Eastern Paris
France > Paris > Eating and drinking > Restaurants > Eastern Paris

Café Charbon

The Canal St-Martin and around

Cafés and Bars

Chez Imogène cnr rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud and rue du Grand-Prieuré, 11^e. Cheap and cheerful crêperie with €8.50 midday menu including drink. The €13.60 dinner menu includes a kir breton (cassis with cider instead of champagne) and three courses. M° Oberkampf. Open till 10.30pm; closed all day Sun & lunchtime on Mon.

L'Opus 167 quai de Valmy, 10^e tel 01.40.34.70.00, www.opus-club.com. A stylish modern-chintzy atmosphere in a barn-like space used as a British officers' mess during World War I. Live music every evening: chansons, gospel, blues, salsa, African. Drinks €9–12 average, plus €10 entry for the music. There's also a dining area on the mezzanine floor overlooking the action (three-course menu €40). M° Louis-Blanc. Mon–Sat 8pm–4am.

Restaurants

Astier 44 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11^e tel 01.43.57.16.35. Very successful and popular restaurant with simple decor, unstuffy atmosphere, and food renowned for its freshness and refinement. Outstanding selection of perfectly ripe cheeses. Essential to book; lunch is often less crowded (€20.50 menu) and just as enjoyable. Evening menu at €25. M° Parmentier. Mon–Fri noon–2pm & 8–11pm; closed Aug, fortnight each in May & at Christmas.

Chez Prune 36 rue Beaurepaire, 10^e tel 01.42.41.30.47. One of the most popular hangouts in the 10^e, this is a very friendly and laid-back café-restaurant with pleasant outdoor seating overlooking the canal. Creative assiettes (around €7) are guaranteed to tempt both meat-eaters and vegetarians, and it's a romantic place to sip a glass of wine or indulge in a dessert. Plats around €11. M° Jacques-Bonsergent. Mon–Sat 7.30am–1.45am & Sun 10am–1.45am.

Le Clown Bar 114 rue Amelot, 11^e tel 01.43.55.87.35. An attractive and increasingly popular wine bistrot near the Cirque d'Hiver with a circus clientele come the colder months; the beautifully tiled interior shows the antics of clowns, of course. Plats du jour from €10.50, such as sauté de boeuf minute au paprika. No credit cards. M° Filles-du-Calvaire. Daily except Sun lunch noon–3pm & 7pm–1am.

L'Homme Bleu 57 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11^e tel 01.48.07.05.63. Very affordable and pleasant Berber restaurant that's popular with students. M° Parmentier. Mon–Sat 5pm–2am.

Au Rendez-Vous de la Marine 14 quai de la Loire, 19^e tel 01.42.49.33.40. Busy, successful old-time restaurant on the east bank of the Bassin de la Villette – but no water view – renowned for its meats and desserts. A really good meal for around €25. Booking advised. M° Jaurès. Lunchtime & eves until 10pm; closed Sun & Mon.

Le Rendez-Vous des Quais 10 quai de la Seine, 19^e tel 01.40.37.02.81. Part of the MK2 cinema complex on the west bank of the Bassin de la Villette, this is a great spot for a coffee before taking a canal cruise (the office is opposite). Contemporary bistrot fare and tables overlooking the water. Plats for around €12. M° Stalingrad. Daily 10am–midnight.

Restaurant de Bourgogne 26 rue des Vinaigriers, 10^e tel 01.46.07.07.91. Homely old-fashioned restaurant with midday menu at €9 and evening menu at €10, including a drink. Still has a strong local character despite the changing nature of the area. M° Jacques-Bonsergent. Lunchtime & eve until 11pm; closed Sat eve, Sun & last week July to third week Aug.

Au Trou Normand 9 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11^e tel 01.48.05.80.23. Small, totally unpretentious local bistrot serving good traditional food at knock-down prices. Plat du jour from €4.90. Mon–Fri lunchtime & eve until 9.30pm, Sat eve only; closed Aug. M° Filles-du-Calvaire/Oberkampf/République.

La Villette

Cafés and Bars

Café de la Musique 213 av Jean-Jaurès, 19^e. Part of the Cité de la Musique, this café, with a popular terrace just inside the La Villette complex, was designed by the Cité architect Portzamparc and exudes sophistication, discretion and comfort, but be prepared to pay over the odds for a coffee. M° Porte-de-Pantin. Daily till 2am.

Restaurants

Aux Saveurs du Liban 11 rue Eugène-Jumin, 19^e tel 01.42.00.17.01. Excellent, authentic Lebanese food at this tiny restaurant in a lively local street not far from the Parc de la Villette. Very good value, with plats for €5.35; sandwiches from €3.35 to take away; €7.10 lunchtime formule. M° Porte-de-Pantin. Mon–Sat 11.30am–4pm & 7–11pm.

Belleville, Ménilmontant, Charonne and Père-Lachaise

Cafés and Bars

Le Baratin 3 rue Jouye-Rouve, 20^e. Friendly, down-to-earth bistrot à vins in a run-down area with a good mix of people. Fine selection of lesser-known wines and whiskies. Midday menu €11.13, around €20 in the evenings. M° Pyrénées.

