Everyone knows Paris is a city for foodies, but there is much more to be enjoyed than classic French cuisine. The city is filled with immigrants from all over the planet who bring exciting new flavors to the culinary landscape. Here are some of our favorite eateries where you can enjoy the tastes of the world in Paris.
L’as du fallafel
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This legendary takeout window on a pretty street in La Marais will transform your appreciation of falafel. There's a reason why the line stretches down the street, but it is well worth the wait!
Grande Mosquée de Paris
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Location, location, location... There's no better setting for a meal of couscous followed by hot mint tea and sweet North African pastries than this elegant cafe and restaurant located in the Grand Mosque of Paris. You can choose to sit in the palatial dining room or relax in the trellis-shaded outdoor patio. Afterwards, you should walk off the calories with a stroll through the large botanical garden across the street.
L’equateur
For an authentic taste of West African cuisine give L'equateur a try. The restaurant is popular with Paris's African community, who come in search of the dishes that remind them of home. Dishes include savory yassa (chicken or fish in a spicy peanut sauce), n'dole (a Cameroonian stew with dried fish and greens) and a gelatinous okra gumbo that will weed out the pretenders. You can wash it all down with a delicious ginger juice.
Coco de Mer
When was the last time you had Seychelles cuisine? Our guess is probably...never? This archipelago in the Indian Ocean was on the historic spice route between Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and its food also reflects French and Chinese influences. With dishes such as veggie samosas, octopus curry and coconut chicken, Coco de Mer brings a taste of the tropics to Paris.
Le Cambodge
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Due to its colonial legacy in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese take-out joints are peppered throughout Paris but Cambodian cuisine is a bit harder to find. Le Cambodge is one of the city's most popular Cambodian restaurants. While fans of Thai and Vietnamese food will find the dishes familiar, there are unique touches such as the rich natin, a ground pork and shrimp stew garnished with peanuts, that make this place worth a special visit.
Noura
A high-end chain of Lebanese restaurants, bakeries and sweet shops, Noura outlets can be found any many different locations across Paris and its outskirts. Their mouth-watering selection of gourmet items is always tastefully presented in luxurious settings that might remind you of a jewelry store rather than a food emporium. Just remember, a diamond ring never tasted this good!
Tigermilk
The cuisine of Peru has taken the food world by storm in recent years, and Paris is no exception. From mouth-watering ceviches (the restaurant takes its name from the prized milky sauce that is a by-product of this savory fish salad) to quinoa bowls, Tigermilk has introduced an appreciative French public to the unique South American flavors of the Andes served in a trendy setting.
- Written by Jacob Edgar