Zinzin

And the top spot in the café / diner / épicerie category goes to Zinzin! This quirky joint was dreamt up by two proponents of sustainable eats, Anne-Sophie Baudoin, who already brought us Épi shop in Paris, and Alexandra Tikhomiroff, a (not-so) private vegetarian chef, both of whom are assisted in the kitchen by journalist and chef Alix Hardy (ex-L’Idéal). In this well-supplied locavore haven (a vintage counter with plenty of patina, checkerboard tiling, marble-topped tables), the duo serves coffee and matcha all day long, in a space filled with vegetable crates, clean wines, kombucha, granola, spice jars, Comté and saint-nectaire cheese… We come less for the epicurean chaos than for the fantastic veggie-forward dishes, savored amid egg cartons and heirloom squash varieties. The other day, all of the following made its way out of the open kitchenette: hummus with a kick of chili oil; divine polenta paired with mushroom stew, plus roasted squash, late-season tomatoes and shaved Parmesan; smoking hot green shakshuka that had the next table over sighing with delight; and for a sugar rush at the end of the meal, a tantalizing autumnal fruit compote, which won out over the plum and almond tart or the gluten-free brownie. // Folayemi Abimbola

FEELING THIRSTY? : Drinks to help you warm up or cool down, including double espresso from roaster Corto (€2.90), chai lattes (€4.50), Provence-made Claquettes Chaussettes pilsner (€3.90 for 330 ml), Pac lemon syrup water (€2), Uma soft drinks (€3.90).
PRICE: : Sandwiches €7-10, mains €14-15, desserts €2.50 to €5.