Having produced footwear for the masses via The Gap last autumn, dead-on French cobbler Pierre Hardy has conversely created a limited-edition only-500-available-worldwide 'Colorama' sneaker. It comes as no surprise with a moniker like 'Colorama' that his exclusive sneaker features a rainbow assortment of bold colours: the laceup hightop is green-tongued, sealed with a yellow Velcro strip, has red piping, and simple solid blocks of bright blue and purple, all against a slate grey background. It’s the perfect blend of spunky 80s and hip modernity. SM

In the early 60s, the iconic French brand Cacharel made a name for itself with a modern, fun and ultra-feminine blouse collection. More than forty years later, it’s rather apt that its first men’s-only concept store is this ‘Chemiserie’ – a concept store dedicated to shirts. Tucked away behind the Grands Boulevards, it’s almost impossible not to notice the huge loft-like space with its bare floorboards and contemporary warehouse finish. And of course, you can’t miss the shirts. They are casual, masculine and nonchalantly cool in bold colours, stripes and even some prints at a very reasonable 45€. There is also a concise and sensibly priced selection of suits and jackets, some stylish army-inspired trenches, blazers in corduroy or velvet, plus jerseys, T-shirts, polo necks and even cashmere scarves. JL

Martine Sitbon is no new kid on the block. She held her first fashion show in 1985, was the creative director of Chloé for nine seasons, and had a well-loved eponymous brand until she broke with her former business partner in 2004. Now reincarnated as Rue du Mail (as she no longer owns her name), Sitbon is back on the scene and making her presence felt. This past summer, Sitbon guest-curated the fifth edition of A Magazine with a top roster of artist friends including Julie Verhoeven and Tilda Swinton. Her wildly original and covetable clothes, notably a black V dress interlaced with a thick red belt and playfully flounced cream-colored skirt, have been featured in international Vogues and Elles alike. Best of all, for those who miss her – and for those who wish to discover her – she has a brand-spankin’ new flagship store and general HQ located on, where else?, Rue du Mail. SMo

This landmark address rhymes with wearable vintage. The mountains of stock – everything from 80s boots to old Levis – turn over constantly, to please an international melting-pot of avid customers. KDG

Think blast-from-the-past dressed-down casual à la Margot Tenenbaum sans the tiara. Delphine Sztackman’s space is filled with ravishing pieces from the 60s and 70s. There's a huge selection of furs, vintage jewellery, shift dresses, polos, and cocktail dresses. KG

Slow-cooked five-spice lamb, 18€.

With the opening of Liza, a spunky little space not far from the Bourse, Lebanese cuisine is finally coming into its own in Paris. The cheerful restaurant decor is the work of young Lebanese artist/ designer Hubert Fattal, who has created a white space, with an inlaid pearl and pebble scheme. And the cuisine, from the former chef of London’s Fakhreddine is a mix of both traditional and contemporary, East and West. On a recent visit, puréed aubergine with sesame, pumpkin soup and lamb tartare with parsley were tasty, well-prepared starters, and the succulent slow-cooked five-spice lamb and Kebbah (spiced lamb sausages) with sides of hummus, were delicious, well-spiced and copious. The wine list has excellent French and Lebanese wines (try the Chateau de Kefraya 2000 if you have the budget), and the house lemonade perfumed with orange flower water is divine.

The mythical Rue de la Paix boutique is newly renovated with ubiquitous Baccarat chandeliers and large dance studio mirrors. Jeté your way to classic demure style. Brigitte Bardot skipped through Paris in her ballet pumps, and Gainsbourg’s white Repetto lace-ups were as much part of his identity as cigarettes and St Germain. Created in 1947 by Rose Repetto for her dancer son, the soft ballet shoes are perfectly Parisian and available in a rainbow of colours. Even Comme des Garçons have created a model. The dance apparel and shoes are sweetly arranged in circles and the airy, luxe-bohemian vibe will bring out the prima ballerina in even the most leaden-legged of browsers.

Simple, clean and darned cheap, this little gem may just be the best deal in Paris. Just off the Rue Montorgeuil in the vibrant hub of the hip 2nd arrondissement, your hotel room probably won’t see much of you anyway. With cosy singles starting from only 30€ a night and pleasant, decent-sized doubles from 50€, you can save your bucks for more important matters, like spending up a storm in the nearby shops, bars and cafés in the Rue Etienne-Marcel and beyond. Rooms are quiet and comfortable with reasonably sized bathrooms, breakfast is served in your room, and views are over the street (preferable) or courtyard. Paris’s best-kept secret has a serious inside following, so make sure you book at least a month in advance.

'Goat’s cheese and roasted vegetable ciabatta panini, 6.90€.'
The huge mural featuring flocks of tropical birds on the otherwise white and clinical walls is a good metaphor for this chic new organic eatery. You may not be excited by the refrigerated shelves of prepared salads and smoothies, but order from the blackboard menu a freshly prepared toasted sandwich filled with goat’s cheese and grilled vegetables, or a freshly squeezed juice, and wow! The taste bursts out. Feeling virtuous after your healthy lunch, you can splash out with a real coffee (it’s not all decaf and herbal teas) and a deeply satisfying, dense chocolate brownie. The Eames chairs and plate-glass windows draw waiflike fashion people and Japanese tourists – it’s the new canteen for the Faubourg St-Honoré. But can all those paper cups and plastic containers be good for the planet?

'Crunchy coated: pecan nuts, soja sauce, herbs... and cod, 19€.'
The menu’s haiku poetry style gives a good indication of what’s to come at this trendy eatery. New-generation chef Gilles Choukroun’s culinary trademark is one of blending, marrying and uniting flavours, often Asian tastes with French ones, in ways quite unlike anywhere else on Paris’ food circuit. The food here is fun (expect dishes such as foie-gras crème brûlée), but accomplished . The oval dining room, clad in warm reds, browns and creams, provides a cosy backdrop for Gilles’ iconoclastic dishes, and Frédéric the friendly headwaiter ensures that the meal runs as smoothly as the vin.