Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [180]
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GARE DU NORD, GARE DE L’EST & RÉPUBLIQUE
These areas offer all types of food but most notably Indian and Pakistani, which can be elusive in Paris. There’s a cluster of brasseries and bistros around the Gare du Nord. They’re decent options for a first (or final) meal in the City of Light.
JULIEN Map French, Brasserie €€€
01 47 70 12 06; www.julienparis.com; 16 rue du Faubourg St-Denis, 10e; starters €6.90-17, mains €16.70-39, menus €21.50 & €28.50 (lunch only), €21.90-31.50; lunch & dinner to 1am daily; Strasbourg St-Denis
Located in the less-than-salubrious neighbourhood of St-Denis, Julien offers food that you wouldn’t cross town for. But – mon Dieu! – the décor and the atmosphere: it’s an Art Nouveau extravaganza perpetually in motion and a real step back in time. Service is always excellent here, and you’ll feel welcome at any time of day.
TERMINUS NORD Map French, Brasserie €€€
01 42 85 05 15; www.terminusnord.com; 23 rue de Dunkerque, 10e; starters €7.80-19, mains €14.50-38.50, menus €24.50 & €31.50; 8am-1am daily; Gare du Nord
‘The North Terminus’ is a brasserie with a copper bar, waiters in white uniforms, brass fixtures and mirrored walls that look as they did when it opened in 1925. Breakfast (from €8) is available from 8am to 11am, and full meals are served continuously from 11am to 1am. It’s a museum-quality time piece and an excellent place for a final meal before returning to London.
LA PAELLA Map Spanish €€€
01 46 07 28 89; www.restaurantlapaella.com, in French; 50 rue des Vinaigriers, 11e; starters €6.10-12, mains €15-28, menus €12.50 (lunch only) & €27; lunch & dinner to 11pm daily; Jacques Bonsergent
This homely place, which almost feels like a buzzy café (especially on weekend nights), specialises in Spain’s most famous culinary export – though it does a mean zarzuela de pescado (Spanish ‘bouillabaisse’; €25) as well. The paella is cooked to order so count on at least a 30-minute wait and don’t overdo the tapas.
CHEZ PAPA Map French, Southwest €€€
01 42 09 53 87; www.chezpapa.fr, in French; 206 rue La Fayette, 10e; starters & salads €8.20-14.10, mains €14.10-27.20, menus €15.35 & €19.95; 11am-1am daily; Louis Blanc
Chez Papa serves all sorts of specialities of the southwest, including cassoulet (€17.80), pipérade (€15.35) and garbure (€18.55), but most diners are here for the famous salade Boyarde, an enormous bowl filled with lettuce, tomato, sautéed potatoes, two types of cheese and ham – all for the princely sum of €8.20 (or €9.10 if you want two fried eggs thrown in). There’s a Grands Boulevards branch (Map; 01 40 13 07 31; 153 rue Montmartre, 2e; Grands Boulevards) and a 8e branch (Map) 01 42 65 43 68; rue de l’Arcade, 8e; Havre Caumartin), which open noon to midnight Sunday to Thursday and till 1am at the weekend.
DA MIMMO Map Italian €€€
01 42 06 44 47; 39 blvd de Magenta, 10e; starters €7-22, mains €19-26; lunch & dinner to 11.30pm Tue-Sat; Jacques Bonsergent
Neither the less-than-salubrious neighbourhood nor the relatively high prices are enough to keep fans away from this delightful trattoria with its authentic Neapolitan cuisine. Naples is, of course, the birthplace of pizza (€11.50 to €20); try one with rocket and forget about pizzas of the past.
AUX DEUX CANARDS Map French €€€
01 47 70 03 23; www.lesdeuxcanards.com, in French; 8 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 10e; starters €5-14.50, mains €16-25, menu €20 (lunch only); lunch Tue-Fri, dinner to 10.15pm Mon-Sat; Bonne Nouvelle
The tradition at this long-established inn-like place is that you ring first (is this a speakeasy or what?) before you are allowed entry. The name of the restaurant – ‘At the Two Ducks’ – reflects much of the menu (there’s everything from foie gras to à l’orange), but you’ll find starters as diverse as mussels with leek and a salad of Jerusalem artichoke and sheep’s cheese. The host is