Paris Part Deux...
Where to eat the good carbs and which bad carb to avoid...and THAT SJB...
Paris continues!
All the carbs:
What’s a visit to Paris without boulangeries and patisseries?! These are some of my favorite places to get cakes, bread and tarts. Then there’s THAT place which everyone talks about…the one with the green pistachio escargot…you know the one I’m talking about! For a while, I couldn’t log on to Instagram without seeing a photo of the green swirl in my face. I felt sad every time I was in Paris that I never got around to visiting. This time, I finally made it…and it was the most disappointing thing I’ve eaten on the trip. No pistachio is ever that color?! The pastries tasted stale and I couldn’t even smell the butter. Why is this place so popular?! As my friend N said, ‘not worth the calories!’ Truth! I wonder if they batch freeze then bake it like cans of Pillsbury Doughboy…We did get a twist with creme pat which fared a bit better. I would say yes, check out the place if the queue is small but leave the escargot and get some baguettes.
Places to visit that are infinitely better the Du Pain et des Idees:
A small bakery near the Bastille. Walked in and the smell of freshly baked goods was intoxicating. Small batches of viennoiseries and cookies. I got a croissant, a pain du chocolat and a pistachio bostock. All three were fantastic! I loved the bostock! The base was slightly crispy and buttery, the pistachio paste was nutty and a normal avocado green! I wish I had bought a baguette.
The first time I visited Cyril Lignac was because I saw his picture and I thought he looked cute. I decided if he looked good then his creations must be good. Clearly a very scientific approach.
I loved the Equinoxe and the Tarte au Citron (A’s favorite) but the croissants and the kouign-amann were awesome, too!
Another one where I saw the photos by the windows…and thought…hot Parisian…yes…must enter…we were not disappointed! It’s a very small patisserie, there are only a couple of small tables and chairs outside. The most colorful and kind of boring one turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever tasted in my life, ‘Mangue’ (mango). A crunchy base, soft rich mousse with thick mango jam in the center and finished off with a light sponge. Oh my gosh I’d marry the Mangue.
Choux, choux, choux. It’s so good. Get a box of 6, go sit on the Pont Neuf and enjoy the day. I’m so thankful for the IG followers who recommended this place.
ALL WORTH IT!
Watering holes:
I don’t drink very much. If you’ve been following me on Intagram for a while, you know I used to make annual solo trips to Paris. I take a book, I walk around and eat loads, then I go back to the hotel to sleep. It is very rare to find me in bars pounding whiskey and shots…but it was my birthday celebration so all cautions were thrown to the wind…
While I’m not exactly an expert on bars, we really enjoyed these few places and hopefully you will, too if you ever get to visit!
Yes, it’s an English style pub in Paris but there is nothing ‘pub-like’ about this place. I mean, it doesn’t smell like old people…and there are no giant TVs mounted on the walls showing football games. And they do fantastic cocktails and pub food like freshly baked sausage rolls.
Worth it? Opens till late, great service, can be quite sexy and intimate at night. Totally.
I love a good hidden bar, don’t you? I checked this place out a few years ago and haven’t been in a while. It’s behind a pizza takeaway joint, you have to walk through the walk-in fridge to enter the bar. Inside is quite small with some bar seatings and tables. They even have a smoking area so you wouldn’t need to head back out into the cold to have a cheeky ciggie. Some good cocktails but if you don’t see anything you like on the menu, you can always ask the bartenders. I wouldn’t say it was the friendliest service but they weren’t rude, just straight to the point. So be confident when you order and don’t be shy to ask what they’d recommend.
Worth it? Yes, especially if you want to impress a date.
A small cocktail bar on a street with a lot of cocktail bars. I thought the place lacked atmosphere but I’d forgotten we were a bunch of 40 year olds…which meant it was perfect for us. You see, once you enter the 5th decade (fuck me), your requirements change when going out: Must have seats, a place to put our coats, no bathroom queue and can get to the bar without fighting some 20 something hoochie mamas. Oh, and we don't have to shout at each other across the table to be heard!This place checked all the boxes so it was the perfect place for us to have a few drinks before hitting the karaoke machines…
Worth it? I think so. I mean there were quite a few bars on the same street but the bartender was lovely and the drinks were reasonably priced.
Honorable Mentions
Still the best SJB I’ve had outside of Asia. The first time I went I got stuck in a vegan protest and when I veered off to go get my SJB fix, a protester followed me and proceeded to yell at me and the chef. I just ate my pork SJB and stared at her…
There are two branches, one is more of a takeaway with a couple of small tables outside and one is across the street from Notre Dame and has a bigger menu and a full service restaurant. The SJB is always crispy and so juicy and I crave it everytime I’m in Paris.
Worth it? Every. Single. Time.
Paris does late night drunk food very well. This place closes at 2am, if you go around 1am, it is packed but they are fast in churning out hot crepes with oozy cheese. They speak English, they take cards, they do both savoury and sweet crepes, seriously, what more do you need after midnight?!
Worth it? If you’re drunk and a Mcdonald's is closed/not nearby.
I could write pages and pages on places to eat/see/do in Paris but you would be bored out of your mind. One of my 2023 goals is to visit places I love more often and I definitely plan on more Paris visits. I’m actually going back in July because A will be performing at Disney Europe so we will do a pit stop before we head home!
I’m always taking more recommendations on anything Paris so please do hit me up in the comments if you have any to share!
Till next time,
Tiff