The gallery and bookshop never disappoint a curious mind, but the café is worth the trip alone.

This is my favourite brasserie. Very close to my school, I often have lunch there. Every dish is delicious (no surprise there!) and service very nice. A great place for some traditional French cooking!

Really good coffee. Love the light in the mornings there.

This is another artistic centre that opened recently, this time housed in a former 19th century music hall that later became an indoor roller coaster attraction (yeah, really). The temporary exhibitions can be hit or miss, but I like hanging out in the free, open-to-all library on the first floor where you can sit in the futurist media pods and flip through the latest arts, culture, music, design and architecture magazines. Their shelves are also filled with a growing endowment of books which seem to be acquired according to the theme of the aforementioned exhibitions. Internet access is available on a dozen or so PCs (or via WiFi on your own machine) and for gamers, there are a few consoles connected to largish plasma screens. The café upstairs, with its classic baroque meets retro-futurist interior, is a sight to behold.

Cool bar-restaurant in the parc of Les Buttes Chaumont, quiet, peaceful with good cocktails