aka, don't ask me, I only live here.
I have never paid for a hotel room in Paris. I came through here with a backpack a dozen years ago, but you don't want to stay where I stayed, trust me. But friends have stayed in the following and found them pretty good:
www.hoteltiquetonne.fr - near the wonderful market street rue Montorgeuil
www.hotel-eiffel.com - the Rive Gauche one is near rue Cler, which is another great market street.
These are fairly budget, but I walked past this place the other day and it looked pretty nice: www.legeneralhotel.com - near Republique and the Canal St Martin.
Or you could rent an apartment - this is a good site: www.paris-be-a-part-of-it.com
Or there's always my sofa...
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The Top Ten Best Restaurants in Paris, updated
(That You’ve Never Heard Of)
I recommend booking ahead, or at least calling to make sure they’re not closed. Most of them are not super-cheap, but they’re all unique experiences.
L'alchemiste
181 rue de Charenton
Sorry 14 juillet, this is now my new favourite restaurant. Classic food, fresh ingredients, and refreshing variations (duck pastilla anyone?). Nice old-fashioned decor too. In a remote corner of the 12th but worth the trek - you won't be sorry. But you definitely need to book here.
14 Juillet
99 rue Didot, 14th arrondissement.
Traditional French with a twist.
Fantastic service, traditional food, but always with a bit of a twist. Generous portions, great wine, and a real welcoming atmosphere. Well off the tourist trail, only the locals know about this gem.
Chez l’ami Jean
27 rue Malar, 7th arrondissement
Basque with attitude
I speak French, but even I needed the menu translated. It was phrased in completely obscure food terms that I had never come across – sometimes this can be pretentious, but actually here is it more adventurous.
Fish la Boissonerie
69, rue de Seine, 6th arrondissement
French with an international twist.
New Zealand owned, but that’s not why I’m recommending it, Fish is one of my favourites. Three courses for 32 euros, high quality French food (with lots of fish) and the menu is printed every day. I take everyone here, because it’s so reliable. Highlight is the amazing wine list and the fresh Italian flat bread baked at Cosi across the road.
Le Grenier Voyageur
3 Rue Yves Toudic, 10th arrondissement
Exotic meat from around the world, cosy atmosphere. Reasonably priced. I recommend the zebra.
La Boussole
12 Rue Guisarde, 6th arrondissement.
Traditional French dishes with a touch of Moroccan spice. I take most people here and they love it.
La Domaine de Lintillac
10, rue Saint Augustin, 2nd arrondissement
I used to live just around the corner from the one in the 7th, so imagine my delight when I stumbled across the one in the 2nd. They also have them in the 9th and 16th. I don't usually do franchises, but what these people can't do with duck isn't worth doing...
Le Mesturet
77, rue de Richelieu, 2nd arrondissement
Yet another team of young, enthusiastic staff with classic dishes with a twist... But I never get tired of eating this sort of food. It has my aunt and uncle's stamp of approval, which is saying something. And their Paris-Brest is worth skipping an entree for.
Le Chartier
7, rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, 9th arrondissement.
Cheap and cheerful worker’s canteen food in art-nouveau setting. Get there early to beat the queues.
Yes, I know, that's only 9 - am still trying to think of another new one.
I recommend booking ahead, or at least calling to make sure they’re not closed. Most of them are not super-cheap, but they’re all unique experiences.
L'alchemiste
181 rue de Charenton
Sorry 14 juillet, this is now my new favourite restaurant. Classic food, fresh ingredients, and refreshing variations (duck pastilla anyone?). Nice old-fashioned decor too. In a remote corner of the 12th but worth the trek - you won't be sorry. But you definitely need to book here.
14 Juillet
99 rue Didot, 14th arrondissement.
Traditional French with a twist.
Fantastic service, traditional food, but always with a bit of a twist. Generous portions, great wine, and a real welcoming atmosphere. Well off the tourist trail, only the locals know about this gem.