Tues–Fri 11am–1am, Sat 6pm–1am; closed first week Jan & two weeksAug.

Le Blue Billard 111–13 rue St-Maur, 11^e. Young and arty, featuring blue-carpeted bar and billiard tables, in a glass-roofed ex-factory. Menu is €15. M° St-Maur/Parmentier. Daily 11am–2am; closed Sun eve.

Café Charbon 109 rue Oberkampf, 11^e. A very successful and attractive resuscitation of an early twentieth-century café. Particularly popular with the younger, fashionable crowd who are moving into these old working-class districts. Snacks around €5; beer €2.50. DJ Thurs, Fri & Sat eves 10pm–2am and live music on Sun from 8.30pm. M° St-Maur/Parmentier. Daily 9am–2am.

Cithéa 112 rue Oberkampf, 11^e www.kollectiveone.com/cithea/. Popular bar and music venue for Afro funk, funk reggae, world beat, jazz fusion, etc on Thurs, Fri & Sat nights. Cocktails €7. No admission charge for the music. M° St-Maur/Parmentier. Daily 5pm–5.30am.

La Flèche d'Or 102bis rue de Bagnolet, cnr rue des Pyrénées, 20^e tel 01.43.72.04.23, www.flechedor.com. A large, lively café attracting the biker, arty, punkish Parisian youth. The decor is très destroy – railway sleepers and a sawn-off bus front hanging from the ceiling – and the building itself is the old Bagnolet station on the petite ceinture railway that encircled the city until around thirty years ago. It's a nightly venue for live world music, pop, punk, ska, fusion and chanson, and the reasonably priced food also has a multicultural slant. Extra €5 or €6 for music. M° Porte-de-Bagnolet/Alexandre-Dumas – a fifteen-minute walk in either case. Daily 10am–2am.

Lou Pascalou 14 rue des Panoyaux, 20^e. Trendy but friendly bar with burnt-umber walls and a zinc bar. Wide range of beers bottled and on tap from €2, cocktails from €5. M° Ménilmontant. Daily 9am–2am.

Le Vieux Belleville 12 rue des Envierges, 20^e. Simple and attractive old-fashioned café. Lunchtime menu €10. M° Pyrénées. Open 7am–11pm; closed Sat lunchtime, all day Sun & Mon eve.

Restaurants

Les Allobroges 71 rue des Grands-Champs, 20^e tel 01.43.73.40.00. A charming neighbourhood restaurant, serving traditional French cuisine to consistently high standards. The menu at €15 is excellent value, though the wines are a bit pricey. Booking essential. M° Maraîchers. Tues–Fri noon–2pm & 7–9.30.

Chez Jean 38 rue Boyer (near cnr with rue de Ménilmontant), 20^e tel 01.47.97.44.58. A charming, friendly, intimate place, with a small but carefully chosen menu. Around €30 à la carte. M° Gambetta/Ménilmontant. Mon–Fri lunchtime & eves till 11pm; closed Sat midday, Sun & first half of Aug.

Lao Siam 49 rue de Belleville, 19^e tel 01.40.40.09.68. The surroundings are nothing special, but the excellent Thai and Lao food, popular with locals, makes up for it. Dishes €6.50–9.50. Best to book in advance. M° Belleville. Daily till 11pm.

Le Pacifique 35 rue de Belleville, 20^e. A huge Chinese eating house with variable culinary standards, but low prices and open late. €13 menu. M° Belleville. Daily 11am–2am.

Au Pavillon Puebla Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, 19^e tel 01.42.08.92.62. Luxury cuisine in an old hunting lodge (enter by the rue Botzaris/av Bolivar gate to the park). Poached lobster, stuffed baby squid, duck with foie gras, and spicy oyster raviolis are some of the à la carte delights. Menus for €30–40, around €70 à la carte. M° Buttes-Chaumont. Tues–Sat noon–10pm. Closed Sun, Mon & two weeks in August.

Pho-Dong-Huong 14 rue Louis-Bonnet, 11^e tel 01.43.57.18.88. Spotlessly clean Vietnamese resto, where all dishes are around €7 and come with piles of fresh green leaves. Spicy soups, crispy pancakes, but service can be slow. M° Belleville. Daily except Tues noon–10.30pm.

Aux Rendez-Vous des Amis 10 av Père-Lachaise, 20^e. A handy lunch stop a stone's throw from Père-Lachaise. Simple surroundings for very good, satisfying family cooking. Menu at €10.21. M° Gambetta. Mon–Sat noon–3pm; closed last week July to mid-Aug.

Rital & Courts 1 rue des Envierges, 20^e tel 01.47.97.08.40. Café, wine bar and trattoria (food served noon–2.30pm & 8–11.30pm) in contemporary surroundings in an unbeatable situation overlooking the delightful Parc de Belleville. Get a pavement table on a summer evening, and you'll have the best restaurant view in Paris. The Italian food is tasty and affordable, with a large pasta selection, including loads of vegetarian options, from €8. Short films (courts métrages) are shown daily 6–7pm & midnight–1am. M° Pyrénées. Daily 11am–midnight.

