Philippe Bidal's modest hotel (a listed historic monument) stands at the end of a glass-roofed 19th-century arcade with shops, near the junction of boulevards Haussmann, Montmartre and des Italiens. It has been open for business every day since 1846. Many bedrooms and bathrooms are small, but it is liked for its 'cheerful staff' and 'faded elegance'. 'The quietest hotel we have found in Paris.' Idiosyncrasies include creaky lifts and antiquated plumbing, and one top-floor bedroom has 'a window facing a shaft: the low balustrade looked a bit dangerous'. The buffet breakfast has an electric juice maker and 'plentiful, good hot coffee'. Chartier, 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, one of Paris's best traditional budget restaurants, is nearby: 'It buzzes with life, and you might have to share a table.'