The waitress was in fits of giggles from the moment we entered the Parisian restaurant.

After a few uneasy moments worried I'd forgotten to apply deodorant or do up my flies, it turns out it was my pronunciation of s'il vous plait that caused her to burst into spontaneous laughter.

I might have passed my French GCSE, but I'm not exactly fluent at the language.

Thankfully, an English-speaking chef acted as translator for us at Le Nansouty, describing every item on the menu in passionate detail.

A tiny wine bar and restaurant in Montmartre, the food cooked in its ram-shackle kitchen is simple but delicious.

Best of all, its diners are almost exclusively locals - making it the perfect place to spend an evening on an off-the-beaten-track trip to Paris.

We stayed in a studio apartment in the trendy So-Pi district of the city, or South of Pigalle.

At a tight 330 sq ft, it is the ultimate in good design. Originally divided into separate rooms before the owners tore down the walls, everything you need is hidden behind a series of folding doors - bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and even the kitchen.

The centrepiece is a massive bathtub which magically disappears behind a liquid crystal partition whose appearance can change from transparent to frosted at the touch of a button. It had me mesmerised for ages.

The apartment is surrounded by bars, cafes and restaurants, but is also well-placed to go further afield with a metro station just around the corner.

It's fair to say Pigalle has a seedy reputation, with cabarets, including the Moulin Rouge, peep shows, neon-lit strip clubs and even an erotica museum.

But a quiet little area just south of Pigalle has undergone a facelift over the past few years with the arrival of affluent and arty foreigners.

It might be up-and-coming, but you can spend a weekend in So-Pi without feeling like a tourist - and prove that a trip to Paris can be done without even seeing the Eiffel Tower or getting within a mile of the Mona Lisa.

Despite being out of the tourist area, So-Pi is just a five-minute walk from the age-old artists' hangout of Montmartre, capped by the white Byzantine domes of the Sacre Coeur.

In fact, climbing the steep steps of rue Foyatier - carefully avoiding the pestering hawkers - and sitting below the church to the sounds of street musicians and the bustling city, is a magical way to end a perfect evening.

As we wake up in the apartment the next morning, it's very easy to watch the world go by at the huge windows over a leisurely coffee.

It feels like a million miles from home as we tuck into breakfast at one of the many street cafes, where every passer-by seems to be carrying a baguette.

So next time you visit Paris, why not go off the beaten track and try living like a Parisian?

The So-Pi studio flat, for two people, costs from €200 a night or €1,380 a week. For more details, visitwww.oneoffplaces.co.ukor phone 01285 750 713.

One Off Places manages more than 650 unusual holiday properties worldwide - from apartments, manor houses and cottages to tipis, treehouses and windmills.