Picking a restaurant in Paris can be overwhelming. There’s a welcoming bistro around every corner, ready to charm its way into your belly with a range of fabulous sounding tartines, croques and gâteaux. Lindi Brownell Meiring makes things a little easier for you by rounding up five of her favourite meals and drinks to enjoy in the City of Light.

1. Le Fameux Pied de Cochon

Au Pied de Cochon is a restaurant with a history. The restaurant has stayed open since 1947, and by stayed open I mean 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Over the years, it has entertained the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Serge Gainsbourg. But what it’s really known for is its signature dish and its namesake: The Famous Pig’s Trotter. Grilled and crumbed, this filling dish (priced at €19.60, approximately R340) is served with a traditional Béarnaise sauce and French fries.

Address: 6 Rue Coquillière, Paris

The famed pig’s trotter. Photo by Lindi Brownell Meiring.

2. Poisson Du Jour

A lunch at Alain Ducasse’s Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower may need to be booked well in advance and will definitely take a hefty chunk out of your travel budget, but, will be well worth the effort and extra savings. Do yourself a favour and go for the seafood, which ranges from John Dory fillets to oven-baked sea bass.

Address: 2nd Floor, Tour Eiffel, Avenue Gustave Eiffel, Paris

Fish of the day at Le Jules Verne. Photo by Lindi Brownell Meiring.

3. Le Chocolat Chaud l’Africain

This hot chocolate is so good it’s a top secret recipe – and one of the main reasons to visit Angelina, the famed Parisian cafe on the Rue de Rivoli. Made using three different cocoa variants from Niger, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, this is hot chocolate with a difference. It’s so well loved that you can even buy it bottled before you leave. A 250ml bottle will set you back €6.90 (approximately R120).

Address: 226 Rue de Rivoli, Paris

Now that’s what we call hot chocolate! Photo by Lindi Brownell Meiring.

4. Quiche Lorraine

For one of the best traditional French quiches, head to Boulevard Saint-Germain’s renowned Cafe de Flore. Remembered for its famous literary and artistic patrons, like Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso, this albeit slightly touristy cafe boasts a flawless quiche lorraine (€16.50, approximately R280), filled with crispy bacon, and served with a fresh green salad.

Address: 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris

A glorious quiche. Photo by Lindi Brownell Meiring.

5. Une Crêpe Ultime

A trip to Paris wouldn’t be complete without a pancake, whether it’s a crêpe sucre (just sugar) or smothered in Nutella with fresh slices of banana. The best thing about finding the ultimate Parisian pancake? You have the opportunity to test as many as you want from the hundreds of street vendors across the city, all claiming to make the finest crêpes on offer. Best eaten hot while on the go.

Pancake vendors are easy to find in Paris. Photo by Lindi Brownell Meiring.

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