This world-renowned cavernous spot with Art Deco murals practically defines the term brasserie. La Coupole might have lost its intellectual aura since the Flo group's restoration, but it has been popular since the days when Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were regulars and is still great fun. Today it attracts a mix of bourgeois families, tourists, and elderly lone diners treating themselves to a dozen oysters. Expect the usual brasserie menu -- including perhaps the largest shellfish platter in Paris -- choucroute, a very un-Indian but tasty lamb curry, and some great over-the-top desserts. They don't take reservations after 8:30 PM Monday-Thursday and after 8 PM Friday-Sunday, so be prepared for a wait at the bar. Métro: Vavin.