Chez l’ami Jean
27 rue Malar, 7th arrondissement
Basque with attitude
I speak French, but even I needed the menu translated. It was phrased in completely obscure food terms that I had never come across – sometimes this can be pretentious, but actually here is it more adventurous.
Fish la Boissonerie
69, rue de Seine, 6th arrondissement
French with an international twist.
New Zealand owned, but that’s not why I’m recommending it, Fish is one of my favourites. Three courses for 32 euros, high quality French food (with lots of fish) and the menu is printed every day. I take everyone here, because it’s so reliable. Highlight is the amazing wine list and the fresh Italian flat bread baked at Cosi across the road.
Le Grenier Voyageur
3 Rue Yves Toudic, 10th arrondissement
Exotic meat from around the world, cosy atmosphere. Reasonably priced. I recommend the zebra.
La Boussole
12 Rue Guisarde, 6th arrondissement.
Traditional French dishes with a touch of Moroccan spice. I take most people here and they love it.
La Domaine de Lintillac
10, rue Saint Augustin, 2nd arrondissement
I used to live just around the corner from the one in the 7th, so imagine my delight when I stumbled across the one in the 2nd. They also have them in the 9th and 16th. I don't usually do franchises, but what these people can't do with duck isn't worth doing...
Le Mesturet
77, rue de Richelieu, 2nd arrondissement
Yet another team of young, enthusiastic staff with classic dishes with a twist... But I never get tired of eating this sort of food. It has my aunt and uncle's stamp of approval, which is saying something. And their Paris-Brest is worth skipping an entree for.
Le Chartier
7, rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, 9th arrondissement.
Cheap and cheerful worker’s canteen food in art-nouveau setting. Get there early to beat the queues.
Yes, I know, that's only 9 - am still trying to think of another new one.
These are a few of my favourite things...
...to do in Paris - by popular demand. Some of these are a bit off the beaten track, but worthwhile.
- The hot air balloon over the Parc Andre Citroen
- Ping pong (yes I have the technology) and inspecting the beehives in the Luxembourg gardens -plus generally sunning oneself.
- The Pompidou centre (a fun building, great view from the top of the escalators, and good collections)
- Musee d'Orsay - they have completely redone the Impressionist rooms and the paintings are much better exhibited now. And the restaurant there looks fab.
- The chocolate museum
- The sewer museum (not in summer)
- Aquaboulevard (indoors water park)
- Boat ride up and down the Seine on the batobus (hop-on, hop-off)
- Boat ride up the Canal St Martin, especially the spooky underground bit - and walking along the banks also.
- Tour of the Opera Garnier - even better, go to the ballet there (but book about 3 months in advance)
- Generally wandering in the Marais - check out the Marche des Enfants Rouges.
- Museum of Natural History, featuring the giant squid caught in NZ waters - well it looked a bit small to me but never mind!
- The Museum of the History of Paris - medieval street signs, an entire jewellery shop reconstructed, and Revolutionary crockery
- The Promenade Plantee in the 12th - walk along an old railway line planted with
- La cité des sciences et de l'industrie. Film in the Géode (dans la grosse boule).
- Le musée des arts et métiers
- Musee de quai Branly
- Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Catacombs
- And wandering around Montmartre, the Butte aux Cailles, and the Buttes de Chaumont park.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Metropolitain book club
“My grandfather always says that’s what books are for, […] to travel without moving an inch.” – Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake.
When I first moved to Paris, nearly five years ago now, I felt immensely conscious of the vast continent of Europe spreading out around me. Airports and train stations seemed like the gateways to adventure, the start of the magic carpet ride, and I think I’ve made the most of the opportunity to travel while I’ve been here.
Lately though, staying put has been much more appealing. Packing a suitcase, running for the train, trundling around different towns, all seems like such a hassle. But the metro-boulot-dodo routine has been much enlightened by some virtual travel – in space and time. I loved most of my recent reading so much that I am on the verge of grabbing random passers-by by the lapels and telling them, “go and read this book”. Some of these are borrowed, but all of them will remain in my mental library.
