Two weeks ago, we got back from an amazing ten year anniversary trip to Paris, France. It was my first time going out of the country and we could not imagine a more perfect, romantic getaway to celebrate our big milestone!
If you've been around this corner of the internet before, then you know my love for food. We are literally those people that travel to eat and I get major restaurant anxiety thinking about all the possibilities. You can imagine that traveling to one of the biggest culinary hot spots in the world had me doing TONS of research...waaaaaaaaaay back in spring of this year! I think it all paid off...we ate very well and enjoyed every minute of it.
To document this, both for ourselves and our friends + family, I've created this food diary of all the places we dined at. The plan is to put together a second post that outlines our itinerary each day, so for now, this post simply documents all the places we dined at. I hope this helps for any future planing! And I hope we get to visit again sometime in the future!
TUESDAY
Very first stop: La Boulangerie Jean Noël Julien
For classic French pastries and café cremes! This little boutique, close to our hotel, came recommended by our hotel staff. We took a red eye flight into Paris and got into town by early afternoon. It was really amazing to walk in and hear all the sing-song greeters saying
Bonjour and
Merci! They had an amazing selection of pastries, desserts and sandwiches.
I got the pain au chocolate and Ryan got the quiche Lorraine. We knew we had officially landed in Paris when we took our first bite and sip! It was truly unlike anything we've had before.
A super cute coffee shop with downstairs study area. Perfect for takeaway coffee! Another coffee creme for me and Ryan {our go-to order all trip!}. Fun fact: Hardly any locals actually take their coffee "to-go". They like to take a leisurely break and enjoy coffee...what a nice luxury! We definitely noticed that, unlike in America, no one walked around with their coffee cups.
We were mainly in need of la toilette, but the takeaway café was worth it and the boutique store is in an adorable location on the corner!
The Hoxton was conveniently located close by to our hotel and had a gorgeous lobby and outdoor patio. We happily enjoyed several glasses of wine and truffle frites! Fun fact, they offer to serve ice with your wine to keep it cold! Love that!
A special dinner to kick off our first night in Paris! The hostess, who I took to either be the manager or owner, was so kind. We accidentally arrived late and they were still very accommodating. The restaurant is small and cozy and the food was outstanding!
We ordered the truffle jambon, poached/fried egg {pictured above}, goat cheese ravioli, beef Wellington and crème brûlée! Oh! And we split a bottle of rosé! It felt very classic French, and yet fresh. I can't imagine a better way to kick off our trip!
WEDNESDAY
Our first full day in Paris! Admittedly, this restaurant felt a bit American...I mean, does the name give it away? But it was mostly filled with locals and had such a cute vibe!
I ordered the açaà bowl and Ryan got the egg biscuit sandwich. Both were really yummy and a good way to kick off the day! The cafe was really cute too...they were jamming American rap music which felt almost sweet compared to the delicate decor!
This was a happy accident to dine here. We passed this restaurant a couple times and I was totally drawn in by the ivy growing around up the building and all of the colorful rows of bottles lining the windows. It was very charming and we later learned that this restaurant is part of a bigger group, Big Mamma! We also dined at Pink Mamma...more on that later! But all of their restaurants are beyond gorgeous when it comes to interior design! Definitely a delight!
We split the Buffalo Mozzarella pizza. I love that it did not come pre-sliced. It practically begged us to dig right in.
And ended the meal with a robust espresso...
And churros to share! So yummy!!
Not pictured, but we got champagne that was accompanied by green olives to watch and wait for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle at the top of the hour. It's definitely a tourist trap {we paid almost $20 per glass of champagne!} but well-worth it for the view and people watching at their sidewalk cafe.
This was probably my favorite meals of our entire trip. It was insanely special...the attention to each and every detail just could not be beat. We got the prix fixe meal with wine pairing and I guess I've never truly had a wine pairing that so perfectly matched each course. Pictured above was the first course, which included roasted carrots with a beet purée, cucumber sandwiches, chickpea taco/sandwich bite things {clearly I'm quoting directly from the menu!}, eggs with a chive mousse, and watermelon with a whipped cheese mousse. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Following courses included a peach/almond gazpacho, sourdough bread with salted butter, truffle lobster with a beef steak tomato {that literally melted each each cut}. The main course was ham, ratatouille, summer squash ribbons and roasted bell peppers. The dessert with as puff pastry with candied almonds and a surprise corn meal macraon.
