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French brasserie · Les Halles (1er) · Paris
Chez Denise – La Tour de Montlhéry
A half-timbered bistro behind Saint-Eustache, run by Denise Bénariac from 1966, where beef, game and offal have long filled the menu.
OpenNot yet visited · facts from 9 sourcesNo paid rankings
By Hugo Ledger · Steakpedia editorial voice · Who writes
Why go
In October 1966 Denise Bénariac, a buronnier's daughter from the Cantal, took over a bistro on rue des Prouvaires called La Tour de Montlhéry; the city's own guide, Paris.fr, still tells the story that way. It stood in the neighborhood of the central food market of Les Halles, which left for Rungis in 1969, and the market workers made it a regular stop. The house kept its name, its half-timbered front, its checked tablecloths and its late kitchen. Time Out wrote in 2011 that "game, beef and offal still rule here," with rib steaks served with marrow and a heap of chips. Gault&Millau 2026 gives it 12/20.
What to order
- Côte de bœuf (bone-in rib steak), with marrow
- Onglet de bœuf (hanger steak)
- Os à moelle (bone marrow)
Not published: aging, fire, breed, grade, year opened.
01What to order
- Côte de bœuf (bone-in rib steak), with marrowThe rib steak with marrow and chips that Time Out described in 2011; in 2015 Paris-Bistro wrote that the côte came from the Limousin.
- Onglet de bœuf (hanger steak)On the menu Time Out listed in 2011.
- Os à moelle (bone marrow)Still among the dishes in the Gault&Millau 2026 review.
- Foie de veau à l'anglaiseCalf's liver, €28 on Gault&Millau's 2026 price list.
- Tripes au calvadosTripe in calvados, a Les Halles dish; Pudlowski wrote in 2023 that the tripe pot is served as much as you like.
02The beef
The beef record is old and short. Time Out in 2011 named the rib steak with marrow and the onglet. Paris-Bistro in 2015 gave the Limousin as the origin of the côte de bœuf. Since the sale, the business has been run by Alain Grandière, a butcher who supplies many Paris brasseries, per Pudlowski in December 2023. No source states the breed, the grade, the aging or a current price for the côte.
03The fire
No source describes the grill or the heat source; Time Out's 2011 list writes "andouillette grillée," and that is as far as the record goes.
04The story
Paris-Bistro called the house a century old in 2015, without a founding date; Steakpedia starts the record at 1966, when Denise Bénariac arrived. For four decades she stood behind the counter; her day cook, Bernard Noël, had 32 years in the kitchen by 2015. Then the house changed hands, and the sources disagree on the year: Le Relais du Louvre says 2019, Paris.fr says 2020. Pudlowski, writing in December 2023, described the arrangement: Olivier Bertrand of the Bertrand group bought the walls and Alain Grandière runs the business. Chef Sébastien stayed and the team barely changed; Gault&Millau 2026 names him Sébastien Godard. Pudlowski also reported that Denise Bénariac has died. Steakpedia uses 2019 to 2020 for the sale, as the sources do.
05The practical
5 rue des Prouvaires, 75001 Paris; metro Louvre-Rivoli or Les Halles; tables on the street face Saint-Eustache. Phone 01 42 36 21 82. Hours vary by source: Paris.fr (May 2024) gives continuous service from 12:00 to 02:00, last orders at 00:45; Pudlowski (2023) says closed on Saturday and Sunday and from mid-July to mid-August; Le Relais du Louvre lists every day. Call before a weekend visit. Gault&Millau 2026 prices: six snails €12, chef's terrine €15, roast farm chicken €24.
- Address
- 5 Rue des Prouvaires, 75001 Paris
- Phone
- +33 1 42 36 21 82
- Directions
- Google Maps ↗
Is Chez Denise still open in Paris?
Yes. Gault&Millau lists it in its 2026 guide with 12/20, and the kitchen team stayed after the sale.
Who owns Chez Denise now?
Olivier Bertrand bought the walls and butcher Alain Grandière runs the business, per Pudlowski (2023). Sources give 2019 or 2020 for the sale.
Is Chez Denise open late?
Paris.fr (2024) gives continuous service until 02:00, last orders at 00:45. Weekend opening differs between sources.
What steak does Chez Denise serve?
A côte de bœuf (rib steak) with marrow and chips, and onglet; in 2015 the côte came from the Limousin.
06Sources
fr.gaultmillau.com · gillespudlowski.com · parisjetaime.com · paris.fr · relaisdulouvre.com · paris-bistro.com · timeout.com · timeout.fr · secretsofparis.com
Last verified Oct. 29, 2026.
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