Porte 12 is hidden behind a heavy wooden door in the heart of the 10th arrondissement and housed in an old textile and lingerie atelier. A favourite of design enthusiasts and fashionistas, the 24-seat restaurant is a lesson in good taste, with taupe walls and deep-blue banquettes. The restaurant opened its doors in September 2014 backed by Singaporean chef and restaurateur André Chiang and global hotelier Loh Lik Peng and is headed up by his former sous chef Vincent Crépel from the South of France. The result is a sophisticated and interesting dialogue between French and Asian cuisine.

Caviar Kaspia has been the go-to spot for the high society in Paris since the 1920s when it was opened by Russian owner Arcady Fixon. Here the likes of Carine Roitfield, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beyoncé rub shoulders with politicians and the literary elite. The space feels like an old-world private members club where guests are welcomed by name and taken through the ground-floor shop up to the hidden second floor. Champagne flows, vodka is served in carafes and caviar reigns. The menu is simple with extravagant ingredients and various ways to enjoy caviar – on blinis, with eggs, in a baked potato. There is a large selection of smoked fish and foie gras with a few soups and salads to accompany your main meal.

Simple and stylish, Paradis is a French brasserie in the 10th arrondissement and the type of place you could spend hours with friends over a bottle of red wine. Chef Nicolas Gaudin serves up simple dishes such as duck and veal carpaccio in a living room-esque setting with large wooden tables lit by vintage wall lights and large wax candles. The menu changes daily but eggs, vegetables, fish, pasta and grains so there will always be something to try.

This is a Miami Vice-inspired burger bar in the heart of Le Marais. We know you’ve heard it all before, but PNY’s third location is genuinely one of the trendiest burger joints we have seen to date. Come for the design and eat the Le Ponclet beef burgers with hand-cut french fries.The menu is reminiscent of any cult US burger bar but PNY pride themselves on the quality of their ingredients and their exceptional mature cuts of Le Ponclet beef. Check out PNY Oberkampf or PNY FBG Saint-Denis instead, depending which is closest to you.

Bertrand Grébaut’s Septime is one of the most coveted restaurants in the French capital and with good reason. Combining the decor of a traditional bistro with a stylised finish, the spiral staircase, large industrial mirrors and flowers propped in metal watering cans create the ideal backdrop to your meal. Seasonal, flavoursome and beautifully presented, Septime’s simple yet creative menu changes daily. To really get a sense of just how talented Grébaut and his team are, try the carte blanche menu, which lists three ingredients per course.

With its grey walls, metal chairs and industrial lighting, the interiors of Marcel’s three restaurants create a hip surrounding for those wanting an Instagrammable dining experience. Though undoubtedly trendy, Marcel still manages to be unassuming and welcoming. Come here for a lively American-style brunch or pick up coffee and spend your afternoon wandering the tree-lined streets of Paris.

Following their relocation earlier this year, L’Entrée des Artistes is now situated in Pigalle. The New York-style restaurant is set over two floors but has maintained a cosy, intimate ambience. Exotic green plants, soft lighting and exposed brick walls set the scene in this art deco establishment which embodies Parisian cool. The menu is innovative and creative, mixing Asian and French flavours.

As an internationally renowned restaurant, Frenchie is hardly a place that needs its praises sung. Despite its fame and success, with its brick walls and tiny dining room, Frenchie’s interior and service maintains a neighbourhood bistro vibe, perfect for cosy and romantic dinners. Attracting anyone who enjoys exquisite food and wine, chef Gregory Marchand’s little alley spot lives up to the hype. Putting a spin on traditional French cuisine, Marchand’s seasonal menu is creative and inspired by his travels around the world, hosting a variety of flavours in his succinct menu. Be sure to try the informal café Frenchie To go on 9 rue de Nil.

For a slightly more wholesome meal amid all the croque monsieurs and steak frites, head to one of our favourite healthier hot spots in the Upper Marais. Season is the place to be for filling smoked salmon, avocado and poached egg toast when you’re in dire need of some nutrients or a matcha brioche when you’ve had one too many éclairs but still need to satisfy your sweet tooth. The muted, neutral tones of the décor also make it the perfect brunch place to soothe a hangover.

Formerly a neighbourhood boulangerie, Café Charlot is now a lively bistro with one of the most popular bars amongst the fashion set. Just opposite Le Marché des Enfants Rouge (the oldest market in Paris, created in 1610) the charming bakery window at the shop front, the 1950s style zinc bar, retro white tiles and wine bottles lining the walls will make you feel like you are finally in the Paris of your dreams. The food is good but we prefer the drinks. Come for happy hour between 7PM and 9PM and grab a seat (or fight for a seat) on the terrace for some of the best people-watching in Paris.

Café de Flore has been an established Parisian hangout ever since Oscar Wilde began sipping his daily café noir at a table on the terrace in the late 1880s. Despite the café being famed for serving the best onion soup in the city, food isn’t the main drawcard here – that would be the quintessentially French atmosphere. Sit yourself down in one of the art deco red-leather-upholstered mahogany chairs (which apparently haven’t changed since the Second World War) and watch the world go by, à la française.