Bridgestone - I retrieved my trip notes and can provide some more information:

Le Totem
17 Place du Trocadero
01 42 27 28 29
(close enough to walk from your hotel or bus # 22, 52 or 62)

Eglise d'Auteuil Metro stop (there is an obelisk as a landmark) optimum for stroll around Auteuil. Stroll west along Rue dAuteuil, then cut back northeast on Rue la fontaine until you find Rue de l'assomption and turn back west. At the intersection of Rue du Docteur Blanche, turn south - Le Corbusier's Villa Roche is on a cul de sac in this area somewhere.

Cafes in the neighborhood that I noted:

Batifol - '30's decor and solid cafe fare
located on Rue d'Auteuil - can't recall the number

No. 17 Rue la Fontaine is a lovely little cafe where we had a couple "ballons rouges" one afternoon

The #9 Metro (which I think has a stop near your hotel) would take you to this great locals place somewhat near Pere Lachaise cemetery:

Astier
44 Rue Jean-Pierre Trimbaud
01 43 57 16 35
Metro: Oberkampf

I don't think you can beat Astier, for the money, in Paris. The cheese board alone was worth the price of admission!

Davooda

I have mixed feelings on the restaurant at Cafe de l'Homme. I ate dinner there when I visited Paris in August. Of all our meals, it was probably my least favorite food-wise (a bit overpriced and just so-so taste). But as a tourist I loved the location looking out over the Eiffel Tower, watching it light up at night. For me the selling point was eating outdoors and getting to see all that, which I'm not sure you'd get in the winter.

Another touristy restaurant I would recommend is Le Souffle. Definitely a lot of Americans eat there but the food was unique and delicious. Otherwise, I suggest asking your hotel for recommendations when you arrive. My hotel staff was able to recommend a wide variety of restaurants where locals ate and the food was always great.

I'm not sure where you're staying, but I stayed in the St. Germain neighborhood and ate in restaurants throughout most of the downtown area. We pretty much walked everywhere (that also helped work off all the butter and cream). Again, this could be different being there in January.

Have a great trip!

Bridgestone wrote:This year's Christmas present to my wife will be a "nice-to-meet-you-again" weekend in Paris (without the kids) between the 9th and 11th of January.

I've seen and read a few Paris posts on the Forum including this one. They've been much help and inspiration.

However, I'm having a hard time getting my brain around the size of Paris. I'm concerned that many of the recommendations I've been reading will require long travel times as very few of them seem to involve places "close" to our hotel. While you and I may be willing to sit 45 minutes on the Metro to track down the perfect croissant, my wife will probably lose patience after passing the first 5 cafes...

So, does anyone have any recommendations for noteworthy places (cafes, bistros, bakeries, restaurants, shops) close to our hotel? I've booked a room at the Sofitel Trocadéro Dokhan's. Or, am I going about this the wrong way? Should I find a hotel in another area? The hotel's location looks fine for sightseeing but is it poor for dining?

Truthfully, any fresh and/or tried-and-true Paris recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Bridgestone, you're killing me - the trip sounds like such a wonderful gift. That is one of my favourite times in the city - still decorated from the holidays - but quiet - and still lots of holiday food too. You'll also be there in time for the Galettes des Rois - to celebrate Epiphany, traditionally the puff pastry, almond cream filled pastry with a lucky keepsake favor and accompanying crown. Don't worry about the size of Paris - you could never leave the 16th or adjacent arrondissements and still have some of the most epic dining experiences in the world. You are not going the wrong way - no need to find a hotel in another area - the location is so not poor for dining. Dokhan's is gorgeous - here are my local recs. Do call ahead because a lot of places may be closed for winter break.

Cafe
Tokyo Self at the Palais de Tokyo - not what you expected - an uber hip and funky self-service "cafeteria" in the Palais de Tokyo, super experimental contemporary art museum and installation space. Fun, young, exhilarating, plus heart-breaking views of the Tower.
http://www.palaisdetokyo.com/

Boulangerie
Maison Kayser - you're nearly equidistant from 2 locations of the artisan boulangeries. There's one in the 16th but the location in the 8th has a sit-down restaurant open from breakfast through an early dinner. Get the signature Baguette Monge and various classic vienoisserie - croissant au buerre, pain au chocolat, etc.
http://www.maison-kayser.com/

Poilane - you're also fairly close to the 15th arrondissement location of Poilane. Get the signature Pain Poilane - great to take home unsliced, the loaf lasts well for a few days - and punitions, shortbread cookies. They have beautiful, classic galettes des rois.
http://www.poilane.fr/

Restaurants
L'Astrance - you cannot stay in the 16th and be serious about food without dining at L'Astrance - if possible. Chef/Owner Pascal Barbot has more than earned his 3 Michelin stars in his tiny 20 something seat restaurant with his exquisite and inventive modern French cuisine and weekly pre-dawn trips to the huge wholesale market Rungis.

Le Pre Catalan - on the woodland edge of the 16th - beautiful, romantic, you cannot not dine here as well. Another modern Michelin 3-star but unlike L'Astrance, hidden in a Paris side street, Le Pre Catalan transports you to an enchanted, luxurious wonderland.
http://www.precatelanparis.com/

Le Jules Verne - the Alain Ducasse restaurant in the Eiffel Tower - any questions? I know I've said this before but you must dine here too. Across the river in the 7th.
http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/

All three restaurants do serve a lunch menu which is less expensive than dinner.

