2nd Arrondissement

(C, S) Aux Lyonnais
32, rue St.-Marc. 01 42 96 65 04.
Tues–Fri, lunch; Tues–Sat, dinner.
If you don’t have time for a side trip to Lyon, visit this gorgeous Alain Ducasse–run address for bouchon classics like quenelles and tablier de sapeur. Read a full review here.

(G) Bistro Capucine
22, rue des Capucines. 01 49 26 91 30.
A nice stop for lunch near the rue St.-Honoré while shopping.

(L) Café Etienne Marcel
34, rue Etienne Marcel. 01 45 08 01 03.
Café Etienne Marcel is a place to go for atmosphere. While the food is nothing to write home about, the interior of the café is reminiscent of the multicolored tubing at Beaubourg, and staring at good-looking people is sure to keep you grinning for hours.

(C) Chez Georges
1, rue du Mail. 01 42 60 07 11.
Mon–Fri, lunch and dinner.
Nostalgic types searching for authenticity should head to this classic bistro for frisée aux lardons, steak frites and baba au rhum.

(C) Clementine
5, rue St.-Marc. 01 40 41 05 65.
An affordable bistro from 1906, with wines from small vineyards.  

(D, G, V) Coinstot Vino
26 bis, passage des Panoramas. 01 44 82 08 54.
Mon–Fri, lunch; Tues–Sat, dinner.
A cool new addition to the old passage des Panoramas, Coinstot Vino serves small plates (charcuterie, oysters) as well as full meals. You can reserve a table for eating, but there are a few spots at the counter to have a glass.

(C) Drouant
18, place Gaillon. 01 42 65 15 16.
This 130-year-old brasserie has been brought into the 21st century by chef Antoine Westermann. Multiple dining rooms, a weekend brunch and a very special children’s menu make it a place to consider for family occasions.

(*, T, S) Frenchie
5, rue du Nil. 01 40 39 96 19.
Wed–Sat, lunch; Tues–Sat, dinner.
Foodies haven’t stopped flocking to Frenchie for Gregory Marchand’s ultrafresh market cooking. Delicious.

(C) Le Grand Colbert
2, rue Vivienne. 01 42 86 87 88.
Daily, noon–midnight.
Channel Diane Keaton and visit this historic brasserie made (more) famous in the movie Something’s Gotta Give.

(V) Hokkaido
14, rue Chabanais. 01 42 60 50 95.
Thurs–Tues, 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
This is a standout address for gyoza and ramen in the rue Ste.-Anne area. No reservations, but the wait is short.
(C, D, L) Legrand Filles et Fils
1, rue de la Banque. 01 42 60 07 12.
Mon, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Tues–Fri, 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
A gorgeous wine shop in the Galerie Vivienne, Legrand also has a bar with a few tables, serving excellent snacks and wines not often poured by the glass. This is a fine spot to take a break from shopping.

(T) Mori Venice Bar
2, rue du Quatre Septembre. 01 44 55 51 55.
Mon–Fri, lunch and dinner; Sat, dinner only.
With sophisticated Venetian cooking and a Philippe Starck–designed room, this is no red-sauce joint.

(G, V) Le Petit Vendôme
8, rue des Capucines. 01 42 61 05 88.
Mon–Fri, lunch.
You’ll be elbow to elbow with locals lapping up low-cost, high-cholesterol lunches at this bustling Auvergnat address.

(T, V) Rice and Fish
2, rue Greneta. 01 73 70 46 09.
Mon–Sat, noon–6 p.m.; Thurs–Sat, 7:30 p.m.–11 p.m.
The name says it all at this playful sushi spot near Sentier. Read a full review here.

(D) Le Tambour
41, rue Montmartre. 01 42 33 06 90.
A great place for a midnight snack or a late-night drink to finish off the evening, Le Tambour heaves with revelers from around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. Juicy steaks accompanied by crispy frites, plates of charcuterie and garlicky escargots are the late-night menu staples, as are large foaming pints and warm glasses of red wine. For a more civilized experience, stop into Le Tambour for lunch on the terrasse, where you can people-watch in the trendy 2nd Arrondissement.

(C) Le Vaudeville
29, rue Vivienne. 01 40 20 04 62.
Open every day until 1 a.m.
This 1926 art-deco treasure designed by the Solvet brothers is thought to have some of the best brasserie food around. Its gilded, intricate marble walls, domed ceiling and checkered floors are a step into the Roaring Twenties. Try the grilled codfish with mashed potatoes and truffle juice, the escalope of warm foie gras with grapes or raspberries, or the tagliatelle with morels and Compté du Jura cheese.