Bistros

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Aux Lyonnais: 32 Rue St-Marc, 2nd, M° Richelieu-Drouot, ☎ 01 42 96 65 04. Traditional Lyonnais (€€€). Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Friday; Saturday for dinner only.

Set in an authentic 19th-century bistro, this Alain Ducasse restaurant is one of the famous chef’s most accessible (regarding the price), with modern interpretations of traditional Lyon specialties. The service and quality of the food are worth the trek out to this quiet part of town.

Potager du Marais: 22 Rue Rambuteau, 3rd, M° Rambuteau, ☎ 01 44 54 00 31. Organic/vegetarian (€€). Open daily, noon to 3pm and 7pm to midnight.

This restaurant may be 100% organic, but – with plenty of fish specialties – it’s not just for vegetarians. The uncomplicated daily specials are presented on the blackboard alongside regular menu items such as vegetarian lasagna. The dining room is long and narrow, with old fashioned wooden benches and unpretentious décor overlooking a busy market street between the Pompidou Center and the Marais.

A Deux Pas du Trois: 101 Rue Vieille du Temple, 4th, M° Filles-du-Calvaire, ☎ 01 42 77 10 52. Modern bistro (€€). Open Tuesday through Friday for lunch, Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. Reservations recommended.

It may have been a gay bistro at one time, but with good value meals, cozy décor and exclusive views over the Hôtel Salé (Musée Picasso), it’s hard to keep the rest of the world away. A sure bet in this neighborhood, with tasty, modern bistro specialties and a €13.50 lunch menu.

7ème Sud: 159 Rue de Grenelle, 7th. M° LaTour Maubourg, ☎ 01 44 18 30 30. Mediterranean (€€). Open daily for lunch and dinner.

This is a good choice for lunch after a morning at the Marché Cler or visiting Napoleon’s tomb. It has exotic and light North African/Mediterranean specialties in a Moroccan dining room that’s cozy and stylish. They have another location in Passy at 56 Rue Boulainvilliers, 16th.

Chez Casimir: 6 Rue de Belzunce, 10th, M° Gare du Nord, ☎ 01 48 78 28 80. Country bistro (€€€). Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, closed August. Reservations recommended.

This small annex to Chez Michel serves huge portions of fresh, country-style cuisine with chunky bread in a stylish neo-bistro dining room. Everything from the terrine de campagne to the mashed potatoes is made from scratch with top quality ingredients, accompanied by a wine list of small, independent vineyards and home-made desserts.

Chez Michel: 10 Rue Belzunce, 10th, M° Gare du Nord, ☎ 01 44 53 06 20. Brittany bistro (€€€). Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner (until midnight), closed August. Reservations recommended.

Located on a quiet street behind St-Vincent-de-Paul church, this bistro attracts Parisians from all the way across town with its authentic Brittany cuisine, carefully picked wine list and its excellent value. Expect a lot of rich dishes featuring seasonal game, roasted potatoes, and fresh cream. Even if you don’t have room for an authentic Brittany dessert, you’ll leave with a pocket full of their traditional soft caramels.

Le Galopin: 34 Rue Ste-Marthe, 10th, M° Belleville or Goncourt, ☎ 01 53 19 19 55. Traditional bistro (€). Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. No credit cards.

This small and friendly bistro overlooks the Square Sainte-Marthe, the heart of the gritty-but-charming Sainte-Marthe neighborhood just west of Belleville. The food is traditional and filling, with main dishes like magret de canard accompanied by gratin potatos, steamed veggies and rice, and tasty bread. Reservations are recommended since there are only a few tables.

Le Sporting: 3 Rue des Récollets, 10th, M° Jacques Bonsergent, ☎ 01 46 07 02 00. Bistro/café (€€). Open Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 2am, food served noon to 3pm and 7 to 11:30pm.

One of the Canal St-Martin’s successful neo-bistros, popular with local artists and musicians, Le Sporting has an open, light-filled dining room with wooden floors and crystal chandeliers. Specials are written on a chalkboard hung on the wall. Simple bistro dishes include steak filets, grilled fish, soups, and meaty salads. It’s always packed, even on weekdays, so be sure to get there a bit early or call ahead.

Swann & Vincent: 7 Rue St-Nicolas, 12th, M° Ledru-Rollin, ☎ 01 43 43 49 40. Italian bistro (€€). Open daily for lunch and dinner (until 11:45pm). Reservations and patience a must.

