My Paris: Call My Agent’s Grégory Montel opens his address book

The café: Le Bellerive

I love neighbourhood bars and Le Bellerive is my favourite. I go there every day to learn my lines, meet with a colleague, a producer, or simply to go over the previous day’s rugby game with the guys there. I like the idea that they know me there. Florent is the owner; I chat with Alain or Pierre. In general, I like being recognised. Call My Agent made me popular overnight, but I don’t mind. I feel like when people see me, they are kinder to me. It’s my own little luxury.
71, Quai de la Seine, 75019 Paris
Reopens after refurbishment on June 9

The restaurant: Chez Denise

I like eating at old restaurants, bistrots, where they serve traditional French food, from the terroir, the typical meals. I always brace myself before going to Denise, because there I always gorge myself. Everything is served in large plates, for everyone to share. It’s always a feast. We eat tripe, calf sweetbread, oysters. We drink until late in the night. After 11pm or 12am, the owner closes the restaurant but lets us stay in. We finish the meal with a spirit, such as pear-flavoured liquor, and smoke cigarettes. The next morning is always pretty hard . . .  
5 Rue des Prouvaires, 75001, Paris

The hotel: La Planque

I spent 25 years in Paris. Paris taught me everything I know. But now with two small children — they are six and three years old — my partner and I decided to move back to the south of France, to Marseille. One of the nice aspects of the move is that I get to come to this hotel whenever I’m working in Paris. I love La Planque because it’s a small family hotel, affordable and with delicious breakfasts. I wouldn’t mind booking the Hôtel de Crillon, that luxurious hotel you see Sigourney Weaver staying at in Call My Agent. She’s in the Marie-Antoinette suite. But in general I prefer comfortable and cosy places over fancy ones. Even during the show’s filming, the company would offer taxis but I prefer my scooter. 
3 Rue Arthur Groussier, 75010, Paris

The food store: Koskas & Sons
I’m so glad to be able to tell you about this shop. It’s the king of the poutargue, a speciality dish made from mullet roe. I found out about it when I moved to the 19th arrondissement even though it’s popular in my native Provence. There is a similar dish in Japan — they put a fine layer of poutargue on black radishes, topped with lemon zest and salt. My dream is to travel there and try it. I love cooking and I will often use poutargue in pasta and other meals. My actor friends come over often and I cook for them: Camille Cottin [Andréa Martel in Call My Agent], Françoise Fabian, Dominique Besnehard.
6 Avenue Corentin Cariou, 75019, Paris

The museum: Le Louvre

It’s a very classic choice but I go to the Louvre over and over again and never tire of it. I like the pyramid, the halls. I get lost there. To be honest, when you are an actor, you have a lot of spare time on your hands. So I walk the city and visit the Louvre by myself. I go during the week to avoid crowds. I owe all my cultural education to this city. I would not be the man I am today if I hadn’t been mothered by this city, taught to be less afraid, to take chances.
Nearest metro Louvre Rivoli and Palais Royal Musée du Louvre

The shopping street: La rue des Abbesses
I’m not a huge fan of shopping but I like this street because you won’t find large brands such as H&M. This is the place where you find small independent brands — I go there to buy my shoes, my made-in-France boxers. I feel like these shops keep traditional craftsmanship alive.
Rue des Abbesses is in the Montmartre district in the 18th arrondissement; it has its own Metro stop, Abbesses

The walk: Le canal de l’Ourcq

Starting from the Place de la Bataille-de-Stalingrad, you can walk along this canal all the way to Meaux — it’s huge! It’s also beautiful and free of tourists. You can see the Pantin Mills [historic flour mills now converted into offices of BNP Paribas Securities Services] and the Cité des Sciences [a major science museum] is also really impressive. I enjoy walking elsewhere in Paris too; it is like walking through history. At the Place de la Bastille, you are standing where the modern world was born. Not just for France, but for the US and the UK too. On the Ile de la Cité, you can almost witness Paris’s most terrible hours, with the Saint-Barthélémy massacre. In Paris, I learned to look up and appreciate architecture.

The park: Parc de la Villette

I love this park by myself or with the kids. It’s busier during the weekend but during the week, it’s perfectly quiet. I often go there to learn my latest lines. 
Parc de la Villette is in the 19th arrondissement; nearby metros include Porte de la Villette and Porte de Pantin

The theatre: Le Monfort

The Monfort is not very well known, yet it has one of the most eclectic and interesting programmes I have ever encountered. There I discovered amazing circus shows, contemporary dance performances, young and vibrant theatre groups. I have laughed and cried in that theatre. Paris opened my mind emotionally, philosophically, politically. It taught me how to be a good actor, a good comédien.
106 Rue Brancion, 75015, Paris

‘Call my Agent’ is showing on Netflix. A film and British remake are in production, and a fifth series has been confirmed but no release date announced

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