Belleville

After the elegance of Paris’s other areas, the hustle and bustle of Chinatown with its graffiti-covered streets and tiny canteens can be a bit of a shock to the system. But this area has it going on. Take a walk through the independent food shops and bars and soak up the village-y charm before spoiling yourself with incredible Chinese food all along Rue de Belleville. Le Grand Bain does fantastic large sharing plates that are perfect for groups while the grilled dumplings at Ravioli Chinois Nord Est (a two-minute walk from the busy Belleville Metro crossroads) are the best you’ll find in Paris. To the south, near Ménilmontant, there’s all-day playground La Bellevilloise and wine and small plates bar Le Lapin Blanc. Buttes-Chaumontand and the banks of Canal Saint-Martin aren’t far away, and famed celeb graveyard Père-Lachaise is just to the south.