L'Apparemment Café 18 rue des Coutures-St-Gervais, 3e. Mº St-Sébastien-Froissart. Mon-Fri noon-2am, Sat 4pm-2am, Sun 12.30pm-midnight.
Chic, but cosy, café resembling a series of comfortable sitting rooms, with quiet corners and deep sofas. Popular Sunday brunch until 4pm costs ?13.72.

Café Beaubourg 43 rue St-Merri, 4e. Mº Rambuteau & Mº Hôtel-de-Ville. Mon-Thurs & Sun 8am-1am, Sat 8am-2am.
A seat under the expansive awnings (café designed by Christian de Portzamparc) is one of the best places for people-watching on the Pompidou Centre's piazza; expensive, rather sour service, but very stylish loos.

Dame Tartine 2 rue Brisemiche, 4e. Mº Rambuteau & Mº Hôtel-de-Ville. Daily noon-11.30pm.
Overlooking the Stravinsky pool, this place serves particularly delicious open toasted sandwiches from ?4.57. Inside, the relaxed atmosphere matches the mellow, yellow walls.

L'Ébouillanté 6 rue des Barres, 4e. Mº Hôtel-de-Ville. Tues-Sun noon-9pm, till 10pm in summer.
A tiny salon de thé in a picturesque, cobbled, pedestrian-only street behind the church of St-Gervais, serving chocolate cakes and pâtisseries, as well as savoury dishes. Plats du jour for ?10.21, Tunisian crêpes for ?6.86, and generous salads.

Épices et Délices 53 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4e. Mº St-Paul. Daily till midnight.
Restaurant and salon de thé with very pleasant service and food. Salads from ?9.15; evening menu ?13.72.

Bar de Jarente 5 rue de Jarente, 4e. Mº St-Paul. Open Tues-Sat.
Just off the pretty place du Marché Ste-Catherine, this is a lovely old-fashioned café-bar, which remains nonchalantly indifferent to the shifting trends arround it.

Le Petit Fer à Cheval 30 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4e. Mº St-Paul. Mon-Fri 9am-2am, Sat & Sun 11am-2am; food noon-midnight.
A popular and very attractive small bistro/bar with trad decor, including a huge zinc bar, and tables outside. Agreeable wine and good-value plats ; sandwiches from ?5.34.

Le Petit Marcel 63 rue Rambuteau, 3e. Mº Rambuteau. Mon-Sat till 2am.
Speckled tabletops, mirrors and Art Nouveau tiles, cracked and faded ceiling and about eight square metres of drinking space. Friendly bar staff and "local" atmosphere.

Le Rouge Gorge 8 rue St-Paul, 4e. Mº St-Paul. Mon-Sat 11am-2am, Sun 11am-8pm.
The young, enthusiastic clientele sip familiar wines and snack on chèvre chaud and smoked-salmon salad, or tuck into more substantial fare ( plats du jour around ?9.15) while listening to jazz or classical music.

Sacha Finkelsztajn 27 rue des Rosiers, 4e. Mº St-Paul. Wed-Sun 10am-2pm & 3-7pm; closed Aug.
Marvellous for takeaway goodies: gorgeous east European breads, cakes, gefilte fish, aubergine purée, tarama, blinis and borscht . There's another branch at 24 rue des Écouffes (daily except Wed 10am-1pm & 3-7pm).

La Tartine 24 rue de Rivoli, 4e. Mº St-Paul. Daily except Tues until 10pm; closed Aug.
The genuine 1900s article, attracting a very mixed clientele. A good selection of affordable wines, plus excellent cheese and saucisson with pain de campagne .

Web Bar 32 rue de Picardie, 3e Mº Filles-du-Calvaire. Mon-Fri 8.30am-2am, Sat & Sun 11am-2am.
Paris's best cybercafé, on three levels in a converted industrial space, with 15 terminals on a gallery level. A real culture zone: pick up a printed programme of the art exhibitions, short film screenings and other arty events or consult their website. Comfy couches to loll on and a resident DJ make it a good place to chill, and simple healthy food comes in generous portions (?5.34 for a delicious quiche with heaps of salad; lunch menu ?7.77 or ?9.30).

