White doilies hang over light fixtures, the steel tables feel sleek thanks to thin single candlesticks, and there are brightly colored finger paintings on the walls in the bathroom. Basically, this place is anything but ancient Greece. The whipped feta and ricotta tyrokafteri dip full of spices and herbs comes dressed with toppings like marinated peppers and cashews, and the tzatziki gets a glow-up from some zucchini.

Inside this inconspicuous restaurant two things are happening here that you won’t often find at other nice-but-casual spots around town: servers will refill your water glass when you’re in the bathroom, and there’s the option to pick between an a la carte or full tasting menu. If you’ve got the time, go for the tasting to sample the best of the chef’s seasonal hits, like an onion soup topped with Jerusalem artichoke or the excellent butternut squash ice cream with chestnut cream for dessert.

The team who also run Tékès, Shabour, and Boubalé are back in the same location with the same vibe. What has changed, beyond the name, is the chef—now, the menu infuses Iraqi and Moroccan takes on Israeli cuisine: smoked baba ganoush comes with a bruléed top, and a creamy, carbonara-like “risotto” is made with couscous instead of rice. But the must order is the sabich sandwich, which swaps pita for flaky boreka and comes topped with egg.

If you can’t get into Septime—which, unless you know someone, is almost certainly the case—then book a table at this new tasting menu spot instead. It’s in a different part of the same restaurant-packed 11th arrondissement, but has a similar look and feel: there’s exposed stone, wooden wingback chairs, and hip-hop playing overhead. The ground floor tables look down into the wine cave, but if you come during the day, the best place to sit is upstairs under the skylights.

In general, it’s rare to find traditional NYC-style pizza in Paris. But that’s exactly what you’ll stumble upon at Vecchio, an Italian-American spot in the 11th. Order one of those before moving onto the pastas, like fusilli alla vodka or the lemony bucatini dish with shaved bottarga and a dusting of parmesan. The mini tiramisu might be tempting, but save any remaining stomach space for their take on a rum baba that’s made with limoncello-soaked brioche.

While you may be tempted to walk in singing the Ritchie Valens slow jam of the same name, brace yourself for a much more vibrant scene at Donna—at least as the night progresses and the Japanese chef running the central bar-slash-open kitchen hangs up his apron and the DJ takes over. Come to socialize and sip on natural wines like the “Hobo” red blend from Languedoc-Roussillon, pair it with some tuna tartare, or a heaping bowl of spaghetti with clams slathered in a tart grapefruit sauce.

If you need proof that Parisians crave more than wine and cheese, you’ll find it on a quiet corner of the 11th arrondissement, where crowds of young locals congregate for their naan fix. The menu is divided into sections based on portion size, and while you could easily stick with the chaats like dahi puri smothered in spicy yogurt and chutney, you’d be missing out on larger plates like the creamy chicken korma and spicy lamb. Whatever you do, don’t skip the cardamom soft serve.

Resist the smell of buckwheat crepes wafting from Briezh down the block—you’re here to eat pasta at Localino, an Italian restaurant in Saint-Germain-des-Prés that functions as a one-way ticket to Rome by way of metro lines 4 and 10. Plop into one of the plush chairs at the countertop facing the open kitchen for heaping bowls of veal ragout macaroni or fusilloni in a simple red sauce, and save some room for the tiramisu.

Cheval d’Or has been around since 1987, and the facade hasn’t changed since. What is different, though, is who’s running it. New owners and chefs have taken over this former Chinese restaurant in Belleville and turned it into a fusion spot where fashion folk and their friends chow down on whole roast duck, croque madame stuffed with lobster and topped with chili oil, or their take on barbajuan: friend wontons wrapped in swiss chard.

Technically, they’re calling this new spot from the popular Chambre Noire group a taqueria. But we’re still in France, so expect a heavy focus on natural wines in addition to tequila. If the floor-to-ceiling windows that open to the street and the Manu Chao songs playing from the sound system don’t lure you in, the scent of slow-roasted pork and fresh-pressed corn tortillas definitely will.