At lunchtime this trendy 1930s-style Italian bistro is bustling with nearby office workers, artists and famous clothing designers. At night it’s a bit less hurried, but the ambiance is still lively and the food and wine so tasty, that even with a reservation you may have to wait around for a table to free up (the gracious staff will offer their apologies and an aperitif while you wait).

Le Petit Porcheron: 3 Rue de Prague, 12th, M° Ledru-Rollin, ☎ 01 43 47 39 47. Stylish bistro (€€). Open daily, 8am to 2am (service noon to 2pm, 8 to 11pm).

Not far from the Marché d’Aligre, this modern bistro with terra-cotta walls, dark-wood furniture and lush plants serves bistro food livened up with exotic flavors to the local bobo (bourgeois bohemian) crowd. At night it has more of a trendy bar atmosphere.

Les Cailloux: 58 Rue des Cinq Diamants, 13th, M° Corvisart, ☎ 01 45 80 15 08. Italian bistro (€€). Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Closed August. Dinner reservations recommended.

Part Italian trattoria, part wine bar, this trendy bistro sits right at the heart of the Butte aux Cailles neighborhood. A long list of Italian wines accompanies carefully cooked panna cotta and linguini dishes in a bright dining room with wooden floors and bay windows.

La Bonne Heure: 72 Rue du Moulin-des-Prés, 13th, M° Tolbiac, ☎ 01 45 89 77 00. Organic/vegetarian (€€). Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Located on an adorable little street between the Rue de la Butte aux Cailles and the Place d’Italie, this laid-back organic food bistro serves vegetarian and fish specialties to a loyal following of self-aware locals. If organic cola isn’t your thing, there’s a decent organic wine list.

L’Avant-Goût: 26 Rue Bobillot, 13th, M° Place d’Italie, ☎ 01 53 80 24 00. Modern bistro (€€). Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, closed August. Reservations a must.

This popular Butte aux Cailles bistro is known for its cooking, excellent wine list and the chef’s special pot-au-feu. There’s a weekday lunch formule with wine for €11, but the €23 menu is a great value for the quality and quantity of food. All of the food can be ordered for takeout if you can’t get a table. Kid-friendly.

Sasso: 36 Rue Raymond-Losserand, 14th, M° Gaité, ☎ 01 42 18 00 38. Italian bistro (€€). Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended.

If this Italian restaurant with the industrial-loft décor reminds you of Les Cailloux on the Butte aux Cailles, it’s because they have the same owner. The Italian chef cooks up fresh pasta and grilled vegetables, served with Parma ham and thinly sliced carpaccio for the laid-back but demanding regulars who keep the place packed day and night.

Le Bistrot des Pingouins: 79 Rue Daguerre, 14th, M° Denfert-Rochereau or Gaîté, ☎ 01 43 21 92 29. Chic bistro (€€). Open Monday through Friday, noon to 3:30pm; and Monday through Saturday, 7:30pm to midnight.

No penguins in sight, just a stylish neo-bistro with convivial atmosphere and small groups of regulars comfortably ensconced at the roomy tables. The cuisine is focused on fresh seasonal produce and light variations on traditional French cooking. The dining room is packed at lunch for the €11 formule.

Le Kiosque: 1 Place de Mexico, 16th, M° Trocadero, ☎ 01 47 27 96 98. Traditional bistro (€€€). Open daily for lunch and dinner until 11pm.

There are few places in this neck of the woods where you can be sure to eat well for a reasonable price. Le Kiosque is a local favorite with a French regional menu that changes weekly, printed in newspaper style (the owner was a former editor-in-chief of various French publications). There’s a carpaccio-lovers’ brunch Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3pm, for €25.

Le Piston Pélican: 15 Rue de Bagnolet, 20th, M° Alexandre-Dumas, ☎ 01 43 70 35 00. World-food bistro (€). Open daily, 8am to 2am (opens at 10am Sunday), kitchen open noon to midnight.

This popular bistro not too far from Père Lachaise cemetery serves “world food” from around the globe in an authentic 1930s décor and zinc bar that recalls Paris of old films (the locals say it used to be a brothel). At night it has more of a bar atmosphere with a DJ on some nights, and any time of day you can stop in for a drink and a snack.

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