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l'Escargot
A giant gold snail adorns the forest-green façade of this heritage-listed monument. Snails also feature on the menu, along with frogs' legs, Chateaubriand steak with Béarnaise sauce, veal sweetbreads and whisky-flambéed Breton lobster. Try for the intimate loggia, perched above the entrance like a private box at the theatre. Past guests range from Proust to Bogie and Bacall.
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La Boutique Jeune
Since 1946 this bright yellow-fronted Yiddish traiteur has been purveying fantastic cakes, breads, charcuterie , and its famous 'Yiddish sandwich', filled with the flavours of Eastern Europe and served hot. There's a tiny sit-down area.
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La Charlotte en l'Île
The Île St-Louis has some wonderful tearooms, but this fairytale place next door to the Librairie Ulysse is the island's most enchanting. It serves Turkish coffee, hot chocolate and pastries, along with dozens of varieties of tea, and cosying up at the tiny tables here is especially atmospheric on a winter's evening. If this doesn't inspire romance, nothing will.
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La Maison Rose
Perched on the hillside just far enough north of place du Tertre to evade the coach-loads of tourists, this sweet little rose-pink cottage was rendered in lithographs by Utrillo. Decently priced bistro fare is dished up in the cosy rooms and on the tiny terrace in fine weather.
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La Tour d'Argent
In its four-and-a-quarter centuries (it opened in 1582), the 'silver tower' has refined every facet of fine dining. Its signature quenelles de brochet (pike-perch dumplings) and pressed duck continues to mesmerise diners, as do its glimmering views over Notre Dame and the Seine.
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Le Chansonnier
Behind a claret-coloured façade, Le Chansonnier's antique zinc bar and moulded cornices are lined with autographed photos of the singers who've performed at soirées here. Classic French bistro fare includes confit of duck with garlic potatoes or a traditional mijoté pot of rabbit with green olives, and there's a good children's menu, too.
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Le Clown Bar
If you've ever harboured fantasies of running away with the circus, this wine bar and bistro's frescoes and mosaics of clowns and vintage circus memorabilia will make you feel like you already have. (The evil-themed clowns will scare the pants off kids and coulrophobes, though.) Traditional French menus are good value, though desserts err on the pricey side.
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Le Coude Fou
The bar of this cosy tiled and muraled bistro is always buzzing with local customers, who come for the specialist wines as well as hearty classic fare. It's at its most animated during its convivial Sunday brunch, which is more like a traditional French lunch.
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Le Dix Vins
This tiny restaurant, on the far side of Montparnasse, is so popular that you will probably have to wait at the bar even if you've booked. Not such a bad thing, of course, in a temple devoted to Bacchus, as you'll be able to sample one of the carefully chosen wines while you wait. Excellent value, good service and stylish decor combine to form a true winner.
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Le Dôme
So the stories go, it was here in this magnificent brasserie that Gertrude Stein allegedly convinced Henri Matisse to open his artists' academy - only for Matisse to add his voice to the Testimony against Gertrude Stein petition over her 1933 Autobiography of Alice B Toklas . Le Dôme is still one of the swishest places around for a seafood extravaganza.
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Le Grand Véfour
Chef Guy Martin preserves the reputation of this 1784-opened splendour, replete with gilt-edged mirrors and chandeliers, whose past guests included Napoleon. Martin's signature foie gras ravioli in truffle cream sauce is nonpareil; and a sommelier is on hand to pair Martin's opuses with the finest of French wines.
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Le Jules Verne
Book way ahead to dine on Alain Reix's Michelin-starred cuisine in moody black surrounds on the Eiffel Tower's 2nd level, accessed by private lift. For something less rarefied, Altitude 95 (tel 01 45 55 20 04; fax 01 47 05 94 40) on level one serves lunch and dinner daily, along with views of the Seine from its bay windows.
