Paris City Guide Archive

September 24, 2008

Twelve Hours in Paris

My friend Adam has just had what I think is a brilliant idea of a meme, named Twelve Hours in Dot Dot Dot: if you had only twelve hours left to spend in your home city/town/village/oasis, what would you do with them? Because I lived abroad for a while, I have, on several occasions, spent twelve semi-final hours in Paris, and I admit they usually...

"Twelve Hours in Paris" continues »

March 17, 2008

Kouign Amann etc.

I'm sure there are people out there who step inside a new pastry shop, glance at the display, order what they want, and walk out. I have no idea how they do it. Take, for instance, Philippe Conticini's recently opened boutique, which I visited last month, before I left for Australia. It is a tiny thing, just a small room with stone walls, a wood...

"Kouign Amann etc." continues »

January 16, 2007

Saigon Sandwich

True dining bargains are so few and so far between in Paris that by the time you discover a new one, the previous find has usually turned into an old legend that the Elders like to recount around the fire while the Young sit there and wish they'd brought their iPod. But when it comes to lunch and fuss-free food, Paris has no shortage of hole-in-...

"Saigon Sandwich" continues »

January 12, 2007

Galette des Rois, the 2007 Edition

And this year's galette des rois (check here for more on the tradition) was brought to us by Arnaud Larher, a thirty-something pastry chef and chocolatier who opened his own shop in Montmartre ten years ago, after honing his skills at Fauchon under Pierre Hermé's direction. I called the day before to order une galette pour six -- ordering is not...

"Galette des Rois, the 2007 Edition" continues »

December 15, 2006

Favorites of the Moment

Barbie dolls didn't do much for me when I was little, but I had a passion for plush animals. Each of them had a name and a set of personality traits (often refined by my father, who would improvise bedtime shows for my sister and me, with voices and everything), and they felt more alive than I think grownups can really remember. A direct conseque...

"Favorites of the Moment" continues »

October 26, 2006

La Bague de Kenza

Walking through the Oberkampf neighborhood this past Friday on my way from one appointment to the next, I glanced at my watch and gleefully realized I had just enough time to drop by La Bague de Kenza, a luxurious Algerian pastry shop on rue Saint-Maur. There was a line snaking outside onto the sidewalk -- it was still Ramadan then and many of t...

"La Bague de Kenza" continues »

August 25, 2006

Courgette Bicolore de Rocher

[Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Zucchini] It's probably safe to assume that I pay more attention to zucchini than the average joe, but if you had been walking by Joël Thiébault's market stall* with me that day, you wouldn't have missed these either: there, between the hostess-gift-worthy bouquets of fresh herbs and the off-white bulbs of hélianthi (a c...

"Courgette Bicolore de Rocher" continues »

August 2, 2006

Chicken Family Green Beans

As much as one likes to cook, one has to admit that on some nights, a bit of convenience and instant gratification doesn't hurt. And when our mood clamors for an effortless yet satisfying dinner at home, it is a true comfort to know that we can turn to the Chicken Family, and that the Chicken Family will be there for us. Chicken Family is the na...

"Chicken Family Green Beans" continues »

June 2, 2006

Book Update, Part V: Done!

I am very pleased to announce that as of yesterday, 9:07 pm, the manuscript of my book has officially left my hands, landing just a few seconds later on my editor's desk, 3,635 miles away. The moment I hit "send", my heart thumping audibly, I drew a deep breath, climbed down from the bar stool on which I was sitting, and walked to the fridge to r...

"Book Update, Part V: Done!" continues »

March 30, 2006

La Meilleure Baguette de Paris

[The Best Baguette in Paris] ...and it's not even me saying it, but the good members of the jury in the 2006 edition of the yearly Grand Prix de la Baguette Parisienne. The winner is Jean-Pierre Cohier, whose bakery is just off the Place des Ternes: this was his fourth time competing, and he received the distinction for his baguette called Tradi...

