My Paris

If you’re coming to Paris, here are some of my favorite places to get something really good to eat. Most are not fancy, but are more places where you’ll find a good mix of Parisians with a few visitors as well. Most of them are moderately priced, except where noted. Always call ahead to make sure they’re open and make a reservation, if possible.

Angora
240, rue de Charenton (M: Dugommier), tel 01 44 87 02 08, open each day except Sunday. Totally out of the way, but worth the schlep for their extraordinary lamb kabobs.

A La Biche au Bois
45, Av Ledru Rollin (M: Gare de Lyon), about 2 blocks from the Gare de Lyon train station. Not fancy but a lot of fun, and great food. Order one of the fixed menus and save room for the cheese course. For starters, try to get through a gargantuan salade Perigordine, topped with a big chunk of foie gras. Many game dishes depending on the season. Reserve at 01 43 43 34 38.

Au Trou Gascon
40, rue Tain, tel 01 43 44 34 26(M: Daumesnil). Gascony cooking at it’s best. A recent meal included a crisp confit of goose that was the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve eaten a lot. Dessert was perfectly-thin slices of well-caramelized warm apple tart with flaky Gascon pastry. Somewhat of a splurge, but lunchtime features a fixed-price menu.

Bellota-Bellota
18, rue Jean-Nicot (M: Invalides, or La Tour-Maubourg). Great tapas-style bar, more upscale than anything in Spain, with fabulous hams from wild acorn-fed pigs. For dessert, stop down the street at Poujaran bakery for an almond-scented financier. Tel 01 53 59 96 96.

Chez Michel
10, rue Belzunce (M: Gare de Nord), tel 01 44 53 06 20. During the winter, there’s a chalkboard with “hunters specials”, which features superbly fresh game. On my last visit, I had a mound of tiny scallops piled up in their shells, drizzles with luscious Brittany butter and herbs, then a succulent wild pigeon with foie gras, ending with an unfortunate chocolate soufflé with little flavor. Now I never leave without ending a meal with a classic Breton kouign aman which oozes and butter and caramel from every delectable crusty layer. Reservations essential since it’s on most people’s list of favorites.

Cuisine de Bar
8, rue Cherche-Midi (M: Sevres-Babylon), tel 01 45 48 45 69, in the 6th. Open-faced tartines, or sandwiches, served on pain Poîlane, the famed bakery next door. I am addicted to the sardines and olive oil with crushed salt as well as the sliced chicken with garlic mayonnaise and capers. If the French had come up with the sushi-bar, it would be like this. No reservations.

Dishny
25, rue Cail (M: La Chapelle), tel 01 42 05 44 04. The only Indian food I’ve ever liked. I go early since I love to explore the wondrous ethnic food markets in this lively neighborhood before dinner.

L’As du Falafel
On 34, rue des Rosiers (M: St. Paul), closed Friday pm and Saturday. The best falafel anywhere! Join the crowd clamoring at the window while they prepare your falafel with lightning-fast speed. Certainly a dive, and definitely a must.

L’Atlas
Superb Moroccan food; think couscous and tagines. Not too fancy nor pricey considering the lovely tile work, good food, and gracious service. Located at 12, St. Germaine des Pres, across from the fabulous Institute du Monde Arabe. Vegetarians will love the variety of seafood tagines when they’ve become tired of feeling short-changed by the meat-heavy menus in Paris. Tel 01 44 07 23 66 (M: Maubert-Mutualité).

Le Bombis Bistrot
22, rue de Chaligny (M: Reuilly-DIderot). Tel 01 43 45 36 32. Fresh, contemporary French cuisine, which you choose from their excellent fixed-price 3-course menu for less than 35 €.

Le Rubis
10, rue du Marche Saint-Honoré: Authentic Parisian wine bar and a great place for a rustic lunch or simple sandwich at the counter, washed down with a glass (or two) of wine. I like to stop in late afternoon for a sip or two, accompanied with a most generous plate of their good charcuterie, (M: Tuilleires).

Thoumieux
79, rue St. Dominique, tel 01 47 05 49 75, in the 7th. Classic French bistro cooking, not too pricey and with less fanfare than the more well-visited bistros of Paris. Good cassoulet. Don’t let the cranky servers intimidate you; they’re actually quite funny once you realize they’re quite just being, um, French. (M: Invalides or La Tour-Maubourg).

For information and listings of my favorite places for chocolate in Paris, I’ve devoted an entire chapter to those listings including addresses and specialties in my book, The Great Book of Chocolate.