Le Zéphyr 1 rue Jourdain, 20^e tel 01.46.36.65.81. Trendy but relaxed 1930s-style bistrot with a lunch menu for €11, and €26 in the evenings. M° Jourdain. Open till 11.30pm; closed Sat lunch and all day Sun.

To the Faubourg St-Antoine

Cafés and Bars

L'Armagnac 104 rue de Charonne, 11^e tel 01.43.71.49.43. This unpretentious café-bar makes a great spot for coffee in the afternoon or drinks well into the night. M° Charonne. Daily till 2am.

Jacques-Mélac 42 rue Léon-Frot, 11^e tel 01.43.70.59.27. Some way off the beaten track (between Père-Lachaise and place Léon-Blum) but a highly respected and very popular bistrot à vins, whose patron even makes his own wine – the solitary vine winds round the front of the shop. The food (plats around €11), wines and atmosphere are great; no bookings. M° Charonne. Tues–Sat 9am–10.30pm; closed Aug.

Restaurants

Les Amognes 243 rue du Faubourg-St-Antoine, 11^e tel 01.43.72.73.05. Attractive surroundings of stone walls and exposed beams form the backdrop to this smart bistrot, which puts a creative spin on traditional dishes. Mains might include lapin de garenne, chou rouge et figues and cabillaud rôti au citron et thym. Booking essential. Menu at €33, otherwise around €45. M° Faidherbe-Chaligny. Noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10.30pm; closed Sat & Mon lunch, Sun & two weeks in Aug.

Le Bistrot du Peintre 116 av Ledru-Rollin, 11^e tel 01.47.00.34.39. A charming, traditional bistrot, where small tables are jammed together beneath faded Art Nouveau frescoes and wood panelling. The emphasis is on hearty Auvergne cuisine, with plats for around €12. M° Ledru-Rollin. Mon–Sat 7am–2am, Sun 10am–8pm.

Chardenoux 1 rue Jules-Vallès, 11^e tel 01.43.71.49.52. An authentic oldie, with engraved mirrors dating to 1900. Still serving solid meaty fare like calves' kidneys grilled in mustard. Upwards of €30 à la carte. M° Faidherbe-Chaligny.

Noon–2pm & 8–10.30pm; closed Sat lunch, Sun & Aug.

La Mansouria 11 rue Faidherbe-Chaligny, 11^e tel 01.43.71.00.16. An excellent and elegant Moroccan restaurant dishing up superb couscous and tagines. Menu €29, carte around €38. M° Faidherbe-Chaligny. Open until 11.30pm; closed Sun and lunchtime on Mon & Tues, and a fortnight in Aug.

The 12^e

Cafés and Bars

Le Baron Rouge 1 rue Théophile-Roussel, cnr pl d'Aligre market. A popular bar à vins, as close as you'll find to the spit-on-the-floor stereotype of the old movies. Many locals and shoppers repair here for a light lunch or aperitif after visiting the place d'Aligre market, especially on Sundays. If it's crowded inside you can join the locals on the pavement and stand around the wine barrels lunching on saucisson or mussels washed down with a glass of wine. M° Ledru-Rollin. Tues–Sat 10am–2pm & 5–9.30pm, Sun 10am–2pm only.

T pour 2 Bercy Village, 23 Cour Saint Émilion. The old stone walls of this coolly converted wine warehouse in Bercy combine with contemporary furnishings to create an attractive and relaxed interior. The lunchtime formule for €10 gets you a bagel – French-style, homemade dessert (eg pear mousse with chocolate coulis) and a glass of wine. M° Cour Saint-Émilion. Daily 9am–9pm.

Le Viaduc Café 43 av Daumesnil tel 01.44.74.70.70. In one of the Viaduc des Arts' converted railway arches, with seating outside in Nice weather. Makes a good spot for a drink if you've been walking, rollerblading, or perusing the nearby galleries. The three-course (€21) Sunday jazz brunch from noon to 4pm is popular. M° Gare-de-Lyon. Daily 8am–4am (food served till 3am).

Restaurants

L'Ébauchoir 43–45 rue de Cîteaux tel 01.43.42.49.31. Good bistrot fare in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere; midday menu for €12; carte €25 upwards. It's advisable to book for the evening. M° Faidherbe-Chaligny. Mon–Sat until 11pm.

Le Square Trousseau 1 rue Antoine Vollon tel 01.43.43.06.00. A handsome belle-époque brasserie with a regularly changing menu featuring excellent New French cuisine. Lunch menu for €21, evening is à la carte – reckon on €38 excluding wine. You can also eat at midday in their little annexe next door, hung with haunches of ham and lined with wine bottles; here you get a plat du jour for €13 and wine by the glass from €3. In fact, wine is what it's all about: there's a well-stocked cellar from which you can sample any number of wines and take a bottle of what you like home with you. Booking recommended for the evening. M° Ledru-Rollin. Tues–Sat noon–2pm & 7.30–midnight; closed in Aug.