Micro Visit to Paris

[dfunghi]

Hi all,

I have never been to Paris (I know, I know I will) but find myself at CDG for 6 hours on a Saturday early part of the day (arrive 8AM leave 2PM) in November. I understand the RER can get me to central Paris in under an hour. That leaves me 2 or 3 for eating and or food shopping. So my question is this. Is there an area where I can get on and off the RER from CDG where I may find a great little place for lunch as well as a nice walk around and maybe some shopping. Or a stop on the RER near a great market open on Saturday. That would be my first choice. To find some amazing items for my return trip. I am sure I can spot a nice little lunch place on my walk around. I have a good "nose" for finding the right places.

TIA

David

[John Talbott]

Hi all,

I have never been to Paris (I know, I know I will) but find myself at CDG for 6 hours on a Saturday early part of the day (arrive 8AM leave 2PM) in November. I understand the RER can get me to central Paris in under an hour. That leaves me 2 or 3 for eating and or food shopping.  So my question is this. Is there an area where I can get on and off the RER from CDG where I may find a great little place for lunch as well as a nice walk around  and maybe some shopping. Or a stop on the RER near a great market open on  Saturday. That would be my first choice. To find some amazing items for my return trip. I am sure I can spot a nice little lunch place on my walk around. I have a good "nose" for finding the right places.

TIA

David

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If you're committed to sticking near the RER from CdeG, you have lots of possibilities, but even 10 min off the RER, you're fine.

Within walking range of the Gard du Nord, the first stop in the city, one can walk to a fine place Chez Michel, 10, Rue Belzunce, Paris - 01 44 53 06 20, and then walk around Montmartre; only food shopping is nul. And only a bit away is the best, and hottest spot in Paris, Spring about which much has been written here.

The second stop, Chatelet/Les Halles, has no great eating nearby, but nearby is/are the Pompidou Center and the Marais for art.

The third stop, St Michel, might be where to go. For me Ze Kitchen Galerie at 4, rue des Grands Augustins, 01 44 32 00 32, would be perfect, because you could then walk by the book-stalls and the Seine, Notre Dame, view the Eiffel Tower, etc. But in truth Ze is not your typical french food, so,

Fourth Paris stop, Luxembourg, great garden, Senate, good resto at the Maison du Jardin and go to the Grand Epicerie Food Shop at the Bon Marche department store.

Now, I want to be sure you understand that from any of these stops you can eat at many other great places and find great walking nearby. As opposed to say London, you can get off at almost any RER or Metro stop and find interesting restaurants and sights.

Good luck and let us know how it worked out.

[dfunghi]

Thank You John,

I am not so much looking to try the newest or hottest place as the amount of time and time of day prohibit any real eating. I am trying to find either a fantastic market or one of the areas known for great food shops. The web is overrun with sites on this but I wanted to get the opinion of a few trusted sources. I hope to find a market or shop area that has a couple of great cheese sellers as well as a source for really good (I know sort of an oxymoron) canned Fois and Rillets. I hope to be able to drag home a shopping bag of goodies. It does not have to be right on the RER but easy connections of Metro and RER with a few block walk is fine. I have to be back at CDG in time for my connection. So I figure I have about 3 hours to shop and eat. From about 9 till noon. I give myself 2 hours to shop and 1 to eat before returning to CDG. As it will be November I imagine a nice steaming hot cassoulet would be great if I can find that at 11 in the morning?

David

[dfunghi]

Further research has lead me to this:

I am trying to choose between Saxe Breteuil or heading to a market street like rue des Moines or rue Cler.

If anyone has recommendations for these or similar places along with RER - METRO directions form CGD that would be fantastic. Remember I only have a couple of hours.

This lay over is at the end of a 2 week business trip to Italy and AA screwed me so I am making the best of it. I was booked to fly Torino - LHR - LAX but they changed my flights to Torino - CDG-ORD-LAX adding 9 hours of travel to my day. Six of which are spent at CDG. So I really want to make the best of a bad situation.

