See and be Seine! With many of the city’s newest attractions, from Les Berges to Les Docks, taking full advantage of Paris’ prime real estate by the banks of the river, one headline-grabbing newcomer in the Canal Saint-Martin neighbourhood is literal hole-in-the-wall Le Comptoir Général.
It’s not well sign-posted, but take the line-up of stylish locals on quai de Jemmapes as a giant arrow pointing to the entrance of this ‘ghetto museum’ slash bar and restaurant, and all-around up-comer hotspot.
It’s a shab-chic feast for the senses with eclectic global trinkets throughout; the questionable moniker alludes to curiosities like a voodoo witchcraft cabinet, a mini-museum on the Françafrique political past, and overgrown ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. But what you’re really here for is lipsmacking Asian and African street food, from yakitori skewers to chicken curries to Senegalese dibiteries, and pairing them with Africa-imported beers and Creole-inspired cocktails. Just add a roster of film screenings and DJs, and you’ll see why the queue is so unwavering. Get in line!
Le Comptoir Général, 80 quai de Jemmapes, 10th, Paris, +33 1 44 88 24 46, lecomptoirgeneral.com
