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CAFFÈ STERN My most recent restaurant discovery and I now can’t imagine it not on my Paris repertoire. Set in a classic 19th-century covered passage, Passage des Panoramas, this is a lively Italian restaurant with a sense of humour and good food. Once an engraver’s workshop, it spills over several rooms layered with the weird and the wonderful. A fox dressed in jewels will let you know you have arrived. Many of the tableware pieces and produce used in the dishes are available for purchase. alajmo.it/en/sezione/ caffe-stern/caffe-stern
LE PETIT FER À CHEVAL Possibly one of my favourite bars in the world. A tiny horseshoeshaped pewter bar in the Marais, it is simply irresistible. While away the afternoon peoplewatching or have dinner in the little dining room out the back. 30 Rue Vieille du Temple
BRASSERIE LIPP Ah, the French can even make chicken and chips fancy in a perfect French bistro with tiled walls and all the details you crave. Be sure to book a table as it gets very busy and be prepared to squeeze up to your fellow diners for a great meal of rotisserie chicken, pommes frites and regional wine. brasserielipp.fr
P É TREL L E There are so many good restaurants in Paris but this ticks all the boxes for sensory experience. It’s like walking into the mind of a set designer and having dinner in their lounge room. It only has about eight tables and a tiny kitchen, all lamp lit with paper sailing boats as lampshades. Book a table before you get to Paris and be prepared to be enchanted. petrelle.fr
GRANDE MOSQUÉE DE PARIS The Grande Mosquée is to be enjoyed preferably on a sunny day and at the end of exploring the Jardin des Plantes. Try to secure a table under the fig tree for fresh mint tea and mouthwatering honeyed sweets. The inside is also delightful, intricately detailed with tiles and pattern on pattern. Settle into a window seat for a tagine and a refresh. mosqueedeparis.net
BAR HEMINGWAY AT THE HÔTEL RITZ If you are staying in the newly redecorated Ritz or just popping in for a look, meander down the back to the intimate Bar Hemingway. This is the domain of the world’s best bartender, Colin Peter Field. Ask for a frozen Negroni or his world-famous ‘ dirty martini’ that isn’t dirty! ritzparis.com/en-gb HÔTEL PARTICULIER MONTMARTRE Hidden away down a cobbled street, this hotel boasts an intimate garden perfect for lounging on spring and summer days while listening to the sounds of Pétanque from next door. https://en. hotel-particulier-montmartre.com