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By Root 726 0

Rue du Faubourg St-Denis, 10e, which links blvd St-Denis and blvd de Magenta, is one of the cheapest places to buy food, especially fruit and vegetables; the shops at Nos 23, 27–29 and 41–43 are laden with produce. The street has a distinctively Middle Eastern air, and quite a few of the groceries offer Turkish, North African and subcontinental specialities. Many of the food shops, including the fromagerie at No 54, are open Tuesday to Saturday and until noon on Sunday.

Supermarkets convenient to this area include Franprix St-Denis branch (Map; 7-9 rue des Petites Écuries,10e; 9am-8.20pm Mon-Sat; Château d’Eau) and Franprix Magenta branch (Map; 57 blvd de Magenta, 10e; 9am-8pm Mon-Sat; Gare de l’Est).

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MÉNILMONTANT & BELLEVILLE

In the northern part of the 11e and into the 19e and 20e arrondissements, rue Oberkampf and its extension, rue de Ménilmontant, are popular with diners and denizens of the night, though rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, running parallel to the north, has been stolen some of their glory in the past decade or so. Rue de Belleville and the streets running off it are dotted with Chinese, Southeast Asian and a few Middle Eastern places; blvd de Belleville has some kosher couscous restaurants, most of which are closed on Saturday.

LAO SIAM Map Thai €€

01 40 40 09 68; 49 rue de Belleville, 19e; starters €7-10.30, mains €7.50-22; lunch & dinner to 11.30pm; Belleville

This Thai-Chinese place, with neon lights and spartan décor, looks like any other Asian restaurant in Belleville. Though we’ve heard some complaints about its authenticity, Lao Siam must be doing something right because it’s always packed. There are more than 120 dishes on the menu – from the classic beef and duck with coconut milk and bamboo to the more unusual tourteau à la diable (spicy devilled crab).

EL PALADAR Map Cuban €€

01 43 57 42 70; 26bis rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 11e; starters €4-6, mains €14-21, menus €12 & €14 (lunch only); lunch & dinner to midnight; Goncourt

While the name of this place suggests the restaurants run from private homes in today’s cash-strapped Havana, the food and sheer exuberance recalls the Cuba of the 1950s, when everything was plentiful. It’s a convivial, graffiti-covered place with super caipirinhas (€6) – cocktails made from a sugarcane-based alcohol, lime juice and sugarcane syrup – and such authentic dishes as pescado guisado (fried fish), pollo piopio (chicken cooked with citrus) and yuca con mojo (manioc with onions and garlic).

LE KRUNG THEP Map Thai €€€

01 43 66 83 74; 93 rue Julien Lacroix, 20e; starters €8-12, mains €8-20; lunch Sat & Sun, dinner to 11pm; Pyrénées

Krung Thep, which means ‘Bangkok’ in Thai, is a small – some might say cramped – and kitsch place with all our favourite dishes (and then some – there are dozens and dozens of dishes on the menu): green curries, tom kha goong (spicy soup with prawns; €20) and fish steamed in banana leaves (€18). The steamed shrimp ravioli and curried crab will hit the spot. There is also a generous number of vegetarian dishes (€8 to €10).

NEW NIOULLAVILLE Map Chinese €€

01 40 21 96 18; www.nioullaville.fr, in French; 32 rue de l’Orillon, 11e; starters €4.90-7.50, mains €9.80-19.50, menus €7-14; lunch & dinner to 1am daily; Belleville or Goncourt

This cavernous, 400-seat place tries to please all of the people all of the time. As a result the food is a bit of a mishmash – dim sum sits next to beef satay, as do scallops with black bean alongside Singapore noodles, though whether they do so comfortably is another matter. Order carefully and you should get some authenticity. Rice and noodle dishes are between €6.10 and €9.90.

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top picks

VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS

Au Grain de Folie

Grand Appétit

Joy in Food

Krishna Bhavan

La Victoire Auprême du Cœur

Saveurs Végét’halles

Boldère

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LE BARATIN Map French, Bistro €€

01 43 49 39 70; 3 rue Jouye-Rouve, 20e; starters €8-10, mains €15-18, menu €14 (lunch only); lunch Tue-Fri, dinner to midnight Tue-Sat; Pyrénées or Belleville

Baratin (chatter)