home alone in paris.

[origamicrane]

hello everyone

due to some airline problems i'm going to find myself in Paris alone for 2 days as the rest of my friends have had their flight delayed

So was wondering if anyone could recommend some good restaurant in Paris where it wouldn't look strange for a person dining alone and where i can pretty much turn up without a reservation.

I like most food but have a bias towards oriental or traditional european cuisine.

Recommendations with names and address would be very much appreciated.

thanks in advance

regards

sam

[John Talbott]

I eat alone about 75% of the time and usually reserve the morning of the lunch. All the below should be fine:

Au Bon Accueil

Ze Kitchen Galerie

La Maison du Jardin

Le Beurre Noisette

Le Pre Verre

L'Equitable

La Dinee

Café Constant

Les Fables de la Fontaine

L'Ourcine

L'Astrée

Le Duc de Richelieu

[paulbrussel]

In Paris, it shouldn't be thta much of a problem: dining alone.

I do it most of the times, but I mostly go to upscale restaurants. But in the bistrots and brasseries, as John Talbott mentions, you should be able to get dinner.

As he suggested: lunching is much cheaper, and could be as interesting in Paris as dining.

[origamicrane]

Thanks all

well i'm there for a good 2 days on my own so will get a chance to explore a bit

btw is there a nice food/fish market open on Sunday in Paris?

[cheeseandchocolate]

As I recall, the Marche Richard Lenoir is open on Sundays. It runs up blvd. Richard Lenoir from Bastille, so you'll want to take the Metro to Bastille and get started from there. It is a terrific market--quite large, with all sorts of produce/flowers/cheeses/meats/fish/the works. When I was in Paris from 2001-2002, I worked at that market for a fancy oils vendor called Mille et Une Huiles.

[John Talbott]

Boy are you lucky.

As for markets, where are you staying? There's a bio marche on Blvd Raspail in the 6th (metro Rennes, which station, on second thot, is closed weekends, I think, so go to ND des Champs) open Sun AM and regular, eg non-bio, ones all over (eg Metro Maubert-Mutualite), open Sun AM. Many have fish (the one in my neighborhood has two fish places open from about 9 til 1.) For upscale fish, I believe the Poissonerie du Dome - located on Rue Delambre between Le Dome and the Bistrot du Dome is open Sunday AM's too.

In Paris, most open air markets are open Tuesday mornings to Sunday noon with a rest day on Monday, but there are exceptions. Your concierge, if you have one, should be able to help. On Mondays, you can get good fish at the Grand Epicerie (food store) at the Department Store Bon Marche near Metro Sevres-Babylone.

[Louisa Chu]

Thanks all

well i'm there for a good 2 days on my own so will get a chance to explore a bit

btw is there a nice food/fish market open on Sunday in Paris?

Rue Cler - my market street in the 7th - metro Ecole Militaire - is open on Sundays - most places closing around 12:00. La Sablaise is the fishmonger there - they also have some prepared seafood. They've been my local fish guys for two years - very good quality - great live shrimp.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

As I recall, the Marche Richard Lenoir is open on Sundays.  It runs up blvd. Richard Lenoir from Bastille, so you'll want to take the Metro to Bastille and get started from there.  It is a terrific market--quite large, with all sorts of produce/flowers/cheeses/meats/fish/the works.  When I was in Paris from 2001-2002, I worked at that market for a fancy oils vendor called Mille et Une Huiles.

I second the Richard Lenoir market. In addition to fresh foods and flowers, there is an excellent traiteur who, besides offering a dazzling array of salads, pates, etc., will heat any size serving of their wares (paella, choucroute, sausages, tarteflette, etc). You can sit and eat your finds while listening to street entertainers and people watching. Then go hit a cheese or bakery stand to finish your meal!

