A Foodie's Guide to Travellers in Paris: Discovering the Best French Bistros
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Time to read 6 min
I don’t live in Paris in fact I live in London but being French I know my way around Paris and when I go back I can’t wait to eat in these gorgeous French Bistro which makes you feel at home and give the best French food experience. Paris is The city of light, love and fresh baguette. A foodie’s heaven, Paris has some of the best restaurants in the world. In this blog post, I share my favourite places to eat in Paris. These are just recommendations. Do not hesitate to wander and make your selection.
Day One
If you travel from London to Paris, the most comfortable and hassle-free way to travel is to book a Eurostar ticket. The journey currently takes 2 hours and 17 minutes, which would be difficult to beat by plane, car or coach. We travelled on the Eurostar. Indeed, we left London around 1 pm and arrived in Paris in the afternoon just in time to drop our bags at the hotel and have a little stroll before dinner. We headed towards Rue Surcouf in the 7th arrondissement to have dinner at Bistro chez France. We walked along the Invalides, a museum related to French military history with a great view over the Eiffel Tower.
When you arrive in Rue Surcouf, you will be amazed by the many restaurants you can find on the same streets. We did indeed come back the next day to another place.
The tagline for bistro chez France is GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE, GOOD VIBES! So you know you are already in good hands and off to a great start reading this. And this is precisely how I felt after dining at the bistro. They have a small menu with specialities of the day. They serve fruit and vegetables according to season. The fish is the catch of the day. Their charcuteries are all from small produces, and their meat has been selected from farmers they work with regularly. I had an “assiette de charcuterie” as a starter, the “agneau” (lamb) as the main dish and the unmissable Tarte Tatin as a dessert. In addition, we selected an incredible red wine, Burgundy, from their well-curated wine list.
We had a fantastic dining experience. The restaurant is not very big, so I recommend booking your table in advance. If you want a typical Parisian dining experience with people conscious of the food they serve, you can go ahead and eat at this place!
Day 2
The day starts off with freezing rain and snow. Not very encouraging, but you can’t come to Paris just to stay locked in your hotel room. We wandered outside in the shower, being optimistic about the rain had to stop at some point. Paris is still a beautiful sight in the rain. We headed towards the Marais and Quartier Latin an area I’m not familiar with in Paris. Along place Monge, Jussieu, Pantheon, Jardin des Plantes.
For lunch, we opted for the typical crêperie. What is a crêperie, then? Imagine a crêperie as a Pizza place, but instead of serving pizza, they do buckwheat galette with various toping like ham, eggs and cheese. For dessert, you can opt for sweet dough pancakes with toppings like cinnamon and apples, banana chocolate or chestnut purée. If you want to have a cheap and cheerful lunch, the crêperie is the perfect option. We had lunch at the crêperie Little Breizh rue Grégoire de Tours in the 6th. It’s a small restaurant, and the galettes and crêpes were delicious.
We headed off towards the Jardin des Plantes the botanical gardens in the afternoon. To walk, we continued our way along the Seine River via Isle Saint Louis. A walk along the river is one of the best ways to discover Paris. So stroll along and take great photos.
You can’t stay in Paris and not treat yourself to a patisserie. While I usually try to head to Angelina at least once during my stay, this time, I decided to try something new. We headed off to “Fou de Patisserie” rue de la Seine in the 6th arrondissement. You will find a few of these boutiques across Paris. They offer what I would call a “Haute couture” Patisserie designed by the best pâtissiers in France. Each pièce is a delight for the eyes and taste buds, and your task will be to choose the ones that appeal to you the most. I tried the Baba au Rhum designed by Mathieu Mandard pour Les Artizans served with blue Jasmin tea. Do not even try to be on a diet in Paris!