I realize 6 hours is not an amount of time to do much but I really do not want to sit at the terminal at CDG for 6 hours. If I can walk around Paris for a couple or three hours and shop and eat it will go along way to improving my long travel day. I even plan to pick up one of those amazing roasted chickens form a market to eat on the plane a few hours later. If I can bring home some sweets for my sweet and some cheese and Fois for me and my fellow gluttons I will be happy. Other than that I just want to "take in" the smells and sounds of a Saturday morning at the market in Paris. I am limited to one singular event so I can not imagine a better one. Time does not allow for monument, museum visits or dinner.

[pennylane]

What about rue Montorgueil? That's accessible from Chatelet. It was introduced to me as "the food street" of Paris. And the atmosphere around Les Halles is pretty... er... vibrant. Although in the morning it shouldn't be quite so frenetic.

Otherwise St Michel is a great area... can't think of a market there as such but there is always a lot going on and great atmosphere. I think you will like it.

[Ptipois]

Get on the RER and get off at Saint-Michel/Notre-Dame.

You'll find yourself on the boulevard Saint-Germain-Boulevard Saint-Michel crossing.

Take Saint-Germain to the left (looking uphill), walk along the Cluny park. Cross rue Saint-Jacques, walk on to Place Maubert, you'll find the marché Maubert, which is one of nicest (and oldest) markets in Paris.

Have lunch nearby at Le Pré Verre (tel. (33) 1 43 54 59 47).

Edited August 13, 2007 by Ptipois (log)

[John Talbott]

I am trying to find either a fantastic market or one of the areas known for great food shops.

←

Ah well, then, with these priorities, I fully agree with Pti, as usual. Since it'll be November and you're coming in from Torino, you'll already have got the Southern European items and foie gras and rillettes will be easy to target. Plus Le Pré Verre is pretty darn good. Do reserve though.

[dfunghi]

pti,

Thank you for the reply. That sounds like the plan.

Penny thank you as well.

John thank you as well.

It sounds like pti has hit the nail on the head. I wont get lost and miss my flight and I will have a nice early lunch and some fine shopping. Do I really need a resv. if I just want lunch , early? I wonder if they are open at 1100 for lunch? I need to be back in CDG no later than 1PM. That gives me an hour to clear security and board my flight. No need to check in. I just wonder if I can carry on cheese and canned goods? Or do they apply that idiotic 3oz rule like liquids? I better find out before I shop too much. I imagine food should be fine as people bring food on planes all the time now that the airlines have cut back.

[John Talbott]

but find myself at CDG for 6 hours on a Saturday early part of the day (arrive 8AM leave 2PM)

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Oh oh, like the Professor said; read the instructions! "leave at 2PM." A problem.

I've never arrived at Le Pré Verre before 12:30 when there have indeed been folks there, but not a lot; they do list their hours as starting at 12 Noon. (most Parisiens turn up between 12:30-2).

So, let me amend Pti's suggestion to suggest lunch at the Brasserie Balzar where you can enter and order and eat before noon since they open at 8 and serve cassoulet. It's not haute cuisine but it's probably the best compromise.

There is also the option of shopping at the Marché Maubert 9:30-10:30 say and then going back to CdeG and eating - there.

There's also the possibility of shopping at the covered market at St Quentin, 85, bis boulevard Magenta, near the Gare du Nord and eating at the Terminus Nord afterwards, which is OK for a Flo brasserie (I'm eating there myself after getting in late from Firenze in 2 weeks) and opens at 11 AM and serves cassoulet.

Customs regs are like in the US, no more than 3.4 ounces liquid etc. Dry stuff no problem (eg cheese).

Recall that the RER does take a half-hour plus/minus and American/Term 1 is a few minutes via the new subway.

I'm a worry-wart and I hate lines and rushing, so I leave (assuredly) far too early, but the hassle at CdeG is no better/worse than elsewhere.

[Catriona]

The alternative would be to take the air france coach to porte maillot, (or Etoile) but that's pretty much a desert in terms of good eating (as far as I know!).

We had friends who had a 4 hour layover and came to visit us via the coach, which was lovely, but it was tough to find somwehere nice to feed a crustacean-hating coeliac (we could have had a nice fruits de mer platter, if that had appealed to her) within sight of the bus stop.

[John Talbott]

The alternative would be to take the air france coach to porte maillot, (or Etoile) but that's pretty much a desert in terms of good eating (as far as I know!).

