Paris is one of those places where you expect only the best on your plate. But it’s easy to get stuck in a tourist trap and miss out on some wonderful opportunities for fireworks of tastes in your mouth (haven’t you seen “Ratatouille”?). Here are a couple of places you should absolutely check out if you are planning a visit to the city of Amélie Poulain.
Exploring a market place: Marché des Enfants Rouges
There is nothing more vibrant than a market place and this is quite a hotspot for tasting and trying out different sorts of food. The Marché des Enfants Rouges is the oldest market in Paris and possibly in France. It’s also where all the most famous kitchen chefs come to get their fresh produce. Here you will be sure to find what you were craving for: whether it is pita bread with hummus, cod croquetas from the West Indies or just something you have never tasted before and that has popped before your eyes.
Best falafel and burger in Paris
It may not be a French specialty, but you will see every Parisian queuing up here on Sunday afternoons after partying all night. Situated at the heart of Le Marais, L’As du Fallafel is one of the best places to have your falafel in Paris. Or get it to take away and enjoy it in the nearby park.In this category, we’ve also got to mention Schwartz’s Deli, which serves a wide range of delicious burgers and great home-made chips in a colourful and friendly décor. All right, there are so many burger places in Paris, as in every capital, but Schwartz’s is often said to be one of the best. Go and see for yourself!
Brunch time!
This is the number one choice for a get-together with friends. Glass containers of chocolate-covered marshmallow teddy bears on the counter, a narrow staircase from Alice in Wonderland, a low beamed ceiling and plants on the window sill… there’s no better and more cosy place to catch up with friends than Eggs&Co in Saint Germain. The brunch menus include eggs in all variations, from boiled or poached to scrambled or fried, along with fruit salads, muffins, chicken or salmon.
Head over for a cup of coffee
This place is the hottest new trend in Paris at the moment: Le Loire dans la Théière in Rue des Rosiers. A coffee shop where there are neither pretences nor swanky details. Wooden tables and large colourful posters are laid out in a pell-mell sort of way. Get ready for generous slices of cakes and tarts, with inviting large cups of coffee or hot chocolate.
Back in the past…
You’d miss this place if you didn’t know it was there. The restaurant Au refuge du Passé in the fifth district is the cosiest place you could think of, surrounded by fragments of the past: vintage film posters, copper cooking utensils hanging from the ceiling, along with postcards from “ferias” or black and white photographs.
Off the beaten path…
The gourmet route described in the Guide du Goût will take you to Le Marais, Notre Dame and Saint Michel. An exclusive encounter with pastry chefs, cheese, chocolate and coffee makers, a 4-hour tour during which you will get a privileged insight into the culinary world of Paris… Simply magnifique!