21 October 2010
PARIS, PARIS, PARIS IN THE SPRING
I had eight sensational days in Paris. Here’s what I loved.
Hotel Lenox, 9 rue de l’Université, 7eme T 0033 1 42 96 10 95 This little hotel reeks of everything Parisien. Winding staircase, sloping floors, breakfast in a cave in the basement, and is situated in a dream position equidistant from St Germain Metro and rue de Seine. Helpful staff and with 3 stars, not too expensive.
Fish, 69 rue de Seine 6eme T 0033 1 43 54 34 69 Run by a Kiwi who has lived in Paris since the 70s, this cute little bistro specialises in fish but also serves rabbit, steak and other Parisien specialities. A fab wine list and you can sit at the bar and watch the action in the street. Don’t miss the basil infused pannacotta to finish your meal.
Cosi, 54 rue De Seine, open from noon till late. The constant queue shows this is a real treasure. The pizza oven cooks fabulous bread continuously and you can choose between imaginative sandwiches, or eat the thing that’s really hard to find in Paris: a large bowl of fresh and delicious salad. Wine by the glass and a bowl of apple crumble makes this the best value casual eating in Paris when you’re over all that rich French food!
Macarons. Still the hot item in Paris. (Thank goodness the French did not take to cupcakes.) These delicate crunchy flavoursome discs with a gooey filling come in an amazingly innovative array of flavours and aromas. The best can be found at: Pierre Hermé, 72 rue Bonaparte 6eme (and at other locations.) Laduree, 21 rue Bonaparte 6eme (also at other locations.) Don’t miss Laduree's green apple macaron. A total disaster for me as our hotel was close by and it was very hard to pass by without stopping.
Bread. When I cooked at the British Embassy in the 70s I walked to the nearby boulangerie twice a day for warm baguettes for our meals, and I’d forgotten how good a good baguette can be. The best breads I found were: Boulangerie Kayser, 18 rue de Bac 7eme for fabulous baguettes. Boulangerie Poilâne, 8 rue de Cherche Midi 6eme for their classic chewy sourdough. Paul, a chain of bakeries found in many locations has excellent bread but totally useless service if you want to have coffee, tea and breakfast or cakes there.
Huîtrerie Régis, 3 rue de Montfaucon 6eme T 0033 1 44 41 10 07 Fresh briny oysters, a pile of bread, fresh butter and glass of chilled Sancerre. Heaven for lunch, dinner or a snack between meals. Tiny and intimate, but Régis specialises in oysters so you won’t find him open unless there’s an ‘r’ in the month. (pic above)
Restaurant Jadis, 208 rue de la croix Nivert 15eme, T 0033 1 45 57 73 20 The corner bistro everyone dreams of finding. A rising star chef, Guillaume Delage, who has worked with Michel Bras and Pierre Gagnaire, food that is traditional with a simple twist, a great little wine list and decidedly suburban yet sophisticated and friendly. A tomato salad here made with a heap of heritage tomatoes, and some creamy fresh burrata was worth the detour!
Helène Darroze, 4 rue d’Assas 6eme, T 0033 1 42 22 00 11 Sublime food in this eponymously named two Michelin starred restaurant owned by a woman chef from the South West (no easy feat in the male dominated French culinary hierarchy.) Start with a gift from the kitchen: at-the table-thinly-sliced cured ham produced from prized black pigs and then launch into a stunning modern South Western set menu at lunch and dinner. Make sure to have the south western cheeses and If you’d rather there’s a tapas style menu downstairs. But why pass up the chance of such stylish food?
Le Villaret, 13 rue Ternaux, 11eme, T 0033 1 43 57 75 56 Another lovely intimate suburban restaurant with true French style food including offal dishes beautifully cooked, rare duck and steak cooked bleu or rare. Cosily crammed but a great if pricey wine list.
Brasserie Bofinger, 5 rue de la Bastille, 4eme T 0033 1 42 72 87 82 No visit to Paris would be complete for me without a meal at a traditional brasserie. The food may not knock your socks off, but the atmosphere, the attention from the waiters, the belle époque décor and the deliciously fresh oysters opened kerbside make this a true Parisien experience. I had a lobster salad with a huge pile of crunchy green French beans, and the platter of choucroute garni with duck, sausages and other meats was more suited to a giant. We organised a surprise birthday for a friend who did not even know we were in Paris and the waiters could not have been nicer.
And if you’re looking for something different to do than stand in endless queues for the museums, check out the classical music concerts in Paris’ oldest church St Julien Le Pauvre, or in the amazing Ste Chapelle in the Palais du Justice, which is renowned as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Or meander through the tightly packed book shelves at Shakespeare and Co on the Quai opposite Notre Dame, or take the Metro to Pierre La Chaise cemetery where we paid homage to Chopin at his grave, on his 200th birthday.