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CHEZ HEANG Map Korean €€

01 48 07 80 98; 5 rue de la Roquette, 11e; barbecue €8.50-17.50, menus €9 (lunch only) & €11-23; lunch & dinner to midnight daily; Bastille

Also known as ‘Barbecue de Seoul’, this tiny place is where you cook your food on a grill in the middle of your table. The fondue maison, a kind of spicy hotpot in which you dip and cook your food, costs €25 per person (minimum two).

AU BASCOU Map French, Basque €€

01 42 72 69 25; 38 rue Réaumur, 3e; starters €9, mains €17, menu €19 (lunch only); lunch & dinner to 10.30pm Mon-Fri; Arts et Métiers

This is a popular eatery serving such classic Basque dishes as pipérade (peppers, onions, tomatoes and ham cooked with scrambled eggs), axoa (ragout of ground veal with a sauce of pimento and peppers) and Bayonne ham in all its guises. Round off the meal with a piece of Ardi Gasna brebis, (a ewe’s milk cheese), or a slice of gâteau basque, a relatively simple layer cake filled with cream and cherry jam.

LA VICTOIRE SUPRÊME DU CŒUR Map Vegetarian €€

01 40 41 95 03; www.vscoeur.com; 27-31 rue du Bourg Tibourg, 4e; starters & salads €4-10, mains €14-17, menus €10.50-13.50; lunch & dinner to 10.30pm Mon-Sat, brunch 11am-5pm Sun; Châtelet

This Indian-inspired vegan restaurant is a welcome addition to the hubbub of the Marais. Food is actually quite good; avoid the mock-meat dishes like the devilish-sounding seitan (wheat gluten) ‘steak’ and go for a thalli, a sampling tray of Indian goodies for €15. For drinks try the mango lassi or spiced tea. Weekend brunch is €21. No meat, no alcohol, no guilt.

AUBERGE NICOLAS FLAMEL Map French €€

01 42 71 77 78; www.auberge-nicolas-flamel.fr, in French; 51 rue de Montmorency, 3e; starters €9.50, mains €16.50; menus €18.50 (lunch only), €31 & €45 lunch & dinner to 11pm Mon-Sat; Rambuteau or Arts et Métiers

A visit to this charming restaurant, with its higgledy-piggledy rooms on two floors, is not so much about the food but the location: this was once the residence of celebrated alchemist and writer Flamel (1330–1417) and is the oldest building extant in Paris. Expect dishes that are correct but not earth-moving – duck foie gras, lamb cooked in a tajine and so on. There are wine tastings (€12) in the atmospheric (read: spooky) cellar.

À LA BANANE IVOIRIENNE Map African, Côte d’Ivoire €€

01 43 70 49 90; http://alabanane.ivoirienne.club.fr; 10 rue de la Forge Royale, 11e; starters €5-7.50, mains €10-16.50, menu with wine €28; dinner to midnight Tue-Sat; Ledru Rollin

West African specialities (including a generous vegetarian platter; €12) are served in a relaxed and friendly setting, with lots of West African gewgaws on display. There’s live African music in the cellar restaurant starting at 10pm on Fridays.

AU VILLAGE Map African, Senegalese €€

01 43 57 18 95; 86 av Parmentier, 11e; starters €5.50-8, mains €11-16; dinner to midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat; Parmentier

Newcomers to African cuisine can choose from a range of classic Senegalese dishes such as aloko (fried plantain bananas with red sauce; €5.50), followed by the delicious, lightly spiced fish or chicken yassa (€12) or the hearty beef mafé (€11). For dessert, check out the amazing thiakry (semolina and cream cheese salad; €5.50). The plat du jour is usually €13. The atmosphere is warm, friendly and a bit hip and the décor is delightful. You’ll think you’re in a Senegalese village, especially when the kora music starts.

MAI THAI Map Thai €€

01 42 72 18 77; www.maithai.fr, in French; 24bis rue St-Gilles, 3e; starters €8-11, mains €13-15, menus €13.50 (lunch only); lunch & dinner to 11pm daily; Chemin Vert

This rather stylish place, done up in warm tones of orange, red and yellow with Buddha figures, the sine qua non of Thai restaurants, throughout, has gained a loyal following in recent years and you should book in advance for dinner. Among les classiques de la cuisine du Siam (classics of the cuisine of Siam) on offer is chicken cooked with sacred basil and the usual spicy Thai sausages.

LE PETIT DAKAR Map African, Senegalese €€

01 44 59 34 74; 6 rue Elz