Shopping
Joel Thiebault - Marche Avenue President Wilson - you'll be there for a Saturday market when grower Joel Thiebault will be there - hopefully. His family has been growing beautiful produce nearby Paris since the Middle Ages, in Paris for 4 generations. You're lucky that you'll have the option to enjoy a few things there or bring some home.
http://joelthiebault.free.fr/

Wonderful advice! Thank you very much everyone!

While I'd love to get a 3-star meal planned, I'm not so certain that it will happen this time. However, with all of the other wonderful ideas and suggestions I've gotten, I'm certain that we'll still have wonderful weekend.

Any other suggestions are certainly welcome and appreciated. Otherwise, I will report back on what we end up doing.

I'll put in another plug for Bistro Camille - which I described above - where in addition to terrific steak frites, you get this view of a Parisian shop window:

Maison Kayser has the most amazing bread I've ever had, by a long shot.

We were in Paris last spring (aah!) and celebrated Mr. Crispy's birthday at Josephine Chez Dumonet. It's a small bistro with a somewhat limited menu. Food is carefully prepared and the service is friendly. The duck confit was amazing, and I would rate the dining experience as fabulous! One of my top five -- if not the best -- meal ever, anywhere.

Chez Dumonet and a few other restaurants are discussed in David Lebovitz's blog:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2 ... auran.html


JOSEPHINE - CHEZ DUMONET. 117, rue du Cherche Midi. 75006

After all of the great ideas I received, I regret to inform that we sadly had to cancel our weekend visit to Paris due to a painful case of osteomyelitis in our 6 year-old.

He's feeling better now but I'm longing for Paris!

Hopefully, we'll get the trip rebooked later this spring and I'll be able to check out some of the wonderful ideas and tips I received.

Louisa Chu wrote:

spiffytriphy wrote:Two college students going to Paris in March for spring break. We are on a mission to taste some of the best that Paris has to offer in terms of foodstuffs. However, we're not filthy rich so money is an issue. We're searching for recommendations for where to go to get delicious baguettes and macarons. What else is can't miss in Paris? Someone told me gelato but I thought that was Italian? Falafels? And restaurant recs for nice dinners? Maybe we'll splurge on one or two more expensive dinners (Are there good places for $75 or less a person?) and the rest can be more reasonable priced. If anyone has any suggestions for where to go and places to see that would be wonderful as well as estimates for how much things will cost. Thanks so much!

Baguettes: Maison Kayser
- Famed artisanal baguette revivalist. This location is Eric Kayser's organic shop (with seating) just a few doors away from his original (no seating) in the Latin Quarter. There are more locations around Paris - and a few worldwide. Get the classic Parisian breakfast - half a baguette split lengthwise - with a side of butter and jam - and a cafe creme. Total - about 3€ per person.
Maison Kayser
14, rue Monge (5th arr, Métro Maubert-Mutualité)
01 44 07 17 81
Open 8h-20h15, closed Mondays
http://www.maison-kayser.com/

Ice Cream: Berthillon
- Third-generation luxury ice cream parlour. Get the marron glacé avec la poire (candied chestnuts with pear) - in the summer get fraises des bois (literally strawberries of the woods - wild strawberries). Cones are take-out only so dress warmly. Total - depending on how many scoops - 2-4,60€ p/p.
Berthillon
31, rue St. Louis en L’Ile (4th arr, Métro Pont Marie)
01 43 54 31 61
Open 10h to 20h, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
http://www.berthillon-glacier.fr/

(The gelato everyone gets in Paris is Amorino, a mini-chain - Pozetto is another, better gelateria.)

Thanks much for posting this info. I just came back from a 4 day Paris trip and was able to track down a few of these places as well as a few more I found on David Lebovitz's blog [url](www.davidlebovitz.com)[/url].

First, I would like to say that Eric Kayser's baguettes are incredible, especially at about 1.10 euro and the fact that it was 2 blocks from my hotel. The Berthillon ice cream was great as well - I had it twice - raspberry one day and salted caramel the next. We also had Amorino gelato, which was great as well - I had lemon.

Taking Mr. Lebovitz's advice, we had dinner at Les Papilles and it was easily the best meal we had. We made reservations on a Thursday for a Friday seating. They open at 7:30 and we decided for an early dinner. They have one menu - very similar to the description here: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/10/les_papilles_re.html, except we had a creamy leek soup dressed with crouton, bacon, and shaved leek, then the pork (ours was served with carrots, pea pods, onion, white beans, along with bay and a sprig of fresh thyme). then the blue cheese and finally a panna cotta with strawberry puree on top. The fixed price menu was 32 euro each and the wine was 31 euro. A very nice meal for the price.



Les Papilles
30, rue Gay-Lassac
RER: Luxembourg
Tél: 01 43 25 20 79

We also ate at a nice restaurant recommended by our hotel, called La Maree Verte. This was a traditional French menu and came in at about the same 100 euro total (for 2) bill. I had a nice baked tomato and snail entree, then a well prepared rabbit with wild mushroom, and finally a chocolate custard. Very nice staff and overall good meal but not at the level of Les Papilles.



La Maree Verte
http://www.bestrestaurantsparis.com/en/restaurant-paris/detail/la-maree-verte.html
9, rue de Pontoise

Other dinners were at Brasserie Bofinger by the Bastille http://www.bofingerparis.com/ and a small place off of St. Germain called Le Bistrot de Henri. Neither place was great but not bad either.

