13 replies to this topic

[Kim Shook]

I posted here in August 2010 about our May 2011 trip to Paris, asking for ‘pen pals’ who would answer all kinds of questions and got lots of lovely messages offering help. Now our plans are pretty much finalized and it’s time to work on the FOOD! Since I’m asking for specific help, I thought giving an idea of our itinerary would be useful:

May 25 – we arrive at Paris-Nord at 1pm – then to our hotel – the Familia Hotel in the Latin Quarter. We have a 9pm sightseeing cruise leaving from the area of the Eiffel Tower, so we thought that we’d spend the afternoon and early evening in the areas of the Arc de Triomphe, wandering the Champs-Elysees, Hotel des Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. The cruise only lasts 1 hour, so we will be off the boat by 10pm.

May 26 – plans for this day include Notre Dame, Le Crypte Archeologique, the Catacombs and Jardin du Luxembourg

May 27 – plans for this day include wandering the Palais Royale, Montmartre (including Sacre Coeur and the Cimetiere Montmartre)

We leave on the morning of May 27th. We will need breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks - basically every hour of the day and night . Not to mention things that we can take back to the US for gifts. I have a copy of Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris, which we will take with us. I think that the best way to describe the kind of food we are looking for is classic bistro food. Duck confit, bœuf bourguignon, apple tarts, excellent bread. We also love anything that comes out of the water. Although we love all kinds of foods, for this trip we want FRANCE – not Moroccan or tapas or trendy or NEW. Also, while we’d love to go to someplace truly FABULOUS, we do have to watch our expenses. Over the two weeks that we’ll be in England and France we’ll be spending a LOT of money, so moderately priced places would be welcome. Any advice on restaurants, food shops, etc. would be very welcome. And if you recommend a restaurant, it would be really helpful if you could let us know if reservations are needed and what the basic ‘dress code’ is.

Thank you so much for your help!

[daisy17]

Just got back from Paris - my favorite things to bring back are of course food related:

Christine Ferber jams - from Pierre Herme (which I visit daily when I'm there - best macarons anywhere), they also have them (at a lower price, but not as many interesting flavors) at La Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marche, which I highly recommend not only for gifts but for shopping for a picnic. Macarons also travel fairly well (they keep only a few days).

At La Grande Epicerie you can also buy salts (fleur de sel).

Caramel beurre sale (salted caramel) from Henri Le Roux and Bernachon chocolates - go to L'Etoile d'Or for both - I don't think you can get either in the US.
30, rue Fontaine (9th)
Métro: Blanche or Pigalle
Closed Sunday and sometimes Monday

Note that both the jam and the salted caramel should be packed in checked luggage- jam will be confiscated at security as "gels."

I'm not a 3 Michelin star/stuffy/white tablecloths kind of girl, so my favorite places to dine have excellent food but are definitely on the more mellow side:

• Les Cocottes (Christian Constant) – I've had several beautiful meals at Les Cocottes. No reservations, counter/small table seating, fairly casual, the food is beautifully simple and flavorful. Haven’t been to Violin d’Ingres in several years but it’s the same chef, same block, very well-respected.
• Bistro Paul Bert – Casual, typical bistro with excellent food. Steak frites were delicious, souffle too. If I lived in Paris I’d be a regular here. Need a reservation.
• Itineraires – more of a modern cooking style, elegant and yet relaxed. Delicious food, not super expensive. Need reservation. http://travel.nytime...el/18bites.html
• Le Comptoir de Relais (at Odeon) – Yves Camdeborde – Looks like a very typical sidewalk café, but the food is pretty phenomenal. It’s impossible to get a dinner reservation because it's super popular; I've gone several times at off hours (late lunch, early dinner) and have had no problem. I'd call it elevated classic bistro.

I just had lunch at Spring this trip - I enjoyed it quite a bit but was not blown away - it is very highly recommended by others, though, and it was very good (need a reservation; dress would be nice/casual). I also had dinner at Le Dauphin, which is the sister resto of the very popular Le Chateaubriand (fairly casual, small plate style at Le Dauphin). I enjoyed the food immensely, but they need a little work on their hospitality skills. Make a reservation at both at these if you decide to go (if you can get through ...). I also have had wonderful meals at L'Atelier Joel Robuchon. Can get expensive and I'm not sure of their reservation policy at this point, but the food is delicious.

I've also heard Chez Dumonet - Josephine (6th) highly recommended and it was on my list but I couldn't make it everywhere. Sounds a lot like what you're looking for.

Lots of the places I've mentioned happen to be on this list: paris restaurant list

I also love Gerard Mulot (patisserie) to load up before a picnic in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and pierre herme which i mentioned above. Please go there for macarons. You will not regret it.

Let me know what else you might be looking for - happy to help.

Oh, cheese shops: Bartelemy on rue de Grenelle is pretty amazing - great for a pick up before a picnic too. Marie-Anne Cantin is further into the 7th arr - she was absolutely lovely when I went in there for some cheese to bring back.

[Shelby]

I've never been over there so I can't offer anything except for that I hope you guys have a great time and be safe!

