The rue Sainte-Anne is a celebrated treasure-house of little Japanese izakaya and sushi bars, and you can find elegantly restrained high-end Japanese places all around the Left Bank. But for my Japanese wife, the go-to restaurant in Paris remains Azabu, a small and spotless jewel tucked away on a tiny lane just off the Rue de Buci. The service is, of course, exquisite, and two small tables outside allow one to enjoy Paris and Kyoto all at once. It’s not exorbitant, and my wife would tell you to order the squid and several appetizers, and to savor rice of a quality you won’t often encounter elsewhere. —Pico Iyer

Pico Iyer is a Columnist at AIR MAIL.