Just a few blocks from the République metro station at the junction of the northern end of the Marais and the 11th arrondissement Frederic Hubig of Café Moderne has applied his talents into turning this classic old Paris bistro into a vibrant bistro du coin that attracts diners from all over Paris or like the couple seated to my left from Mexico City.

It was a cold January day, and I was meeting my culinary rabbi, Albert Nahmias, for lunch. I suggested pot au feu and he countered with cassoulet, the rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the southwest of  France, containing meat (typically pork sausage, goose, duck and sometimes mutton, pork skin and white beans, so off we went to the 15th and Le Gastroquet.

I first heard about this quaint bistro nestled off the beaten track in the 13th from my pal Alec Lobrano, author of Hungry for Paris but my introduction was from Barbara Wild of French gardening.

Off the beaten tourist path in the 15th arrondissement discerning diners are discovering pleasures worth the trip. Young chef Guillaume Delage brings an innovative approach to classic seasonal dishes and his wife charms the front of the house.

Since the 1950s the intellectuals, writers, actors, filmmakers who form the cultural elite of Paris have made Rosebud a preferred spot for late-night cocktails or a cozy meal.

It was Friday night and this recently hip section of a very large arrondissement was hopping. A young crowd was packing the bars along the rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud that had heretofore been boucheries and boulangeries.

After a massive renovation by the restaurateur Gérard-Joulie Les Grandes Marches reopened late in 2012. Adjacent to the Paris Opéra Bastille it can accommodate over  300 diners on two levels and the 60 seat terrace. An ideal spot for a pre-performance cocktail or post concert dinner we arrived for dinner while the sun (long absent) this year was still shining and were seated at a booth underneath a photograph of Maria Callas and facing the winding staircase that leads to the upper salon reminiscent of a 1920s ocean liner.

I was tipped off to this elegant spot in sight of the Eiffel Tower by my Italian colleague Davide Quaglio Cotti.He and Franco, the ebullient owner, were pals on the Adriatic coast. For 25 years Franco ran a successful restaurant in Paris and when this spot became available he grabbed it. He will welcome you with warmth and geniality and his wife, fill prepare your meal.