11th Arrondissement Restaurants

Chefs Robert Compagnon and Jessica Yang are not afraid of a little culinary unorthodoxy, and unsurprisingly their thirty-seat Le Rigmarole is pretty indefinable.

Clown Bar’s exuberant interior dates back to the 1920s, and rather than looking old-fashioned and kitsch, the décor of bright yellow tiles and stained glass adorned with clowns and circus scenes is quirky and quite beautiful.

Nothing at Mokonuts is predictable, not even the cookies: Chocolate chips are traded for fennel, almond, and pickled lemon; coconut is paired with black pepper. Savory dishes are hyperseasonal, and the flavors are out of this world, with many of the spices and ingredients imported from Lebanon.

This is a true trattoria in the middle of Paris, with great platters of antipasti, thin-crust pizzas, and surprisingly big bowls of house-made pasta (definitely not the skimpy starter size—these are mains). The interior immediately suggests a good time with long electric-blue leather benches running the length of the walls, offset by yellow table mats on quintessentially Parisian round tables. Expect a tight squeeze: This place is perpetually packed with locals downing glasses of sparkling Lambrusco and rounding off with a few bites of the sublime tiramisu.

Le Dauphin is immediately next door to its sister restaurant, Le Chateaubriand. Locals hover around the marbled bar (there are only a handful of tables) for well-priced—though complex—small plates and surprisingly affordable wine. That said, we recommend the cocktails, which are every bit as good as the food.

Bistrot Paul Bert is what any French restaurant ought to be: It features old-school, understated décor; simple but solid food at reasonable prices (including an excellent entrecôte); and brusque waiters. Don’t skip dessert, particularly the not-too-sweet tarte tatin.

The chefs behind Septime seem to understand that you can’t fail when you start with the best fresh ingredients. This isn’t to say that the cool, pared-back space isn’t innovative—it just isn’t flashy. The lunch menu is a steal at 28 euros, though if you’re willing to splurge, opt for the “surprise” menu: You won’t regret it.

Parisian dining has a reputation for being a little stodgy at times, what with the ubiquitous gilded interiors and price fixe-only menu—but at Le Servan in the 11th, you’ll find neither. Instead, chef Tatiana Levha, and her sister, Katia, offer up a short but sweet a la carte menu of Asian-inspired classics that changes pretty much daily. As for decor, it’s all neutral, with a brass-top bar. Walk-ins fare well at lunch, but make a reservation for dinner.

The dining room might not look like all that much, but this is one of those restaurants that changes how people think about food. Chef Inaki Aizpitarte, a pioneer in Paris’s neo-bistro scene, deconstructs traditional French dishes and reassembles them in wildly inventive, globally influenced ways. Despite the kitchen fireworks, it never feels pretentious here, which is probably why locals and tourists alike line up out the door to get a table (reservations are available only for the first seating).

While it's nearly impossible to get a reservation at Septime—and a bar stool at the wine bar is hard to come by, too—you’ll probably have better luck at the owners' newest venture, Clamato, a seafood-centric joint that doesn't take reservations. Also, it’s open all day on Saturday and Sunday, which is a rarity in Paris.