Well, we’re back from Paris and pinching ourselves. How can a city be so amazing even when it’s gray, cold and even a little rainy? I just loved it! And quite frankly, I can’t believe I’m so lucky to welcome my 30′s with such a bang.
When we decided to go to Paris, we made the decision to do it our way, which meant doing things that we wanted to do, not what the guidebooks or other people told us to do. Ok, really it meant this trip was going to be about eating the best food we could find, searching it out and exploring the different neighborhoods, perhaps fitting in a little art when we felt like it. While we love art, neither of us wanted to spend time in museums looking at it, at least not this trip.
I did a bunch of research before we left, looking into blogs, magazines and asked friends for recommendations for their favorite places and things to eat. We were able to visit most of the places I’d been hoping to see, but of course I’m sure there are a million other places to discover. Here’s a recap of my favorite places in Paris.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
a few tips about Paris:
• make reservations. Almost every restaurant, especially the good ones, requires a reservation. Sometimes you can get away with calling the day of, but usually you need to plan a few days and up to 2 weeks before.
• portion size. I expected portions to be small, but at almost every restaurant we went to (ranging from inexpensive creperies to fancy pants restaurants) the portions were much larger than we expected.
• take advantage of the Metro. It’s super easy to use (much easier than NYC subways) and has a ton of locations.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
where to eat:
a little note here. i am not a fan of “white table cloth” restaurants. i just feel like they’re so often impersonal and sterile, which makes me uncomfortable, regardless of the quality of food. i’d much rather visit a small, neighborhood restaurant that’s cozy and comfortable, so those are the type of restaurants i’ve listed below.
rose bakery :: 46 rue des Martyrs 75009 Paris :: 01 42 82 12 80
no reservations needed
rose bakery is easy to miss, as there’s only a small sign to indicate it’s location. in fact, we walked past it the first time and had to search a little to find it, but boy am i glad we found it! the front half of the bakery is filled with general store-type items along with baked goods while the back is filled with informal tables and chairs.
we ordered ratatouille and quiche and were blown away by both. the flavor of the ingredients was simple, bold and refreshing without being overwhelming. i’m not always into vegetables, but even the side salad of chopped cabbage and carrots was incredible.
miroir :: 94 Rue des Martyrs, 75018 Paris, France :: 01 46 06 50 73
reservations required
i think this was my favorite restaurant that we visited. perched in the super cute montmartre neighborhood, miroir feels like the perfect neighborhood bistro where the waiters know the diners and the chef even makes an appearance in the casual dining room. we had an epic meal that ranged from duck foie gras, a paté plate, to broiled duck and some crazy pigs feet dish that was much better than it sounds. the real kicker was dessert where we had chocolate sorbet sprinkled with a pop rock-like sugar. the waiters speak english if asked and were very nice and helpful.
l’as du fallafel :: 34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France :: 01 48 87 63 60
no reservations needed, closed friday evening and saturday
this was one of the first places we ate when we got paris, as it was recommended on a few different blogs. as soon as we turned the corner, we knew we were in the right place as countless people walked by with pitas in hand. i got fallafel and aaron got shwarma, both of which were packed with flavor, especially when topped with the housemade hot sauce. you can get take out from a window outside or eat in their informal dining room.
le bistro paul bert :: 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, France :: 01 43 72 24 01
reservations needed
tucked on a lovely little street with the same name, le bistro paul bert was the first dinner we had in the city and it was a great place to start. it like a place the locals go to eat the classics. we had some more daring dishes (for me) like foie gras and leek terrine and some sort of pigeon dish (!!), but also classics like steak frites and whitefish tartare. for dessert we opted for a cheese plate and the paris-brest, a choux pastry filled with nut-flavored cream. the paris-brest was incredible (and huge, definitely shareable), but for the cheese plate they simply dropped a big block of wood with all sorts of cheeses, none of which they described and we were just told to take what we wanted. i liked le bistro paul bert, but didn’t love it; however, it is well loved by chefs and lovers of food alike.
unico :: 12 rue Paul Bert 75011 Paris, France :: 01 43 56 73 55
reservations needed
after a week of eating french food, we opted for a little argentine fare at unico after walking by and reading some good recommendations. we decided to share a sampler of all their appetizers and a flank steak. the appetizers were quite delicious including sausage, empanadas and ceviche. we also got a flank steak, which was huge and perhaps not the best steak i’ve ever had. dessert was dulce de leche, which is hard to beat. the wait staff speaks english and is very friendly.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
where to snack:
pierre herme :: 72 Rue Bonaparte, Paris :: 01 43 54 47 77
these macarons will blow you away. seriously. not only are they some of the most beautiful little treats that i’ve ever laid my eyes on, but the flavors will leave you in awe. from creme brulée to salted caramel to crazy flavors like vanilla truffle. we also indulged in a eclair which on the outside looked like a lovely, cream filled eclair but was indeed filled with this amazing orange/chocolate cream that left both of us in awe.
poilane :: Rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris :: 01 45 48 42 59
this was one of my favorite places in paris. seriously, i wanted to stay there forever. all of the baked goods are displayed on the walls around the perimeter of the shop, allowing you to really take it all in. the croissants are pure perfection, the bread, which you can buy by the slice, quarter or whole loaf is delicious and they have a little basket of cookies called punitions, or punishment cookies, which they hand out to all customers. chances are after tasting one of those buttery cookies you’ll leave the shop with a bag full in tow.
