Where to eat and drink in Paris (according to a local)

Paris may have birthed the concept of haute gastronomy, but over the last decade or so, the local dining scene has loosened up considerably. The influence of social media, globalization and the evolution of dining habits have brought out more irreverent, playful and accessible dining spots. They've also carved out space for international cuisines where there was none previously.

Some of these you may have seen on social media; others will hopefully be new discoveries that pique your interest.

Here's a selection of food and drink destinations that mix old classics with more recent additions that are strong favorites among locals like myself.

Breakfast

Typically, the French don't do heavy, savory breakfasts and will start their day with a coffee, tea and a viennoiserie (croissant, pain au chocolat) or a tartine (baguette with jam and butter). But over the last few years, Paris has caught on to the concept of brunch with a flurry of all-day brunch restaurants popping up across the city.

Saint Pearl

7th arrondissement: 38 rue des Saints-Pères
Café

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Why go: A small, charming, discreet café where exposed beams, wooden tables and rattan light fixtures evoke "rustic modern country house."

What to get: French brioche toast topped with vanilla ice cream, poached pear and a generous assortment of berries; or bacon and eggs Benedict made with caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes.

Keopi

9th arrondissement: 23 Passage Verdeau
Korean café

Why go: Named after the Korean pronunciation of the English word coffee, Keopi's brunch is Korean-inspired and takes place in a luminous, bright and airy passageway, Passage Verdeau.

What to get: Waffles topped with KFC (Korean fried chicken), eggs Benedict served with bulgogi, and the croffle (a hybrid croissant and waffle popularized in South Korea) served with vanilla mascarpone, strawberries or injeolmi (Korean rice cakes covered in roasted soybean powder).

Coffee (and a treat)

You'll need a jolt of caffeine or a sugar rush to refuel your long promenades. Look out for coffee shops like Noir, Nuances, Coutume, Artesano and Terres de Café, which all serve artisanal and specialty coffees, as well as these bakeries.

Maison Fleuret

6th arrondissement: 30 rue des Saints-Pères
Coffee shop

Why go: An aesthetically beautiful " literary coffee shop" opened in a former bookstore in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, where floor-to-ceiling bookcases are filled with French books, and a spiral staircase leads visitors to a cozy, upstairs nook.

What to get: A matcha, coffee, homemade cookies or a slice of lemon poppyseed cake.

The French Bastards

Multiple locations
Bakery

Why go: A local chain of bakeries founded by a trio of young French bakers who give classic pastries contemporary new twists.

What to get: A cruffin (a croissant–muffin mash-up) or their charcoal-blackened roll with pink praline.

Des Gâteaux et du Pain

7th arrondissement: 89 rue du Bac
15th arrondissement: 63 Blvd Pasteur
Pastry shop

Why go: If you're looking for a more sophisticated pastry experience, make sure to stop at either one of Claire Damon's fruit-themed pastry shop locations. Each season, Damon releases a new collection of stunning pastries.

What to get: The menu changes seasonally, with pastries that elevate strawberries, rhubarb, grapefruit, pears or figs into a luxurious, elegant experience.

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Lunch

La Crêperie de Josselin

14th arrondissement: 67 rue du Montparnasse
Crêperie

Why go: Savory buckwheat crêpes are a great lunchtime meal in Paris. Breizh Café (at several locations) is one of the most popular crêperies in the city, but I have a special fondness for La Crêperie de Josselin in the Breton district in the 14th arrondissement, where I lived for a year when I moved to Paris 14 years ago. About a dozen crêperies line either side of rue Montparnasse and saturate the air with the smell of melting butter. But while most crêperies serve similar menus, La Crêperie de Josselin (not to be confused with the Crêperie Le Petit Josselin next door) stands out for doubling up on the layers of its savory galettes.

What to get: The Josselin classic – egg, ham, cheese and mushroom.

Carré Pain de Mie

4th arrondissement: 5 rue Rambuteau
Japanese bakery

Why go: A Japanese bakery where moist, juicy, deep-fried pork cutlets are sandwiched between slices of soft, fluffy Japanese milk bread, while shredded cabbage adds crunch and texture to each bite.

