In Paris for 48 more hours. In need of restaurant recommendations.

Thanks for the props, Sigrid! Aside from French food fatigue, another problem you may run into this week is restaurants closing for the holiday season. We compiled a calendar on Paris by Mouth showing which restaurants are open when (http://parisbymouth.com/open-in-august/), and from that list, my first pick for something ethnic/spicy/fun would be Candelaria. There's also a discussion thread running on "exotic flavors" here:
http://parisbymouth.com/forum/#/20110519/exotic-flavors-on-the-cheap-592098/page2/
Happy eating!
Meg from Paris by Mouth

Thank you all for the recommendations. The Friend is living in West Africa and I'm in my third Middle Eastern assignment, and we both miss ethnic flavors.

It's French, not ethnic, but it is inventive and modern: my favorite restaurant in Paris is Les Cocottes de Christian Constant. He features things cooked in cocottes, as you can probably guess. No reservations and it helps to get there early. So wonderful!

I'm literally just off the plane from Paris. Last night (in some time zone) we had dinner at a little neighborhood place where our apartment was: Pizza da Pietro. He's a classic Italian with a pizza and pasta place in Paris. May not sound like much, but I swear it was the perfect last night in Paris. Good wine, great food - every course was abundant and perfect, and they just kept food coming to us, then dessert, then limoncello, and coffee, and finally I tumbled to the fact that every handsome young waiter in the place was parading himself before the daughter. Including Pietro, who, when I explained that she would be returning to Italy next summer, and that we would be back to Paris again together, said that he would wait for her. But seriously, great food, great fun. Off the Bvd. St. Michel in the 6eme. Just across from the Marche St. Michel. Bon appetit!

Falafel!? Try L'as Du Fallafel in the Marais.

I just spent 9 months studying in Paris. Hands down Paris Hanoi on rue de Charonne is the best vietnamese food I've ever had anywhere in the US. Also, Les Pietons on rue de Lombards near Chatelet had great spanish tapas, sangria and an awesome atmosphere.

How about a North African type place with couscous and merguez and grilled meats?
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2004/07/couscous_at_le_dattier_imbb6.php

Juveniles on the rue de Richelieu serves tapas and wine (by the glass if you prefer). It has a fun atmosphere and good prices in addition to the good food. It's run by a Scotsman, so everyone also speaks English.

Given France's long history in Indochine, there are several Vietnamese/Cambodian restaurants in Paris.

There's a very good Vietnamese one called Le Lotus Blanc in the 7th (near Invalides) that's been around forever. Had a delicious meal there a few years ago. There's another one that I've heard good things about for years, but haven't been to, called Au Coin des Gourmets, in the 5th (I think.)

I experienced the same franco-food-fatigue one night last year after a few weeks in Paris. The husband and I stumbled upon a street that offered several different Asian "restaurants" - mostly takeout deli's featuring all sorts of interesting dishes for the locals to take home with them for dinner that evening. We chose a Chinese place whose glass cases were filled with dishes that had us drooling, and the cheap prices meant we could try lots of different things, esp the stuff you don't see over here in the States. Pretty much everything we had was wonderful. There were a few plain tables & chairs in the back where others were eating from their plastic containers, no waitress service, but they did offer bottles of wine (a very nice & economical Cotes du Rhone, in fact!). These restaurants are located on the Rue Lepic in Montmartre - If you stand on the Blvd de Clichy & face Moulin Rouge, it's the street just to the right - walk up it and you'll see lots of options for non-french food. Again, sooooo not fancy, but it might satisfy your craving! Also: I believe Indian places can be found in the Quartier Latin.

Oh, honey, you don't come to Paris to eat Sushi/Indian/Thai!

I highly recommend www.parisbymouth.com. I'm sure you'll find other options and still eat "something different".

If you can get the table, try www.latetedanslesolives.com. It's in fact an epicerie, but between 12 and 2 p.m. it becomes a one-table-restaurant for 5 guests. We were there last week and it was amazing. Creative, unusual, really yummy. And definitely different from the bistros.

There are so many others but too many to think of at the moment. Do go to Paris by mouth and browse a bit. I'm sure, you'll find something!

Oh, and enjoy!

Sigrid