Special places in Rome/Paris

My husband and I are traveling in mid September to Rome and Paris. We will be spending 5 nights in each city (not a lot of time I know) and doing the overnight train from Rome to Paris.

We have purchased a ton of guidebooks (including Pudlo Paris) and will be researching into all the yumminess that we can eat and drink in both cities - but I was curious if you guys know of any little gems/lesser known spots that we absolutely shouldn't miss.

Specifically, we will be staying in the Marais district of Paris and in Trastevere in Rome - but we are willing to hoof it wherever if the food is worth it.

Thanks! :)

"Special" can mean lots of things, but here are some first cut recommendations:

For meat, I like I Butteri (Via Taro, in Parioli). They serve excellent bistecca fiorentina.
For fish, Consolini near Circus Maximus. Nice atmosphere and exellent food and convenient to Trastevere.
An Italian friend recommends La Taverna degli Amici near Piazza Venezia for nice atmosphere, very good food, and "a bit of romance."
"Special" for me is good pizza, and for that I like Gusto near Via del Corso.

Not perhaps "special," but I like Antica Pesa in Trastevere quite a bit.

In Rome you couldn't be staying in a better place for great, neighborhood food. I'd suggest Da Gildo in Trestevare, their bucatini 'matricana is delicious, as are their deep fried artichokes. They also do a very simple pasta with cheese, pepper, and olive oil that I try on a weekly basis to recreate and can't. There's also a tiny pizza place just down the street from Da Gildo called Focaccia Bogaccia that serves excellent handmade, fresh pizza with fresh, delicious toppings.

In Paris, get thee to Au Bon St. Pourcain in the Montparnasse district for some real French cooking. Francois, who's the owner, does all the bistro standards extremely well. He's a gracious host and does his best to make everyone feel welcome despite the language barrier for a few. It's one of the places I return to each time in Paris.

Da Gildo
Via della Scala, 31/a
Rome

Au Bon St. Pourcain
10 rue Servandoni [/b]
Paris

There are a number of good threads (Q&A as well as some nice travelogues) with info about Rome.

If you perform a search for "Rome" restricted to the "Beyond Chicagoland" section, you'll get good results.

Best,
Michael

In Paris we like Bookinistes (Guy Savoy's second restaurant, maybe now called Bouqinistes) and in Rome we like Gusto (we only have eaten in the wine/cheese bar part).

LES BOOKINISTES
53 quai des Grands Augustins, 75006 Paris (00 33 1 43 25 45 94; fax: 43 25 23 07). Closed Saturday and Sunday lunch, open all year

GUSTO
Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9 (06-3226273) Open Daily 1-3pm and 7:30pm-midnight
http://www.gusto.it/

Here's my chowhound Paris report from a couple of months back:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/383326

Most are on the left bank but easily accessible from the Marais. And, of course, if you're interested in French history and literature do not miss the Carnavalet museum in the Marais, an often overlooked site.

I also understand that some of the best falafel in the world can be found at L'As du Falafel in the Marais. (It was on my list, but we never got across the Seine on our last trip--no matter where you are, you don't have to go very far to have a good time in Paris!)

Oh yeah, go here for your croissants:

http://www.conseil-boulangerie.com/

jbw wrote:I also understand that some of the best falafel in the world can be found at L'As du Falafel in the Marais. (It was on my list, but we never got across the Seine on our last trip--no matter where you are, you don't have to go very far to have a good time in Paris!)

The falafel at L'As du Falafel is indeed excellent. I'd recommend some other places, but alas, I can't remember any names!

~gtgirl

Below, I am including the names of several places not too far from the Marais that my Parisian foodie sources have been talking up recently. You can pull up more info about each using the internet to determine whether any are to your liking. It goes without saying that there are countless places where you can enjoy a memorable meal throughout the city. I hope that this list will help you get started in identifying little gems right in your back yard where you can get the most bang for your buck (or what the French refer to as a bon rapport qualité/prix):

Astier
44, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (11th arrondissement; métro: Parmentier)
01-43-57-16-35

Le Baron Rouge
1, rue Théophile Roussel (12th arrondissement; metro: Ledru Rollin)
01-43-43-14-32

Le Bistro Paul-Bert
18, rue Paul Bert (11th arrondissement; métro: Faidherbe-Chaligny)
01-43-72-24-01

Le Chateaubriand
129, avenue Parmentier (11th arrondissement; métro:Goncourt)
01-43-57-45-95

Le Clown Bar
114, rue Amelot (11th arrondissement; métro: Filles du Calvaire)
01-43-55-87-35

Le Grizzli
7, rue Saint-Martin (4th arrondissement; métro: Hotel de Ville)
01-48-87-77-56

Le Temps au Temps
13, rue Paul-Bert (11th arrondissement; métro: Faidherbe-Chaligny)
01-43-79-63-40

I also second (or third as it is) the recommendation for falafel from l'As du Falafel. Get it to go and enjoy it on the nearby Place des Vosges.

In Roma,

my extremely abbreviated gelato list:
* Blue ice (great for fruity flavors)
* Dld bridge (o geez can the hazelnut BE any creamier)
* the "organic" one in Trastavere (which i can't seem to recall at this moment edit" n'mind, got it: Fior Di Luna). I really should remember this place's name since it's the Gelateria-That-Made-Us-Miss-Our-Overnight-Train-To-Nice
* of course san crispino and dmnkly's fave giolitti

otherwise, our fave Roman eats were the various bars in Trastevere. Happy hour in Roma is off the hook. You just pick a place, any place in Trastevere with people and you'll be offered all kinds of starters for free as long as you order wine. Cheap wine and free food. Eaten outside. There was no need to taste any actual "Roman" cuisine.

And no matter what, do NOT follow anything written by Rick Steves. He is the devil. He will, and can, single-handedly ruin your entire vacation.

And no matter what, do NOT follow anything written by Rick Steves. He is the devil. He will, and can, single-handedly ruin your entire vacation.

I think there's something to be said for knowing what's in both Steves' books and Let's Go: Europe-- so you can eat somewhere else that isn't overrun with American tourists. (I found going to Madrid accomplished this goal very conveniently...)