Some of my favorite sources for insider
information about Paris:

www.bonjourParis.com
www.ChocolateandZucchini.com
www.eGullet.org
www.expatica.com
www.parisfranceguide.com
www.ParisNotes.com
www.SecretsofParis.com
www.ThinkParis.com

Dining Tips in Paris

What I’ve learned in Paris is “How You Get Treated is Directly Proportional to the Way that you Behave and Present Yourself”. It’s taken me a few years to get used to the fact that I can’t run to the corner bakery for bread wearing sweatpants and flipflops, nor can I wolf down pastries on the Métro without getting disapproving stares. So don’t be afraid to dress a bit better than you would at home and to practice a few words of your high-school French. Believe me, even the feeblest attempt at a little French will take you much further than you can imagine.

Here are some tips I’ve learned, and answers to many commonly asked questions:

Water and Wine
It’s never required that you order a pricy bottle of water. Be like the French and ask for a ‘carafe d’eau’. If you want to order a bottle of water, ask for ‘gazeuse’ (with gas) or ‘plat’ (flat, without gas). Be sure to specify. Would you go into a restaurant in the United States and tell a waiter “I’ll have a soda”?

Ice is rarely given, although if you’re lucky, you may get a cube. Asking for a lot of ice will generally means an extra cube.

Drinking wine by the carafe is normally good and inexpensive. And unlike in the US, the wine in the carafe is fine, which is why many French people order carafes. When in doubt, ordering Côte du Rhône is reliably good red wine.

Tips
Tips are always included in the amount shown on the check. In Paris, it’s fine to round-up in smaller restaurants, such as if the check is 19 €, it’s okay to leave 1€ extra if you get very good service, but never required. In general, it’s acceptable to leave up to 5% extra for very attentive service But some Parisians get upset that Americans leave generous tips, rightfully fearing it will lead to future earnings expectations.

Meat
Ordering meat rare, or ‘bleu’ means that you like raw meat, hardly cooked, which is how many French people eat beef. ‘Saignante’ is close to rare. ‘A point’ (to the point) is medium, and ‘bien cuit’ is well-done, or as we say in the restaurant business, “at your own risk”.

Waiters
Don’t assume your waiter is rude just because he doesn’t introduce himself by name and tell you his life story and rush over to refill your water after each sip. Unlike American restaurants with large staffs, restaurants in Paris often only have one or two people serving an entire dining room with no busboys. They are really busy! And when they have to deal with English speakers or people figuring out menus, that slows down their entire process. Don’t think they’re necessarily impolite. Realize that dining in France is important so relax and enjoy your meal.

After dining, you’ll need to ask for the check when you want it, called ‘l’addition’ –it’s considered impolite to give the check before you’re ready to leave.

Impoliteness
There is a perception the French are rude which is probably because you never come across anyone rude in America. In Paris, it’s imperative to say ‘Bonjour Madame/Monsieur’ when entering a shop or restaurant, and ‘Merci Madame/Monsieur’ when leaving. There is actually a perception that Americans are impolite since they don’t acknowledge the salesclerks in their shops, which is like going into someone’s home without saying hello.

Bread and Butter
Only in fine dining rooms will you be given a bread plate. Normally you place your bread on the tabletop, not on your plate. Butter is rarely served with bread, but it’s usually okay to ask for it. This may answer your question, “How do the French stay so thin?”

Coffee
Except during the morning hours, each time you order café, you will be served an small cup of dark coffee. If you want coffee with milk, when ordering ask for a café crème, not after they bring it. You may get a funny look if you ask for a café au lait , which is coffee with milk served in a bowl, always at home, for breakfast. Café noisette is an espresso with a touch of milk.

No one will automatically bring milk with coffee. If you don’t understand why, assume it’s the same reason that McDonald’s in the United States don’t serve wine. (Hint: It’s a cultural difference). If you want milk with your coffee, you need to specify each time to each waiter in each restaurant. There’s no master-file on how each visitor to France takes their coffee. Although come to think of it, with the famous French bureaucracy and staggering paperwork, perhaps they’d be willing to take that on.

Ordering Mistakes
At least once you will order some unimaginable organ by mistake. When it happens to me I think of it as an instant French lesson.

Talking vs. Shouting
Americans talk LOUDLY. (As do people in several other countries). If you don’t believe it, watch cable television “news” for a few minutes! It’s gotten so that restaurant reviews in the United States now include ‘sound’ ratings to denote the volume in restaurants. Many of us are used to speaking loudly, especially when we get into groups. If you’ve ever tried to have a peaceful dinner next to a table celebrating their annual office party, you know what I’m talking about. In Paris, people will modulate their voices so as not to disturb other diners.

Smoking
As of January 1, 2008, all restaurants, bars, and cafés in France are non-smoking. Smoking is allowed only outdoors.

On a final note...
My favorite travel tip is to scan your passport and email it to yourself. That way if you lose your passport, you can print out a copy from any cybercafé in the world.