From the mime in white makeup to the Chanel-clad grande dame walking her poodle, Paris practically sags under the tonnage of its stereotypes. The exquisite retro-chic restaurant Chez Julien, left.

Many of the Paris’s streets are home to most young creators. Inside the futuristic funhouse called Lieu Commun, you’ll find housewares from Matali Crasset, a protégée of Philippe Starck, as well as electronic music CD’s and street wear.

This 17th-century mansion turned expo space works with heavyweights like Takashi Murakami and Sophie Calle.

The brainchild of the artist and fashion designer Shinsuke Kawahara, this new minimalist-cool restaurant has generated a cult following for its clever French-Japanese hybrid cuisine.

Mi-Va-Mi is the place where where the lines are shorter, the service is friendlier, and the falafel (5 euros) and spit-grilled shwarma (7 euros) are almost equally good.

Florence Finkelstein gathers bagels for a customer in her Marais bakery.

For those hard-to-find antique dolls, try Lima Select, an emporium of unusual dolls and figurines. Tours of the Marais district are offered by Paris Walks. The two-hour excursion includes architecturally splendid old town houses, the memorial to the Shoah and the 17th-century St.-Paul-St.-Louis Church, seen here along with its reflection in a shop window.