Untold Stories – Alan Bennett. Through some oversight I have never read or seen any of Alan Bennett’s work before. But I am an instant fan based on these funny, self-deprecating, fascinating memoirs. He talks at length about his mother’s mental illness and decline into dementia, his time at Cambridge, and the creative process. He also includes essays on works of art and excerpts from his diary from 1996 – 2004, capturing his take on Blair’s Britain, Princess Diana and the second Iraq war. Also visits an enormous number of old churches, despite being an atheist. Stoked my Anglophilia something chronic.
The Fry Chronicles – Stephen Fry. Number two in an occasional series “Tales of a gay man in Thatcher’s Britain”. Might be time for me to track down some Alan Hollinghurst while I'm at it. This book covers his time at Cambridge in the 1980s where he found his calling as a writer and comedian. Fascinating as much for his brutal self-examination as for the tales of theatre and revels with Emma Thompson, and meeting the young Hugh Laurie – a match made in heaven.
Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain. Self-deprecation of entirely another order as he shags and shoots up his way through his early cooking career. Hilarious tales of debauchery and derring-do, some of it even involving food. If Keith Richards had picked up a meat cleaver instead of a guitar, he could have written this book.
There is actually a lot of lyrical discussion of food –being raised on French cuisine via his father’s side, and then coming to appreciate Italian cuisine later in life, plus huge insights into the underbelly of the New York restaurant world. I warn you though, once you have read this, you may not want to eat in a restaurant ever again!
The Prestige – Christopher Priest. The book that the 2006 film was based on, with Hugh Jackman and Christina Bale. The story plays out slightly differently, with a modern element I find a bit jarring, but the core story is just as gothic and thrilling. Good if you’re fascinated by Victorian Britain.
The Moment – Douglas Kennedy. Epic love story set in 1980s Berlin. The main character, a young American writer, got on my nerves a bit, but the ambiance of the divided city feels authentically gritty and is vividly written. As good as being there if not better.
Embers - Sándor Márai. A classic novel given to me by a Hungarian friend. It’s a story of love and loss, but above all, nostalgia for a bygone era. Beautifully written, slim but dense, this is a book I will read again and again.
Travels with Herodotus - Ryszard Kapuscinski. Voted journalist of the 20th century in Poland, Kapuscinski dreamed of taking a train just to be able to pass over the border of Poland and into a foreign land. Instead, he found himself on a plane to India, with a copy of The Histories by Herodotus. For the next 40 years, Herodotus would be his travelling companion and sometimes guide as he explored far-flung corners of the world. Excellent for his observations on possibly the world’s first ever foreign correspondent, which travelling in some of the same places, two and a half thousand years later, as well as insights into what it means to be a foreigner.
The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri. And finally, the book I’m still reading now. I discovered Jhumpa Lahiri through her short story collection “The Interpreter of Maladies”, thanks to my friend Amy, a woman with impeccable taste in books as well as quilts. Most of the stories deal with the culture shock of Indian immigrants looking for a better life in North America, but never feeling like they belong. This novel covers similar ground, in meticulous detail. Gogol Ganguli has been named after his father’s favourite author, but chafes against his conspicuous name – neither Indian nor American, but Russian. The plot is rigidly linear – first he is born, then he grows up, goes to school, college etc. But the delight is in the detailed observations of his family’s life in America, the recording of the immigrant experience and her insights into the divided self this creates.
I seem to have read an awful lot in English lately. This is not a conscious choice - but books in English are such a rare commodity that I am even more compelled to pick them up when I come across them. I have a number of favourite French authors I want to get to while I am in France, but that will have to wait for another post.
If you have run out of things to read, I hope you enjoy something from the above. Happy Reading!
When I first moved to Paris, nearly five years ago now, I felt immensely conscious of the vast continent of Europe spreading out around me. Airports and train stations seemed like the gateways to adventure, the start of the magic carpet ride, and I think I’ve made the most of the opportunity to travel while I’ve been here.
