Paris is many things to many people: a fashion hub, an artist’s muse, a foodie’s dream, a dazzling City of Light. And despite recent turmoil, the bohemian spirit that draws so many to France’s storied capital has never felt so strong. New restaurants are opening, shops are humming, and a joie de vivre echoes resiliently from the terraces that line every café. As Audrey Hepburn so famously said in the 1954 film Sabrina, “Paris is always a good idea.” Here, eight buzzy eateries, bars, and must-visit spots you need to hit.
LE COMPTOIR GÉNÉRAL
By day, this mazelike venue hidden down an alley near the Canal Saint-Martin is a coffee shop, gallery, and vintage store. By night, it’s a tiki bar with DJs spinning West African tunes to a packed dance floor.
80 quai de Jemmapes, 331-4488-2448; lecomptoirgeneral.com
WILD & THE MOON
The new age food craze is thriving at this Upper Marais café, where plants dangle from the ceiling and laptop-toting creative types linger over açaï bowls, organic cold-pressed juices, and frothy matcha lattes.
55 rue Charlot, 339-5180-2233; wildandthemoon.com
HOLYBELLY
Some call the menu Australian, some American. But everyone agrees that the creamy flat whites, horseradish-spiked Bloody Marys, and bacon-topped pancakes with house-made bourbon butter at this subway-tiled brekkie spot are the best hangover cure in town.
19 rue Lucien Sampaix, no phone; holybel.ly
LIBERTÉ
You’ll be dreaming of tarte au citron for months to come after just one visit to this corner pâtisserie, where an industrial, open-air design allows a behindthe-scenes peek at famed pastry chef Benoît Castel doing his thing.
150 rue de Ménilmontant, 331-4636-1382; libertepatisserieboulangerie.com
ARTISAN
If you tire of bubbly and Bordeaux, head to this Brooklyn-esque bar in the trendsetting Pigalle area for thoughtful craft cocktails.
4 rue Bochart de Saron, 331-4874-6538; artisan-bar.fr
CLAMATO
This new addition to Michelin-starred chef Bertrand Grébaut’s string of buzzy dining destinations in the 11th arrondissement has all the makings of a memorable date spot: low lighting, intimate seating, and seafood-centric small plates meant to be shared.
80 rue de Charonne, 331-4372-7453; septime-charonne.fr
BALLS
Sure, the name is cheeky, but the refined, veg-friendly menu is anything but lowbrow. Arrive early, order the asparagus risotto and lamb balls with yogurt sauce, then watch as the Instagram-friendly white room fills up.
47 rue Saint-Maur, 339-5138-7489; ballsrestaurant.com
HERO
The team behind hipster mainstay Le Mary Celeste opened this photogenic Korean-style restaurant last year, and its steamed pork buns and fried chicken slathered in chili sauce have kept the plaid-walled dining room packed ever since.
289 rue Saint-Denis, no phone; quixotic-projects.com/venue/hero