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Le Krung Thep
The 'Bangkok' (its name in Thai) is a small - some might say cramped - and kitsch place with all our favourites (and then some - there are literally dozens of dishes on the menu): green curries, tom yam gung, and fish or chicken steamed in banana leaves to name a few. The steamed shrimp ravioli and curried crab will hit the spot.
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Le Loir dans la Theiere
One of Paris' best spots to spend a languorous Sunday is Le Loir dans la Theiere (The Dormouse in the Teapot) a wonderful old space filled with retro toys, comfy couches and free wi-fi. Its farm-style wooden tables are laden at brunch, which is served here on both Saturday and Sunday, starting around noon and lasting as long as you like.
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Le Relais Gascon
Climbing the wooden staircase to this narrow townhouse's 1st-floor dining room rewards with rooftop views of Montmartre. The solidly French menu includes seafood and meat dishes, but locals pack the communal tables here to tuck into one of Gascon's gargantuan salads, served in giant bowls with thin-sliced fried potatoes sautéed in garlic.
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Le Tambour
The 'Drum' is a landmark in Paris with crazy hours and friendly but brisk service. It attracts a mixed, somewhat rowdy, crowd; you'll enjoy the recycled street furniture, the straightforward cuisine (served well into the night) and the cocky, moustached staff. The cafe-bar is open until early morning.
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Le Train Bleu
This railway station's resplendent, heritage-listed belle époque showpiece gives new meaning to travelling in style. Dine on vanilla-flavoured velvet crab, followed by grilled lobster flambéed in Cognac, caramelised pear sorbet, and a pot of Blue Moon Ceylon tea. There's an excellent children's menu, and a sumptuous bar for a digestif before boarding your train to the Côte d'Azur.
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Le Villaret
Parisians who know about such things come from all over the city to this simple but buzzing bistro for its daily-changing menus featuring French classics, such as succulent leg of lamb and crispy roast chicken, accompanied by a strong wine list.
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Le Ziryab
You can visit the 9th floor of the Institute du Monde Arab for free to take in the incredible views stretching across the Seine and Notre Dame as far as Sacré-Cœur, but better yet you can savour them while also enjoying the delicious flavours of the Arab world. Or just head to the outdoor terrace for a refreshing mint tea.
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Les Deux Abeilles
Just around the corner from the Musée du Quai Branly, the faded floral wallpaper and even the somewhat stuffy service make this tearoom a charmingly old-fashioned stop for authentic baked treats like clafoutis aux cerises (cherry flan), Madeline cakes, and quiche.
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Les Deux Magots
If ever there were a cafe that summed up St-Germain des Prés' early-20th-century literary scene, it's this former hangout of anyone who was anyone. You will spend beaucoup to sip a coffee at a wicker chair on the terrace shaded by dark-green awnings and geraniums spilling from window boxes, but it's an undeniable piece of Parisian history.
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Les Éditeurs
This writerly cafe with a library of books (or is that a library of books with a writerly cafe?) does a terrific Sunday brunch and is great for sitting by the windows drawing inspiration from this buzzing quarter.
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les ombres
Paris not only gained a new museum in the Musée du Quai Branly, but it also gained this steel-and-glass-roofed 5th floor restaurant. Named les ombres (the shadows) for the patterns cast by the Eiffel Tower's webbed ironwork, the dramatic views are complemented by Arnaud Busquet's elegant creations such as pan-seared tuna with sesame seeds and onion rings, or lamb with zucchini ravioli and gingerbread.
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Maison Berthillon
Berthillon is a glacier (ice-cream maker) that makes what is arguably Paris' most delicious ice cream. Along with its famous fruit flavours, the chocolate, coffee, marrons glacés (candied chestnuts), Agenaise (Armagnac and prunes) and nougat au miel (honey nougat) are wonderfully rich.
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Marché aux Enfants Rouges
This recently reopened covered market south of place de la République has both ethnic (Italian, North African etc) stalls as well as French ones.
