Other bistros might be more welcoming, but L'Épi Dupin's cramped, beamed dining room continues to attract an eager crowd of tourists and Gaultier-clad locals who don't seem to mind waiting in the rain for their reserved tables. The prix-fixe-only menu of updated French standards is revised regularly and might include an upside-down tart of caramelized Belgian endive and goat cheese, curried saddle of rabbit with sweet-potato chutney, and crisp, pyramid-shape pastry filled with apples and candied fennel for dessert. The chef will whip up a vegetarian dish on request. Reservations essential. Métro: Sèvres Babylone.