Dipping into a French melting pot

The Brazilian restaurant and nightclub La Favela Chic near Place de la Republique. [Photo/Agencies]

Throughout the rooms, you'll find a wry mix of dcor - placards for African barbers; walls of food products from the Continent; and books, records and artwork for sale.

The crowd at Comptoir Gnral is young and multicultural. The staff members have used their own straddling of French and West African cultures as a way to embrace and gently poke fun at both, as well as to welcome others in.

Places to experience the global night life include the Brazilian spot La Favela Chic and the reggae and West African music venue Olympic Caf. A standout restaurant is Comme sur une le in the 20th Arrondissement, run by a Mauritian chef who blends Indian, French, Chinese and Creole flavors. The vegetarian platter recently included an exquisite assortment of tastes and textures, with small half-moons of eggplant in a chickpea batter; a shrimp dish in a light, flavorful tomato sauce was another winner.

The inner arrondissements, closer to tourist destinations, also have some cultural and culinary offerings. Chez Hanna in the trendy Marais (Fourth) has a sit-down menu, but for lunch grab an inexpensive and marvelous take-away falafel, perfect to eat on a beautiful day in one of the nearby public squares.

Le Petit Dakar, a Senegalese restaurant, is nearby, and charges prices appropriate for sit-down fare in its location (dinner entrees 16 to 20 euros, or about $19 to $24, at $1.21 to the euro).

In the comfortable room filled with posters and books about Senegal, you're seated and served roasted peanuts with a coconut shell to place the husks in. They serve up a fantastic appetizer platter including huge prawns and roasted vegetables that may make an entree seem unnecessary. But the dishes - like the national dish, a fish stew with okra and roasted vegetables - are flavorful and the servings are large enough that you can split them.

Another place worth visiting while doing the more conventional Paris tourism is Restaurant Akash, a well-appointed room with delicious north Indian food. I dined there with a vegetarian who said that the ethnic dining options in Paris provided much needed variety if one doesn't eat meat.

Also in central Paris: L'Institut du Monde Arabe (Institute of the Arab World), a museum that also houses a rooftop Lebanese restaurant with a stunning view. The current exhibits include a multimedia roundup of contemporary art from Morocco, including visual art, fashion, film and architecture, plus a live demo/crafts tent serving tea that can accommodate 500. At the same time, the Louvre coordinated efforts with the Institut to exhibit Medieval Morocco: An Empire From Africa to Spain.