If you wander down the Rue de Seine in the 6th arrondissment in the direction of the river, you will pass a little restaurant called Fish, la Boissonnerie. Known for its excellent food and extensive wine list, Fish has been a favourite among locals and tourists since it was opened by a New Zealander and Cuban-American in the late 90's. With a staff being predominantly international, a large number of expats find themselves drawn to the friendly bar, where quality wine and conversation flow all night.

How did they come up with the restaurant's name? Boissonnerie co-owner Drew Harre says "On buying the premises, we ripped of the awning in front of the restaurant and discovered the mosaique Poissonnerie, because it used to be an old fish market. We already liked the expression "to drink like a fish", and so we changed the P into a B to make Boissonnerie  (a play on the word boisson (drink) and poisson (fish))"

Whilst the fish is excellent, there are always a couple of meat dishes on the menu as well. There are normally around five options per course, catering for a variety of tastes. Current favourites on the menu (although these do change) are the marinated tuna with mango for starters, and the merlan encrusted in red pepper, breadcrumb and parmesan for main. The dessert is a no-brainer, as the tarte au citron is a firm front runner (the staff all agree). The food is consistently good quality and imaginative, a long way away from the many predictable brasserie menus in the Saint Germain area.

The wine list can often intimidate the non-oenologist clients, who may find that the selection of Vins de la semaine on the front page more suitable and user-friendly. Otherwise, for those looking to experiment and delve into (predominantly French) wine regions, there are hundreds of bottles to choose from. The bar staff are knowledgeable, and happy to make recommendations. Prices by the glass vary from 5 to 13 euros.

Tables are set close together, so if you like your privacy, this may not be the restaurant for you. But, on the plus side, the cosy layout, excellent food and variety of wine makes for great ambience.

If you are thinking of going for dinner during the weekend, be prepared to book in advance. However, if you’re prepared to wait a bit, the second service (normally around 8.30/9.00) is non-reservation; and a 20 minute wait will normally find you a table. Lunch is normally a walk-in affair. Groups should obviously call in advance, as the restaurant is not big enough to accommodate tables of more than eight.

Fish la Boissonnerie, 69 rue de Seine, 75006 Paris. Tel: 01.43.54.34.69. Metro: Mabillon or Odéon