French food isn’t all about haute cuisine and fine dining – some of the best food to be enjoyed in Paris can be bought for a couple of euros from a humble boulangerie. Here’s our pick of the gastronomic highlights.
GRAVITY BAR
The best restaurant for cocktails and dinner
The curving wooden interiors of this new hangout take their inspiration from surfing and skateboarding, but it’s the serious cocktails and market-driven menu that give the greater thrills. Unusual flavours are the draw here; try the Black Popeye, shaken with Chairman’s Reserve rum, amaro, bitters and absinthe. The dishes are no less imaginative, including fried whelks and duck tartare.
Address: Gravity Bar, 44 rue des Vinaigriers, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris
CAFÉ CRAFT
The best café for a cup of coffee
Co-working is still a relatively new concept in the French capital, but this graphic, monochromatic space is where MacBook-toting freelancers start their day over espressos made with beans from Parisian roasters Lomi. Buy a cup or pay by the hour for access to Wi-Fi and a seat at the communal table.
Address: Café Craft, 24 rue des Vinaigriers, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris
LIBERTÉ
The best breakfast spot
Atop the marble counter of this brilliant bakery from master pastry chef Benoît Castel are delicate tarts and jewel-like fancies. Their prettiness contrasts with the raw interiors. Opt for perfect madeleines or go for full-on indulgence with Castel’s famous tarte à la crème.
Address: Liberté, 39 rue des Vinaigriers, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris
THE SUNKEN CHIP
The best fish and chips
How do Parisians do fish and chips? In this trendy metro-tiled restaurant with line-caught haddock or coley from Saint-Jean-de-Luz and thick, hand-cut, double-cooked frites. If you’re not married to tradition, swap the classic for a hake burger or monkfish nuggets coated in panko breadcrumbs, along with a local craft beer.
Address: The Sunken Chip, 39 rue des Vinaigriers, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris
SOL SEMILLA
The healthiest snacks
Call them hippies or early adopters, but the owners of this vegan canteen and shop have been turning out antioxidant-rich superfoods such as açai, Klamath algae and maca powder since opening in 2007. Pop into the cheery turquoise-fronted store for kale chips or raw cacao to munch on.
Address: Sol Semilla, 23 rue des Vinaigriers, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris
PICCOLI CUGINI
The best place for an apéritif
The area’s go-to pizza joint doubles as a pre-dinner spot for a turned-out crowd with bigger plans. Join them in sipping spritzes and Italian wines while tucking into plates of burrata and Parma ham.
Address: Piccoli Cugini, 34 rue des Vinaigriers, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris
