Tamara Mesarić (1978)

Irish pubs are usually known for having cheerful atmosphere and good spirit. This one is no exception.

The Cork and Cavan Pub is a welcoming pub at the canal St Martin, in the area with a rich concurrence concerning cute and unpretentious places for a drink.

Step inside and you will find a rare and interesting 2 rooms place: one room with a counter (serving great Irish beers) and bookshelves where you can exchange English books and the other room with a sports TV screen. Both of them are equally enjoyable. It’s possible to sit on the outside so choices are here.

Cosmopolitan easiness, cute interior, nice look over the canal makes this place attractive and inviting. I almost forgot: you can play darts too!

One of the most famous of Parisian foods after the croissant is surely “La Crêpe”. On every third street-corner throughout the city there is a small stand where pancakes are available. Often there are only 3-4 basic kinds, and usually they are not as good as you expected. It might not even be prepared in front of you, but simply reheated. It’s a pity to eat a crêpe just to satisfy hunger rather than really enjoying it.

There are popular and without doubt good Brittany crêpe-spots near Montparnasse (such as the Crêperie de Pont-Aven, or Saint-Malo, 54 and 53 Rue du Montparnasse), but they are all too well-known.

What I recommend you is not the big and famous kind of place.

Le Pot O’Lait is just a small crêperie, not especially successful with a wannabe authentic interior, but it is truly an excellent place to eat pancakes, as is evident from the number of people inside. It is dedicated to crêpes and galettes only. A galette is a large buckwheat flour savoury pancake, while crêpes are made with wheat flour and usually have a sweet filling.

There are around 20 savoury salty kinds and at least as many sweet ones. Sweet can also be flam béed and served with ice-cream or whipped cream. ‘Squirrel’ flavour (écureuil) contains sweet nuts and great savoury ones are Capucin or Fermière. These are personal choices, but I’m sure the others are just as good.

One more thing that makes this place special is the warm and enthusiastic staff.

These 2 cafés one across the other are one of the most popular local coffee shop around Bastille.

They have an interesting mixture of artefacts and pictures, as well as tranquil ambiance during the day makes it a place you feel good at.

Sometimes too boboish and a bit pretentious, nevertheless it has a charm.

When I came to Paris, at the beginning I was surprised that if you are by chance hungry at 16:00. it’s difficult to find a restaurant with kitchen opened. With time I saw that Parisians really respect the eating time table, so do the restaurants. With Le cafe de l’Industrie, it’s not the case. The kitchen is open all day around and the food is really good. The menu is bistro-range, with mainly French dishes.

In the right Industrie, a cat who is a household institution, will convince you, you have chosen well.

Butte aux Cailles is a really lovely part of the city. What city is that? You wouldn’t guess, if someone just set you down without telling you, in the middle of the hilly Street Butte aux Cailles.

It is in southern Paris, in the 13th arrondissement – the northern limit is Boulevard Auguste Blanqui, to the south is Rue Tolbiac, Rue Barrault to the west and Rue du Moulin-des-Prés to the east.

It has the atmosphere of a tranquil little village and will certainly give you a holiday feeling, or if you like big cities but a calm neighbourhood, maybe a wish to live here. It had that effect on me.

Just a few centuries ago this area was covered with farms, windmills while the river Bièvre ran through it. The origin of its name comes from the 16th century owner, Cailles, while buttes are hills. Today, history is visible through its distinction from its surrounding areas: Haussmann’s Paris on one side and high blocks of buildings on the other. And the river went into the underworld (canalisation).

At evenings, weekends and on sunny days, there is a great atmosphere all around. Lively, not stuffy and not snobbish at all.

If suggestions for places to go are at all needed, I would just say walk around before choosing a bar, especially in the Rue Butte aux Cailles. Fine places are the Basque restaurant in the Rue des Cinq Diamants (Chez Gladines) and La Folie en Tête, Le Diapason, Sputnik in the Rue Buttes aux Cailles.

Had enough of the city centre? In the Rue de Bagnolet, 20th arrondissement, you can really enjoy a night out. Here are 2 cool places. One is a concert hall Fleched’Or (102 Bis, rue de Bagnolet) and the other is bar Le Piston Pélican. So you can combine the two, but also stay at the bar Le Piston Pélican- things are going on here as well-exhibitions, concerts. Or if you prefer no „events”, a drink at the Pélican can be just enough.

Piston Pélican is a mixture of a local friendly bar, arty on one side, style bistro Parisien on the other. It’s unusual and original, like it’s name. Le Piston means a person that is a connection in “the right places” so nepotism in the hands of pelican.

They have benches with art deco designed tables, in combination with some parodic arty works gets ironic-collage impressions. The cooked eggs at the counter are a funny detail as well as the Pelicans drawings on different parts in the bar.

The atmosphere is friendly, crowded on weekend nights when there are concerts or DJ’s. Other days are calm but not boring, with selected music.

Pelican is not going to disappoint.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pistonpelican