Le Rouleau de Printemps

Simple, delicious and cheap Vietnamese food in this tiny restaurant just north of the Boulevard de Belleville. Expect a bit of a wait on a Friday or Saturday evening as there are few tables and no bookings taken. It is one of the very few Parisian eateries with a good selection of vegetarian options and the bo bun with home-style rouleau de printemps (spring rolls) is nourishing and warm and even better when chased down with a cheap Tsingtao beer. Be prepared to share tables and squash-in but if the queue is too long to stand and wait or if you fancy a post-dinner digestif head around the corner to Aux Folies (8 rue de Belleville), the ever-popular and ever-trendy bar with rows of crammed-full outdoor tables come rain or shine.