Garlic snails, crusty fresh baguettes, pungent cheese… thinking about French cuisine always conjures up vivid pictures (and smells!). Zoe and I were lucky enough to collect some stellar recommendations before our trip to Paris meaning we ended up with some wonderful food memories. Here’s some of my favourite places that we tried!
Chez Janou
A quirky, authentic Provençal bistro tucked around the corner from Place des Vosges, Chez Janou‘s food was delicious! We had the prix fixe menu, meaning we had an entrée of peach and ham rocket salad each, with a main of pavé (a white fish) poached with carrots for me, and guinea fowl with potatoes dauphinois for Zoe – with a glass of wine to celebrate being in Paris, of course.
Chez Janou prides itself on its pastis selection, of which it boasts over 80 – we will have to return at a slightly more appropriate hour!
Albion
From a very traditional bistro to a very modern bistro. Albion surpassed all expectations, even though we’d been told it was very very good! The menu is changed daily or weekly as the chef takes advantage of seasonal flavours and the best produce. I had some of the best duck in my life, while their desserts (including my specially tailored berries) were incredible. Bookings are essential but it’s well worth the effort!
Coffee at Musée d’Orsay
The stunning artworks within and the beautiful architecture should be more than enough to lure you to the Musée d’Orsay, one of the top Impressionist and post-Impressionist collections in the world. However, just when you’re about ready to drop from all that incredible art, you’ll reach the Café Campagna, where (weather willing) you can admire gorgeous views over the Seine to the Louvre and beyond. While the weather didn’t cooperate so much for us, I was still fascinated by the workings of the clocks and refreshed by the delicious coffee!
Le Basilic
Le Basilic was another great recommendation, with my friend Sarah applauding it as her favourite restaurant in Paris. Simple dishes, done well, with enthusiastic and friendly service, we had a great time at Le Basilic. It’s ideally located on the way to or from Sacré-Coeur as well!
Pan-fried cod, veal in mushroom sauce, creme brûlée
Paris Hanoï
It might seem a slightly strange choice for a visit to Paris, but Zoe and I are both massive fans of Vietnamese, and after reading the reviews for Paris-Hanoi we had to give it a try. We had to queue for a little while but as we were just a twosome we soon gained a table in this bustling no-nonsense restaurant, and enjoyed delicious Vietnamese – I’d definitely go back to try more of their expansive menu!
Assorted Sweet Treats
Impossible to go past fresh croissants and baguette, especially with my all time favourite spread – strawberry jam. We found these beauties at Le Comptoir des Archives – the brunch was odd but these were melt-in-the-mouth good!
Crepe stalls are everywhere on Parisian streets, and on our last day I couldn’t resist the temptation of the Nutella goodness any longer! (And if you’re wondering about my lactose intolerance the answer was a lot of lactase pills during my time in Paris!)
We discovered the incredible cupcakes at Les Fées Pâtissières by chance as we wandered by on the street – and what an awesome chance it was! The incredible flavour selection had Zoe, a noted baker, in agonies of indecision, although this amazing double-stacked vanilla cupcake proved to be the answer.
Where are your favourite food discoveries? Any Paris recommendations?
Time for another Travel Tuesday! We have a prompt for next week as nominated by Camila – Interesting or Weird Layovers! Have you packed in a city visit, a food tour, or a home visit? What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you on layover at an airport? I can’t wait to read all the stories!
And speaking of great stories, my featured post this week is Jackie of Boy & Girl Globetrot and her great post on how to be a respectful photographer while travelling. Like her, I find it hard to find the perfect balance sometimes, but by keeping her tips in mind you can avoid being rude or simply ignorant when you’re in unfamiliar situations. Check it out!
Ready to link up?
1. SHARE a post about travel! From road trips to trips abroad and from past travels to dream vacations. You can write about travel tips and tricks, favorite places to stay, or anything in between.
2. GRAB the lovely button above. If you run into trouble, just make sure to mention Bonnie, Amy, Camila and me in a link.
3. LINKUP goes live every Tuesday at 0800 GMT. Make sure to comment here, on the cohosts’ blogs, and visit around!
Tips:
1. Please only one linked up post per blogger. Save other posts for future linkups!
2. One Tuesday of every month will be a themed prompt if you want to join in. We will announce the theme during the week before.
3. HOP around and meet new travel-loving bloggers!
