Meal with a view?
People think you get the best view of Paris if you dine in the Eiffel Tower, but Le Ciel de Paris overlooks the tower, which is magnificent when seen from above.

Best caffeine fix?
The coffee in Paris is not great, so I tend to make my own. But I do like to go to La Caféothèque where they roast their own beans.

Best for cheese?
La Fermette on Rue Montorgueil. I’m a big fan of aged Comté and they stock some of the best I’ve tasted.

Best for bread?
134 RDT. Excellent grainy breads and baguettes come from this tiny storefront bakery in the Marais.

Most memorable meal?
The poulard de bresse (roasted chicken with an onion and black truffle puree) I had at L’Ambroisie in the Marais was wildly expensive, but after one bite, I was in heaven. (Well, until the bill came!).

Best for satisfying sweet cravings?
I crave chouquettes – crisp cream puffs encrusted with pearl sugar. Most bakeries carry them, so I just stop into the nearest bakery wherever I am.

Best for seafood?
The best oysters I’ve had in Paris are at West Country Girl. They specialise in buckwheat crepes and source oysters direct from Brittany.

The local I couldn’t live without…
Catherine, the chicken lady at the Bastille market on Sundays. She makes the most amazing poulet crapaudine – spatchcocked chicken that’s roasted to perfection.

Top tipple?
Although I don’t sip cocktails as often as I do wine, the Guêpe Verte at Mexican restaurant Candelaria in the Marais is deliciously spicy, enlivened with chilli, cooling cucumber juice and tequila.

Best small bites?
The charcuterie platter at wine bar Le Garde Robe, which may include Spanish ham or chorizo, depending on what they’re slicing. It goes down easily with the natural wines.

Best country meal?
The coq au vin at A la Biche au Bois is all classic country flavours in the heart of Paris. The buttery mashed potatoes are perfect for soaking up the rich wine juices.

Recent foodie discovery?
The pain d’épices at Gana bakery. It’s not dark and heavy like other spice breads, but light enough so you can taste all the spices.

Best to impress?
Place de la Concorde is impressive at night, with the obelisk and fountains. It’s Paris at its best.

Where I want to eat next…
Ducasse at Plaza-Athénée where I happen to have a reservation.