What is it about brasseries?

I’m sitting on my balcony at home, musing on food as usual and asking myself what it is about brasseries that we all love so much. So I’m thinking ... you can take a trip to Paris for a weekend and find yourself wandering happily through the wide boulevards, cobbled side streets and paved courtyards. You spot a stylish yet unassuming terrace and think you might sit outside and watch the world go by for an hour or so – but something draws you in. Is it the warm ambience and friendly faces? Is it the dark polished wood of the bar and ornate handles of the bar dispenser ready to serve you beer on tap? Is it the shining brass, the comfortable banquettes or the stunning art deco mirrors? Or is it quite simply the fantastic and mouth-watering smell of food drifting out of the kitchen? Whatever it is, it’s irresistible.