We had friends who had a 4 hour layover and came to visit us via the coach, which was lovely, but it was tough to find somwehere nice to feed a crustacean-hating coeliac (we could have had a nice fruits de mer platter, if that had appealed to her) within sight of the bus stop.

←

Although there are a couple of OK places at the Porte Maillot (at the Hôtel Méridien itself, Claude Colliot's l'Orenoc + Chez George), they would not be open at 11 AM and Catriona is spot on about the absence of markets/food stores/etc. in the area.

Speaking of which, if you want to learn more about markets than you need to, see our Market/Marche compendium.

[dfunghi]

"Speaking of which, if you want to learn more about markets than you need to, see our Market/Marche compendium."

I have done that and much more. That is how I "boiled" it down to my choices. I will follow pti advice unless I have extra time and can make it to Saxe Breteuil which sounds a bit larger. All of the restaurants people have emailed me about are not going to be open in time. I hope to find a little place near the market that may be open early. Even the link you sent me (John) about Flo open at 0800 when I checked their website it said they opened at noon.

[dfunghi]

Having spent several hours researching the Paris METRO and the Markets it appears that changing from the RER to the METRO and continuing on to Segur for the Saxe Breteuil market is going to to take quite a bit of time. As I should have expected after reading much of the France board in the last few days that Pti would provide the most correct response to suit my individual needs. The RER goes directly to the stop recommended and the market sounds lovely. Small , but lovely.

Just out of curiosity and a never ending desire to complicate life how long would it take to go via the RER to a station to switch for METRO to Segur? It looks like Saint Michel would be the logical switching point? How long from S.M. to Segur? How easy is the switching to facilitate? Lastly how many tickets should I buy and does the regular 1.40 Euro ticket get me from CDG to ???? or is CDG a separate fare since it is outside the city?

Thank you all for all the help. I am close to done thanks to all your help.

David

[Ptipois]

Having spent several hours researching the Paris METRO and the Markets it appears that changing from the RER to the METRO and continuing on to Segur for the Saxe Breteuil market is going to to take quite a bit of time. As I should have expected after reading much of the France board in the last few days that Pti would provide the most correct response to suit my individual needs. The RER goes directly to the stop recommended and the market sounds lovely. Small , but lovely.

  Just out of curiosity and a never ending desire to complicate life how long would it take to go via the RER to a station to switch for METRO to Segur? It looks like Saint Michel would be the logical switching point? How long from S.M. to Segur? How easy is the switching to facilitate? Lastly how many tickets should I buy and does the regular 1.40 Euro ticket get me from CDG to ???? or is CDG a separate fare since it is outside the city?

Thank you all for all the help. I am close to done thanks to all your help.

David

←

When you get off the RER at Saint-Michel the station is directly connected to the Métro, no need to get out or buy another ticket. Just follow the METRO signs direction "Boulogne", you will reach the platform of the Cluny-La Sorbonne station. Ségur is six stops away (should not be more than a 5-minute ride. Riding the escalators from Saint-Michel to the métro station would take about 10 minutes).

When you buy your RER ticket at CDG, it includes one metro fare, which enables you to reach any métro station in Paris.

Going to Ségur for the Saxe-Breteuil market should be OK, but I don't recommend you try to go any further if you have little time. Saxe-Breteuil is a "classic" market, it has some nice stalls but I think it's more interesting for fresh products, vegetables, fruit, etc. It is more a "bourgeois housewives" market and not so pretty as Maubert.

Maubert has a few artisan stalls, olive oils and vinegars, and there's a great cheese shop on place Maubert (a permanent shop, not a market stall). I should point out that, unless my memory fails me, they vacuum-pack cheeses for people who have to take planes. The oils stand is (as far as I know) the only place in Paris that sells salted anchovies from Roque in Collioure.

