At Le Bouillon Chartier in Paris, the recipe for a perfect beef Bourguignon involves beef, carrots, wine, butter and “coquillettes,” a tiny macaroni-shaped pasta. It is cooked for at least three hours. And it must be affordable, so the price cannot be more than 10 euros a dish.

Since 1896, the belle epoque eatery has been Parisians’ destination for cheap French fare. It’s a boisterous canteen with meals that give energy for the day, where someone on a living wage can eat for less than what they earn in an hour.

But rarely in Bouillon Chartier’s storied history has it been as hard to keep costs under control as it is today.