In the evening we had chosen another restaurant in the rue Surcouf and had dinner at the Petite Tonneau walking from our hotel along Boulevard St Germain, Rue de l’Université, rue de Grenelle to arrive rue Surcouf . The petit Tonneau has been around for more than 80 years. It does have more of a restaurant feel than a bistro and the food presentation was more sophisticated than what you would usually find in a typical bistro. You will be able to select from the traditional soupe à l’oignon, blanquette de veau, fish and of course the Tarte Tatin. We had a wonderful time at the Petit Tonneau.
Before booking at the Petit Tonneau we tried to book at Chez Marcel. One piece of advice you have to book well in advance to eat Chez Marcel this is a very small Bistrot with red and white checked table cloths. Experience the true French vibes with dishes from traditional French cuisine. Try the mouthwatering duck, pies and quenelle with your friends.
After dinner, we wandered close to the Eiffel tower. Head towards rue de l‘Université for a close-up view of the tower. Walk back via the Trocadero for an unmissable view of the lit Eiffel Tower.
Day 3
This was our last day in Paris, and we headed off to La Maison d’Isabelle for one of the best croissants in Paris. This is only a takeaway bakery, but you can easily buy a croissant and walk the streets of Paris while eating it. For lunch, we choose a bistro between Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord called the Café des Deux Gares. They offer a daily menu and small plates à la carte. There is also a hotel of the same name nearby. (see the directory below for more details)
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I am sure you will love it. You can roam around Paris at your own pace, but if you do like to treat yourself to visiting some of the finest restaurants in Paris, ensure you book in advance. Paris is a great city for foodies, so have a fabulous time wherever you eat. Remember to slow down and enjoy.
Directory
Places to stay
On a budget
Mama Shelter hotels for the Wes Anderson experience. The hotel brand “Mama Shelter” represent this cool and young atmosphere, room from €135.They have a few hotels across Paris
Hôtel des Deux Gares close to Gare du Nord a very british and querky boutique hotel - rooms from €120
Higher up
Hotel Jardins de Cluny in the 6th a small feel hotel designed with taste, room from €235
On a splash
The shangri-la rooms from €1490
Hotel de Crillon rooms from €1800
Places to eat for lunch
Creperie Little Breizh rue Gregoire de Tours, 75006 Paris
Bistro des 2 Gares close to the gare du Nord 1 Rue des Deux Gares, 75010 Paris. They offer a wonderful lunch formula with 2 or 3 dishes. Everything is cook fresh in the kitchen and they serve real sourdough bread (for those who can eat it).
Where to eat a Patisserie
Fou de Patisserie to try Haute Couture Patisserie by the best in France. They have a few boutique across town
Angelina close to the Louvre, for the ultimate hot Chocolate and Mont-Blanc queues can be quite long and it’s advisable to book.
Vegetarian Restaurant
Ora 12 Rue Philippe de Girard, 75010 Paris, France
A vegetarian restaurant with an incredible atmosphere, they offer a on of a kind, unique dinning experience with tasty vegetarian meal.
Places to eat for dinner - its advisable to book
Bistrot France Rue de Surcouf 7th
Au petit Tonneau Rue de Surcouf 7th
The real French Bistro Chez Marcel 7 Rue Stanislas, 75006 Paris. Pierre the owner has also another restaurant in the same street called La Gentiane so if one is fully booked which is very often you can try your luck at this restaurant.
Where to eat a croissant?
Carton Boulevard 6 Boulevard Denain, 75010 Paris (not opened on the weekend). They got a gold medal for the best croissant in whole of Paris Region!
Maison Bayat 112 Boulevard Magenta, 75010 Paris (they open at 06.00am on Sunday so you can grab a croissant on Sunday morning before taking the Eurostar).
La Maison d’Isabelle 47ter Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris
Bo and Mie there’s a new bakery in town where everything is baked in house with fresh ingredients.
Gluten Free bakery
Maison Plume : 3rd district (Fille de Calvaire)
La Belle vie sans gluten : 7th district (Ecole Militaire)
Museums It’s advisable to book well ahead
