Our Tables of the Moment, from Saint-Paul to Saint-Germain

People always ask us, "Where can we eat well near you?" And we always give the same answer: everywhere — as long as you avoid the terraces with the too-perfect locations and the menus translated into six languages. Here is our gourmet stroll, the one we actually take.

It begins at the Marché des Enfants Rouges on the rue de Bretagne, the oldest covered market in Paris (1615). Lunch is eaten on the go among the stalls: the Moroccan traiteur whose line never shortens (the line is right), the bento boxes, the counter-seat trattoria. The thing to know: arrive before 12:30, do a full lap first, order second.

In the lower Marais, our habits are simple. The crêperie on the rue Vieille-du-Temple for buckwheat galettes and farmhouse cider. The bistros tucked behind the Place des Vosges for comforting southern cooking. The babka from the rue des Rosiers as a walking dessert. And when the craving for a gourmet pita strikes at 10 p.m., the rue des Écouffes always answers.

On the Left Bank, we cross the river, and the journey is part of the menu: the Île Saint-Louis with its obligatory ice cream, then the quays. Once in the 7th, the rue Cler for everyday market shopping, and the banquettes of Saint-Germain for the absolute ritual: œufs mimosa, and the world going by.

Two rules, no more. Always book, even on a Tuesday: Paris dines at 8:30 p.m. and the good rooms are small. And keep one lunch a week for improvisation: every one of our best tables was found by looking up at exactly the right moment. The precise names, our favorite dishes, and the waiter you should greet by name: it's all in the guide waiting for you at the apartment.