A few years ago, I returned to Paris exhausted from a business trip abroad (you know, that time when we used to travel to places for work), so I took a nap before dinner. I woke up at 3 a.m. the next morning, starving. My fridge, however, was empty.

I decided to head out to see if I could find somewhere to eat. After some thorough due diligence, I found a number of “proper” eating places that were open for business. My expedition turned out to be particularly productive. As well as the pleasure of a tasty late dinner, I made a few acquaintances. One of them, a stock broker specialising in tech securities, gave me some useful investment advice; another, an experienced off-the-beaten-track guide, helped me plan out my next trip to the Carpathian Mountains. Would I have been able to have the same experience if I lived in a small,