You will definitely have more to see if you stick to the Saint-Michel/Maubert neighborhood than if you go to the cold, impersonal quartier of Saxe-Breteuil. Maubert is one of the oldest areas in Paris. Notre-Dame cathedral is right next to it. The streets between place Maubert and the Seine are some of the oldest in town, with some buildings dating back to the 13th century. And on the way to Notre-Dame stands the oldest church in Paris; when you get off from the RER you're facing the Roman therms, etc. That area is nice because it allows you to see so much in such a small space. And the market is really nice.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Ptipois (log)

[pirate]

As an exercise in the optimal use of a bit of travel time, I'm intrigued by your proposed adventure and impressed by your meticulous preparation. Good luck.

[dfunghi]

Pti,

You sold me. I shall venture no further by train than S.M. and you have piqued my interest in not only the area (I love historic, old, often crumbly buildings) and the market. Cheese packed for travel. Rare anchovies. You write as though we have met before. I appreciate the time you have taken to supply advice as well as travel instructions. I am indebted to you. My research is now over and I look forward to late November in Paris for a few hours. I have researched the RER as well and understand I can buy tickets with euro coins at a machine at any station or stand in (on?) line and buy from ticket window. I am all set now.

David

[Felice]

I just wanted chime in to say that I wholeheartedly agree with Ptipois' recommendation and can't think of a better place to spend a few hours in Paris, especially since it's your first time here. When you make your way back from the market to Saint Michel, try to take some of the smaller streets near Notre Dame.

I'm not really convinced that you will be able to find a place that serves lunch at 11am though; you may need to settle for a café and croissant instead.

[Pork Belly]

As suggested by the above posts, I would choose either the Chatelet or the St. Michel stop on the RER. Both offer a wonderful shopping experience. Instead of rushing through a sit down lunch, I would grab something at one of the many bakeries/boulanger and stroll for a couple of hours.

Rue Montgorguill just north of the Chatelet station is a very quaint shopping street. Stroher is a wonderful bakery with excellent sweet as well savory pastries. Nearby is the famous kitchenware shop, Dehillerin. R Rambuteau is a great shopping street that will give one a sense of how Parisiens shop. Pain de Sucre, an excellent boulangerie, is on this street. You might have a little time to stoll down to the Pompidou center before heading back to the station.

There two good strolling area around the St Michel RER station. As mentioned above, the Maubert market is in the 5th which r. de Mouffetard is nearby. Pick up something to eat at Kayser on r Monge and stroll down to the Seine where one will see all the picture postcard views of Paris. The alternative is the r de Seine/Buci area. in the 6th. Around this area, there are some of the best pastry shops in Paris: Laduree, Mulot, Carton, Pierre Hermes as well as some of the best chocolatiers. There is a excellent fromagerie that offers a cheese tasting for around 10E as well as De Rosa, a terrific shop that specializes in Spanish products, including the best jamon. It also offers simple tasting plates. Both are on the R de Seine, betweeen blvd St. Germaine and the Seine. Stroll down to the Seine and cross the Pont des Art for some great views of Paris.

I would not suggest anything more complicate than that. It might be easy to transfer, etc, for someone who is familiar with Paris. But as a first time visitor, there is a good chance of getting lost. It is not worth the anxiety.

Edited August 21, 2007 by Pork Belly (log)

[dfunghi]

Here is my plan with special thanks to pti and P.B.

Take RER from CDG to Cluny (St Michele) station. Walk to Maubert and stroll the market for a bit. Grab a cafe and a snack wherever looks good. If time allows then head NW on St Germain (RSG) to Rue de Seine (RDS) for shopping and eating. Depending on time continue on to RSG to Rue de Four to Rue de Bonaparte for Hermes then back to RDS for De Rossa and other shops. Or if time is short forsake Hermes.Then a stroll out to the Seine for a quick photo and take it in and then grab a taxi back to RER Cluny for the RER back to CGD. All eating will be done "on the fly" to save time. If anyone has any addresses for a particular shop in that area please let me know. I am still hoping to find a great source for Fois (canned to travel sorry to say) and other duck and goose products. I hope to find a person at Maubert but am open to all suggestions within the area I laid out above. I will have between 2 and 3 hours to accomplish my shopping spree if all goes smoothly at CDG and RER. Since I arrive CDG early (8:30) on a Saturday I hope it will be quiet and easy to clear passport and customs. I will only have my backpack with me. I must leave myself 90 minutes to check back in at CDG for my 14:40 flight. So I hope to get to RSG by 10 and leave 1230 the latest. From the best I can figure it will take about 30 - 40 minutes from the time I get on the CDG shuttle train to RSG via express train. Is this reasonable?