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the A l'Etoile d'Or candy shop where I bought some of Henri Le Roux's caramels and of course, some Bernachon chocolate. Apparently, Denise Acabo, the proprietor, told us that she is the only place outside of Bernachon's Lyon retail space to sell this chocolate in the world. That's an easy sale from my perspective. David Lebovitz has a nice write up here: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/07/the_sweetest_wo.html.

A l'Etoile d'Or
30, rue Fontaine (9th)
Métro: Blanche
Tel: 01 48 74 59 55
Open daily, except Sunday, and occasionally closed Monday)
(Call before coming on Monday, as hours may vary)

Once again, great trip, great food.

This is so WEIRD! When I starved that year in Paris, your La Marée Vert was a *great* resto, Le Petit Pontoise. When in the world did it change I wonder?? The menu sounds the same. They were famous for their marinated stuffed mushrooms... wonder if that's still on the menu?

Sounds like you ate well!

Geo

Geo wrote:This is so WEIRD! When I starved that year in Paris, your La Marée Vert was a *great* resto, Le Petit Pontoise. When in the world did it change I wonder?? The menu sounds the same. They were famous for their marinated stuffed mushrooms... wonder if that's still on the menu?

Sounds like you ate well!

Geo

Although I didn't see the mushrooms on the menu, it doesn't mean they weren't there. It seemed family run and focused on seafood. It also seemed that everyone dining there was a tourist, although it was early (8pm). Our hotel steered us towards this place, which my mom really liked but I felt it was just so-so.

Yeah, I ate well in Paris. How could you not? There's quality food around every corner, while here in Chicago, I have to drive 5 miles (a long way for "in the city") for a decent baguette!

I have been enjoying reading all the suggestions from LTHers for Paris as we are off for a week long trip at the end of this month. The one catch is that we are bringing our 11 month old along for the ride. He is actually quite the night owl and often in restaurants, but we obviously cannot go for anything ultra-fancy. Any additional suggestions will be much appreciated! I am not terribly good at remembering nor writing about food but will really try upon my return.

Having an 11 month old myself, I'm trying to think about any of the recs here that would work. I think Les Papilles may be okay, just swing by there a day or two in advance and talk to the owner to see what he recommends. The Eric Kayser baguettes are obviously universal and his eatery two doors down is family friendly (as are many of the places in the Latin Quarter). There's a great park next to Notre Dame that your little one would like and the ice cream places listed above are a short walk from there.

Please post a note upon your return. We may be trying a week long stay in Southern France next year with our little one and would love any insight on your trip.

Just got back from a fabulous week with several stops in Germany as well as a few days in Paris. Unfortunately, restaurant exploration is a bit more challenging with an 11 month old (especially since highchairs are rare finds in European restaurants), but we did have some wonderful, casual meals. Of course, one of the best meals was at a tiny bistro where we forgot to pick up a card and paid in cash...ughhh!

We went to recs from David Lebovitz: L'As Falafel and L'Atlas. The falafel was absolutely delicious. My husband usually describes falafel as "dry hockey pucks" and rarely even comments on food and he said it was "damn good". I thought the little one might not be a fan as he had removed the Big Bun's falafel from his mouth just a week prior, but he too ate it up with vigor. Great, very messy street food! L'Atlas, which is Moroccan, was also a great choice. We started with these shrimp and crab cigar rolls that were served with something similar to a tomato tapenade. The rolls were a bit like a spring roll but with Moroccan flavors and all three of us were big fans. We ordered two tagines: a mushroom and scallop and a grouper and mango. Both were again delicious although I did find the scallops a bit overcooked. I really however enjoyed the cooked mango which was sliced in to nice big strips and both had excellent spice to them.

We accidentally landed up at two of the FLO Brasseries (one night was a rec from the concierge and the other was a business dinner). I had actually been to Julien about 10 years ago and had fond memories of this bustling place after the opera. Unfortunately, we went there around 8:30 and it was very quiet. A French man, who was with us, said that it is the start of the vacation as the restaurant at 10:30 was only slightly busier. The food was quite good, but nothing absolutely amazing. The menus at the two restaurants (Julien and Le Boeuf sur le Toit) were quite similar with some differences. Le Boeuf had this enormous, fantastic, cold seafood platters (oysters, clams, lobsters, ect). We started with a small version and everything tasted just fresh and good. I had seafood both nights (seabream one night and scallops the next) and both were quite well prepared, but just did not have the uniqueness of the little places you find all over Paris. One plus, if you are traveling with a child...there are highchairs!

I was a little disappointed with the Berthillion ice cream. We went to the one by Notre Dame and it was good but I must admit that I found the random stands in Germany far superior. The texture was just amazingly creamy whereas I found the Berthillion version a bit icey, almost as if it had gone through a freeze-thaw.

Some of my favorite meals during the trip were just the random baguette sandwiches that we picked up along the way. Paris, especially in the summer, is just a fantastic place for assembling a picnic.

I think I've mentioned in other posts that I'm here for a two month vacation, staying in the 5th (St Germain and Rue de Cardinal Lemoine). I've run across a nice blog for a reference to anyone visiting Paris and looking for resto recs - http://parisbymouth.com/.

