Having lived in Paris for a year during University, I’d like to think that I know the city quite well especially some spots for some great food. I recently went back for a visit and thought I’d share some of my favourite spots.

Having arrived in Paris at around midday, I was no doubt in a mild state of hunger and what better thing to eat than a crepe at Au P’tit Grec on Rue Mouffetard. This street is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the city. A meandering cobbled street, full off bars, bistros and food and wine shops. This street is also known for its countless crepe shops. They may all look the same but Au P’tit Grec is the only one with the queues. Do not be put off by the queue and make the mistake of going to the others. They are not as tasty and do not have the variety of ingredients that Au P’tit Grec has. Another great thing about this place is watching everything being made, 2 guys 4 crepe hot plates constantly knocking up some serious crepe utopia. I went for the jambon, fromage, oeuf, oignon (ham, cheese, egg, and onions). They place the pre made gallette on the hot plate and crack and egg on it, a few minutes later grated cheese, followed by ham, onions, lettuce and tomato, finished off with seasoning of salt pepper and oregano and voila you have a beefed up savoury crepe. There are many varieties of meats you could choose from or go vegetarian. There is also a selection of sweet crepes (Go for the banana and Nutella) crepes range from 3 to 6 euros.

Next up was a new discovery for me. Being a burger obsessive I just had to see what Paris had to offer. The burger joint bug seems to have caught on in Paris and deciding a spot among the many was a case of just going with gut instinct and I chose The Big Fernand. A small chain of burger joints with 4 locations in France and 1 recently opened in London (which I have only just found out whilst writing this post). A small spot near Grands Boulevards, it was buzzing full of locals and very busy. In spite of that I’d say I was eating within 5 minutes of being in there. For 16 Euros I got ‘Le Bartholome’ succulent beef patty with raclette cheese, smoked bacon, confit onions, bbq sauce and the signature Tata Fernand sauce all in a pillow soft sesame bun the way it should be. Served with skinny fries with a dusting of paprika and washed down with a northern French beer called Ch’ti. You can choose the way you want it cooked too, from bleu to well done.

This burger is highly recommended; all ingredients serve its purpose and combine to make a decidedly French burger.

Lunch on Sunday was provided by my favourite bistro in Paris Chez Gladines. Tucked away down Rue des Cinq Diamantes just off Place D’Italie in the 13^th arrondissement, Chez Gladines, serves regional south west/basque cuisine. This place has a very homely feel to it with customers quite close to one another making it a very convivial place to dine. Home style cooking is the order of the day with a great range of meat, fish and salads. Their salads are pretty incredible as well as filling and the basque chicken I had on this occasion was also very tasty and succulent. They also have a great selection of white and red wines, all French of course. A meal here with wine will not set you back more than 20 euros a head if not less. For the quality and atmosphere that you get you really can’t go wrong.

The final meal on this whistle stop tour of Paris was Pho 14 on Avenue de Choisy in the Asian quarter of the city. This street is lined with Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai eateries. I found this place back when I was living in the city in 2008. Obviously spoilt for choice I based my decision to choose Pho 14 on two factors, the amount of locals in there and also the queues outside. I always try to squeeze in a great bowl of Pho whenever I visit and this time was no exception. With tables inside and out and about a dozen waiters frenetically carrying bowls of Pho and taking orders you’d think with the hustle and bustle vibe that you were in Ho Chi Minh City instead of Paris. This place is along with Mien Tay in London are my favourite places to eat Pho outside of Vietnam. I go for the Pho Complet with the brisket, thin slices of raw beef and the beef balls they also serve many other favourites like Bahn Xeo, Bun Cha and other types of Pho. Once again, a place with reasonable prices for high quality food. A large bowl of Pho will set you back 9 or 10 Euros.

Eating out in Paris is both a pleasure and an experience that is very much ingrained in Parisian life. I can’t wait to go back and discover more great places to eat.

Au P’tit Grec – 62 Rue Mouffetard, 75005

Big Fernand – 55 rue du Faubourg Poissonniere, 75009

Chez Gladines – 30 Rue des cinq Diamants, 75013

Pho 14 – 129 ave de Choisy, Quartier Chinois 75013

Daniel E on Twitter: @d_esteban_88