Felice

It's just that there are areas in the 10th that are still a bit sketchy and if I were visiting Paris I would not want to be in them. Chez Michel is on a tiny street right in front of the Gare du Nord, which, like most train stations, seems to be crawling with unsavory characters at night. I don't think it's dangerous, but it's not the greatest area in Paris. Actually before I moved here several years ago, a guy tried to steal my friend's purse while we were on our way to Chez Michel and knocked her to the ground. I'm sure we looked clueless and of course it could happen anywhere, but it's just not the area I'd choose for a stroll. The Canal is a great area and one that most visitors don't see because it's just become built up in the last few years. You won't be surrounded by tourists which is nice. I remember walking down the canal four years ago when I first got here and there wasn't much-one or two hip stores maybe--but now it's full of cafes, restaurants, etc. There is even a take-away ice cream stand now, if that tells you anything. Hopefully it won't get too built up and will retain it's charm. As for taxis, you'll find them on most main streets, especially near metro stops. Your best bet is to look for a taxi stand rather than flagging one. And you should know that if you call a taxi ahead of time, they will start the meter from where they take the call, so it could be several euros before you get in the car.

I went well over a year and a half ago, so the details are fuzzy. I went with a French friend who lives nearby and at the time I don't think I had heard much about it. It seemed like an unassuming little neighborhood place but I remember thinking that the food was exceptionally good although I can't remember the details. I don't really remember the atmosphere being anything striking though. I think others have posted about it in the past, so hopefully someone can give more recent or complete review. When are you coming to Paris? If it's soon, some places might be closed. Edited to add: I just did a search on egullet and found mixed reviews (surprise!) for La Villeret Here, but then Raisb in another thread said she had an excellent meal. Hopefully they can add more.

If you want to explore your neighborhood, I wouldn’t necessarily go for any of the restaurants above, as they are not really in the same neighborhood as where you are staying. Chez Michel is in the same arrondissement, but it’s a pretty good walk and probably not an all that charming one. But, it’s a great restaurant, so if you don’t mind going a bit farther out from the canal it would be a good choice or save it for another night. The area that surrounds the canal has many restaurants, many of them fairly new, but most are not in the same league as the ones you list and are going to be more casual/funky type places. The Verre Volé is great wine bar, but probably not really what you are looking for. The Hotel du Nord, which is along the Canal, has recently been transformed into a trendy looking restaurant, but I have no idea how the food is. I know it got written up lately. The Villaret would be a good choice if you want to stay in the immediate area. It’s only a short walk from metro Goncourt and when I was there last, which was over a year ago, the food was really excellent. Has anyone been to Le Chateaubriand? The closest metro is Goncourt and I just read a favorable review but haven’t been. It seems to be a good neighborhood bistro. For picnic type stuff you could try Les Vivres, an adorable epicerie in the 9th. Or I think Chez Michel does picnic stuff to take away as well. I'm sure all of these would be good choices. I really love Chez Michel and have been there many times, but never in the summer. For some reason it seems more like a winter place to me. I've been to Aux Lyonnais twice and think it is beautiful and the food was excellent both times. It's the kind of restaurant you imagine would be in Paris. As I said before I loved Le Comptoir and can't imagine that you would be disapointed. I've never been to Chez Denise or Dominique Bouchet however. Chez Denise seems like a lot of fun and I would love to try it. You have a lot of great choices, I'm sure you are going to have an amazing trip.

I think that one reason, among many, that you have two wildly different descriptions of the same restaurant is, of course, that people’s tastes and expectations vary and are very personal; a dish I love might be something someone else strongly dislikes. I personally don’t care for andouillettes, it’s just something I don’t like. If I went to a place that was said to serve the most amazing andouillettes in the world, I still don’t think I would love them, but I would realize that this was something particular to me and not that andouillettes are inherently bad. That’s why, if I were to eat in a place as reputable as Le Meurice (and I haven’t) with a chef as accomplished as Yannick Alleno, I would hesitate to label a dish I didn’t like as “bad”. Right or wrong, I would tend to trust and respect his training and would assume that he knew what he was doing and that if I didn’t like something it was due to my own personal tastes and not because of the dish was bad. I’m not saying that these places are infallible; I just assume at that level, off nights are hard to come by. Maybe I’m on wrong on this. And of course, expectations, company, mood, service, and experience all come into play when dining out, it’s not only about the food which is why it’s so hard to repeat a truly memorable restaurant experience.

I went around 14h30 and there were several tables available. You probably want to go either early (12h-12h30) or late to be sure to get a table.

