Nakagawa

A Japanese venue in the middle of Belleville’s Chinatown, which draws in passers-by with gentle aromas of grilled eel, miso soup and tempura. Inside, there's a small room with a view onto the Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and a few seats at the bar facing the chef. On the lunch menu are basic set menus (sushi-soup-salad-rice) from €11-€15, and some more complex ones that go up to around €20 a head.

The sushi is seriously high quality, the salmon and prawns firm and fresh (with the wasabi already layered between the rice and fish – beware). There are also some hot breaded dishes like pork tonkatsu and chicken kara ague, accompanied by things like fried tofu, picked cucumber or natto (sour and sticky fermented soya – a brave choice).

Wash it all down with Japanese beer, rice or jasmine tea (€1.50 for endless free refills) or an excellent fruity sake served hot by the glass (€2.50 for 5cl), pichet or bottle. To finish up, a few desserts featuring classic Japanese flavours: cakes and ice cream flavoured with green tea or red beans. Affordable and delicious, Nakagawa is a very pleasant surprise.