"La Meilleure Baguette de Paris" continues »

March 15, 2006

Boudin de Langue

[Tongue Blood Sausage] Paris is filled to the brim with little stores that sell produits du terroir, artisanal products from different regions of France: condiments and spices, jam and honey, cookies and candy, traditional canned dishes such as cassoulet or duck confit... You push the door and feel like you've stepped right into Hansel and Grete...

"Boudin de Langue" continues »

February 27, 2006

Le Sirop de Rose de Pierre Hermé

[Pierre Hermé's Rose Syrup] I attended the two-day Omnivore Food Festival in Le Havre last week, during which a number of renowned chefs gave cooking demonstrations. Among them was Pierre Hermé: he didn't actually pipe the ganache himself, but rather commented on his pastries as his sous-chef expertly assembled them onstage. The main focus of ...

"Le Sirop de Rose de Pierre Hermé" continues »

February 6, 2006

Paris and Olive

[Photography by Myles New] Just a heads-up for those of you who are in the UK: the March issue of Olive magazine has just come out, and it includes a feature I wrote on Paris dining. If you don't have access to British mags where you live (in Paris, you can buy Olive for 6.90€ at WH Smith, 248 rue de Rivoli in the 1st), here is the list of...

"Paris and Olive" continues »

January 18, 2006

Gâteau Choco-Coco

[Coconut Chocolate Cake] It was Maxence's birthday last week, and one of the things we did to mark the occasion -- in addition to one glorious meal at Les Ambassadeurs -- was to invite friends to join us and celebrate at a small cocktail bar that recently opened in our neighborhood, on an improbable little street we'd hardly ever noticed before....

"Gâteau Choco-Coco" continues »

January 15, 2006

Saucisson de Canard

[Dry-Cured Duck Sausage] We had long wanted to try Le Petit Canard, a small restaurant tucked away in a side street of the 9th arrondissement, just a few blocks from us. I had often walked past it on my way up and down the hill, and it looked cosy and warm, with just a handful of candle-lit tables. As the name implies, the menu focuses on all th...

"Saucisson de Canard" continues »

December 2, 2005

Noël à Paris: Shopping

This is the third and final part of our special series of holiday tips for New York (thanks to the Manhattan User's Guide), London (thanks to Urban Junkies) and Paris, and this one is all about shopping and gifts! [New York Shopping] [London Shopping] Food gifts If you're unable to attend the previously mentioned Salon Saveurs but still want t...

"Noël à Paris: Shopping" continues »

December 1, 2005

Noël à Paris: Food

No one needs to be reminded that food is an essential part of the holiday celebrations, and for this second part of our tri-city series, let me recommend a few places to eat some of the delicacies that epitomize Christmas in Paris. [New York Food] [London Food] Oysters! A traditional treat to open a holiday feast is the platter of oysters, fre...

"Noël à Paris: Food" continues »

November 30, 2005

Noël à Paris: Events

Will you be in New York City, London or Paris this December? If so, Charlie from Manhattan User's Guide, Taryn from Urban Junkies and myself cooked up a three-part series for you, sharing holiday suggestions in our respective cities. Topics covered: events today, food tomorrow, and shopping on Friday! [New York City events] [London events] And ...

"Noël à Paris: Events" continues »

November 23, 2005

Madeleines au Miel de Châtaigner des Cévennes

One bite in these unassuming madeleines and the hair in your nape will stand to attention, as you suddenly register the intensity of the chestnut honey aroma, and the smooth, moist, melting texture of the crumb dissolving in your mouth. You will taste it again to make sure it wasn't just a fluke or a tastebud hallucination, and to your amazement ...

"Madeleines au Miel de Châtaigner des Cévennes" continues »

November 16, 2005

Le Guide du Fooding

Image courtesy of Le Fooding and Libération If you are in or around Paris tomorrow, consider buying Libération from your favorite press kiosk. From November 17 to November 21, the daily paper will include the 2006 edition of Le Guide du Fooding. This is a guide to Paris restaurants, to which I contributed this year with reviews of the food scene ...