Any and all opinions are welcome. I believe I have a decent plan with three failsafe options to return to CDG in case time is short.

TIA,

David

[julot-les-pinceaux]

Nobody mentioned the alternative that jumps to my mind, especially from CDG1: Take the AF bus, which is no longer and no less reliable than the RER, to Charles de Gaule (la place, pas l'aéroport) and spend the morning around the market Bayen Poncelet, for instance with croissants from la fleur d'Oranger, Bred from BE, great fruits from planete fruits, maybe scroll around the biggest Fnac (CDs and books) if you feel like taking a break from food. You can buy wine from Petrissans, cheese from Alleosse. Divay has all sorts of great stuff including my favourite confit de canard. Pou also, say for foie gras. And you can even grab some of the greatest sushi to go in town before you take the bus at Okame, in the end of the faubourg saint honoré.

The AF bus goes direct from CDG 1 to Place Charles de Gaulle Etoile (actually stops in CDG 2AB, CD, ad EF and in Porte Maillot), takes fourty minutes, costs 20€ round trip. It has the charm of being much more comfortable than the RER. NO traffic issue on a saturday morning. And this is when Divay makes the "croissants au jambon" that are pretty unique (I think it is actually turkey -- and it has no cheese).

Edited October 19, 2007 by julot-les-pinceaux (log)

[John Talbott]

Nobody mentioned the alternative that jumps to my mind, especially from CDG1: Take the AF bus, which is no longer and no less reliable than the RER, to Charles de Gaule (la place, pas l'aéroport) and spend the morning around the market Bayen Poncelet, for instance with croissants from la fleur d'Oranger, Bred from BE, great fruits from planete fruits, maybe scroll around the biggest Fnac (CDs and books) if you feel like taking a break from food. You can buy wine from Petrissans, cheese from Alleosse. Divay has all sorts of great stuff including my favourite confit de canard. Pou also, say for foie gras. And you can even grab some of the greatest sushi to go in town before you take the bus at Okame, in the end of the faubourg saint honoré.

The AF bus goes direct from CDG 1 to Place Charles de Gaulle Etoile (actually stops in CDG 2AB, CD, ad EF and in Porte Maillot), takes fourty minutes, costs 20€ round trip. It has the charm of being much more comfortable than the RER. NO traffic issue on a saturday morning. And this is when Divay makes the "croissants au jambon" that are pretty unique (I think it is actually turkey -- and it has no cheese).

←

I like this plan Julot and dfunghi; and one can also wolf down a dozen or two bivalves at l'Huitrier on the rue Saussier-Leroy if one is in the Bayen-Poncelet market area.

[julot-les-pinceaux]

So they finally got that H? I remember that they used to be called l'Uitrier.

[John Talbott]

So they finally got that H? I remember that they used to be called l'Uitrier.

←

Always been to my knowledge; sure you don't mean Uitr in the 15th? Oldest reference I have in my archives here is Emmanuel Rubin's 2000 Gourmet Paris (except 1969 Gault & Millau) which shows it with an "H".

[julot-les-pinceaux]

Maybe confusion inside my head. Both are good, in any case. The one in rue Saussier-Leroy was already there when I was in junior high. That's more recent than your 1969 Gault Millau.

[dfunghi]

Well just when I thought I had it all figured out. Divay may make my decision more difficult. I would be a little afraid of getting too caught up in the surroundings and the crowds on a Saturday in that part of Paris though. Time is very short. I will not have time to browse a book or music shop or linger in a plaza with a cafe. It will be a very hectic, concerted effort meant to acquire important items for my trip home. Your suggestion is great however and I will do further research.

My wife already is expecting Herme's and I am looking forward to visiting De Rossa as Iberico Bellota is not available in USA and good ones are hard to find even in Spain. I imagine they will have some of the top tier producers. I have budgeted about 100Euro for Jamon. I am hoping for three 250 gram packages. Perhaps even Joselito (sp?).

Edited October 19, 2007 by dfunghi (log)