My wife and I are here with our two year old so we can't get out every night but we do go out about 2-3 times a week. I'll make sure to check back when we're finished with some recommendations of our own. Many of the places we've hit have already been highlighted by David Lebovitz, Dorie Greenspan and Wendy Lyn's blogs but I'll add my own 2 cents when appropriate.

We don't speak the language but that doesn't stop us from enjoying our food. I figured to add this here but there are a few other Paris topics so the moderators can move if they seem fit. Thanks.

tyrus,

How does Patricia Wells hold up for recommendations?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:tyrus,

How does Patricia Wells hold up for recommendations?

Regards,

One of my wife and my favorite meals in Paris was at a restaurant recommend by Patricia Wells, though we found out about it through a Robert Parker review:

Le Repaire de Cartouche
8, Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire
75011 Paris, France
01 47 00 25 86
Closed Sunday and Monday
This is a small, cozy bistro. Classic bistro cuisine, excellent wine options, and friendly service.

We also found a small hotel in Vacqueras (Provence) through Patricia Wells. She wrote about the food at the restaurant, which surpassed our expectations. It really isn't a restaurant - it's more of a bed and breakfast that occasionally serves meals for overnight guests and others. The proprietors couldn't be more friendly. The food was wonderful. The hotel itself was very, very good for the low price that we paid. It is centrally located for exploring the southern Rhone and Provence areas.

Domaine de la Ponche
84190 VACQUEYRAS
Tél. 33 4 90 65 85 21
Domaine.laPonche@wanadoo.fr
http://www.hotel-laponche.com/US/Lieu.htm

So, based on our experiences, Patricia Wells' recommendation were very good.

Cathy2 wrote:tyrus,

How does Patricia Wells hold up for recommendations?

Regards,

You know, I've check out her blog but not read her books. Unfortunately, her blog doesn't have a whole lot to search through for restaurant recommendations. My favorites today are still David Lebovitz, and Wendy Lyn's "The Paris Kitchen," although I feel that this new website - Paris by Mouth, may be my first source for most of my hunting.

I think what I like about Lebovitz and Lyn is that they are always in search of that great place that maybe hasn't been "found" (or at least found by tourists). It's what really brought me into the LTH community a few years ago. The recommendations are reasonably priced and the food is of higher quality than most - it seems to fit what I'm personally looking for right now. I'm also a jeans and t-shirt sort of guy and if I have to throw on a jacket in 90 degree weather just to go to a restaurant, well - there seems to be dozens of more casual options here without sacrificing the quality of the food.

I promise that I'll be back to report on some good things that I've found.

-Russ

Hi,

When I was an ex-pat, I read Patricia's articles in the International Herald. I'd clip her articles as if I would follow her path someday. I was quite pleased to meet her several times over the last few years.

I know some people used her guidebook while in Paris. Patricia advised this book was no longer going to be updated and published. She suggested she would use the internet instead to keep people up to date. Not having any reason to go to Paris since learning this, I never tried to follow up to see what she offers.

I look forward to your reports as time allows.

Regards,

Hey, thanks for the nice words about Paris by Mouth! As a former Chicago girl (six years in Edgewater) and longtime lurker, I was excited to read that our new website about eating in Paris is proving to be useful.

By the way, both Wendy Lyn and Patricia Wells are Contributing Editors of Paris by Mouth, and David Lebovitz shares his drool-worthy food photography from time to time. We follow and aggregate the latest from about 16 different local writers so you can find many voices (who often disagree) in the same place. And our guide pages for individual restaurants present a list of trusted reviews so you can quickly scan and see how a place is regarded.

Cheers,
Meg Zimbeck, http://parisbymouth.com

Thanks Meg. Living in Paris this June/July, I check it almost daily as my wife and I are always looking for new neighborhood restaurants to explore. It's bookmarked and getting good use. Thanks much.

Friends who spend the summer in France most years are keeping a blog and reviewed 3 favorite spots recently - you might enjoy the tips:

http://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/ ... periences/

I am dreaming of the basil granita myself.

Here is the body of an E-mail I sent a friend of mine:
Our last trip consisted mostly of Bistro food. We had a great time at Josephine Chez Dumonnet. They have the worlds largest order of foie gras and a beautiful steak tartare and duck confit. Some of the starters are available in half portions which I would recommend. Our foie would have easily fed four to six people. The place was great fun (although the wine list was very odd). I'd go back the next time I was in Paris.

117 Rue du Cherche-Midi
75006 Paris, France
01 45 48 52 40

We went to L'Ecailler du Bistrot on rue Paul Bert for some oysters one day. The Utah Beach oysters there were easily the best oysters I've ever had and make it difficult to even consider ordering any around here. The Speciales and Fines de Claire also were delicious. Sena ordered a sole which may have been the best fish I've ever had. My bass was good, but we returned a few days later and each ordered a sole. The place is not fancy at all and the wine list had a number of decent reasonably priced options.

22, rue Paul-Bert, 75011 Paris, France
01 43 72 76 77
There is a fellow named Christian Constant who has built something of a small empire on the rue St Dominique. I think he has four restaurants around there. We had dinner at the Violin D'Ingres (which had a Michelin star) and it would have been great except the service was a bit off. I would probably return for dinner to give it another try.. On a subsequent trip, we ate at Les Cocottes and had a very nice, quick lunch.