"Le Guide du Fooding" continues »

June 6, 2005

El Bocadillo

It may have become apparent by now just how much I love sandwiches, and it is always cause for elation to discover a new source for superior sandwich indulgence. Bellota-Bellota is a store in the 7th that specializes in fine food products from Spain and also operates as an upscale tapas bar. A string of such venues opened a few years ago when th...

"El Bocadillo" continues »

May 12, 2005

La Colombie à Paris

Isn't it amazing how you can still discover new things right in your neighborhood, even after living there for two and a half years and spending a large part of your free time walking around and exploring? Case in point: a small Colombian grocery store on rue Rodier, literally three blocks from me in the 9th (and facing the restaurant called Rad...

"La Colombie à Paris" continues »

May 4, 2005

The Paris I Promised

Photograph by Marie Hennechart Two weeks ago I mentioned that I had written an article for the May issue of Budget Travel magazine, in which I shared some of my favorite food-related addresses in Paris. Well, ze article is now available online for your perusal......

"The Paris I Promised" continues »

March 30, 2005

Au Fil des Saisons

GO:: Au fil des saisons had been on my to-try list for a while: I had been told good things about the chef, his use of fresh products and his "homemade everything" approach (including bread and sorbets). I had dinner there with my friend Marion a few weeks ago, when it was still remarkably cold -- hence the wintery menu choices as you'll see belo...

"Au Fil des Saisons" continues »

July 18, 2004

Couscous at Le Dattier (IMBB6)

My cooking resume, if I had one, would have to say "Grilling experience : little to none". Growing up in the city, in a non-grilling family at that, BBQ has never been part of my gastronomical landscape. In fact, I attended my first barbecue in the US, at the ripe old age of 21. I do love it though -- the smell and taste of grilled food, but al...

"Couscous at Le Dattier (IMBB6)" continues »

July 7, 2004

Les Abeilles

Les Abeilles is a tiny little store perched at the top of the Butte-aux-Cailles, in the 13th arrondissement, and incidently just a skip and a hop from my office (which has, in passing, been trying quite hard to keep me away from my regular blogging schedule, sending me this way and that, thus tragically depriving me of a decent Internet connectio...

"Les Abeilles" continues »

June 25, 2004

Amorino

I am not the biggest ice-cream fan you'll ever find. I like Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, but in fact I have realized that I would love it even more if they would just cut the ice-cream itself and leave me with the chunky things inside, chocolate chips, fudge, cookie dough, caramel, pralines, macadamia nuts. And when you really look at it, eatin...

"Amorino" continues »

June 22, 2004

Le Sandwich Corse de Clotilde, vu chez Cojean

[Clotilde's Corsican Sandwich, as seen at Cojean's] I cannot begin to tell you how gratifying Chocolate & Zucchini has been, since the very early days. But this, having a sandwich named after me at one of my absolute favorite lunch places, is a benefit I clearly hadn't foreseen. You must forgive my candor, but : how unbelievably cool is that, I ...

"Le Sandwich Corse de Clotilde, vu chez Cojean" continues »

June 16, 2004

La Table de Lucullus

[Update: La Table de Lucullus is now closed. Nicolas has plans to open a new one on L'Ile d'Yeu, but I don't have the details yet.] This past Friday, I took Maxence out to dinner at La Table de Lucullus. The official excuse was to mark a job-related occasion, but in truth, I had wanted to take him to that restaurant for a little while, and was j...

"La Table de Lucullus" continues »

February 26, 2004

L'Etoile d'Or

L'Etoile d'Or is a little candy store in the rue Fontaine, sprung right out of a fairy tale. It is but a ten-minute walk from where I live, so I find it charmingly ironic that I owe its discovery to my Bay Area blog-friend, Derrick, who mentioned it to me in a recent email : he and his wife Melissa have taken several trips to Paris, and food lo...

