This is a guest post today about top restaurants in Paris.
Paris: city of love, champagne and forty-two million annual visitors. For the foodies among them, planning transportation and the hotel is secondary to choosing the right place to eat. With operators like Treyn, Paris city breaks are easier to organise than ever.
With a legacy dating back to a certain Monsieur Boulanger’s 1765 eatery, arguably the world’s first restaurant, Paris’ twenty-first century restaurant scene is an exciting mix of tradition and innovation. With the plethora of restaurants there, it can sometimes be difficult to narrow it down without some guidance, so we’ve compiled a list of the best restaurants for you… Voila!
The brasserie
Arriving in Paris, a first-time visitor should head to a traditional brasserie for a fail-safe induction to French cuisine. On buzzing rue Saint-Lazare, Brasserie Moulard has been a staple since it opened in 1895. It features charmingly decrepit mosaics, Art Nouveau décor, and a classically styled seafood bar, not to mention reliably good food.
Another fantastic brasserie is Le Stella, a high-class, privately-owned brasserie in the heart of the 16th arrondissement, offering plenty of heart and character. The Croque Monsieur here is marvellous and the cheese plate is generous enough to fill the stomach of even the most gluttonous gastronome.
The café
One of the city’s oldest and most popular neighbourhoods for both residents and tourists, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, is host to an abundance of traditional Parisian cafés. Perhaps the most famous of these is Les Deux Magots, which was the favoured café of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, writers Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus, and artist Pablo Picasso. Today, it’s a popular tourist destination on a prominent Parisian corner.
Nearby café, La Palette, provides a less tourist-choked alternative, with an equally charming and artistic legacy. This favourite café of Cézanne has a quirky interior design, no-nonsense waiting staff and simple, yet excellent food.
The patisserie
Rollet Pradier is an upmarket boutique patisserie with multiple outposts dotted around Paris’ centre. Whether in search of pistachio macaroons or a finely layered opéra cake, those with a sweet tooth will find Rollet Pradier a perfect stop for sugar cravings.
Recommending a Viennese patisserie for a trip to France may seem strange, but Café Viennoise will convert any sceptic. Mille-feuilles and palmiers abound in this budget-friendly, calm café, which can be found down a St. Michel side street. The Viennese aspect, it seems, is that every pastry is available with whipped cream.
The DIY
Eating out every night may be unrealistic for travellers on a budget, but there are ways to eat well for less. Shopping at a specialty boulangerie, patisserie and épicerie, for example, provides quality food for a much more agreeable price.
Visiting all the small shops can be exhausting, but luckily, Paris has high quality one-stop markets. Le Bon Marché on Rue de Sèvres has everything the culinary curious could covet, and while on the pricey side, the quality is similar to that which can be found at the most celebrated restaurants in Paris. Plus, Le Bon Marché is the perfect pit stop for souvenirs to bring back to Britain.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale
I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.
Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.
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