The table next to you at this buzzy bistro near Jardin du Luxembourg might be full of politicians from the nearby French Senate, or twenty-somethings from a skate park. The menu is French but inspired by the chef’s time traveling in Thailand, which translates to things like tender beef served with a lemongrass jus and shrimp tartare topped with a crispy tamarind cracker that’s almost like deconstructed pad thai.

Come by this cafe for almond pancakes and whipped mascarpone and fig leaf syrup. The deviled eggs are topped with bacon, cheese, and jalapeño, while the Turkish egg and feta toast with pickled purple onions will finally allow avocado toast to RIP. Beyond breakfast, there are plenty of reasons to stick around for lunch, and not just because they’re open until 4pm. The grilled caesar salad trades romaine for cabbage, the polenta fries are thick and crispy, and there’s soft serve for dessert.

Stroll through the market before making your way to Godaille for a leisurely, €30 three-course lunch. They also have an a la carte menu with appetizers like green curry mussels and smoked trout in a sesame and peanut sauce, and mains like a hefty hanger steak with marshmallow-sized fried gnocchi in a light, Frenchified BBQ sauce. The beautiful, high-ceilinged room, with brass sconces and distressed leather seats, is nice and inviting, and the service is, as the French say, top.

The Eastern European menu here isn’t Jewish per se, but it’ll definitely evoke a sense of nostalgia for those who are. Like most restaurants in Paris these days, there are only two seatings (and the second doesn't start until 10pm), so book ahead if the thought of eating brisket paired with gnocchi shortly before bedtime gives you premature heartburn. When it comes time for dessert, make sure you order the plump chocolate babka topped with a big scoop of ganache and drizzled in olive oil.

The menu at this friendly, bric-a-brac-filled spot changes every couple of weeks—in September, that meant the last of the tomatoes dressed with a fennel crumble and the first of the king trumpet mushrooms, sauteed and topped with crispy onion and bacon. Choose a few dishes from the chalkboard, and expect them to come out whenever they’re ready. The rock-meets-heavy-metal soundtrack is a bit questionable, but this is the kind of place that’s lively enough to drown it out.

Service here is friendly and attentive, and the cuisine ranges from simple things like bulots with mayonnaise to more creative dishes, like whole mackerel doused in tandoori sauce and served with a broccoli puree and sliced kumquats. With exposed stone walls, a lone candlestick on each table, and a ‘90s throwback soundtrack featuring “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Dancing in the Dark,” eating here is as much about the fun, feel-good ambiance as the food itself.

You won’t find tacos at this sunlit, all-white canteen that opened a block from Gare du Nord station in November. But you will find Mexican dishes like encacahuatadas (theirs features mushrooms smothered in a creamy mole sauce with peanuts and smoked pepper), and huarache, a plate of corn tortillas topped with shredded pork, black beans, and a tower of fresh herbs. Comer is only open for dinner on Thursday and Friday nights, but we prefer lunch Tuesday through Friday anyway.

This romantic space is very grandma’s attic-meets-17th-century palace, with mismatched velour chairs, twinkling crystal chandeliers, and old sewing machine stands that double as tables. The modern French cuisine is just as steamy as the decor. Unexpected flavor pairings on the four-course tasting menu might include a creamy brocciu cheese mille feuille topped with a lone capucine leaf or a kiwi pavlova featuring bits of extra crunch thanks to teeny-tiny pieces of celery.

It’s not easy to execute a menu for three distinct meal times, but this newcomer in the food-frenzied 11th arrondissement nails it. Come by on the weekends at 10am for a filter coffee (French for a real American drip, not an Americano) and a bowl of their homemade Grammola. For lunch, the heartier menu, which changes daily, might include a sandwich, stuffed cabbage, or rice soup with shitake mushrooms. They also do small plates for dinner, like beef meatballs and a French favorite: deviled eggs.