Parisian brasseries have been a real institution in the French capital for more than a hundred years. A symbol of French gastronomy, brasseries are known for their Art Deco dining-rooms, and large bench seats. In the more traditional of them, you still find the excellent waiters dressed in black and white, for whom they are famous.
These establishments cater to a very varied clientele, and these places which at one time only made and sold beer now serve the very best Parisian and French cuisine. At these big sisters of the bistro, you can expect to find croque-monsieur, egg mayonnaise, seafood platters, onion soup, beef stew and veal casserole. You generally find these restaurants, with their distinctive mirrors and gilding, around Montparnasse, the Place Clichy and various railway stations in the capital.