Bien Bien

Bien Bien has been serving excellent Thai food on the Rue Bergère for the last 25 years. The decor is simple and elegant, but that's not what you come for – the cooking here is the good stuff, full of big, bold flavours lifted here and there with well-judged touches of coriander, Thai basil and bergamot.

To start, go for the triangular parcels of pork and prawns, or the beef salad (€5-€7). For main dishes (around €10 without rice), curry is the house speciality. Green curry with coconut milk was great, while the paneng – a red curry with coconut milk and roasted peanuts – also stood out. A plus point – they'll adjust the spiciness according to your taste.

Bien Bien is a family affair – the mother managing front of house, the uncle in the kitchen and the sons waiting tables – part of the reason it's done so well on word of mouth, to the point of being able to open Bien Bien 2 in 2011. The cooking for both restaurants is overseen by the same chef in a communal kitchen, but the latter menu is a bit different, including 'weeping tiger' spicy beef. If the restaurant is full up when you arrive (which happens often – book ahead), there is also a takeaway menu.