, dancing and debate. After 11pm, menu at ?21.04 including wine, or carte from ?25.92. Dancing Tues 9.30pm-4am, Fri & Sat 9.30pm-5am (?15.24 and Sun 3-9pm (Sun ?12.20). 

au Rendez-Vous des Camionneurs 34 rue des Plantes, 14e tel 01.45.40.43.36. Mº Alésia. Mon-Fri lunchtime & 6-9.30pm; closed Aug. 
No lorry drivers any more, but good food for under ?15.24; menu at ?10.98 and a quarter of wine for under ?3.05. Wise to book. 

Restaurant Bleu 46 rue Didot, 14e tel 01.45.43.70.56. Mº Plaisance. Tues-Sat lunchtime & evening until 11pm. 
Excellent, high-class cooking in a small and well-tendedrestaurant. The three-course menu du marché is ?19.82, or else you can choose the speciality truffade (mashed potato and sausage) amongst others from the à la carte menu for ?26.86. 

N'Zadette M'Foua 152 rue du Château, 14e tel 01.43.22.00.16. Mº Pernety. Daily 7pm-2am. 
A small Congolese restaurant, with tasty dishes such as maboké (meat or fish baked in banana leaves). Reservationsrequired at weekends. Menu at ?12.96, à la carte around ?18.29.