EAT! Paris

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” – Ernest Hemingway

There are so many delicious things to try in Paris that I am putting myself on a “NO REPEATS” policy next time I go. However, it’s going to be hard not to revisit the favorites. Here are a few of our go-to best-evers:

RESTAURANTS

• Le Grand Café – SO elegant, so beautiful, the Grand Café is open inside the Grand Palais. You NEED to book in advance. Dinner in the gorgeous dining room or a sunny lunch on the terrace?
• Le Relais de l’Entrecote – crowds line up every day at all three locations across Paris. You get what you get – walnut salad, steak frites, dessert, choice of a couple of wines. And you won’t be sorry you waited – it’s incredible. A friend and I have tried replicating the sauce – good luck with that.
• Le Café – there are a lot of good croque monsieurs/mesdames in Paris but this is famously one of the best.
• La Coupole – iconic Art Deco brasserie in Montparnasse, frequented for decades by artists, writers, singers and a host of Paris celebs through the ages.
• Les Deux Magots – another legendary Saint Germain haunt of cultural and literary legends through the years. Order a café crème, crack your copy of A Moveable Feast and enjoy top-notch people watching.
• Berthillon – grab a decadent sorbet at this institution on the Ile Saint-Louis to enjoy as you stroll the charming streets of this tiny mid-river neighborhood.
• Le Hangar, 12 impasse Berthaud – it is SO SO worth seeking this unassuming little treasure tucked into a little side street in the Beaubourg. The Beef Stroganoff with little puffed potatoes is unforgettable.
• Robert et Louise – cozy up in this rustic, romantic nook with its stone walls, open hearth and perfect wood-fired steaks on wooden planks. Try to get a seat on the main floor if you can.
• L’as du Fallafel, 34 Rue des Rosiers – BEST falafel (on earth?) in the Marais.
• Le Comptoir General – super cool artsy spot by the Canal Saint Martin for drinks, dinner and music, and also for a sunny weekend brunch.
• Le 404 – my favorite Moroccan food outside of Morocco. Excellent tagines and couscous in a sumptuous setting.
• Bofinger – beautiful Alsatian brasserie near the Bastille for seafood platters and hearty choucroute.
• Bon Jo – for a lovely brunch in Montmartre before visiting the Sacre Coeur.
• Angelina – brave the line on the Rue de Rivoli for the most incredible hot chocolate of your life with a side of glorious pastries.
• Le Shack – clubby book-lined lounge down a little alley near the Palais Garnier. Great for pre-theater bites and cocktails but you NEED a reservation!
• L’Escargot Montorgueil – mmmm truffled snails…well what did you think they served? Definitely try the assortment plate.
• Breizh Café – best Brittany crepes ever with several locations around the city.

FOOD STREETS

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is meander the pedestrian streets lined with little boulangeries, cheese shops, fish markets, cafes and other gourmet specialty shops while I fantasize that I live here and could someday be a regular… Here are a few to whet your appetite:

• Rue Montorgeuil
• Rue Cler
• Rue des Martyrs
• Rue des Rosiers
• Rue Mouffetard

SPECIALTY STORES

• À la Mere de Famille – lovely chocolates, pâtes de fruits, and a host of beautiful and highly giftable goodies.
• E Dellhirin – this classic French cookware shop is over 200 years old, and among many other accolades inspired Chuck Williams to begin selling French omelet pans in a little hardware store called Williams-Sonoma.
• Fromagerie Jouannault – The cheeses in this store are literally perfection.
• La Grande Epicerie de Paris – two epic French food halls on either side of the river.
• Maison Verot – The most gorgeous display of charcuterie and prepared foods. How can you not build a picnic from this?
• Fromagerie Quatrehomme – if I could eat just one thing in France it would be cheese, and there are hundreds to be found at this family run shop. Marie Quatrehomme was the first woman to receive the coveted “Best Craftsman of France” in 2000. Real.
• Barthélémy Cheese – 51 Rue de Grenelle, another unmissable beautiful and extensive cheese shop in the heart of the 7th.
• L’éclair de Genie – museum worthy éclairs (yes you can eat them!) in the Marais and Montmartre.
• Poilane – the best baguette in Paris? Peut-être! The original bakery is on the Left Bank’s Rue du Cherche-Midi, or you can find a satellite shop in the Marais.

FOOD TOUR

• Paris by Mouth – There are oodles of food tours in Paris, but we really enjoyed this one through the north Marais neighborhood.