48 hours in Paris

November, when the leaves are dropping from the plane trees, the days are growing shorter and the locals are starting to wrap themselves like parcels in long woolly scarves, is one of the most atmospheric months to visit Paris. The tourist crowds have petered out and the city takes on an altogether more intimate feel.

Just as it’s impossible to see the Louvre in one day, Paris’s food needs to be approached in small bites. Each neighbourhood presents its share of culinary treasures, from the local cheese shop with its pristine display of controlled mould to the oyster bar that can transport you faster than a TGV to the beaches of Brittany. To make the most of the city’s edible delights, a little research is in order. Plan your sightseeing around your eating rather than vice versa: the locals would heartily approve, as their own lives largely revolve around food.

The food equivalent of the Louvre’s must-see Denon wing (the one with the Mona Lisa) is St Germain, home to many of Paris’s finest fromageries, chocolate shops and patisseries. Everything here is exquisite… and expensive: pastries are presented like jewels and the shops have a hushed, almost reverent atmosphere. If your quest is for something a little less Marie Antoinette and a bit more “Vive La République!”, you’ll find the city’s crustiest baguette in the great bakeries of the Latin Quarter’s rue Monge or villagey Montmartre.

For a real taste of Parisian culinary culture, base yourself in the 11th or 12th arrondissements where you’ll find lively food markets and neighbourhood bistros that haven’t changed in decades. Celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau (the third Thursday in November) at one of the city’s many wine bars and warm up with game stews and some of the world’s richest hot chocolate – true chocophiles must visit Angelina (226 rue de Rivoli; 01 4260 8200).

Best breakfast
Paris doesn’t really do breakfast: often it will involve nothing more than a café express (espresso) and a croissant or tartine (buttered baguette), eaten standing up at the bar. To linger longer over this meal, head to Bread and Roses (7 rue de Fleurus; 01 4222 0606), run by Anglophile Philippe Tailleur. Here, you can settle in at one of the wooden tables and taste some of the airiest brioche and flakiest croissants in town, perhaps with a currant-studded ficelle (slim baguette) and a bowl of cloud-like fromage blanc.

Best market
With more than 90 markets in this city it’s impossible to choose just one, but it would be hard to do better than the Marché Saxe-Breteuil (Thu & Sat 8am-2pm; place de Breteuil). Sited along a quiet tree-lined stretch of boulevard with the Eiffel Tower rearing up in the background, it’s a culinary treasure chest. The seasonal produce is as well-groomed as the local residents: look for Madame Nochet and her heirloom apples, many of which are at their best at this time of year. Other highlights are the larger (and louder) than life Jacky Lorenzo and his gleaming assortment of fish and seafood, and Gérard Mathieu, who sells gooey brownies made with top-quality French chocolate.

More down-to-earth but still highly entertaining is the Marché d’Aligre (open daily 8am-1pm, 4-7pm except Sun pm & Mon; place d’Aligre), with its vocal North African street vendors and covered market filled with fine foodstuffs. Finish your stroll with a glass or two of wine from a barrel and a generous plate of charcuterie, oysters or runny cheeses at the Baron Rouge (1 rue Théophile Roussel; 01 4343 1432), a fine local watering hole. For organic fare, skip the scarily priced Raspail market on Sunday and head to the Marché Biologique des Batignolles (Sat 9am-2pm; boulevard de Batignolles), which caters to the bobos (bohemian bourgeois) with rustic produce such as freshly churned, sunflower-yellow butter.

Best café terrace
Even as the temperature drops, Parisians remain devoted to their café terraces – especially now that smoking is forbidden indoors. Grab a seat at the Bar du Marché (75 rue de Seine; 01 4326 5515) and take part in the local sport of people-watching. The salads and omelettes are almost as good as the view. For something more chic, take shelter under the arcades of the Louvre at Café Marly (93 rue de Rivoli; 01 4926 0660), with its unbeatable view of the glass pyramid. The mealtime rushes are best avoided, but this is the spot for morning coffee or a cocktail.

Best macaron
Macarons (macaroons) have become the benchmark by which Parisians judge pastry shops. Though Ladurée has its devotees, for me nothing can compare to the macarons at Pierre Hermé (72 rue Bonaparte; 01 4354 4777), which achieve the perfect balance between crisp and melting. The Mogador (passion fruit with chocolate) has become a classic, while Chuao (dark chocolate with a blackcurrant centre) is my favourite. In winter, you can even have black truffle macarons – something only Hermé could pull off.

Best oysters
Winter is the best season for oysters, and you’ll find some of the freshest and finest at Huîtrerie Régis (3 rue de Montfaucon; 01 4441 1007), a shrine to the much-loved mollusc. At a handful of white-dressed tables, Régis serves oysters rushed in from Marennes-Oléron on the Atlantic coast. Their strong, clean and nutty taste comes from the time they spend maturing in the claires (salt marshes).

Best bistro lunch
Lunchtime is the best opportunity for exploring Paris restaurants without breaking the bank. Many top-notch bistros offer two or three-course set menus at bargain prices. One of the best new places in town is L’Agrume (15 rue des Fossés Saint-Marcel; 01 4331 8648), where chef Franck Marchesi-Grandi serves a prix-fixe menu for ¤16 that brings you three small starters and a main course, all of it with an haute-cuisine touch that comes from his time spent working with star chef Pierre Gagnaire. Alas, word is already out about this gem, so you’ll have to book in advance.

Best intimate dinner
It’s hard to avoid closely spaced tables in Paris without paying high prices, but Le Pamphlet (38 rue Debelleyme; 01 4272 3924) is an exception. With plenty of breathing room, you can focus attention on your companion and the southwest-inspired food from chef Alain Carrère. The ¤35 prix-fixe menu changes often, but squid risotto, lamb-stuffed roasted tomatoes and glazed suckling pig with root vegetables are typical of his elegant yet hearty style. Desserts are generous and comforting. 

Best places to stay

Expensive: Plaza Athénée
25 avenue Montaigne; 01 5367 6665; doubles 630-935 euros
Grace Kelly’s hotel of choice, the Plaza Athénée still attracts people of exquisite taste. Rooms are decorated in sumptuous French style but it’s the service that makes the difference here: staff will know you by name within minutes of your arrival. If the rooms are out of your price range, be sure to have a drink in the city’s most stylish hotel bar.

Better value: Hotel Keppler
10 rue Keppler; 01 4720 6505; doubles 300-490 euros
Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon has pulled off an eclectic mix of styles at this boutique hotel just off the Champs-Elysées. Stripes, animal prints and checks punctuated with bursts of colour create a surprising harmony in the rooms and suites – the best have teak terraces overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

Budget: Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles
75 rue Cardinal Lemoine; 01 4326 7923; doubles 115-140 euros
The bumper-car traffic of Paris will feel miles away in this Latin-Quarter hotel with a peaceful courtyard garden, where you can take breakfast outside in warm weather. Antique furniture and flowered wallpaper add to the country feel. Book well ahead.