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Head over to the up-and-coming Canal St-Martin to watch Parisian bobos, or bourgeois-bohemian, in action. The area is home to fashion designers, artists, and media folk who make the most of the waterside cafés on sunny days. The bistro scene gets interesting east of the Bastille, where lower rents have encouraged young chefs to set up shop. Around Père Lachaise the selection thins, but wander a little farther to multicultural Belleville to find an intriguing mix of Chinese and North African eateries alongside some superb gastrobistros from a handful of gifted young chefs.
An easy walk from Place de la Bastille and the Marais, this sleek 2,000-square-foot café is a favorite spot for breakfast, veggie-centric nibbles, and exceptional scones, breads, and sweet rolls served all day, seven days a week. Mornings are a good time to enjoy the fragrance of fresh roasting coffee, performed in full view.
Paris's grandest Belle Époque beauty, hidden within the Gare de Lyon train station, has been fully restored to a culinary status almost befitting its eye-popping decor. The menu of French classics is not cheap, though the €56 "travelers menu" for lunch assures you'll be wined, dined, and on your train in 45 minutes. But why not linger? The chic bar is a great place to meet for coffee or a cocktail whether you're heading off on a train or not. Magnificent hardly describes this historic monument's lushly gilded boiserie, extravagant frescoes, and original globe lighting.
Don't let the casual decor and laid-back atmosphere here fool you: this is a seriously ambitious restaurant full of Parisian foodies who would be happy to keep this gem all to themselves. Starters like smoked eel and cabbage topped with a delicate tuille of black rice, smoked zucchini ravioli with lemon butter, or roasted pigeon are gorgeously presented and so deliciously complex they defy description. Though a little out of the way, it's in a great up-and-coming neighborhood and well worth the trip.
Don't be put off by the name—and the must-try signature dish—at this terrific eatery, where young chef Adrien Ferrand's complex dishes are as magnificent to taste as they are to behold. From a crisp-tender grilled suckling pig to the delicious smoked eel with apple, and a roster of exquisite desserts—Granny Smith broth with hazelnut sabayon or "craquant" of chocolate with caramel cream and banana marmalade—a meal here is a delight from start to finish. The tasting menu (at lunch €32 or €39; €89 at dinner) is a great introduction to this marvelous food.
Two young chefs bring their heritage (Argentine and Japanese) and impressive cooking credentials to bear in their beautiful restaurant, steps from the Marché d'Aligre, that's almost worth a visit for the decor alone. But it's the food that has earned them a passionate following among Parisians, for its range, imagination, quality, and sheer deliciousness.
To taste the sheer love of cooking, get thee to this unassuming canal-side café—named for that most delicious time of year. The outrageously talented young couple at the helm, veterans of notable Parisian kitchens, are truly delighted when diners exalt over the luscious dishes placed before them: scallops St-Jacques with pistachio and trout eggs; white asparagus with gochujang hot sauce, Gorgonzola, and sesame, all paired with some stunning wines or craft beer made in Paris (that you can purchase at the little shop). Pared down to the essentials, the spare but chic decor belies a sophisticated cuisine that's very far out of the ordinary.