[John Talbott]

I apologize for not giving the coordinates the first time. Here are most of them:

Au Bon Accueil, 14 rue de Monttessuy, 7th, 01.47.05.46.11

Ze Kitchen Galerie, 4 rue des Grands Augustins, 6th, 01.44.32.00.32

La Maison du Jardin, 27 Vaugirard, 6th, 01.45.48.22.31

Le Beurre Noisette, 68 Vasco de Gama, 15th, 01.48.56.82.49

Le Pre Verre, 01.43.54.59.47 - 8 Thenard, 5th (Maubert/St. Michel)

L’Equitable – 1 rue Fosses Saint-Marcel, 01.43.31.69.20 5th

La Dinee, 85 rue Leblanc 15th, 01.45.54.20

Café Constant, 139 St Dominique, 7th, 01.47.53.73.34

Les Fables de la Fontaine (often misprinted as the Tables) 131 St-Dominque, 7th, 01.44.18.37

L’Ourcine, 92 Broca, 13th, 01.47.07.13.65

L’Astrée, 3 rue Général-Lanzarec, in the 17th

Le Duc de Richelieu, 5 rue Parrot, 12th, 01.43.43.05.64

Open for lunch on Saturdays (sometimes a problem)

La Grande Rue

Beurre Noisette

Le Regalade, 49, ave Jean Moulin, 14th 45.45.68.58 Fine repeat 1/2 101/2

Dix Vins, 57 Falguiere, 15th 01.43.20.91.77

Petit Pontoise

Fables

Viel Ami

Open for lunch on Sat & Sun

L'Equitable has reinstituted its Sunday menu at 30E

Le Reminet, 3, rue des Grands-Degres, 5th,

La Mediterranee, 2 pl de l'Odeon, 6, 01.43.26.02.30

L'Ardoise, 28 rue du Mont Thabor, 1st

L’Etoile Marocain, open 7/7 inc all holidays

J’Go

Moulin de la Galette

Petit Pontoise, 5th, 9 rue de Pontoise, nr Reminet, 01.43.29.25.20

Viel Ami

[origamicrane]

thanks John and C&C

i'm staying near the Belleville district so the Marche Richard Lenoir is perfect as it look like a short walk away:)

Will probably go wonder down there this Sunday morning with and empty stomach and a fat wallet

[Louisa Chu]

You may not want to advertise the fat wallet around Belleville.

[origamicrane]

hehehe i heard about that too:)

but staying with a friend so should be fine ;)

[origamicrane]

hi all

currently in Paris now:)

well haven't been to any of the restaurant on the above threads yet but intend to go to la Mediterranee and the Kitchen Galerie in the next few days.

Well enjoying my time in Paris and never let it be said that i'm not a sandwich short of a fruitcake :) I walked from Belleville to Bastille to Notre Dame to Louvre to Champs Elysee to Arc de Triomphe to Effiel Tower

this took me about 12 hours at slow tourist speed.

Well went to the marche Richard Lenoir it was lovely

thanks for the recommendation.

Arrived there at 11 am and got the french feel that i wanted everyday people out on a sunday doing their food shopping.

there are a lot of stalls here selling almost all things.

I would suggest taking down a bottle of water and some napkins ;)

Anyway i'm a seafood person and heres two photo for all seafood lovers

Couldn't try everything but did just get a piece of rotisserie duck

as it had just come of the roast and was good food on the go,

quite nice and only 3 euros.

For diner that night I went to this place on a recommendation of a friend

Le Relais de Venise 271 bd pereire (porte maillot) 17th arrondissement

This place is quite interesting as it only serves steak (encrotote) and frites.

It doesn't take reservations as such get there early. I got there at 6.45pm and there was already a queue of about 30 people.

At 7pm got in and ordered my steak apoint from what looked like a more mature and french version of Lisa Kudrow

In under 5 minutes bread, a glass of white wine and a green leaf salad topped with crushed walnuts landed. 5 minutes later the steak arrived with a serving of crispy fries.

The steak is already carved and coverd in a distinctive butter, herb, mustard, lemon juice and black pepper sauce. It was perfectly cooked and very tasty

when i finished that, the second serving was served after this I was bursting.

Dinner was finished off with a triple layer meringue sandwiched with hazlenut and vanilla ice cream and drown in a milk chocolate sauce and a coffee.

bill was 33 euros quite reasonable in comparision to London.

The food was enjoyable enough but the experience is greatly lacking

as this meal from start to finish took 50 minutes!!!!

Tables are squashed together, staff are efficient but this place is a pack them in get them out type place, you wouldn't want to stay and linger there.

This is fast food steak house as an art form. But when i left at 7.58pm the restaurant was completely full and there was still 30 people queueing outside.

Wish i could open a restaurant like this and have this number of customers.

anyway todays task it to try the macaron from laduree, paul and fouchon will report on that tomorrow:)