Lately though, staying put has been much more appealing. Packing a suitcase, running for the train, trundling around different towns, all seems like such a hassle. But the metro-boulot-dodo routine has been much enlightened by some virtual travel – in space and time. I loved most of my recent reading so much that I am on the verge of grabbing random passers-by by the lapels and telling them, “go and read this book”. Some of these are borrowed, but all of them will remain in my mental library.
Untold Stories – Alan Bennett. Through some oversight I have never read or seen any of Alan Bennett’s work before. But I am an instant fan based on these funny, self-deprecating, fascinating memoirs. He talks at length about his mother’s mental illness and decline into dementia, his time at Cambridge, and the creative process. He also includes essays on works of art and excerpts from his diary from 1996 – 2004, capturing his take on Blair’s Britain, Princess Diana and the second Iraq war. Also visits an enormous number of old churches, despite being an atheist. Stoked my Anglophilia something chronic.
The Fry Chronicles – Stephen Fry. Number two in an occasional series “Tales of a gay man in Thatcher’s Britain”. Might be time for me to track down some Alan Hollinghurst while I'm at it. This book covers his time at Cambridge in the 1980s where he found his calling as a writer and comedian. Fascinating as much for his brutal self-examination as for the tales of theatre and revels with Emma Thompson, and meeting the young Hugh Laurie – a match made in heaven.
Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain. Self-deprecation of entirely another order as he shags and shoots up his way through his early cooking career. Hilarious tales of debauchery and derring-do, some of it even involving food. If Keith Richards had picked up a meat cleaver instead of a guitar, he could have written this book.
There is actually a lot of lyrical discussion of food –being raised on French cuisine via his father’s side, and then coming to appreciate Italian cuisine later in life, plus huge insights into the underbelly of the New York restaurant world. I warn you though, once you have read this, you may not want to eat in a restaurant ever again!
The Prestige – Christopher Priest. The book that the 2006 film was based on, with Hugh Jackman and Christina Bale. The story plays out slightly differently, with a modern element I find a bit jarring, but the core story is just as gothic and thrilling. Good if you’re fascinated by Victorian Britain.
The Moment – Douglas Kennedy. Epic love story set in 1980s Berlin. The main character, a young American writer, got on my nerves a bit, but the ambiance of the divided city feels authentically gritty and is vividly written. As good as being there if not better.
Embers - Sándor Márai. A classic novel given to me by a Hungarian friend. It’s a story of love and loss, but above all, nostalgia for a bygone era. Beautifully written, slim but dense, this is a book I will read again and again.
Travels with Herodotus - Ryszard Kapuscinski. Voted journalist of the 20th century in Poland, Kapuscinski dreamed of taking a train just to be able to pass over the border of Poland and into a foreign land. Instead, he found himself on a plane to India, with a copy of The Histories by Herodotus. For the next 40 years, Herodotus would be his travelling companion and sometimes guide as he explored far-flung corners of the world. Excellent for his observations on possibly the world’s first ever foreign correspondent, which travelling in some of the same places, two and a half thousand years later, as well as insights into what it means to be a foreigner.
The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri. And finally, the book I’m still reading now. I discovered Jhumpa Lahiri through her short story collection “The Interpreter of Maladies”, thanks to my friend Amy, a woman with impeccable taste in books as well as quilts. Most of the stories deal with the culture shock of Indian immigrants looking for a better life in North America, but never feeling like they belong. This novel covers similar ground, in meticulous detail. Gogol Ganguli has been named after his father’s favourite author, but chafes against his conspicuous name – neither Indian nor American, but Russian. The plot is rigidly linear – first he is born, then he grows up, goes to school, college etc. But the delight is in the detailed observations of his family’s life in America, the recording of the immigrant experience and her insights into the divided self this creates.
I seem to have read an awful lot in English lately. This is not a conscious choice - but books in English are such a rare commodity that I am even more compelled to pick them up when I come across them. I have a number of favourite French authors I want to get to while I am in France, but that will have to wait for another post.
If you have run out of things to read, I hope you enjoy something from the above. Happy Reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)