The most romantic walk in Paris might be up in the 11e arrondissement along the Canal Saint Martin. Wander across a couple of the arched bridges between Quai de Jemmapes and Quai de Valmy in the evening twilight and drop in at the Hotel du Nord for a kir. This bar/restaurant has the cachet of being the current coolest on the canal. The incredibly romantic classic Michel Carné movie was named after the hotel, which was renovated and reopened in 2005. Now it offers a daily changing modern French menu in a smoky-walled 1930s ambience. Spellbound by the warm atmosphere, you might be tempted to stay for dinner after hanging around for an apéro, flicking through a book from the in-bar library. One word of advice: Book. This restaurant is POPULAR. I visited on a freezing night in the middle of a financial crisis and both the dining room and the bar were HEAVING with the canal’s black-jeaned hipsters mixed with a sprinkling of cool tourists. 
The menu is traditional, with an oriental twist. I started with old school fresh foie gras, perfectly cooked to melting point and layered with paper-thin slices of fried apple. My date had a fabulous chestnut “cappuccino” which arrived in a Starbucks-sized mug complete with a head of delicate foam.

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