Love it or hate it, Chez Jeannette is now a staple of Faubourg St Denis, so why not stop by if you have some shopping to do at Chez Jules epicerie or you’re just arriving from Gare du Nord or you’re visiting the old gates into Paris. This newly renovated bar/bistrot, which serves often as a backgrounds for photo shoots during interviews of Parisian actors and musicians, is great for a quick inexpensive lunch (try their salads!) and at night the hip locals spill over to the sidewalk chatting, flirting, drinking and smoking…so Paris!

Practical Information

Address: 47, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis , 75010
Metro: Strasbourg St Denis
Opening hours: 8:00- 23:00 7/7j
Average price: 8 euros for lunch; 2 euros for a beer
Website

This four-star hotel is home to a haute-cuisine restaurant with a very original menu and 1 Michelin star. Michel Troisgros, a famed chef whose parents were the originators of French Nouvelle Cuisine, aptly composed a brief and exquisite menu and categorised all his creations according to taste. Here you can experience ZESTY “Fried frogs’ legs, spiced à la poudre du voyage”, PIQUANT “Red tuna, very lightly cooked, chanterelles and sorrel butter”, SHARP & BRIGHT “Grilled veal sweetbreads, olive and verjus sauce” or SWEET ”Apricot Dim-Sum, with a Southern jus”. The Lancaster is not a trendy place and may appeal to an older crowd but no one with a desire for an exceptional meal will be disappointed. Sunday Brunch on the terrace, 65 Euros, and worth every penny.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0) 1 40 76 40 18
Address: 7, rue de Berri, 75008
Metro: George V
Average price: 90 euros per person

It can be said that this bar is a victim of its own success but I prefer to just stick with the success part. It can also be said that the crowd is bobo-barf  but I will just call them hot! Andy WAHLOO does happy hour, it serves food ( North African tapas ) has a dj ( playing dance table elctropop ) there is a huge terrace ( the courtyard of a hotel particulier that it is housed in ) and its fun. What else do you need?

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0) 1 42 71 20 38
Address: 69, Rue des Gravilliers, 75003
Metro: Arts et Metiers
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 16h-02h00
Average price: 12 euros mojito

Don’t let appearances fool you, this nonchalant bistrot is loved by many young cool locals. There is always a warm lively atmosphere inside and out…by out I mean the lush and probably the most hidden terrace in Paris! Its a great place to grab a simple and delicious dinner with friends, on the menu are easy classics, salads and charcuterie plates to share. An expansive and accessible wine list keeps the place buzzing.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0) 1 42 71 20 38
Address: 18, Rue des Dames, 75017
Metro: Place de Clichy,  La Fourche
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday noon-15h 19h-02h00, Weekends noon-02h
Average price: Menu around 20 euros; Main courses maximum 16 euros; Wines start at 3,50 euros;

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0) 1 53 11 08 41
Address: 227 bis, rue Marcadet, 75018
Metro: Jules-Joffrin
Open hours: Tuesday-Saturday noon-14h30 & 19h-22h30
Average price: lunch 15 euros; dinner 25 euros;

Another ‘canal’ staple, this cafe/bar is always full and for a reason. Its art nouveau decor, super nice staff and simple homey seafood dishes make is a great place to grab lunch or dinner with friends and then stay for a few more drinks. The crowd is young arty bo bo.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0)1 42 39 69 81
Address: 55 bis, Quai de Valmy, 75010
Metro: Jacques Bonsergent
Restaurant hours: Everyday 08h – 02h;
Average price: Main 12 euros

It can be difficult to find a nice authentic cafe that is not a chain directly in Place de Republique, but Les Parigots which not that long ago replaced the Cafe des Syndicats lives up to its mission and its name.

Steps away from the hustle and bustle of the politically-charged square and Paris’s largest metro station, its long terrace invites you for a glass of wine and a plate of charcuterie. For those with a hungry stomach, there is a typical French brasserie menu as well. Inside the atmosphere is chatty,  especially at night.  A big plus is the pleasant attitude of the wait staff.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0)1 42 00 22 26
Address: 5, rue du Chateau d’eau, 75010
Metro: Republique
Restaurant hours: lunch and dinner, bar everyday until 1 am
Average price: average meal is 13 euros, Drinks 6 euros

Everyone knows Place Sainte Marthe as the place for a great party during the annual Fete de la Musique, but with its quaint atmosphere, this tiny square is a peaceful refuge any day of the year, when one wants to stretch out on a terrace and enjoy a quiet drink and a hearty meal. This particular bistro’s ambiance is nice enough for a romantic date  and the menu consists of traditional french dishes like grilled meat, duck, foie gras or creme brûlée for dessert. No real need to make reservations.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0)1 44 84 36 96
Address: 32, rue Saint Marthe, 75010
Metro: Belleville
Restaurant hours:17h – 02h, 7/7j
Average price: 1 starter + 1 main course + 1 glass of wine =25 euros
Website: www.lesaintemarthe.com

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With 55 acres of culture, lesure and architecture, Parc de la Villette is the city’s largest and most modern. Built on Napoleon III’s  slaughterhouse grounds in 1982 as part of urban redevelopment project, this abstract space contains 35 acres of green, the concert halls  Zenith and Trabendo, 10 themed gardens,  museum of music, museum of science and industry, 26 “follies” or installations, 160 playground games, 3220 trees, cafes, restaurants, hosts festivals and spectacles, in the summer runs open air movie nights…even has its own nudist colony!

The park was designed by Bernard Tschumi, a world-renowned architect of the deconstructivist movement. He has also designed the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece.

Parc de la Villette
211, avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019
M: Porte de la Villette

http://www.villette.com/fr/

Number one reason this bar is great: they lend you petonque balls to play on the canal.
Number two reason: they take care of the canal by offering a free drink to those who fill up a plastic cup full of cig butts ( with the number of cigarettes smoked out there it takes less than 30 seconds.)
Number three:  for the fact that it is cheap.
Number four: for at night its a great place to party with dj sets and concerts.
Number five: for its friendly staff.

00 33 01 42 40 12 26
68, quai de la Loire, 75019
M: Juares, Stalingrad, Laumiere, Ourcq

http://barourcq.free.fr

Closed: Monday and Tuesday
Friday and Saturday 15h-2 am, other nights till midnight