"L'Etoile d'Or" continues »

February 11, 2004

Pain Complet aux Olives

Le Pétrin Médiéval is a little bakery close to our place. The name means "the medieval kneading-trough", which doesn't sound half as nice, I'm afraid. They happen to be the bread suppliers for Rose Bakery, where you can enjoy their excellent "pain intégral" with your salad. Le Pétrin Médiéval sells an array of rustic breads and no-frills pastrie...

"Pain Complet aux Olives" continues »

January 31, 2004

The Sprouted Seeds Project

At the lovely Pousse-Pousse boutique the other day, I bought myself a sprouter, and two tubs of sprouting seeds. A tub of pink radish seeds, and a tub of the "longevity mix", which includes alfalfa, broccoli, turnip, lentil, mustard, black radish and soy seeds. They have a lot of other seeds to choose from, but the pink radish is peppery while ...

"The Sprouted Seeds Project" continues »

January 15, 2004

Aux Lyonnais

Last Friday, on the eve of my darling Maxence's 25th birthday, I took him out to dinner. Usually, I know exactly where I want to take him, and like to make the location a surprise. Last year was easy : I had heard great reviews about a restaurant called "Le Maxence", where the chef was the talented David Van Laer. It fit the bill perfectly and we...

"Aux Lyonnais" continues »

January 7, 2004

Confiture de l'An Neuf

[New Year Jam] Just a couple of days ago, I happened to be around La Grande Epicerie de Paris, the quite huge gourmet food store attendant to the store Le Bon Marché. This kind of place works like a magnet on me, and although I was laden with different heavy items to carry, I still went in to browse around. This is really heaven for food lovers,...

"Confiture de l'An Neuf" continues »

January 6, 2004

Chez Catherine

A couple of weeks ago, Maxence and I celebrated our seventh dating anniversary. To mark the occasion, we had decided to treat each other to dinner at a gastronomic restaurant. Our friend Baptiste happens to be a very good source for top-notch dining recommendations, a trait he gets from his father : let it be remembered that he's the one who intr...

"Chez Catherine" continues »

December 18, 2003

L'Homme Tranquille

L'Homme Tranquille is a small restaurant in the rue des Martyrs, precisely a block from our apartment. It is a very cosy, intimate, comfy, friendly place. It looks a little secret from the outside : the door is narrow, the large windows that look out onto the street are curtained, and the lighting inside is dim, coming from low lamps and candles....

"L'Homme Tranquille" continues »

December 16, 2003

Le Bar à Soupes

Laurence, one of my best friends, works at the Opéra Bastille, and sometimes has to work Saturdays. She had joined me a few times for lunch close to my office, so I decided to return the favor, and met her during her lunch break this past Saturday. We had an hour, so fast food was the way to go. In its healthy trendy Parisian version of course! ...

"Le Bar à Soupes" continues »

December 15, 2003

Crème de Noix du Monastère

[Walnut Butter from the Monastery] I take bus 67 to get home from work every day. This bus line isn't very crowded, and takes me from the South of the 13th to the 18th arrondissement along a very pleasant route. You can usually find me sitting by a window, reading, writing, or just gazing outside and observing. At one point, in the 4th, the bus ...

"Crème de Noix du Monastère" continues »

December 13, 2003

Petit Gâteau Chocolat Noisette

I was out in the Marais area this afternoon, doing a little Christmas shopping (ok, a lot). And shopping, as you know, is a form of strenuous exercise. Especially ten days before Christmas. Especially in the Marais. That is why I entirely deserved a nutritious goûter, and I found just what I needed at a chocolate store called "Cacao et Chocolat"....

"Petit Gâteau Chocolat Noisette" continues »

December 12, 2003

L'Avant-Goût

From time to time, my dad offers to come and treat me to lunch on a weekday. My company offices used to be located in Nanterre, a cheerless suburban town, where we had to make do with an ordinary brasserie randomly called "L'Européen". But last summer, to everybody's relief and joy, we moved to the 13th arrondissement of Paris, close to the Parc ...

