Finding the Maghreb in Paris

Eating at Le Souk is a succulent experience for all the senses. A heavy tapestry hanging in the doorway leads into the foyer of the restaurant, which is lined with jars and smells of fresh spices. The restaurant is colorful but tastefully subdued. Dim lighting and tabletop mosaics provide the perfect setting for a slow dinner.

Start with a pigeon-stuffed pastry, dusted with powdered sugar, and continue on with a heaping portion of fluffy couscous, available with chicken, lamb, sausage, or vegetable. The tagines are luscious, particularly the lamb with prunes. The slightly sweet meat falls off the bone and the spongy bread served alongside is perfect for soaking up the sauce. Good wine selection, including a variety of North African wines. Dessert is the best part: mint tea poured with great finesse and an enormous platter of pastries -- dripping with nuts and honey -- from which to choose.

L'Institut du Monde Arabe, or the Institute of the Arab World, is an architectural feat. Perched on the edge of the Seine, the primarily glass building is designed to resemble a boat (to signify the arrival of immigrants). Each window on the facade is mechanized to open and close with the intensity of the sunlight, much like the lens of a camera. The structure houses an extensive library, museum, and rooftop restaurant. The rooftop terrace offers one of the best views of Paris.

Paris' most visited mosque is a beautiful green and white tiled structure, located right across the street form the Jardin des Plantes. The quiet courtyard is the perfect place for an afternoon of mint tea and pastries, and the restaurant inside is open for lunch and dinner.

One of the best parts of a visit to the mosque, however, is the hammam. The public baths are open three days a week for women and one day per week for men. Choose your favorite room -- there's hot, hotter, and hottest -- and take advantage of a gommage, an invigorating exfoliation treatment. The interior is mellow and welcoming, with stained glass and marble columns. Avoid a Saturday visit, as it can get rather chaotic. A perfect way to pass a weekday afternoon.