What to get: I'm also going to go out on a limb and make this bold declaration: the pork katsu sandwich is one of the best in the city.

Paloma

20th arrondissement: 93 rue Julien Lacroix
Bistro

Why go: A low-key neighborhood bistro in Belleville, a dynamic food and drink area in the city. Lunchtime at Paloma is often a full house, thanks to its three-course prix fixe menu, which attracts mostly neighborhood locals. It's one of the most outstanding value-for-money lunch experiences in the east end of the city.

What to get: It's honest, straightforward home cooking that may start with a red cabbage salad with herbed faisselle (fresh soft cheese) and buckwheat crumble, followed by a risotto-style fregola pasta with spinach and mushroom, ending with a chocolate and cardamom cake.

Aperitivo

Paris has a wealth of wine bars where you can spend time people-watching while waiting for your dinner reservation.

Le Dénicheur

2nd arrondissement: 4 rue Tiquetonne
Wine bar

Why go: A casual, neighborhood drinking spot popular for its selection of natural and organic wines and small plates menu.

Les Caves Legrand

1st arrondissement: 1 rue de la Banque (Galerie Vivienne)
Wine shop and bar

Why go: A historic wine shop in the covered passageway Galerie Vivienne that goes back to 1880 and stocks bottles from 350 winemakers across France.

Dinner

Canard et Champagne

2nd arrondissement: 57 Passage des Panoramas
Traditional French restaurant

Why go: This place is easy to miss, which is why it feels like a delicious secret. Located inside the covered passageway Passage des Panoramas in a former 19th-century chocolaterie, this restaurant specializes in duck and Champagne pairings. It offers an affordable sense of occasion in a charming setting.

What to get: Tender, flavorful duck breast, duck confit or duck Parmentier, washed down with a glass of Champagne.

Jouvence

12th arrondissement: 172 bis rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine
Bistro

Why go: If you're looking for a more modern French dining experience without the crowds, Jouvence is a restaurant that doesn't get much social media attention (which, for me, is a big part of its appeal). The bistro has a local, loyal following for its quality, contemporary cuisine at democratic prices.

What to get: A three-course dinner may include mains like grilled Angus beef with potato-lemon gnocchi and mushroom jus or grilled sea bream with hollandaise and saffron shallots.

Le Plomb du Cantal

14th arrondissement: 3 rue de la Gaîté
Auvergnat restaurant

Why go: If there is one cheesy and decadent French dish I can't resist, it's aligot (cheesy, garlicky mashed potatoes) made with Tomme cheese. At Le Plomb du Cantal, the experience is ceremonial, where servers pour elastic mashed potatoes onto your plate from vintage copper pots tableside in a slow-motion cascade.

What to get: The aligot, of course! It traditionally accompanies steak, sausage and cabbage rolls.

Mr Zhao

2nd arrondissement: 37 rue des Jeuneurs
Chinese restaurant

Why go: When I crave the familiar and comforting flavors of Asian cuisine, I rotate among a few personal favorites across the city, like Mr Zhao.

What to get: I always order the biang biang noodles – seven feet of chewy, wide, hand-pulled noodles with slow-cooked pork or beef.

TranTranZai

Multiple locations
Chinese restaurant

Why go: When I need a hit of spice and heat – flavor profiles that aren't in the French repertoire – I head to TranTranZai.

What to get: Their soups with hand-made noodles, and you can choose your spice level. (Warning: the spice levels may humble even the spiciest eaters.)

Bar

Cravan

6th arrondissement: 165 Blvd Saint-Germain
16th arrondissement: 17 rue Jean de la Fontaine
Cocktail bar

Why go: The Blvd Saint-Germain location is said to be the largest cocktail bar in Paris, spanning four floors of a historic 17th-century building, which also houses a bookshop.

What to get: Champagne-based cocktails (the bar is in partnership with Moët Hennessy), and bottled cocktails on the third floor that you can take home at the end of the night.

Little Red Door

3rd arrondissement: 60 rue Charlot
Cocktail bar

Why go: Little Red Door is a major cocktail destination and makes regular appearances on the World's 50 Best Bars list for its creative and sustainable drinks list developed with local French farmers and producers.