Hugging the corner of the Rue Sainte-Marthe square, ajar. is a neighbourhood bustle borrowing its name from author, Romain Gary's pseudonym, Émile Ajar, who made Belleville the backdrop to his novel La Vie Devant Soi. From the outside, baby blue-licked walls contrast the charcoal front and from the inside, terracotta tiles form the floor, bricks are left exposed on the walls and the bar is topped with a ceramic countertop. Folk start trickling in as soon as the doors open for evening service at 17:00, though it's a little later when ajar becomes a bustling hive of activity. Chefs, Camille Bacou and Cassandre Beguin-Billecocq  dance around the kitchen, serving the likes of white tuna crudo topped with corn and raspberry chunks or a smoked eel crust pie dished up with a scoop of pickled mustard seeds. 

Just off from the bustling boulevard of Belleville is the Place Sainte-Marthe, a quiet square shaded by trees and a scattering of bars, foodie hangouts and chic wine bars. La Sardine is one of such. This bar-restaurant, dolls out tapas inspired by Spanish and Italian roots, from fish croquettes with a chimichurri dip to tins of very good sardines. Though really, head to La Sardine, to join the flock of Parisians on its outdoor terrace. Order an IPA and hunt for a table under its bright yellow canopy. 

Like many of the dinky restaurants along Rue Sainte-Marthe, Mulino Mulé is similarly equipped with brick-lined walls, brushed wooden tables and cord-hanging ruffle lamp shades that exude a remarkably cozy, golden glow. What sets it apart is its very own wheat mill, where grains are processed to create a fresh pasta dough that becomes the epicentre for its Sicilian-focused menu. A sausage ragu simmers away for hours, cacio et Pepe is doused in a peppery sauce and hearty bowls of pasta alla norma are whisked from the kitchen to the crowds of hungry locals. 

Nothing about Armorix is quiet: from its bright yellow facade, its whacky interiors cluttered with shells and knick-knacks and its cluster of high/low tables that draw in an eager crowed. This Sainte-Marthe hangout serves a taste of Brittany: buckwheat (a gluten-free flour) is one of the three ingredients to make its infamous crêpes base. The filling varies from simple to the slightly absurd – salmon, samphire and cream is our go-to – and is rounded off by a honey or caramel-soaked galette. Deliciously good, remarkably simply. Don't miss the happy-hour, where Carnac-caught oysters are served for one euro a piece between seven and eight pm.