Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [194]
AUX NÉGOCIANTS Map French €€
01 46 06 15 11; 27 rue Lambert, 18e; starters €6.20-12, mains €13.80-15.50; lunch & dinner to 10.30pm Mon-Fri; Château Rouge
This old-style wine bar and bistro is far enough from the madding crowds of Montmartre to attract a faithful local clientele. Patés, terrines, traditional mains like bœuf bourguinon, and wine paid for according to consumption – it all feels like the Paris of the 1950s (or even earlier).
L’ÉPICERIE Map Italian €€
01 48 78 07 50; 51 rue des Martyrs, 9e; salads €6-10, dishes €9-13; 9am-10pm daily; Pigalle
An excellent place for lunch is this Italian grocer and caterer, which has a large array of cold and hot dishes as well as salads available. You can eat in situ in what looks and feels more like café than a shop, or take it with you for a picnic.
LE SOLEIL GOURMAND Map French, Mediterranean €€
01 42 51 00 50; 10 rue Ravignan, 18e; dishes €8.50-12.50; lunch & dinner to 11pm Tue-Sun; Abbesses
This cheery boutique and restaurant exudes the south of France with its warm décor and simple dishes like salads, savoury tarts and baked bricks (stuffed fritters). Treat yourself to the tarte aux tomates confites (glazed tomato tart) or the (tarte aux oignons, poivrons, raisins et pignons grillés (tart with onion, green peppers, grapes and grilled pine nuts) and any of the wonderful ice creams. The plat du jour is priced between €10.50 and €12.50.
AU GRAIN DE FOLIE Map Vegetarian €€
01 42 58 15 57; 24 rue de la Vieuville, 18e; dishes €10-12, menus €14 & €16; lunch Tue-Sun, dinner to 11pm Tue-Sat; Abbesses
This hole-in-the-wall macrobiotic and organic eatery run by a woman from Cambridge and in business for over 25 years has excellent vegetarian pâté and vegan quiche. There are also lots of good dippy things like hummus and guacamole.
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SELF-CATERING
Towards place Pigalle there are lots of groceries, many of them open until late at night; try the side streets leading off blvd de Clichy (eg rue Lepic). Heading south from blvd de Clichy, rue des Martyrs, 9e, is lined with food shops almost all the way to the Notre Dame de Lorette metro station. Supermarkets in the area include 8 à Huit (Map; 24 rue Lepic, 18e; 8.30am-10.30pm Mon-Sat; Abbesses) and Ed l’Épicier (Map; 6 blvd de Clichy, 18e; 9am-9pm Mon-Sat; Pigalle).
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BEYOND CENTRAL PARIS
LA DÉFENSE
Quick eats to stave off pangs between business meetings and soulless but pricey woo-that-client places form the backbone of La Défense’s dining scene: The 3rd floor of the Centre Commercial des Quatre Temps ( 01 47 73 54 44; www.les4temps.com, in French; 15 Parvis de la Défense; 9am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-10pm Sat) alone is loaded with places to eat quickly, be it pizza or pancakes, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Starbucks coffee, soup ‘n’ juice or stylish Japanese.
GLOBETROTTER Map Island Cuisine €€€
01 55 91 96 96; 16 place de la Défense; starters €8-23, mains €15-30; lunch Mon-Fri; La Défense Grande Arche
La Défense’s gens d’affaires (businesspeople) come to this tropical restaurant to embark on a culinary tour of the world through various islands. Think swordfish carpaccio with Caribbean pineapple or duck breast with dried fruit. Tables on the wooden-deck terrace face La Grande Arche and those inside woo diners with first-row seats at the Bassin Agam. Shoebox-shaped, this must be the stubbiest building in La Défense!
LE PETIT BOFINGER Map French, Brasserie €€€
01 46 92 46 46; 1 place du Dôme; menu €20.50 & €25; lunch & dinner until 11pm daily; La Défense Grande Arche
It’s easy to find this glassed-in dining room. Just head to the cinematic glass dome of