 

Restaurants

Aquarius 1 54 rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 4e tel 01.48.87.48.71. Mº St-Paul & Mº Rambuteau. Mon-Sat noon-10pm; closed last fortnight in Aug.
Vegetarian restaurant established in 1974: not the austere and penitential place it once was, though. Alcohol is now served, but smoking is still not allowed. It also functions as a health-food store, New Age bookshop and salon de thé between lunch and dinner, so you can order an omelette, soup or salad throughout the afternoon. Lunch menu at ?9.45, evening ?9.45 and ?14.02. Hot dishes ?3.35-9.76.

Auberge de Jarente 7 rue Jarente, 4e tel 01.42.77.49.35. Mº St-Paul. Tues-Sat noon-2.30pm & 7.30-10.30pm; closed Aug.
A hospitable and friendly Basque restaurant, serving first-class food: cassoulet , hare stew, magret de canard , and piperade - Basque omelette. Menus at ?17.84 and ?20.12, and ?28.20 with wine.

Chez Nénesse 17 rue Saintonge, 3e tel 01.42.78.46.49. Mº Filles-du-Calvaire. Mon-Fri noon-2pm & 7.45-10pm; closed Aug.
Steak in bilberry sauce, figs stuffed with cream of almonds, and home-made chips on Thursday lunchtimes are some of the unique delights at this restaurant. À la carte around ?24.40.

Chez Omar 47 Rue de Bretagne, 3e. Mº Arts-et-Métiers. Closed Sun lunch.
Very popular North African resto in a nice old brasserie set with mirrors, attracting a young crowd. Couscous ?9.15-14.94. Does not accept credit cards.

Les Fous d'en Face 3 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, 4e tel 01.48.87.03.75. Mº Hôtel-de-Ville. Daily 11.30am-3pm & 7pm-midnight.
Delightful little restaurant and wine bar serving wonderful marinated salmon and scallops. Midday menu under ?13.72, otherwise à la carte ?21.34 upwards.

Goldenberg's 7 rue des Rosiers, 4e tel 01.48.87.20.16. Mº St-Paul. Daily until 2am.
The best known Jewish restaurant in the capital, though success has made service pretty surly. Its borscht , blinis , potato strudels, zakouski and other central-European dishes are a treat. Daily changing plat du jour ?12.20, à la carte around ?30.49.

Le Grizli 7 rue St-Martin, 4e tel 01.48.87.77.56. Mº Châtelet. Mon-Sat till 11pm.
Fin-de-siècle bistro serving superb food with specialities from the Pyrenees. ?17.53 midday menu; ?23.63 evening.

Ma Bourgogne 9 place des Vosges, 3e. Mº St-Paul. Daily till 12.30am, 1am in summer.
A quiet and pleasant arty café with tables under the arcades on the northwest corner of the square. It's best in the morning when the sun hits this side of the square. Meals are somewhat pricey - lunch and dinner menu ?29.73.

Le Marais-Cage 8 rue de Beauce, 3e tel 01.48.87.44.51. Mº Arts-et-Métiers & Mº Filles-du-Calvaire. Mon-Fri noon-2.15pm & 7-10.30pm, Sat evenings only; closed Aug.
Friendly, popular West Indian restaurant, serving good food, especially seafood. ?19.82 menu midday, ?24.40 and ?30.34 evening, wine included with all.

Pitchi-Poï 7 rue Caron, cnr place du Marché-Ste-Catherine, 4e tel 01.42.77.46.15. Mº St-Paul. Daily noon-3pm & 7.30-11pm.
Excellent Polish-Jewish cuisine in a lovely location, with sympathetic ambience and ?22.87 lunch and dinner menu, kids' menu ?11.13, and a choice of delicious hors d'oeuvres from ?6.55.

Le Quincampe 78 rue Quincampoix, 3e tel 01.40.27.01.45. Mº Étienne-Marcel, Mº Rambuteau & RER Châtelet. Noon-11pm; closed Mon, Sat lunch & Sun.
Moroccan restaurant and salon de thé , with a pleasant atmosphere, serving high-quality food and delicious mint tea. You can eat around a real fire in the room at the back. Tagines, pastilla and plat du jour ?12.20.