Special Feature
Paris' Global Buffet
November 1, 2001
By Cliff Leaf

In the city that gastronomes call heaven, some four-star alternatives to French food.

Wine or no wine, there is a limit to how much magret de canard and boeuf bourguignon any one person can eat. Certainly, there are citizens of La République who would rather face the guillotine than admit it, but yes, even great French food can be tiresome if you have it more than a few times a week. The haute cuisine starts to feel haughty and aggressively formal, the sauces too saucy--even the bistros and brasseries lose their charm after hours of "leisurely" service and warmed-over pommes frites. So what to do if you're in Paris for more than a few days? Do what the natives do: Try another type of cuisine.

Luckily, there may be no better place to sample the global buffet. Paris has become a magnet for chefs from the Maghreb and Indochina (both areas where France was a longtime colonial power), as well as for rising culinary stars from across Europe and Latin America. And even homegrown graduates of Le Cordon Bleu are beginning to forsake the food of their grand-mères, opening up hip new trattorias and tapas bars in the city's trendier quarters.

The better non-French places now draw big crowds, so getting in isn't always easy. But reserve early and you can get a taste of the living, breathing Paris, not merely the preserved monuments of the guidebooks. Indeed, traveling to the restaurants below will give you as much a cultural tour of the city as a culinary one. Those with faltering confidence in their French language skills may want to fax their reservation requests. All prices listed are estimates based on a complete à la carte dinner for two, from appetizer to dessert, including a good bottle of wine. (Nearly every French eatery has at least one prix fixe menu that includes some house specialties and is always cheaper than ordering à la carte.) Finally, realize that tips are generally included in the bill.

L'ENOTECA (Italian): You've had one of those filling Parisian days--stomping through the boisterous Marais with its ancient sloping façades and narrow alleyways. You've had the requisite pastis on the elegant Place des Vosges and perused the bookinistes along the Seine until you've seen every last remaining copy of Madame Bovary. Naturally, you want to top it off with something truly Parisian: the bistrot à vin. The city has no shortage of these cozy haunts--part neighborhood restaurant, part wine cave--from the legendary Jacques Mélac to the ever present L'Écluse chain (of which there are now five around the city). But one of the best--and most beloved--isn't French at all.

Nestled in a quiet stretch of the Marais known as the Village of Saint-Paul, where a maze of antiquarians, artisan shops and galleries seem to hide from would-be browsers, is L'Enoteca. This Italian eatery attracts the city's smart set, from media types to fashionistas, but the real reasons you have to reserve early are the covetous locals who return time and again.

Ask to sit on the main floor, where the 16th-century wood beams and stonework are warmly lit by the Romeo Gigli glass chandeliers. The menu, which samples cuisines from several regions of Italy, changes every week, as does the bistrot's by-the-glass wine list. The charming sommeliers, Christophe and Roberto, can help you match the remarkably fresh pastas and poisson to the perfect wine, by the glass or bottle. (There are more than 400 labels on the wine list and about 30,000 bottles in the cellar, everything from solid regionals under $15 to pricier, older Barbarescos.) In case you're wondering, the Italian version of Parisian heaven is a melt-in-your-mouth tuna carpaccio followed by a '91 Barolo Sperss from the Gaja winery.

$70 to $85; 25 Rue Charles V, 4th Arrondissement; 33-1-42-78-91-44; fax 33-1-44-59-31-72; open every day from lunch to late supper; does not accept Amex.

BLUE ELEPHANT (Thai): Few sites are as storied in French history as the Bastille, the prison razed by revolutionaries in 1789 and the nexus of violent student rallies in 1968 (as well as virtually every protest march since). Today the spot is known more for sitting than storming. Students huddle on the steps of the modern Opéra de Paris Bastille; others idle in the dark retro bars to the northeast of the circle. In the past several years the area has seen a boom of ethnic eateries, from Turkish to Thai, most of them reasonably priced.

An exception is the ever popular Blue Elephant. From the moment you enter this garden palace and pass the line of crisply dressed, smiling waiters, you know the evening isn't going to be cheap. Enormous arrangements of flowering orchids and antique buddhas fill the teak-floored salons, and yes, there is even a modest waterfall. Somehow it escapes feeling like a jungle theme park.

Maybe it's because of the food. From the petites bouchées narai (macaroon-crusted shrimp and squid) to the tender coconut-curried Thai chicken to the crab-infused Blue Elephant rice, the menu drew few complaints from our table. Surprisingly, even the "Royal Tasting Menu" is worth the 285 francs (about $40) per person, assuming you're as hungry as a pachyderm. Don't leave without trying the jasmine tarte for dessert. Indeed, the only thing you can safely skip is the much hyped mai tai. Go for a cheap bottle of Saumur instead.

$90 to $110; 43-45 Rue de la Roquette, 11th Arrondissement; 33-1-47-00-42-00; fax 33-1-47-00-45; open every day except Saturday lunch.

TAN DINH (Vietnamese): As stuffed as you may be at this point in your trip, save some centimes for the gastronomic wonder of Tan Dinh. But note, it's best to reserve early. Some diners request tables at this modest-sized Vietnamese restaurant as much as a year in advance.

Tucked into a quiet street between the shops of the Rue du Bac and the Musée d'Orsay, in a tony Left Bank quarter, Tan Dinh looks decidedly underwhelming. The red-lacquered ceiling is washed out, the antique mirrors have faded, and the staircase carpeting near the front door is worn thin. But looks can be deceiving. The soft-spoken Robert Vifian and his eminently gracious father Léon have not only created a sumptuous and varied menu but also paired it with one of the most prestigious wine cellars in Paris. (The Vifians have won the Wine Spectator Grand Award, among other honors.)

For starters, try the steamed ravioli with smoked goose, or the cold duck and kumquat rolls, with a bottle of Côte de Blaye blanc. But for the main dishes--say, the crisp golden triangles with lobster and ginkgo nuts, or the remarkably tender beef filet Tan Dinh--ask Robert to help you choose something from his 45,000-bottle cellar. "Mr. Pomerol," as the younger Vifian is known in wine circles, has a knack for finding quality red Bordeaux--from the surprisingly rich and modestly priced '94 Château Clinet to his dusty crates of rare '47 Pétrus. And his collection of white burgundies nearly rivals the Bordeaux. Go ahead and splurge on the wine. This is a Parisian meal as it was meant to be. And besides, you saved all that money skipping Alain Ducasse.

$110 to $200; 60 Rue Verneuil, 7th Arrondissement; 33-1-45-44-04-84; fax 33-1-45-44-36-93; no credit cards; closed Sunday.