I hope you'll be doing a blog here about your trip.

[judiu]

Kim, hope you and Mr. Kim have fun! Sounds like a great, if hasty, trip. Would love to see a blog, or at least a report with pictures when you return!

[weinoo]

My favorite place to shop is in a regular old grocery store. You can usually find 3 or 4 types of salt and sometimes some interesting herbs and spices at 1/2 the price of the fancy joints.

[Kouign Aman]

At least once, find a creperie and eat too many crepes.

Breakfast may be an option in your hotel. If so, its worth checking out. If its a classic French breakfast as I remember it, it will be a good experience: bread/croissant, butter, jams, strong cafe au lait.

I believe that when traveling, 4 meals a day are the required minimum: BLD,
& at least one mid-afternoon or morning, to fit in that stuff that doesnt fit anywhen else.

[lesliec]

Kim, somewhere I always recommend is Le Gallopin in the 2nd.

I've managed to get there three times, and two sets of friends have also been on my recommendation. It looks beautiful - all wood and polished brass and waiters in black & white. It looks more expensive than it is, but I'd suggest the menu rather than the carte for budgetary reasons.

I've never made a reservation (I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you did, like most restaurants, but they never made me feel guilty about it). One set of friends showed up hot and sweaty after a day of sightseeing and were treated like eccentric millionaires (they're not. Not millionaires, anyway), so dress code isn't demanding either. And all the wait staff appear to have a good sense of humour. As with anywhere in France, at least try to use a bit of French - it helps.

We'll be back in Paris in September and we'll be trying to get to Gallopin again. Can't praise it highly enough.

Enjoy your trip.

[Parigi]

"One set of friends showed up hot and sweaty after a day of sightseeing and were treated like eccentric millionaires (they're not. Not millionaires, anyway), so dress code isn't demanding either."
Thanx for this info. Am not sure how many of us are eager to dine next to non-dresscode-conscious sweaty people, so it's very good to know.

Edited by Parigi, 05 May 2011 - 07:03 AM.

[drago]

If you go to Pierre Hermé (and you must - not just for the macarons, his croissant ispahan which you can only buy before 11 am is unmatched by any croissant I have ever eaten) by all means take the five minutes walk to the Regis oyster restaurant which is a charming little place serving very-very good oysters.

[Kim Shook]

Thanks so much for all of the information. I was picturing us wandering around Paris with our chins on the ground in awe and just eating whatever smelled good. (Actually might be a good method to try sometime ). Between the help here and emails from eG’s Forest (who we are meeting for dinner one night), I think we are good now. We only have 2 reservations – cave de l’os a moelle for dinner on Thursday and Mon Oncle for dinner on Friday (that is where we are meeting Forest). So the plan below is mostly flexible. What I haven’t listed is all of the food shops and stores that I’ve highlighted in Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris, which we plan to use once we know where we are at any given time. Lots of these are places that you also recommended Daisy!

These are the restaurants on our probable/possible list:

Café Constant
parc aux cerfs
le gallopin

The shops and stores include bakeries, patisseries, chocolate shops, cheese shops and charcuteries, so we’ll have lots of opportunities for ‘pick up’ meals. There is even a market on Friday very near our hotel – not to mention a Carrefour market within a couple of blocks. Pierre Herme is definitely on the list.

I will certainly be doing a food report back here and probably multiple blog posts on my blog. Thank you all again – SO much!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

My favorite place to shop is in a regular old grocery store. You can usually find 3 or 4 types of salt and sometimes some interesting herbs and spices at 1/2 the price of the fancy joints.

Monoprix and Carrefour are both excellent places to look for take-home items. Mustards in many flavors, confitures, candy, sauces. Many of these supermarkets have special aisles of "local products", excellent quality, beautifully packaged and very well priced.

[Kim Shook]

My favorite place to shop is in a regular old grocery store. You can usually find 3 or 4 types of salt and sometimes some interesting herbs and spices at 1/2 the price of the fancy joints.

Monoprix and Carrefour are both excellent places to look for take-home items. Mustards in many flavors, confitures, candy, sauces. Many of these supermarkets have special aisles of "local products", excellent quality, beautifully packaged and very well priced.

That's good to know, Margaret. I think that the nearby Carrefour will be a great place to pick up gifts to take home. Thank you.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Where was my head when I forgot to mention our most favorite shopping spot: G. Detou on rue Tiquetonne, cross-street Montorgueil. Wholesale prices on hard to find and/or uber-expensive ingredients: vanilla beans, tonka beans, dried cepes and morels, griottes in kirsch, premium chocolate, powdered fonds, mustards, confitures and on and on and on.... We stop here every visit. A must.

[Kim Shook]

Where was my head when I forgot to mention our most favorite shopping spot: G. Detou on rue Tiquetonne, cross-street Montorgueil. Wholesale prices on hard to find and/or uber-expensive ingredients: vanilla beans, tonka beans, dried cepes and morels, griottes in kirsch, premium chocolate, powdered fonds, mustards, confitures and on and on and on.... We stop here every visit. A must.

Thanks, Margaret, I've put it on the map!