Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [169]
This stylish eating space courtesy of Guy Savoy sits across from Notre Dame and the Seine-side booksellers. Modern but elegant décor aside, its menu lures gourmets with tantalising dishes such as Brittany crab ravioli with lobster and fennel in a lemongrass juice, veal shank or a spiced duck filet. Don’t torture yourself over which dessert to pick – the dessert for two (€20) features a tiny tasty morsel of each.
ZE KITCHEN GALERIE Map Fusion €€€
01 44 32 00 32; 4 rue des Grands Augustins, 6e; starters €15, mains €28, 2-/3-course menu lunch €29/39; lunch & dinner to 11pm Mon-Fri, dinner to 11.30pm Sat; St-Michel
William Ledeuil’s passion for Southeast Asian travel oozes out of the feisty dishes he creates in his Michelin single-starred glass-box kitchen, which hosts three to five different art exhibitions a year. The menu is a vibrant feast of broths loaded with Thai herbs and coconut milk, meat and fish cooked à la plancha and inventive desserts like sweet chestnut-and-vanilla soup. Service is speedy and lunch menus include a glass of wine and coffee.
BOUILLON RACINE Map French, Classical €€€
01 44 32 15 60; 3 rue Racine, 6e; starters €7.50-14.50, mains €15.50-28, menus €14.90 (lunch) & €29; lunch & dinner to 11pm daily; Cluny La Sorbonne
We’ve never seen anything quite like this ‘soup kitchen’, built in 1906 to feed market workers. A gorgeous Art Nouveau palace with mirrored walls, floral motifs and ceramic tiling, the interior is a positive delight. Oh, and the food? Wholly classic inspired by age-old recipes such as roast snails, caille confite (preserved quail) and lamb shank with liquorice. Finish off your foray in gastronomic history with an old-fashioned sherbet.
CHEZ ALLARD Map French, Bistro €€€
01 43 26 48 23; 41 rue St-André des Arts, 6e; starters €8-20, mains €25, 2-/3-course menu €25/34; lunch & dinner to 11.30pm Mon-Sat; St-Michel
A definite Left Bank favourite is this charming bistro where the staff couldn’t be kinder or more professional – even during its enormously busy lunchtime. And the food is superb. Try a dozen snails, some cuisses de grenouilles (frogs’ legs) or un poulet de Bresse (France’s most legendary chicken, from Burgundy) for two. Enter from 1 rue de l’Éperon.
YEN Map Japanese €€€
01 45 44 11 18; 22 rue St-Benoît, 6e; mains €20-25, menu lunch €30, dinner €55; lunch & dinner to 10.30pm Mon-Sat; St-Germain des Prés
This Japanese place – the last word in minimalism with its light wood and charcoal-grey slate floor – is a favourite of resident Japanese and knowledgeable Parisians. It has a flair for soba (Japanese noodles) and tempura and you shouldn’t leave without trying the aubergine in miso. Unusual for Paris, Yen serves and sells bento boxes at lunchtime.
LES ÉDITEURS Map French, Café €€€
01 43 26 67 76; 4 Carrefour de l’Odéon, 6e; starters €10-18, mains €17.50-25; 8am-2am daily; Odéon
This place goes to great lengths to describe itself as café, restaurant, library, bar and salon de thé, but for us it’s a place to eat and/or people-watch. It is intended for writers – there are more than 5000 books on hand and it’s done up to feel like a slightly faded and dingy library – but it has floor-to-ceiling windows through which you can watch the Germanopratin (yes, there is an adjective for St-Germain des Prés) goings-on. Its daily breakfasts/Sunday brunch are a snip at €8.50 to €12/25.50.
L’ARBUCI Map French, Brasserie €€€
01 44 32 16 00; 25 rue du Buci, 6e; starters €7-18, mains €16-25; noon-midnight daily; Mabillon
A popular choice for breakfast or brunch, this airy lounge bar with big, street-facing windows buzzes. Its décor is a contemporary take on traditional brasserie-style and the easygoing menu caters to all tastes, including those whose buds go wild over bottomless plates of oysters. Prime real estate, the packed tables on the pavement terrace in front see you vying for foot space with passing pedestrians.