Lunch in the Marais: Neapolitan Pizza or Sichuan Noodles

Today's lunch is at one of the restaurants your guide has visited most in Paris: Pizzeria Popolare, which serves Neapolitan-style pizza. It's run by the Big Mamma group, which has six restaurants in Paris alone, including Ober Mamma, Pink Mamma and Big Love, names you may have come across while planning your trip. The group isn't old: it opened its first restaurant in Paris in April 2015, and it grew impressively in about four years. Every Big Mamma restaurant imports its ingredients directly from Italy, staffs its kitchen and floor only with Italians, and makes things like pasta and sauces in-house. Your guide actually finds the pizza better than what she's eaten in Italy.

Popolare keeps its signature dishes but changes some of the menu every month. She recommends the truffle pizza, the bufala, the margherita and the regina; the truffle pasta is also popular. In France it's one pizza per person, which may be a lot if you have a small appetite. Her tiramisu and churros were both delicious. In France, rather than moving on to a café for dessert, you typically have the meal and dessert in one place, so the server will ask whether you'd like dessert. If not, say "Non merci" or "No, thank you," and ask for the bill: "L'addition, s'il vous plaît."

It's hot with Parisians, too, so weekends can mean a long wait. If you're going on a weekend, arrive at opening time. The line may be long even then, but the restaurant has two levels, a ground floor and a basement, and a big interior, so you'll usually get in fairly quickly. The ground floor feels like a restaurant, while the basement is styled like a cocktail bar. Break times vary by day, so check ahead. Reservations aren't accepted, and your whole party must be present to be seated. Find the location and opening hours on the Google Maps link.

If you'd rather skip pizza and want something with a kick, here's one more option: Trois Fois Plus de Piment, a Sichuan Chinese restaurant that's trending among Parisians right now. Expect a line at mealtimes. The star is dan dan noodles: pork and vegetables stir-fried in chili oil, then simmered with peanut sauce, broth and noodles. They were originally served dry and tossed, and only took their current form as the dish traveled from region to region. Here you can pick a soupy or a dry version, and set the spice level from 0 to 5. Your guide tried the dumplings (ravioli), though, and they were disappointing, so skip those. Pick whichever suits your taste.