"L'Avant-Goût" continues »

December 5, 2003

Brochette De Mini-Sandwiches

[Skewered Mini-Sandwiches] The boulangépicier store, or "be", opened a year ago in Paris, and is owned by Alain Ducasse and Eric Kayser, the famous restaurant and bakery emperors. The name, as well as the concept, is a fusion of "boulanger" and "épicier" - baker and grocer. On the grocery front, they sell a range of gourmet goods (unusual spic...

"Brochette De Mini-Sandwiches" continues »

November 30, 2003

Rose Bakery

Rose Bakery is a small bakery/restaurant of British inspiration in the rue des Martyrs, close to where we live. I love this place and find myself going, on my own or with friends, as often as the opportunity arises. It is run by a couple - he's French and she's British - who used to own a similar operation in London. A low semicircular wrought i...

"Rose Bakery" continues »

November 27, 2003

Where Do I Eat The Best Tartines?

As a complement to my post about The Wonderful World Of Tartines, here's a list of my favorite restaurants for tartines in Paris : Boulangerestaurant 85 bd Malesherbes, 75008 Paris 01 45 22 70 30 (Baker Eric Kayser's restaurant) Androuët sur le Pouce 49 rue St Roch, 75001 Paris 01 42 97 57 39 (tartines starring the best cheese in season, several ...

"Where Do I Eat The Best Tartines?" continues »

November 11, 2003

R'Aliment, une Cantine Bio

2005 Update: Unfortunately, R'Aliment is now closed -- my friends and I mourn the loss. You can still however go to the sister restaurant Biotifull Place, on the 1st floor of the Printemps de la Beauté department store, at 66 Bd Haussman in the 9th. R'Aliment is a small modern restaurant in the 3rd arrondissement, that I would label "cantine bio...

"R'Aliment, une Cantine Bio" continues »

November 6, 2003

Le Thé Mariage Frères

I could not agree more with Amy. Tea from Mariage Frères is one of those things that just make life a whole lot better. The beauty of the tins it comes in does nothing to hamper my feelings, nor does the beauty of the boxes the tins themselves come in! And the names, indeed, the names! If you can't make it out on the pic above, I have : "Thé sur...

"Le Thé Mariage Frères" continues »

November 5, 2003

La Famille

La Famille is a restaurant that opened a few months ago in Montmartre. It got an impressive amount of flattering reviews in the press (whoever takes care of their PR would get my business!) which naturally teased me into trying it. I'm a sucker for new restaurants, and when they open just two blocks from us, what's a girl to do?...

"La Famille" continues »

October 22, 2003

Brunch at Joe Allen's

On Sunday, we went out for a brunch with friends of ours, Baptiste and Véro. We decided to go to Joe Allen's, a place our neighbor Stéphan had talked to us about, that was also mentioned in our "Guide du Fooding". This is a very good guide to eating out in Paris. It is issued by Nova Mag, a hip Parisian magazine that could be compared to Time Out...

"Brunch at Joe Allen's" continues »

October 1, 2003

The Magic Baker's Store

Last weekend, while I was in the 1st arrondissement to buy kitchenware, I suddenly remembered my grandmother telling me about a professional baking supplies store she used to go to when she was still baking for four sons. The store is called "G. Detou", which happens to be a pun, and I can't decide whether it is completely lame, deliciously old-...

"The Magic Baker's Store" continues »

September 30, 2003

E. Dehillerin

E. Dehillerin is an excellent cooking utensils outlet located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It's a totally no-frills store, that has stayed pretty much the same since it was first opened in 1820 (something tells me they didn't sell silicon baking mats back then, though). It's open to individuals, but is mainly targeted at professionals. One...

"E. Dehillerin" continues »