L'Épicurien

Hidden in a Petite Venise backstreet, this is a wine bar/bistro in the classic mould, with cheek-by-jowl tables and a good buzz. Whatever's fresh at the market goes into the pot, often with a generous pinch of spice – from fillet of beef in red-wine sauce with frites to wild gambas poached in ginger and lemon with wok vegetables and fettuccine.