L’Etoile d’Or Denise Acabo :: 30 rue Fontaine 75009 Paris :: 01 48 74 59 55
I first read about this candy shop on David Lebovitz’s web site and then after a friend came back and raved about it, I knew I’d need to stop by. The shop looks totally unassuming, but once you walk through the doors and meet the owner, denise acabo, you know you’re in a special place. The walls are filled with chocolate and caramels, along with various tables and cases peppered with more treats. denise will greet you and begin talking to you like you’ve been friends forever. you can just feel her love of chocolate as she speaks about it and once you taste some of the treasures she has you’ll know why she loves it so much. read more about her here.
merci :: 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris, France :: 01 42 77 01 90
this is a super cool “concept store”, full of bits and pieces ranging from clothing, dishwares, furniture and stationery. we happened by it after a long day of walking and found their cafe to be the perfect resting place to sip a glass of wine or cup of coffee and just relax.
ladurée :: 21 Rue Bonaparte, Paris :: 01 44 07 64 87
a classic favorite stop for macarons, ladurée’s windows and counter filled with the colorful gem-hued treats is worth a visit.
fauchon :: 24-26 Place de la Madeleine 75008 Paris, France - 01 70 39 38 00
a high end treat shop, this place is quite lovely and it’s filled with all sorts of beautifully packaged food that make for great gifts.
la grande epicurie bon marche :: 24 Rue de Sèvres, Paris :: o1 44 39 81 00
attached to the high end department store, le bon marché, la grande epicurie is a beautiful, fancy grocery store. it’s quite large is full of beautiful produce, meats, cheeses, wine, olives and everything in between. we picked up a prepared cheese plate that was perfect for an afternoon snack.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
other resources:
here are some of the places i found recommendations.
david lebovitz
dorie greenspan
chocolate and zucchini
paris: a tale of eating, wandering and eating some more
Well, we’re back from Paris and pinching ourselves. How can a city be so amazing even when it’s gray, cold and even a little rainy? I just loved it! And quite frankly, I can’t believe I’m so lucky to welcome my 30′s with such a bang.
When we decided to go to Paris, we made the decision to do it our way, which meant doing things that we wanted to do, not what the guidebooks or other people told us to do. Ok, really it meant this trip was going to be about eating the best food we could find, searching it out and exploring the different neighborhoods, perhaps fitting in a little art when we felt like it. While we love art, neither of us wanted to spend time in museums looking at it, at least not this trip.
I did a bunch of research before we left, looking into blogs, magazines and asked friends for recommendations for their favorite places and things to eat. We were able to visit most of the places I’d been hoping to see, but of course I’m sure there are a million other places to discover. Here’s a recap of my favorite places in Paris.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
a few tips about Paris:
• make reservations. Almost every restaurant, especially the good ones, requires a reservation. Sometimes you can get away with calling the day of, but usually you need to plan a few days and up to 2 weeks before.
• portion size. I expected portions to be small, but at almost every restaurant we went to (ranging from inexpensive creperies to fancy pants restaurants) the portions were much larger than we expected.
• take advantage of the Metro. It’s super easy to use (much easier than NYC subways) and has a ton of locations.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
where to eat:
a little note here. i am not a fan of “white table cloth” restaurants. i just feel like they’re so often impersonal and sterile, which makes me uncomfortable, regardless of the quality of food. i’d much rather visit a small, neighborhood restaurant that’s cozy and comfortable, so those are the type of restaurants i’ve listed below.
rose bakery :: 46 rue des Martyrs 75009 Paris :: 01 42 82 12 80
no reservations needed
rose bakery is easy to miss, as there’s only a small sign to indicate it’s location. in fact, we walked past it the first time and had to search a little to find it, but boy am i glad we found it! the front half of the bakery is filled with general store-type items along with baked goods while the back is filled with informal tables and chairs.
we ordered ratatouille and quiche and were blown away by both. the flavor of the ingredients was simple, bold and refreshing without being overwhelming. i’m not always into vegetables, but even the side salad of chopped cabbage and carrots was incredible.