Corn meal macraons...seriously the best thing I've ever tasted. And I know I will say that A.LOT during this post! ;) The staff, ambiance and overall service was all part of what made the experience so lovely. We will definitely go back!
I was practically falling asleep after dinner but had heard great things about this little bar, tucked away in the back of an Italian restaurant,
Daroco. It had a speakeasy vibe and a delicious cocktail menu! We slipped in on our way back to the hotel to check it out. I ended up passing on a nightcap, but Ryan ordered some sort of cocktail...probably a whiskey! I would actually bookmark the restaurant for a future visit. It was really pretty and
the food looks amazing!
THURSDAY
This was another "American" type cafe...which was starting to feel like an unintentional theme for the trip. It had a small line out the door, which is usually a good indicator and the food was good...but, honestly, felt a lot like home. I did love the way they served their coffee with little oat milk container!
I got the berry pancakes with seasonal fruit. The dates were delicious! Ryan got an egg platter with the cutest little hash brown.
Ryan got espresso from this little retail coffee shop and we shared our first macrons from Laudree. I've actually had their macraons before when we visited New York...these did not disappoint at all, though this store only had the basic flavors.
After lots of shopping, it felt good to sit outside at this sidewalk cafe and take in all the people. I ordered the goat cheese salad, which had honey drizzled on top. It was INSANELY indulgent, especially for a salad, but worth every bite. Ryan ordered the Caesar salad. He also had the pleasure of sitting next to a women who wore an opaque turtleneck and no brassiere underneath! Our first French fashion moment! ;)
Not to be one to pass up the chance to try more macarons, we stocked up on an assortment from Pierre Hermé. They had a much bigger assortment of flavors...and I wish I remembered to write them down, but one description from their website on their season flavors reads Rose, Fleur d’Oranger & Gingembre confit...tell me that does not sound très magnifique!
We had some time before dinner and wanted to check out the Saint-Germain neighborhood. We "sidewalk cafe" hopped and started with champs at Les Deux Magots before realizing the the famed Cafe de Flore was the next block down. Both are expensive and touristy BUT I love love loved the thin crisp salt & pepper chips from Cafe de Flore! I will now and forever only want to drink champagne with a side of gourmet potato chips! ;)
Snack:
Le Mary Celeste
We had hoped to get oysters at
Huitrerie Régis but they were closed due to a private party {damn Fashion Week!} so we checked out another popular spot,
Le Mary Celeste! The restaurant had a sweet little coastal vibe and the oysters did not disappoint!
If you're paying close attention, then you'll have put together that I had three glasses of champagne by the time we got to dinner {oops!}. We were also meeting really good friends, who just moved to London, for dinner so I didn't take any photos and didn't pay close attention to the food here. What I do remember is that it's all small plates, which makes it an ideal place to share. I had my first "sweet bread" experience, which our friend raved about and told us tastes just like a chicken nugget. Google it if you don't know what it really is! It did taste good...but one bite was all I needed! The ambiance is warm and cozy...a great place to catch up with old friends.
FRIDAY
Such a delectable spread of pastries and desserts! I wish I took more time to order, instead of feeling rushed, but decided to go with a classic croissant. Ryan ordered some chocolate, cream brioche thing that was HEAVEN on earth! We tried to go back later in our trip, but it was unfortunately closed on Mondays! :)
Coffee Break:
Cafe Francouer
After our pastries, we were on the hunt for coffee! My friend said that a cafe with a red awning is always worth a stop. We found this place on the corner with a large outdoor seating area that was great for people {and dog!} watching!
Lunch:
Septime
Wow, where to start? This was the hardest reservation to get. We only found out we got in two days before and it was for lunch {dinner is impossible!}. I almost didn't know if it would be worth a heavy, 5-course meal for lunch, but our friends were interested and so we went! And I am SO glad we did! The restaurant itself is a dream, like something out of a Nancy Meyer movie! And the food was all so innovative and fun! I mean, I ate raw beef and had my first glass of orange wine! It was such a treat...we absolutely loved it! And they have a sister restaurant that does not take any reservations, called
Clamato...which serves seafood!
