Features > General > Best Ethnic Restaurants in Paris
Traditional French food – creamy bearnaise sauces, melting cheeses, fat slabs of ham and chunks of beef – is always a tantalizing option, but after days or weeks of croque monsieurs and tarte tatins, the adventurous traveler might be tempted to seek out dishes with a bit more spice and pizzazz. As Paris's cultural landscape changes, North African, Indian, and Chinese dishes have become as “authentic” as crepes or pommes frites – and often just as delicious! For an out of the ordinary meal in Paris, try these restauarants.
1) INDIAN – Yugaraj – Rue Dauphine
This dark, intimate restaurant on Rue Dauphine is an ideal romantic venue. With an eye-catching carved-wooden facade and an extensive, if also expensive menu, Yugaraj offers aromatic, flavorful Indian dishes in a tranquil setting at odds to the bustle of the 6eme arrondissement. The rice biriyani dishes are particularly good, and be warned, Yugaraj is authentic enough not to skimp on the spice.
2) MOROCCAN – Mansouria – 11 Rue Faidherbe
This Moroccan restaurant between place de la Nation and place de la Bastille is a master of understated charm, with a neo-retro take on traditional African and North African architecture: antique doors and portals, minimalist ornamentation, and space-age architecture. The food, however, is classic: this restaurant serves seven delicious varieties of cous-cous, and the aromatic tagines – savory meat slow-cooked with fragrant spices – are uniformly excellent.
3) JEWISH – Chez Marianne – Rue de Roisiers
On this street in the Marais known for its mainly Ashkenazi Jewish restaurants, this North African eatery on the corner is something of an anomaly. Serving a variety of tiny dishes from falafel to hummus, which can be served separately for a light appetizer or combined to make a satisfying feast, Marianne is adaptable for anything from a midday snack to a banquet. Its outdoor tables make it especially worthwhile in the summer or on warm days.
4) CHINESE – Chez Vong – 10 Rue de la Grande Truanderie
This spacious restaurant in the first arrondissement of Paris is known for its stunning decor – with lanterns, pottery, and bamboo screens everywhere surrounding an enormous green pagoda in the center of the room. The food, too, is splendid, with specialties being the rock lobster with ginger and the lacquered squab.
5) THAI – Blue Elephant – Rue de la Roquette
Sporting seventeen chefs, this Thai restaurant in the 11th arrondissement is one of the most authentic restaurants around. House specialties include the chicken souffle in banana leaves and the coconuts in tamarind sauce, but regardless, anything on the menu here is special, from the sweet and mild, fragrant dishes to the intensely spicy mouth-waterers.
By Tara Isabella Burton
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