I had planned on having just a quick bit to eat yesterday at the bar aux soupes in the 11th, but it was closed so I jumped on a bus thinking I would decide on something else along the way and ended up having a late lunch at Le Comptoir de Relais. I was very happy I did. I had been for dinner right after it opened, but had wanted to try the bistro menu as well. There were so many things I would have loved to have tried, but I settled on the plat du jour, which was duck confit with puree. It was simply prepared but delicious. The duck was perfectly cooked, with crisp skin and tender meat that fell off the bone. The puree was served in a separate bowl topped with a rich jus de something, not quite sure what. The clientele was very mixed—tourists, student-types stopping by for a coffee on the terrace, young branché types having lunch, businessmen, etc. I’d love to go back for a glass of wine and a plate of the many cochonnaille dishes they serve. I think there is a risk that some people will be disappointed at lunch because their expectations will be so high. The food is much simpler--although still very good--when they are not serving the menu gastronomique, which might leave some wondering—what’s all the fuss about. I however loved both. The prices are quite reasonable as well with entrees running about 6-12 €, main course 12 €, and desserts 6-7 €.

Yes, indeed, that rainstorm was pretty extreme See here for a photo-report. In French. ← Merci beaucoup for the photos Ptipois, I'm sure it was great and was so sorry I missed it.

I tried to attend, but after standing in line for a few minutes it started to storm pretty violently--lightening, lots of heavy rain--and didn't let up for some time so I went to the movies instead.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make excuses for this waiter. Of course there is bad service in France, as there is everywhere in the world. I was just trying to explain in a more general sense that special requests are often denied in France (unless of course you have an allergy or something) and why. That said, I do think that people will often make more of an exception for children. In any case I think these cultural differences are important for people to know because if they don't they might end up thinking that the service is poor or rude and not appreciate that it's different. So, I wanted to make a general commentary on this issue.

Thanks to David’s suggestion, we went to Le Bambou the other night and loved it. It was a very lively place and the food was well prepared and very fresh. We especially liked the raw beef salad and shrimp and green papaya salad. Unfortunately it was a hot summer night, so no one tried the Pho. The bill came to 25 € each for drinks (several) appetizers, main course, dessert, and coffee, so it was pretty much a bargin as well. Merci beaucoup!

I’m not really surprised by your waiter’s response as special requests are much more unusual in Paris that they would be in the States. In the US special requests are fairly common and for many reasons are usually accommodated, even if the kitchen throws a fit when they come in—which they often do. The waiters, knowing they are working for a tip, will do everything in their power to ensure the customer gets their request, even if it means battling with cranky line cooks, because it means more money in their pocket. In France there is not this incentive and I’m sure for various other reasons, it’s just not done that much. From my experience working in a restaurant in Paris, I’ve noticed that people here generally order what’s on the menu, they don’t ask for sauce on the side, and they don’t ask for the sauce that’s normally meant to go on the duck, to be put on their chicken, etc, etc. Probably, because they wouldn’t get it even if they did. It’s just not done. Of course, there are exceptions and people do make the occasional special request, but there’s no guarantee that it will be granted and people know that and accept it. The regular who’s been going to the same café for xx years, can ask for whatever they want, because they’ve built up a relationship with the staff and every one knows them. A first time customer will not get this service, but if you go back a few times, you will. I know it seems like a simple thing for the waiter to just go and get some raw vegetables from the walk-in in the kitchen, but depending on how busy it is, you might get your head torn off. In my experience in restaurants, the less interaction the waiter has with the kitchen, the better. I’m sure people who have worked in kitchens could give a little more insight.

Okay, you’ve convinced me, we are going to try Le Bambou. I'll just have to make a second trip for Sông Huong, which I found accidentally, while Googling. I came across it in a Vietnamese forum but seeing that I don’t know a word of Vietnamese I had no idea what they we're saying about it. Many thanks for the suggestions!

I'm still trying to decide on a place for tomorrow night. Anyone ever try or heard of: "Sông Huong" 129, avenue de Choisy?

What's the best pho soup?

Could it be Tan Dinh, rue de Verneuil?; quite good, but not like it was "in country." ← Yes, that's it! Merci! And while I enjoyed Tan Dinh, it's not the kind of place I'm looking for. I'd rather find a little hole in the wall with great food, something fun and not stuffy.

All the talk about the best and worst non-French food in Paris made me want to seek out some of the “best”, so I thought I’d start with Vietnamese. Here’s what I’ve tried so far: Dong Huong and Paris Hanoi in the 11th. The famous one in the 7th, whose name escapes me. A little one in the 5th called La Paillotte d'Or, which I loved but it was always empty for some reason. I live not far from Belleville, so I’d love to hear about suggestions nearby, but am also very happy to head to the 13th. I’m hoping to get a group of friends together to go one night next week, so I’ll report back then. Merci!