Les Cocottes and Violin D'Ingres
135 Rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France
01 45 50 10 31
http://www.leviolondingres.com/

For lunch, many of the more expensive places seem to currently have specials that are considerably less expensive than their normal pricing. Here is a list of high end restaurants that offer "bargain" lunches. As this list is a bit old, I would contact the restaurant when making a reservation to make sure that these still exist:

La Table de Joël Robuchon, 55€ including wine, coffee, water and dessert.
- Gérard Besson, 56€ for masterful ancient simple cuisine
- Lasserre, 75€, for excellent food and a true sojourn in old fashioned art de vivre à la française
- Michel Rostang, 78€, food lover feast
- Ledoyen, 88€, old style three stars (i.e. aiming for the best, which few people do these days)
- Guy Savoy has a 100€ Internet menu (only if you reserve online, one table per day) that gives you access to the whole menu almost (no caviar for you) and mostly to the uniquely exquisite experience that is a meal there.
- Gagnaire, not sure how much these days, to experience the genius
- Last but not least, the incredible Alain Passard offers the incredible bargain of a 135€ menu at l'Arpège, to which you need to add ridiculously priced wines. It's always better than l'Ambroisie, which is probably its natural competitor in the "extraordinary food" category and has no prix fixe menu whatsoever.

There are two special cases:
- Le Cinq, at 85€, is excellent and gives you access to the whole experience, which is pretty unique (including wonderful service and some compartively cheap wines)
- Les Ambassadeurs used to be great value at 75€ but word on the street is, they're firing Piège.

I have tried to eat at Chez L'Ami Jean without success. I could never get anyone to pick up the phone. They are supposed to have an amazing whole foie and the best rice pudding in the world. Everything I've read makes me want to give the place a try. Here's a link to their site: http://www.amijean.eu/

Lastly, while this is a pretty expensive option that is difficult to book, I really enjoy L'Ami Louis. Very simply prepared food from the highest quality ingredients at very high prices. Have a local book a table for dinner or there's no way you'll ever get a reservation.
Chez L'Ami Louis
32, rue du Vert-Bois / 75003
01 48 87 77 48

Other good, not too expensive options might include Ze Kitchen Gallerie, and Kitchen Gallerir Bis . http://www.zekitchengalerie.fr
KGB, 25 rue des Grands Augustins - 75006 Paris / tel 01 46 33 00 85

I’ve recently spent the summer in Paris (June/July 2010) with my wife and two-year-old son and thought I would share some of our dining experiences here. I’m not going to list everything we ate; we just don’t have time for that but rather include the places that we thought were worth mentioning. Most of the places here are pretty popular and have been reviewed by more important people than me. You can find reviews on a lot of these places at the website Paris By Mouth http://parisbymouth.com/.

I will also add that these restaurants were all in the 40-60 euro range per person (food and wine) and were mostly casual (no jacket required) – I wore “nice” jeans to all of them without a problem.

Since Paris is a place that can seem pretty intimidating to American diners, I also included how we viewed the staff and if they spoke English. My wife and I don’t speak French but we would try to start off with a few French phrases before the staff took pity on us and tried some English.

In addition to these places, we hit the Eric Kayser bakery almost daily as well as a few markets on a weekly basis.

I addition to Paris, we also took trips to Nice, St. Malo, and Reims but, as with Paris, we also had a two-year-old in tow so we didn’t do too much on the restaurant front but I’d be happy to let you know if we enjoyed anything specifically.

Here you go…

Les Papilles (first meal)
30 Rue Gay-Lussac
5th arr
Entrée – cold cream of celery soup with bacon and crouton
Plat – beef braised in a red wine sauce with potatoes and carrots
Cheese – blue cheese with prune
Dessert – strawberry panna cotta

Les Papilles (second meal)
Entrée – cold cream of cauliflower soup
Plat – braised lamb shoulder (deboned and rolled) served with Provencal vegetables
Cheese – blue cheese with prune
Dessert – strawberry panna cotta

This is one of my favorite places in Paris. It’s a laid back – jeans and t-shirt – type of wine bar by day, restaurant at night. They have one menu, four courses for about 32 euro or so. They have a great wine selection that they will sell you for 7 euro over the store price. The braised beef was a hit with my wife, think beouf bourguignon – cut with a fork tender. Huge portions – you’ll get a soup pot filled with twice as much soup as you need and two soup bowls with the garnishes (bacon/ham/crouton, etc), the main is typically a copper pot with a braised meat and vegetables and cheese/dessert has been the same all three times I’ve been there – small but satisfying portions. Friendly staff, some English speaking and always courteous. It’s a few blocks walk to some nightlife but that’s not a big deal. Weekdays are easier to snag a table than weekends. Highly recommend.

La Maree Verte
9 rue Pontoise
5th arr
Entrées – escargot with roasted tomatoes; goat cheese salad
Plats – duck breast with cherries; a whole roasted fish (not noted)

We went here because it was close to our apartment and we were trying out a new baby sitter. The food is okay; the staff is very friendly and speaks some English. Hotels direct guests here so there will be some other tourists as well. If you only have a few days, there are other places I’d recommend.

