Indian restaurants in Paris

A new crop of restaurants seems to spring up every season around the Rue Saint-Martin, to the point where one could become blasé. But number 205, on the corner of the street, manages to hold the gaze with its dramatic marbled exterior. It’s a modern, upmarket take on cafés run by Persian immigrants in Bombay (Mumbai) in the 1930s (they were known as ‘Irani’) – bright colours, huge mirrors and sober floor tiles hint at this aesthetic heritage, though not as much as the delicious smells wafting out of the kitchen, which is run by Manoj Sharma, an alumnus of London's famous Cinnamon Club...

A veritable institution, this 80 seat restaurant is in an entirely different class from the rest; a chain with branches in more than 10 countries, specialising in vegetarian dishes from Southern India. But this isn’t a curried version of McDonald’s, rather the squeaky clean surroundings and fresh ingredients put Saravanaa Bhavan above the neighbourhood’s collection of greasy spoons. The attractive space is done out in design sofas, black tables and big windows, giving more of a Japanese vibe than anything else, though the metal drinking cups and flock of busy waiters feel more authentic...

From the outside, there’s nothing that sets Muniyandi Vilas apart from the scores of other Indian restaurants crowded around the Gare du Nord. It’s small, a bit tatty, and the aroma wafting in from the kitchen a tad overpowering. Yet once you’re sat at one of the cramped tables, the place begins to work its modest charm on you: smiling waiters, eccentric murals, cute metal cups. And by the time the dishes arrive, generous and succulent, you’ll be glad you chose this place over the others. For a fistful of euros, you can order yourself a veritable feast: an impeccable cheese parotta (a sort of rectangular naan) for €2.50, a vegetable biryani for €6...

With its plain white frontage and understated interior design, this small Indian restaurant offers modern cooking in a sleek and stylish setting. Owners Stéphanie and Arnaud de Saint-Simon have already had great success with MG Road in the 3rd arrondissement, and they aim to top that here at Desi Road.The extensive menu of ‘small plates’ for sharing can be hard to choose from, but standouts include the healthy and spicy ‘Malai Prawn’...

Slightly disconcertingly, Coffee Anjapper looks a bit like ‘Little House on the Prairie’, but with Indian cuisine. Its location in a very happening neighbourhood means that the prices are a shade higher than for similar cooking elsewhere, but a full meal for two will still only cost you around €30. Southern Indian dishes are the speciality, and the cosy atmosphere here is the perfect setting in which to discover the region's unique mixture of spices and, particularly, vegetarian dishes. Purists might not find the mixed vegetable pulao, rice with vegetables or tandoori chicken particularly memorable, but anything with ‘matter’ – a fabulous sauce made with peas...

There’s little to distinguish Ghandi Ji’s from many other Indian restaurants in Paris that go for broke over the décor – it’s all sweetly kitsch with yellow tablecloths, intricately folded napkins, plastic flowers and Ghandi portraits and figurines. But none the worse for that – the kitchen delivers a far more solid performance than you might expect given its tourist trap location on the Grands Boulevards. All the classics are there: tandoori, vindaloo, korma, nan etc., the meats perfectly cooked, and if the sauces are a shade fatty, they're full of flavour and enticing scents, and the service is delightful...

One of the longstanding favourites of vegetarian diners in Paris, this is Krishna Bhavan's second branch. The large dining room is done out warm tones, with a large portrait of Ghandi on the wall – it's a space where you feel immediately at home, even if dining alone.The menu offers a huge choice of dishes from Southern India, ranging from dosa (lentil pancakes with curry) to iddiyapam (fine wheat and rice noodles). Our waitress advised to try the thaali, a platter of dishes that includes an array of specialities. Six mini-dishes of vegetables surrounding a dome of rice arrived, topped with a sadly soggy poppadum. There was also some raita and a spoonful of spicy lime pickle...

It can be tough to know where to eat Indian in Paris, and to steer away from the hyper kitsch, touristy venues towards something more authentic. Kastoori is a very good tip, then – a slightly hidden little dive on the stylish little Place Toudouze, where you’d usually expect to find the latest trendy bistro rather than a family-run joint like this. But it’s been here for 16 years, done out in comparatively sober tones and with the added perk of a heated, covered terrace. On our visit, we could have done without the dry chicken shish kebab skewers to start, but the mains really delivered...

This pretty little Indian street food canteen specialises in home made naan breads to eat in situ or to go, freshly filled with organic and locally sourced ingredients. Set up by Mauritian brother and sister team Ajay and Nanda Narsimulu, the restaurant offers five different types of naan filling, like the Cocotte (marinated chicken, tikka spice, minty mayonnaise and raw beetroot), which is equal parts fresh, original and filling, and the very well done vegetarian Naàn-jardin...

Don’t come here expecting to get a fix of tikka masala or gulab jamun; Marcel is first and foremost a fusion restaurant, mixing Indian flavours with Western culinary traditions – and sometimes coming up with some overambitious projects on the plate. The postcolonial décor is a subtle and attractive mixture of gently distressed walls and contemporary lamps, and we swooned for the clubhouse armchairs that you can spot from the canal-side street outside – altogether, the ambiance succeeds a little better than the cooking. That said, for around €20, you get generous quantities, fresh ingredients and plenty of spice...