There's a little place in the 5th called Mexi and Co which is certainly not great, but it's not half bad either. It's a just a little hole in the wall that serves burittos, quesidillas, etc. The people working there are definitely latino, but I'm not sure if they are Mexican or not. They also serve some groceries as well, like ancho chilis, red beans and even FLUFF, for some reason. 10 rue Dante, 5th. Anahuacahlli, also in the 5th, is supposed to have very good upscale cuisine, but I've never been. And there's A La Mexicaine near the Pompidou center which I've been to, but it was a few years ago. I liked it, but not enough to go back. My Nova guide lists Taco Loco, and says they serve "authentic Mexican home-cooking". They also mention that everyone there is Mexican. 116 rue Amelot in the 11th. I'll have to give it a try. And The Studio, which bills itself as Tex-Mex, is set in a beautiful courtyard outside le centre de danse de Marais, but the food is mediocre at best. I've also passed by a little place on rue Tiquitonne but can't remember its name. The other night I was out with a friend and we had planned on going to Les Vivres in the 9th but it was already closed (it was 20h30). So we walked around the area and spyed a Mexican place that was half full. We decided, against my better judgement, to give it a try since we were hungry and just wanted something quick. The first really bad sign was that after he gave us the "Mexican" menu, he asked if we would like the "Indian" one. Needless to say, it was pretty bad.

While I am not going to retract what I said a month ago, I would like to update it. The ambiance, French clientele, fullness and reasonable price (114E for 4) at Le Comptoir at lunch remain. However, today I ate with Colette and two other exigeant eaters and while my foie gras/veggie terrine and pig's foot main were OK, except for the tuna had by one of the distaff folk, the rest (tuna slices on salad, gaspacho, beef with veggies and salad nicoise) was banal. ← This is bad news. I figured that this was at leat one place I would absolutely try to get to during my upcoming trip to Paris. I will continue to monitor opinion here. ← I have two colleagues who went separately and said roughly the same, but they didn't go for the menu gastronomique, so I assumed this was why. I had dinner there shortly after it opened and found it to be wonderful and it was certainly one of the best meals I have had in Paris this year. A friend went shortly after and raved about it as well.

Along the canal Saint Martin might be a nice spot as well. This weekend, I'm going to picnic somewhere along the Canal de l'Ourcq. Apparently there is trail that runs from La Villette all the way to Meaux. Although I doubt we'll make it that far.

A friend sent me the following request today and I was hoping to get some ideas from every one here. He wrote: "We are taking a French family to dinner this Saturday. They live in the 7th - we think we should probably pick somewhere reasonably proximate - 6th, 7th, edge 14th or 15th. We will each have a young-ish (9 year old) child with us so it has to be a bit relaxed and potentially child friendly. Also needs to be cool. And not stratospherically expensive. Any suggestions? " The child-friendly part makes things a lot more difficult. Although, I imagine they are pretty well behavied. Any ideas? How about Les Fables de la Fontaine? Thanks for any suggestions....

I’ve never been to Les Caves Taillevent, but they have a good reputation. They could also try Lavina, by far the largest store in Paris. La Cave Legrand, located in a beautiful covered passage, is a nice store for browsing as they also have books and other interesting wine/food related items, plus a wine bar where you can taste some of the wines before you buy. For Bordeaux wines there is La Maison des Millesimes, 137 blvd. Saint-Germain, which has nothing but bordeaux. Lavinia 3 blvd de la Madeleine Cave Legrand 12 Galerie Vivienne, Metro: Bourse

Merci for all of the translations, that's exactly what it was. And yes, it's definitely much more than a cheese and charcuterie kind of place. It's more of a bistro really, but I think you can also come in during off-hours and just have a glass of wine. I could be wrong though. The night I was there they were also serving: (scribbled on scraps of paper, so please forgive any mistakes) Tartare de lieu jaune Bouillon de crevettes avec petit pois Compote de poivrons et aubergines Saute de veau au citron et courgette Escabeche de caille au fenouil pave de cabillaud poele avec pomme de terre puree Ananas confit crumble de pommes et framboise soupe de cerise

I recently went to Le Baratin, a wonderful bistro/bar à vin in the 20th. It’s located on rue Jouye Rouve, a quiet street just off the busy blvd. de Belleville. It’s a perfect excuse to see a part of Paris that many visitors never get to. The atmosphere was lively and fun, with a small bar when you walk in where I think you can just have a glass of wine without eating. I had heard that they get their vegetables from Paris’s most famous vegetable guy, Joel Thiebaut, so I started with white asparagus with salted butter and shaved parmesan, simply prepared but delicious. My main course was an echine de Porc roti (don’t know the translation of echine) au pimenton et achiote served with cabbage and leeks if I remember correctly, all very good. Dessert was an extremely rich chocolate cake. And of course lots of wine, which I unfortunately didn’t pay much attention to because we were with a friend who was in the wine business who did all of the ordering, but I can say that it was all quite good. They are well- known for their wines. This is definitely a place I would recommend. Note--One friend with us was a vegetarian, but they happily prepared her a plate of incredible looking vegetables, so it was no problem. Edit for typo

We discussed "le Fooding" on egullet a while back. I tried to go to their event at the Palais de Tokoyo a few months ago, but gave up after waiting for a half an hour in a line that didn't even move. Im planning on going to the event at the Batofar and hope it will be easier to get into, though I'm not counting on'it. I think LouFood went to the first one. Anyone else going?

I guy I know in Paris was just telling me about Aux Petits Delices in Wayne. He said they have amazing stuff. The owner used to be the pastry chef at Le Bec Fin, so it must be good.