Le Verre Vole
67 Rue de Lancry
10th arr
Entrées – cold veal scaloppini with cream sauce; ricotta crostini
Plats – roast pork with onion gratin; monkfish with de Puy lentils
Desserts – chocolate mousse

This was an interesting place. Like Les Papilles, it’s a wine bar by day and resto at night but they have a selection of items to choose from. The place is tiny and it seems that they don’t have a kitchen or maybe there’s one close or downstairs or something. Many of the entrees offered are served cold - the veal entrée and the ricotta were both good. My pork was pretty good but was probably a slice of pork roast prepared in the hidden kitchen and transported to the dining room. The onion gratin was prepared in a toaster oven behind the bar. You probably get the idea by now but the food was good, desserts weren’t the best we had and the wine was picked off the shelf for about 6 euro over the store price. Great neighborhood though and we found a great little bar down Rue de Lancry for some music and after dinner beers. Some English spoken.

La Boissonerie (Fish) (first meal)
69 Rue de Seine
6th arr
Entrées – veloute of rocket with feta; house made foie gras (mixed with cognac)
Plats – saddle of rabbit; filet of sea bass with poached egg
Desserts – orange crème brulee tart; berry crumble with rosemary ice cream

La Boissonerie (second meal)
Entrées – salad Nicoise with seared tuna; cotechino risotto, foie gras
Plats – saddle of rabbit; linguine with pesto and smoked salmon; limone sole, filet of seared rascasse with pistachio risotto
Desserts – orange crème brulee tart; chocolate tart with chocolate ice cream; crème brulee

Well, we went back a second time with another couple visiting from Chicago. This place is open on Sunday and is in a very casual section of the 6th. English speaking staff (from England) and solid food. The foie gras was great as was my rascasse. I also enjoyed the sea bass with poached egg very much. If there was a miss, it may have been the linguine with salmon – nothing special but otherwise, a great place to go, especially on a Sunday. Recommend.

Brasserie Balzar
49 Rue des Ecoles
5th arr
Entrées – escargot (6); tomato and mozzarella salad
Plats – steak au poivre; skirt steak w/ blue cheese sauce
Desserts – chocolate cake (dense flour-less?) with vanilla ice cream and vanilla sauce; chocolate mousse

When we were turned away from our 9pm reservations at La Pre Verre due to a power outage, we walked over to this classic brasserie. We didn’t have reservations so they placed us outside, which was not ideal. It was hot and uncomfortable but hey, we had to eat. What I can say about this place is that they do classic brasserie fare well. The chocolate mousse was the benchmark with which I compared my others. Everything hit and I would imagine it is consistent. Service was fine but little English spoken. Recommend for a brasserie.

Café Constant
139 Rue Saint-Dominique
7th arr
Entrées – ratatouille with poached quail egg; cream of potato and leek soup with peas and ham
Plats – ½ young male young chicken roasted with fresh peas (with ham); quail stuffed with foie gras and mushroom with lentils du Puy
Desserts – cheese plate (one really good cheese); profiteroles with chocolate sauce

The guide books are all over this place and you can tell as soon as you walk in. This summer, Chef Constant was awarded the Ordre de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur and I thought it would be impossible to get into any of his places on Rue Saint-Dominique but Café Constant does not take reservations and we walked right in. Our dinners were flawlessly prepared and very well balanced. The service was great (English speaking as well). The one thing we did notice is that there weren’t too many locals there. It was packed with Americans – loud Americans, ordering “just a salad” or “splitting dessert.” Now, I’m not one for rules but I like to follow the old adage – “when in Rome…” and in Paris you don’t take up valuable table space to just order a salad or split and main and dessert. If you concentrate on the food, it’s worth the trip; however if you’re looking for a “Parisien” restaurant, you may want to skip this American crowd.

La Rotisserie du Beaujolais
19 Quai de la Tournelle
5th arr
Entrées – goat cheese salad; Provencal mushrooms with parsley and garlic
Plats – roasted lamb shoulder for two

Like most rotisseries, this place focuses on roasted meats. We went with the lamb shoulder for two and were not disappointed. My mushrooms, I wish I knew the variety, were amazing. Just mushrooms, sautéed in butter, garlic and parsley. They were a special that day and our table neighbors strongly suggested them. Staff is friendly as well but not much English spoken.

A La Biche au Bois
45 Avenue Ledru-Rollin
12th arr
Entrées – venison terrine (2 slabs); green salad with terrine (1 slice) with potato “slaw”, marinated mushrooms
Plats – duck breast with chanterelle mushrooms; coq au vin
Cheese – huge cheese plate – your choice
Desserts – chocolate mousse; warm chocolate cake with crème anglaise

If you want an inexpensive, filling meal, with a huge cheese plate at the end, this is the place for you. They specialize in game but there are other meat-centric offerings as well. I had the venison terrine – a huge portion for a first course. The coq au vin was popular with my wife and my duck was well prepared. Just when you’re leaning back in your chair from all the food you just ate, the waiter swings by with a huge plate of cheeses. I think there were six or seven varieties and you can try them all if you’d like. Desserts were good but overkill after the cheese. This prix fixe was 28 euro I think. Great value. Limited English but very friendly staff. Recommend.

Restaurant Itinéraires
5 Rue de Pontoise
5th arr
Entrées – sardine tart; polenta with mushrooms
Plats – 24 hour braised veal breast with root vegetables; fillet of cod with shallot, parsnips and champagne sabayon
Desserts – fennel with berries and chocolate; apricot tart with whipped cream

Another place close to our apartment that we had walked by a number of times. We decided one night to pop in and grab dinner. The menu had some interesting combinations and the space is very modern. The 24 hour veal breast was one of the best things I ate in the two months we spent in Paris. I also enjoyed the sardine tart quite a bit. The service was a little slow and the room was very warm but we enjoyed it overall. Limited English but a very pleasant staff. Recommend.