If you thought we'd skip dinner after an indulgent lunch, then you thought wrong! We decided we had time on our hands and could wait to get a coveted spot at Frenchie Wine Bar {
Frenchie is right across the cute cobblestone street and is another prix-fixe restaurant!}. We waited an hour...but drank wine the whole time. It is small and BUSY! It was also really hot and I was shocked how many people continued to wear their wool coats and scarves, despite how packed in there we were! The wait is worth it though...the pappardelle pasta was amazing as were all the dishes we ordered, like the Bourbon egg! Hot tip: get there right when they open to avoid the wait and crowds!
SATURDAY
Before hitting the flea, we fueled up at Cafe Lomi. I ordered a cappuccino, seasonal scone and yogurt/granola bowl and Ryan ordered his first Croque Madame!
This place was a trip! Located in an old warehouse, the food is served cafeteria style and you choose between veggie and non-veggie. We were there during brunch and it was a whole smorgasbord of brunch items like soft scramble, salad, bacon, potatoes. etc. PLUS dessert! Oh and you can help yourself to as much bread and jam as you like. It was very hipster meets farmer, if that makes sense? The food was ok but it felt good to get some healthy food in our tummies.
We walked the Marias later in the day and stopped to get wine at a cute little cafe. It was right across the street from a vet so the pet watching was super fun!
The same owner as Verjus, we had heard amazing things about their fried chicken and it did not disappoint! It's a cozy little restaurant but feel a bit more impersonal than Verjus. We ordered the fried chicken, mushroom risotto, oysters, and this eggplant and egg dish. Tip! Take a photo of the menu so you can remember what you ordered afterwards. I only picked up on this halfway through the trip and wish I had done it from the beginning. We also ordered the desserts, which were just ok.
SUNDAY
The only bakery in our neighborhood that was open early. We grabbed two pain au chocolates {after running back to our hotel to get cash} and they were still very good! We grabbed a quick takeaway cafe from across the street from our hotel {Le Royal Bergere} so we could catch our train to Versailles for the day.
It was raining a good amount at the Palace of Versailles so we opted to sit outside {under some umbrellas} and eat lunch on property. I got a savory crepe with goat cheese, walnuts and honey that was filling after walking the grounds for hours.
On our walk to Ellsworth the night before, we noticed this SUPER long line to get into this restaurant. Ramen sounded really light and fresh after a long day of croissant and crepes so we decided to get there at 6:10 for the 6:30 opening to snag a seat. There was already a line forming early so if you want to go, get there first thing. The restaurant is super campy, it was made to look like a fish market and the food met all expectations. We got two bowls of their house ramen {chef's special style} and started with gyoza!
Back to The Hoxton hotel for rosé and people watching in their lobby.
MONDAY
Our last day! :(
We ended where we began! With two more pain au chocolates and cafe cremes!
I'm sure this is considered a tourist trap but we loved taking a break with a cafe creme and watching all the artists peddle away. The couple next to us even agreed to having their portrait drawn, which was really fun! I actually regret not buying one of the little paintings on the square. They were all really beautiful and would have made the perfect souvenir. The people watching is especially good here too! And the restaurant alone had a red, white & blue theme with it's adorable rattan stools...it definitely felt French!
What a treat, both visually and for our tummies! We got to sit at the very top of this 5-story corner building and it was simply put, STUNNING. And hot! It was basically a makeshift greenhouse! But it was an Instarammer's paradise at every turn. And the pizza was great to boot! Next time, I'll try the pasta, which looked equally as yummy! Hot tip: they only take lunch reservations in advance. This is the same owner as Pizzeria Popolare. They have a handful of restaurants that all look delicious!
Another gorgeous restaurant in Saint Germain. By this time of the day {and trip} we felt like we had hit our saturation point. So wine and a cheese platter it was! The restaurant on its own is worth taking a picture at. It's another IG'ers paradise!
We decided to grab a baguette and croissants for breakfast the next morning since our flight was super early. It's such a shame because we learned the next morning that croissant does not last. It tasted just like a normal, dense American croissant. I was tempted to buy more at the airport cafe {they looked surprisingly authentic} but decided against it after such an indulgent trip. I will be dreaming of the day I get to have another authentic croissant!
We ate macarons, drank cheap rosé and watched Marie Antoinette back at the hotel room that night. A perfect way to end our trip!
So if you're still here, congrats! And sorry for the length but I wanted to make sure to capture it all for you!
If you have questions, let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading...Au Revoir!
xo natasha
