People-watch in Belle Époque brasserie-restaurants around Paris' Boulevard Saint-Germain, with their scarlet velvet and dark-wood banquettes, gilt mirrors and white-aproned waiters rushing to and fro. Dine in sleek restaurants in Paris' oldest quarter Ile Saint Louis, or munch falafel and syrupy pastries in the streets of the cobbled Marais. Save your euros in Opéra's authentic Japanese noodle bars and Greek restaurants in Paris' Latin Quarter with a studenty vibe.
Paris restaurant tips
Most Paris restaurants only serve lunch and dinner, so it's helpful to know that the city's opulent brasseries stay open from morning till midnight. Take a seat for affordable Parisian favourites like omelette and chips, garlicky mussels and hearty pot au feu (beef stew). For 24-hour dining head to Au Pied du Cochon in Les Halles district (near the Pompidou Centre), famous for its onion soup and pigs' trotters.
Paris Bars
Pull up a wicker chair on a Paris bar terrace to people-watch and linger over coffee during the day. As the mood softens at dusk sip red wine in the intimate bars of Paris' Marais district. Join Parisian socialites sipping champagne in the chichi bars around Paris' Champs-Elysées. Or mingle with a laid-back crowd to soak up jazz around Châtelet, especially on rue des Lombards. Still not tired? Party till dawn at bars in Paris' upbeat Latin Quarter and Bastille.