Bistrot Paul Bert
18 Rue Paul Bert
11th arr
Entrées – terrine Campagne; swordfish ceviche
Plats – cote du boeuf for two
Desserts – giant raspberry macaroon with ice cream; rice pudding with caramel sauce

There’s a reason this restaurant lands of “favorite” lists all over Paris. Walking out, my wife and I declared it one of our favorites as well. Solid entrees (I love my terrines and cornichons). The cote du boeuf was a great tasting piece of meat. We didn’t have a lot of red meat while in Paris but this mineral-ly piece of steak was prepared rare and really hit the spot. The surprise hit was my wife’s giant macaroon dessert. It was huge and very tasty. We had an English speaking waitress and overall the staff was very friendly. Highly recommend.

Le Buisson Ardent (lunch)
25 rue de Jussieu
5th arr
Entrées – cold carrot soup with orange, finished with toasted pine nuts and a mild chili oil
Plats – sautéed cubed lamb over ratatouille
Desserts – panna cotta with lychee fruit and syrup

I walked by this place several times a week on my way to the Jussieu metro stop so one day, I decided to stop for lunch. The cold carrot soup tasted fine but the texture reminded me a little of baby food. The lamb was recommended but I found it pretty average. The ratatouille that accompanied it though was great. I loved the lychee panna cotta and thought it was the hit of the meal. It’s a pretty popular dinner spot and we never had the opportunity to try it out. Staff was nice as well. Some English spoken.

Josephine "Chez Dumonet"
117 Rue du Cherche-Midi
6th arr
Entrées – foie Gras; shrimp croquette
Plats – chateaubriand with potato Lyonnais; duck confit with potato Lyonnais
Desserts – millefeuille for two

Went here specifically for duck confit and was rewarded with one of the best versions I’ve ever had. Very traditional, huge portions (especially the foie gras and millefeuille), and everything was well prepared. Nice staff, little English spoken. One of our more expensive meals though – mostly due to wine and Armagnac. Highly recommend.

Café de Musees
5 Rue de Thorigny
3rd arr
Entrées – House Terrine with slaw and salad; green salad
Plats – boneless pork shoulder, seared and served in a garlic sauce (maybe a rich veal stock with whole roasted garlic cloves); entrecote with béarnaise and fries
Desserts – rhubarb clafoutis brulee; chocolate terrine with crème anglaise

Another favorite place for us while here. We didn’t have reservations and they spoke limited English but we walked in and grabbed two seats, snugly placed between two other two-tops and diners. At first, we didn’t know what to expect from the menu but when I saw Cochon le noir de Bigorre with garlic sauce, I had to go for it. Another favorite dish and may end up being the dish that I remember most, it was worth the trip just for this pork. The house terrine was fantastic (again, with my terrine) and the entrecote with béarnaise and perfectly done fries was also solid. I also liked my rhubarb clafoutis that came with a crème brulee-like topping. Great place, open Sundays. Highly recommend for a low key neighborhood restaurant.

La Pre Verre
19 Rue du Sommerard
5th arr
Entrées – foie gras with lemon preserve sundried tomato and zucchini; marinated sardine with gno gai
Plats – fricassee of chicken with ginger and avocado; suckling pig poached in a semi spicy sauce and cabbage
Desserts – chocolate truffle with molasses ice cream; apricot crumble with citronella and eggplant ice cream

Our last meal was at a place that turned us away one night because of a power outage and then told us that they don’t speak English (only French!) over the phone a few weeks after we had booked in English previously. We’ve heard good things and it was a neighborhood place and we didn’t have reservations, so we decided to roll the dice. No reservations and American means you sit downstairs. The staff wasn’t the most pleasant and the atmosphere was – well where we were sitting, it felt like a basement. The food was okay but it was the only time we felt a little hurried. Our dishes came out unusually lightning fast. The combinations were interesting, a sort of French with Asian ingredient fusion, but sometimes just missed. As in most of the restaurants we visited in Paris, our food was prepared well but the overall experience made us feel a little flat. The best part of my meal was the apricot crumble with eggplant ice cream, which tasted little like eggplant but it was good. Very limited English.

Tyrus - I am going to bet that your mushrooms were Cepes or "Boletus Edulis" - use google for some images. They usually have stems that are fatter in the middle than Champignon mushrooms (aka the generic Button mushrooms we tend to see here in the US).

leek wrote:Tyrus - I am going to bet that your mushrooms were Cepes or "Boletus Edulis" - use google for some images. They usually have stems that are fatter in the middle than Champignon mushrooms (aka the generic Button mushrooms we tend to see here in the US).

Digging around Google, I think I found what they were - Girolles Provencale (in reference to my meal at La Rotisserie du Beaujolais). The ones I had were very small mushrooms in a butter/garlic/parsley mixture. Very good but I saw a chowhound report saying that the dish/portion was small. I would disagree, especially since it was a very flavorful dish.

tyrus wrote:
Brasserie Balzar
49 Rue des Ecoles
5th arr
Entrées – escargot (6); tomato and mozzarella salad
Plats – steak au poivre; skirt steak w/ blue cheese sauce
Desserts – chocolate cake (dense flour-less?) with vanilla ice cream and vanilla sauce; chocolate mousse

When we were turned away from our 9pm reservations at La Pre Verre due to a power outage, we walked over to this classic brasserie. We didn’t have reservations so they placed us outside, which was not ideal. It was hot and uncomfortable but hey, we had to eat. What I can say about this place is that they do classic brasserie fare well. The chocolate mousse was the benchmark with which I compared my others. Everything hit and I would imagine it is consistent. Service was fine but little English spoken. Recommend for a brasserie.