miroir :: 94 Rue des Martyrs, 75018 Paris, France :: 01 46 06 50 73
reservations required
i think this was my favorite restaurant that we visited. perched in the super cute montmartre neighborhood, miroir feels like the perfect neighborhood bistro where the waiters know the diners and the chef even makes an appearance in the casual dining room. we had an epic meal that ranged from duck foie gras, a paté plate, to broiled duck and some crazy pigs feet dish that was much better than it sounds. the real kicker was dessert where we had chocolate sorbet sprinkled with a pop rock-like sugar. the waiters speak english if asked and were very nice and helpful.
l’as du fallafel :: 34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France :: 01 48 87 63 60
no reservations needed, closed friday evening and saturday
this was one of the first places we ate when we got paris, as it was recommended on a few different blogs. as soon as we turned the corner, we knew we were in the right place as countless people walked by with pitas in hand. i got fallafel and aaron got shwarma, both of which were packed with flavor, especially when topped with the housemade hot sauce. you can get take out from a window outside or eat in their informal dining room.
le bistro paul bert :: 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, France :: 01 43 72 24 01
reservations needed
tucked on a lovely little street with the same name, le bistro paul bert was the first dinner we had in the city and it was a great place to start. it like a place the locals go to eat the classics. we had some more daring dishes (for me) like foie gras and leek terrine and some sort of pigeon dish (!!), but also classics like steak frites and whitefish tartare. for dessert we opted for a cheese plate and the paris-brest, a choux pastry filled with nut-flavored cream. the paris-brest was incredible (and huge, definitely shareable), but for the cheese plate they simply dropped a big block of wood with all sorts of cheeses, none of which they described and we were just told to take what we wanted. i liked le bistro paul bert, but didn’t love it; however, it is well loved by chefs and lovers of food alike.
unico :: 12 rue Paul Bert 75011 Paris, France :: 01 43 56 73 55
reservations needed
after a week of eating french food, we opted for a little argentine fare at unico after walking by and reading some good recommendations. we decided to share a sampler of all their appetizers and a flank steak. the appetizers were quite delicious including sausage, empanadas and ceviche. we also got a flank steak, which was huge and perhaps not the best steak i’ve ever had. dessert was dulce de leche, which is hard to beat. the wait staff speaks english and is very friendly.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
where to snack:
pierre herme :: 72 Rue Bonaparte, Paris :: 01 43 54 47 77
these macarons will blow you away. seriously. not only are they some of the most beautiful little treats that i’ve ever laid my eyes on, but the flavors will leave you in awe. from creme brulée to salted caramel to crazy flavors like vanilla truffle. we also indulged in a eclair which on the outside looked like a lovely, cream filled eclair but was indeed filled with this amazing orange/chocolate cream that left both of us in awe.
poilane :: Rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris :: 01 45 48 42 59
this was one of my favorite places in paris. seriously, i wanted to stay there forever. all of the baked goods are displayed on the walls around the perimeter of the shop, allowing you to really take it all in. the croissants are pure perfection, the bread, which you can buy by the slice, quarter or whole loaf is delicious and they have a little basket of cookies called punitions, or punishment cookies, which they hand out to all customers. chances are after tasting one of those buttery cookies you’ll leave the shop with a bag full in tow.
L’Etoile d’Or Denise Acabo :: 30 rue Fontaine 75009 Paris :: 01 48 74 59 55
I first read about this candy shop on David Lebovitz’s web site and then after a friend came back and raved about it, I knew I’d need to stop by. The shop looks totally unassuming, but once you walk through the doors and meet the owner, denise acabo, you know you’re in a special place. The walls are filled with chocolate and caramels, along with various tables and cases peppered with more treats. denise will greet you and begin talking to you like you’ve been friends forever. you can just feel her love of chocolate as she speaks about it and once you taste some of the treasures she has you’ll know why she loves it so much. read more about her here.
merci :: 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris, France :: 01 42 77 01 90
this is a super cool “concept store”, full of bits and pieces ranging from clothing, dishwares, furniture and stationery. we happened by it after a long day of walking and found their cafe to be the perfect resting place to sip a glass of wine or cup of coffee and just relax.
ladurée :: 21 Rue Bonaparte, Paris :: 01 44 07 64 87
a classic favorite stop for macarons, ladurée’s windows and counter filled with the colorful gem-hued treats is worth a visit.
fauchon :: 24-26 Place de la Madeleine 75008 Paris, France - 01 70 39 38 00
a high end treat shop, this place is quite lovely and it’s filled with all sorts of beautifully packaged food that make for great gifts.
la grande epicurie bon marche :: 24 Rue de Sèvres, Paris :: o1 44 39 81 00
attached to the high end department store, le bon marché, la grande epicurie is a beautiful, fancy grocery store. it’s quite large is full of beautiful produce, meats, cheeses, wine, olives and everything in between. we picked up a prepared cheese plate that was perfect for an afternoon snack.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
other resources:
here are some of the places i found recommendations.
david lebovitz
dorie greenspan
chocolate and zucchini