Opened last year by the Kinugawa family, Hanawa is an enormous emporium of Japanese cuisine, just off the elegant avenue Montaigne. The restaurant is divided into three different levels, each serving its own speciality: teppanyaké, sushi and traditional cuisine. We visited the traditional restaurant, tasting deliciously authentic (but expensive) dishes such as beef with ginger and algae, spankingly fresh tuna sashimi, and a wonderful sushi platter. As good as the food was, we couldn't help wondering if the new wave of authentic and good-value Japanese restaurants (Guilo Guilo, Youlin) might eventually dethrone outsized establishments like this, not that the ladies who lunch and suits would care. AM

This surprisingly good-value bistro located in the high-rent seventeeth, not far from the Arc de Triomphe, has had the Paris food press buzzing since it was opened not too long ago by Japanese chef Hide Kobayashi. Be forewarned however that no sushi or California rolls are on the menu, rather there's a well-turned out classic French menu from the Robuchon trained chef. For 29€ you get perfectly cooked dishes such as leeks with vinaigrette sauce and a dusting of Guérande salt, entrecôte from Hugo Desnoyer or cod on a bed of puréed mashed potatoes, and standard yet good French desserts including île flottante and tarte tatin. Book in advance, as the tiny dining room is always packed with locals and in-the-know foodies. AM

A no fuss, no frills Franco-Japanese eatery with a cult following. The décor would probably be best described as minimalist, though not in the pretentious sense, but rather in a carefree, undone kind of way. The animated open-kitchen is perfectly suited to the friendly Canal St Martin quartier, and weather permitting, the wall of windows giving onto the street are ideal spots for people watching. Fish lovers will be delighted with the array of raw or easy-over marine life on offer, plates of sashimi (around 18€) and grilled tuna (19€) are a favourite here. Committed carnivores can try the beef in a citronelle sauce, and allow the complimentary amuse-bouche of deep-fried marinated fish to go to their dining partners. The lunchtime menu is good value: 15€ , entrée + plat, plat + dessert, or the full works for 18€. FU

Belleville's Rue Rébeval is a veritable enclave of good eats. New kid on the block Kiwizine joins the tasty trove, but with some notable differences. Kiwizine - a jeu de mots that alludes to both the French word cuisine as well as to the New Zealand-born (aka 'Kiwi') half of the owner couple - is adamantly organic and equitable. On top of using top-quality ingredients, Kiwizine has taken its protocol even further, creating a space that welcomes and encourages artists. From the cheery red exterior to the black-and-white-chess board-tiled floor, Kiwizine provides an arty gathering ground: relaxed, airy, without pretension. It's only open on Friday and Saturday, as the owners are volunteering their time until the cooperative gets off the ground. Patrons, in exchange of paying a 2€ membership fee, are kept updated about the rotating bill (every 6 weeks) of exhibitions, or can simply relish having a perfect place to huddle - over a home-made meal - and discuss their own projects. SM

Legion are the high-priced, inauthentic Tex-Mex establishments in Paris, and a quality Mexican restaurant (i.e. Anahuacalli) comes at a price. But for those of us used to eating this type of cuisine back in the States, where it's typically cheap and good, it goes against the grain to pay a premium. That's why Chiaapas is such a great find. Inexpensive and cheerful, this strange little establishment - located next to an aqueduct and sandwiched between the Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord - proposes both Mexican and Indian cuisine. Staples such as nachos, quesadillas and tacos are on the menu as well as dishes like sincronizada, a wheat tortilla filled with cheese, guacamole and choice of cheese, meat or spicy peppers. Imported Mexican beers are a steal at 3.50€. AM

The fact that they serve the best pint of Guinness in town would be reason alone to come to this pocket-sized Irish pub, right in view of the Canal Saint Martin. The warm, friendly atmosphere and genial welcome by Kevin, the owner, makes one want to come back again and again, as do the delicious toasties, jacket potatoes, and communicating shop, Scrumptious, full of British and Irish goodies. There's also darts, a book exchange and football nights. What more could you ask for? AM

Bad-boy UK chef Gordon Ramsay has taken up digs at the Trianon Palace, a newly renovated luxury hotel on the edges of Versailles, (where the Treaty of Versailles was drawn up in 1919, in fact). Ramsay has set up two different restaurants: the high-class Gordon Ramsey au Trianon, which seats 30 and offers a distinct fine-dining experience modeled on Gordon's eponymous, and 3 Michelin starred, London flagship restaurant. The more relaxed (and cheaper) brasserie La Veranda has a wonderful view overlooking the centuries-old trees and lush gardens of Versailles and offers classic dishes from breakfast through to dinner (count 50€ per head, including wine). It's quite a paradox for an Englishman (in fact, he's Scottish), and takes surely, quite some pluck, to come to this bastion of French tradition and luxury and dish up his modern interpretation of French cuisine back to the French. But his clientele are not snobby Parisians - who, as the Figaro food critic François Simon pointed out in his review, probably don't even realise that Versailles is a short taxi or train ride away - but rather the hoardes of British and American tourists who make the pilgrimage to Versailles every day.

Apparently, man-about-town Mr Edouard Baer http://edouardbaer.blogspot.com/ doesn’t like to cook. So what he’s done is to take over a comfortable Bastille restaurant (ex Les Amognes) and create a relaxed bistro where he and his buddies can tuck into fresh and tasty Moroccan dishes. Malika et Fatima oversee the regularly changing menu, with set menus between 18€ and 22€, where you too could have the good fortune to sample the Pastilla of the day, a well cooked steak, slow-cooked veal with seasonal vegetables, and finish up, perhaps, with the orange-flower and fruit salad. Miam.

Located on one of Paris' most mouth-watering streets (Unico, Crus et Découvertes, Le Temps au Temps), the Bistro Paul Bert has long been a destination for locals and foodies seduced by their good value, authentic menu. Recent articles in the Anglo/American press may have compromised the charm somewhat (especially during dinner time, with braying Yanks galore), but the bistro still remains excellent value with its 18€, three-course lunchtime menu (courgette salad with parmesan, delicious steak tartar and some of the best frites in the city, followed by a decent caramel crème brulé). The 34€ menu gives a lot more choice with more creative items like Thai-style beef carpaccio, and wines are reasonable with good bottles from 20€-25€. AM

The team behind the Canal Saint Martin’s popular Italian restaurants, La Maddonina and their more recent pizzeria, Maria Luisa, have opened another annex in the upper Marais’ rue Charlot, offering a similar menu and quality to Maria Luisa but for a more upscale clientele. Surrounded by the art galleries and trendy boutiques of Paris’s NoMa (Northern Marais) district, this cozy eatery pulls in the crowds for easy Italian eats: copious platters of charcuterie, quality pizzas, a small selection of daily changing pasta and salad, served with homemade bread and washed down with a limited but good selection of vinos, by glass, pitcher or bottle. Go for a biano and finish with the excellent caramel panacotta. Starters from 7-9€, pizzas from 9-15€. AM