My husband and I had a really great meal at the Balzar almost 8 years ago when we were in Paris for our Honeymoon. It's a real institution in the neighborhood, and has been churning out classic brasserie fare for years. I'm glad to hear it's still going strong. The restaurant also plays something of a starring role in Adam Gopnik's entertaining book, From Paris to the Moon, about the time he spent in Paris as an expat. If you want to eat like the locals do in Paris, this is definitely the place for you.

SMT wrote:

tyrus wrote:
Brasserie Balzar
49 Rue des Ecoles
5th arr
Entrées – escargot (6); tomato and mozzarella salad
Plats – steak au poivre; skirt steak w/ blue cheese sauce
Desserts – chocolate cake (dense flour-less?) with vanilla ice cream and vanilla sauce; chocolate mousse

When we were turned away from our 9pm reservations at La Pre Verre due to a power outage, we walked over to this classic brasserie. We didn’t have reservations so they placed us outside, which was not ideal. It was hot and uncomfortable but hey, we had to eat. What I can say about this place is that they do classic brasserie fare well. The chocolate mousse was the benchmark with which I compared my others. Everything hit and I would imagine it is consistent. Service was fine but little English spoken. Recommend for a brasserie.

My husband and I had a really great meal at the Balzar almost 8 years ago when we were in Paris for our Honeymoon. It's a real institution in the neighborhood, and has been churning out classic brasserie fare for years. I'm glad to hear it's still going strong. The restaurant also plays something of a starring role in Adam Gopnik's entertaining book, From Paris to the Moon, about the time he spent in Paris as an expat. If you want to eat like the locals do in Paris, this is definitely the place for you.

From my post earlier this year:

"And again on the other hand, the well known (and often under fire for its service) Balzar (49, rue des Ecoles) was a blast. Now, I wouldn't walk through their doors with an attitude, but after breaking through what seemed to be a very thin layer of ice, I found it to be everything I was looking for in a typical brasserie: a wooded-leathered-mirrored interior, a boisterous atmosphere, and traditional dishes well done. Of special note were the choucroute, the poulet, and a really drunken baba rhum (apparently my wife was supposed to tell the waiter when to stop pouring on the rum; she didn't, so he didn't. Needless to say, none of us needed a digestif and to top it all off, the waiter left the bottle of rum on the table, just in case he hadn't soaked the baba enough. How's that for service?)"

For more (including Buisson Ardente), see here:


viewtopic.php?f=15&t=12488&p=119452&hilit=left+bank#p119452

I'm recently back from 10 days in Paris and had some pretty great food while I was there. I'm going to start my report with a list of places I went that I'd definitely recommend -- along with some brief classification notes -- and follow up over the next couple of weeks with detailed posts about individual places.

Restaurants
Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée
25 Avenue Montaigne
75008 Paris, France
01 53 67 65 00
3 Michelin star haute cuisine (traditional leanings)

Pierre Gagnaire
Hôtel Balzac‎, Paris Luxury Hotel
6 Rue Balzac
75008 Paris, France
01 44 35 18 00
3 Michelin star haute cuisine (avant garde leanings)

Restaurant La Fontaine de Mars‎
Rue de l'Exposition
75007 Paris, France
01 47 05 46 44
Casual, traditional bistro-style

Joséphine Chez Dumonet
117 Rue du Cherche-Midi
75006 Paris, France
01 45 48 52 40
Casual, traditional bistro-style

Chez Denise -Tour de Montlhéry
5 Rue des Prouvaires
75001 Paris, France
01 42 36 21 82
Traditional, old school bistro-style

La Régalade Saint Honoré
123 Rue St Honoré
75001 Paris, France
01 42 21 92 40
Contemporary bistro-style

Senderens
9 Place Madeleine
75008 Paris, France
01 42 65 22 90
2 Michelin star, contemporary cuisine

Shops
Ladurée
75 Champs-Élysées
75008 Paris, France
01 42 25 41 48
Pastries, confections and cafe

Pierre Herme Paris - Bonaparte
72 Rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris, France
01 43 54 47 77
Confections, confitures, pastries and chocolates

Patrick Roger
108 Boulevard Saint-Germain
75006 Paris, France
01 43 29 38 42
Superior-quality chocolates

Fauchon Market(s)
24-26 Place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris, France
01 70 39 38 00
Superior-quality gourmet market, cafe, wine bar, pastisserie and boulangerie

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm recently back from 10 days in Paris and had some pretty great food while I was there. I'm going to start my report with a list of places I went that I'd definitely recommend -- along with some brief classification notes -- and follow up over the next couple of weeks with detailed posts about individual places.

Looking forward to it...we're heading back to Paris for a week over Thanksgiving, so it will be good to get some extremely recent reviews.

A couple quick questions: Which of the "bistro-style places" was your favorite? And, assuming reservations were required at La Régalade Saint Honoré, were they difficult to obtain?