The name of this buzzing café/bar (horseshoe in English) is apt: you’d be lucky to squeeze a spot at the minuscule bar. This place oozes a charm and personality that’s been cultivated throughout its 100-plus year existence on rue Vieille-du-Temple. You might sit at the horseshoe-slung marble bar and, before long, find yourself engrossed in a tête-à-tête with your neighbor over your café au lait or vin rouge.

It’s retro in a very Parisian way: elaborate mirrors and vintage posters grace the walls while the clientele sprawl on reclaimed Métro benches. Simple French fare is not the draw card of this place; the exuberant character of this stalwart of Le Marais is its playing card.