(C) Allard
41, rue St.-André-des-Arts. 01 43 26 48 23.
This is a classic old bistro with vanilla-colored walls and a big zinc bar. Try the duck with green olives—it’s one of their specialties and feeds a big group. The food is served family style, and the waiters are very friendly here.

(C) Aux Charpentiers
10, rue Mabillon. 01 43 26 30 05.
A basic bistro that has been here forever and boasts homemade foie gras. Open seven days a week.

(S) Le Bistrot de l’Alycastre
2, rue Clément, in the 6th. 01 43 25 77 66.
43, rue Claude-Bernard, in the 5th. 08 92 68 06 89.
Le Bistrot de l’Alycastre prides itself on its bistronomie, the bistro’s artistic and elegant take on the widely used term gastronomy. Seafood is a must at one of its locations. Dinner for two will run you around 100 euros (including wine), so it’s a good place to save for a special occasion.

(C) Café de Flore
172, blvd St.-Germain. 01 45 48 55 26.
Café de Flore is a Parisian institution, and no stay in the City of Lights is complete without a visit to this old stomping ground of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. It opened in 1887 and has been going strong ever since, playing the role of go-to café for writers, actors, directors, philosophers and artists. Stop in for a coffee or an aperitif, or sit down to a pleasant (though not inexpensive) dinner and take in the scenery.

(V) Le Canton
5, rue Gozlin. 01 43 26 51 86.
Good Chinese food (when you just can’t look at foie gras again). Rue Gozlin is quite small, running parallel to and south of boulevard St. Germain, beginning at the Emporio Armani shop and ending at the Aigle shop.

(G) Cherche Midi
22, rue du Cherche Midi. 01 45 48 27 44.
You’d never know it from the outside, but it’s an Italian restaurant. Some of the best Italian food you’ll ever have. It’s quite small, so make a reservation to ensure a table. Great for lunch or dinner and near the shops in the 6th.

(S) Le Comptoir du Relais
9, Carrefour de l’Odéon. 01 44 27 07 97.
A terrific little bistro that has become quite well thought of for lunch and dinner, featuring a single prix fixe menu at night. Reserve ahead for dinner!

(*) Hélène Darroze
4, rue d’Assas. 01 42 22 00 11.
Named chef of the year by Pudlo and one of the city’s only female star chefs, Hélène Darroze makes this place nearly a must for any Girls’ Guide traveler. But be sure to reserve ahead. Frog legs, sweetbreads, Basque lamb or chorizo, plus a stellar wine cellar—try something daring. Le Salon d’Hélène is the bistro on the ground floor, and it is infinitely more affordable than the restaurant above.

(V) La Ferrandaise
8, rue de Vaugirard. 01 43 26 36 36.
An affordable gastronomic experience with terrines, excellent fish and escargots—a modern take on the typical French fare.

(G) Fish la Boissonnerie
69, rue de Seine. 01 43 54 34 69.
The food is basic and fresh with a focus on fish. Owner Juan Sanchez is also the man behind the wine shop La Dernière Goutte. (See Food Sources.)

(S) Huîtrerie Régis
3, rue de Montfaucon. 01 44 41 10 07.
If you’re craving oysters, Huîtrerie Régis is a good bet. The oysters come directly from Marennes-Oléron and are guaranteed to be fresh and delicious. Huîtrerie also sells oyster platters to go and delivers.

(S) Il Vicolo
34, rue Mazarine. 01 43 25 01 11.
This chic yet friendly Italian restaurant serves homemade pasta with attentive service in a pleasant atmosphere. Nice Italian wine list.

(*) Kitchen Galerie Bis (KGB)
25, rue des Grands-Augustins. 01 46 33 00 85.
William Ledeuil’s KGB presents a menu that will make your mouth water, serving traditional French plates, often with a twist (think calamarata pasta with duck confit, and foie gras with beets). But perhaps the most exciting thing about KGB is that chef the chef is not afraid to think—or cook—outside the box. White-chocolate wasabi soup, anyone?

(G) La Maison de la Lozère
4, rue Hautefeuille. 01 43 54 26 64.
We discovered this wonderful place on one of our treks, and we come back regularly. It is next to the tourist office for the Lozère department, which is a region in the middle of France where most of the cattle are raised. Here they have delicious charcuterie, brown country bread and Aubrac beef, as well as wine from the region. This is a real find.

(*) La Marlotte
55, rue du Cherche-Midi. 01 45 48 86 79.
With a bright red exterior and a dark interior, La Marlotte is the second restaurant of Gilles Ajuelos. The menu won’t disappoint, and the wine list is ample. For lunch the restaurant offers a reasonable prix fixe menu, which includes wine (naturally).

(L) La Méditerranée
2, place de l’Odéon. 01 43 26 02 30.
A great place for seafood overlooking the beautiful Odéon theatre. (Of course, they also have duck, etc.) It’s nicer than a bistro, but not too fancy.

(C)(L)(D) La Palette
43, rue de Seine. 43 26 68 15.
If you’ve been gallery hopping and boutique shopping in the 6th, chances are you will have worked up an appetite. Stop in at La Palette, open since 1903, for a quick bite (sandwiches, salads, omelets) or a leisurely apéro (try the diabolo-menthe).

(S) Paul
17–21, rue de Buci. 01 55 42 02 23.
These bread-focused breakfast/lunch shops are all over Paris, and this one is wonderful for breakfast or a takeout sandwich. My kids always loved to watch the bakers as they made the baguettes—something you can watch from the street through the picture window.

(G) La Sieste
16, rue de la Grande-Chaumière. 01 43 26 28 05.
A charming little Italian place just down the street from Wadja, if you’ve had enough of buttery cuisine.

(S) Wadja
10, rue de la Grande-Chaumière. 01 46 33 02 02.
A chef who trained with the star chef Alain Senderens has a perfect little bistro on this street near Montparnasse, serving affordable and deliciously inventive French cuisine.

(*) Ze Kitchen Galerie
4, rue des Grands Augustins. 01 44 32 00 32.
Sat: dinner only. Closed Sun.
Run by a chef who trained with Guy Savoy. Offers a delectable mix of world-inspired food, from shrimp to pasta to frog legs. Reserve ahead; this is an expensive—but worth it—night out. See GG2P food blogger Meg Zimbeck's review.