Weather is a very important factor. The last thing I want on a hot summer’s day is a trad meal in a terrace-less non-airconditioned old-fashioned resto (of which there are many in Paris). Indeed I still have nightmares about my last meal at Joséphine Chez Dumonet as the guest of some elderly American friends of my parents on a warm night that had turned the place into a sauna… exhausted waiters dripping sweat off their noses and chins onto the plates they were serving, a near medical emergency at the neighbouring table of even older American tourists, the terror of finding absolutely nothing on the menu suitable for summer eating, damning Julia Child for making a few heavy trad French dishes so iconic to generations of American even if French cuisine had evolved into something lighter and more creative.
En tout cas, a very big yes to Brasserie Martin because it has a large capacity both inside the well-ventilated (ceiling fans) interior and large terrace outside (as long as you don’t have a ruinous overreaction to cigarette smoke), lively youthful vibe (relatively rare for trad restos because they tend to attract an older clientele), exceptionally good price-quality ratio, a menu that adapts to the seasons, perfect for enjoyable summer dining. And bonus points for its location close to the increasingly trendy hangout scene at bars and wine bars around the Square Gardette for a before and/ or an after likely to greatly appeal to a pair of 20-somethings.
And also a yes to Aux Crus de Bourgogne. Love it for the sparkling vibe, fab terrace for summer dining, and the excellent trad desserts that make me a kid again. For me as a local, the vibe and setting just seems so wonderfully and genuinely parisian even if the food is B+ rather than A+… but, for trad food the difference between excellent and very good is probably insignificant in any case… it just requires good ingredients and competent cooks who can reliably churn out the same trad dishes day after day, week after week. Again, a great area for 20-somethings… with parents in tow, an apéro or digestif at the very sophisticated and enjoyable Bar Chaumont in the Hotel Bachaumont on the same street… or mingling with the flirty trendies at Experimental Cocktail Club on nearby rue Saint-Saveur.
And a maybe for Bouillon République. I don’t remember eating there in warm weather and can’t really say if it’s suitable for summer dining… limited seating outside and probably not air-conditioned inside but they have migrated away from the very heavy Alsatian cuisine that its former owners featured and now offer a very large menu more adaptable to the seasons… usually a great vibe and younger clientele attracted by its superb price/ quality ratio but now that it has reached the guide books, the tone seems to be changing quickly. With 400 covers, it’s a huge place and last minute reservations are not difficult so I’d wait for the weather forecast before choosing.
Bistrot des Tournelles is very good but not great, and—a rather middle-aged clientele-- probably not much fun for your daughters. No a/c and very limited outside seating so off my list for summer dining. I’ve only been once and have no inclination to return.
L’Assiette is exceptionally good but I’d question the suitability for 20-somethings. The vibe can be a bit low-key and middle-aged. And, I seem to remember, no a/c and uncomfortable in hot weather.
Just because it’s so popular with hip 20- and 30-somethings and the food is very good, I’ll also suggest Rives on rue Saint-Maur near the Square Gardette. Not old school trad but close enough and probably more in line with current parisian, rather than tourist, preferences and certainly a very “parigote” vibe and sensibility mixing old with new.
Since I love the restaurant “theatre” of the landmark brasseries, I enthusiastically second onz’s recommendation of La Rotonde Montparnasse. Usually a mixed generational clientele yet quite beloved by trendy younger Parisians. In summer I seem to spend half my life on its strategic people-watching café terrace, and the lush interior of the brasserie-restaurant is air-conditioned and lovely for summer dining. Because it’s a traditional brasserie menu you can order as much or as little as you want, For me a platter of oysters is almost obligatory even in summer now that modern farming techniques have allowed them to be available year-round.
A tip. I rarely use online reservation systems, especially in summer because they don’t guarantee outside seating. I more usually telephone to make rezzies and use the occasion to ask about ventilation/ “climatisation” and to ensure a table on the terrace. Foreign tourists can sometimes be intimidated by what they assume to be language barriers but I assure you that English is a second language in the restaurant industry in Paris. If you are staying in a hotel, just let the front desk do all the arrangements for you.
