This was our 2nd trip to Paris. Thanks to everyone who helped in the planning. Here%26#39;s what we ended up doing and eating.
Day 1 - after 3 days in the Loire (see trip report) arrived at our apt. on Ile St Louis at 5 pm (2nd time renting from Guest Apartment Services - they are still wonderful) - went grocery shopping on the Ile for breakfast stuff - couldn%26#39;t resist buying slice of pear, pistachio %26amp; chocolate tart (wow!) Patisserie Gabriela, 35 r. des Deux Ponts - dinner at Brasserie de l%26#39;Ile St Louis - great place - onion tart, choucroute garni, cassoulet - all delicious, huge portions - no 1/2 bottles of wine but only charge you for what you drink (also found this at other restaurants that didn%26#39;t have 1/2 bottles - great concept) - ice cream %26amp; coffee at Le Flore en l%26#39;Ile across street - quite exp, ? due to view - then walked to Pont d%26#39;Arcole (movie Something%26#39;s Gotta Give)
Day 2 - breakfasts consisted of pastries, fruit and pistachio yogurt (my new discovery - OMG, it%26#39;s like pudding!) - then coffee for my husband at the bar of Le Louis IX Brasserie, r. des Deux Ponts before starting our day - went food shopping on r. Montorgueil for a picnic but 1st stopped at Boulangerie Martin, 40 r. St Louis en l%26#39;Ile for their baguette à l%26#39;ancienne (the best!) - picnicked on bench alongside Trocadero gardens looking at Eiffel Tower - had bread, cheeses, ham, olives, huge raspberries, wine (had wine with every lunch %26amp; dinner) - to pl. des Vosges to eat opera dessert from famous Stohrer patisserie - coffee at Le Hugo cafe NE corner of place - walked around Marais - checked out Hotel de Sens, Hotel de Beauvais, piece of the 12c wall - wine and cheese in apt (most nights) before getting ready for dinner at Chez Robert et Louise in the Marais- must sit family style upstairs %26amp; watch them cook - cote de boeuf (add sea salt) with potatoes (yum!), salad and creme brulee - just the best experience all around - wonderful time talking with some French and an Australian at our table
Day 3 - our 23rd anniversary - to Bastille market to buy food for dinner in our apt. - great scene, fun - cold and rainy - french onion soup lunch outside (heaters) at La Chaumiere on Ile St Louis (across from Notre Dame) -delicious - walked around Left Bank a bit - bought novels from bookiniste - our 4 course dinner: bread with cheese, salad plate (tomato, celeri remoulade, mushrooms à la greque), roasted chicken %26amp; potatoes, choux de fruits for dessert (couldn%26#39;t resist when passed Patisserie Gabriela) %26amp; bottle of champagne - forgot the boudin noir - ate it later in week - cruise with Vedettes de Pont Neuf - after cruise walked over to Pont des Arts - ate 2nd dessert, pear tart - beautiful view of Institute de France but lots of young people drinking/partying so not really my scene - walked over to Louvre to see Pyramid lit up at night, beautiful
Day 4 - enjoyed doing Rick Steve%26#39;s v. good walking tour of pretty Pere LaChaise Cemetery - moving memorials to Holocaust victims - yummy crepe lunch from take-out window of Le Sarrasin et Le Froment, 84 r. St Louis en l%26#39;Ile - ate them by Seine, NW corner of Ile - walked around Ile de la Cite (checked out courtyard Hotel Dieu) - dessert crepe (nutella, banana, coconut) at Le Sarrasin (inside) - attended ballet at Opera Garnier (saw Oneguine - fabulous!) - late dinner at Le Grand Colbert (movie Something%26#39;s Gotta Give)- attractive restaurant, pepper steak %26amp; lamb, delicious potatoes dauphinoise, shared tiramisu
Day 5 - walked Canal St Martin from r. des Recollets on down - checked out Hopital St Louis - canal with bridges and trees was pretty but a little seedy - visited Du Pain et Des Idees (best boulanger in Paris), 34 r. Yves Toudic for some major purchases (fabulous pain des amis, brioche, escargot au chocolat %26amp; pistache, pain au chocolat %26amp; banane, 5 stuffed minibreads) - went to gardens of Palais-Royal (possibly my new favorite place in Paris, so beautiful!) for picnic of wonderful stuffed breads (olive my favorite) - walked around area (pl. des Victoires, Cour Carree of Louvre, Pont des Arts - dinner at Chez Denise near Les Halles - booked here for blanquette de veau - not on chalkboard that night but beef cheeks in fabulous wine sauce with macaroni made me very happy - shared rum baba - they really do put a whole bottle of rum on your table - huge portions
Day 6 - visited Musee d%26#39;Orsay - wow! - delicious ham %26amp; cheese omelette with salad lunch at Le Voltaire short walk from museum along Seine- continued walking - visited Pantheon and St Etienne du Mont - friends visiting their daughter who lives in Paris came over for wine %26amp; cheese before dinner - dinner at Mon Vieil Ami on the Ile (only restaurant we returned to from our 1st trip to Paris) - wonderful goat cheese appetizer, delicious strawberry with meringue %26amp; basil sorbet dessert, chicken %26amp; veal dishes OK - all patrons were english speaking on our side of room (don%26#39;t know about other side)
Day 7 - 2nd in line for Notre Dame tower at 9:15 am (opens at 10am) - awesome experience - really nice lunch at Angelina%26#39;s - quiche and carpaccio, awesome millefeuille with strawberry %26amp; pistachio cream, mont blanc was too sweet for hubby - they%26#39;re trying to claim the melted chocolate they serve is really hot chocolate - I know better - I don%26#39;t like hot chocolate and this was fantastic! Hubby agreed - walked thru Tuileries to visit L%26#39;Orangerie - walked around pl. de la Concorde, pl. de la Madeleine to check out Fauchon (OMG! - you could lose your mind in there) and over to pl. des Pyramides - dinner at Le Reminet on Left Bank not far from Notre Dame - loved this romantic, little, candlelit restaurant - fabulous duck with honey, wine, caramel sauce- cake with chocolate center and raspberries for dessert - enjoyed last of our nighttime strolls around Ile St Louis
Day 8 - left to return home after breakfast
I miss Paris of course and have already started to compile a list of where to eat next time. I have also just begun reading %26quot;Remembrance of Things Paris%26quot; - a wonderful compilation from Gourmet Magazine. I am savoring every word. To all you foodies - Bon appetit!
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Love this post! My mouth is watering, my tummy grumbling and now the next 5 weeks until my trip will be even more agonizing - but I loved it anyway!
Do you remember the prices of your dinners?
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Spent in the 60%26#39;s-70%26#39;s euro range except for Mon Vieil Ami which was more. Le Brasserie de l%26#39;Ile St Louis, Chez Robert et Louise and Chez Denise all had huge portions so we only ordered 2 main courses, 1 dessert or appetizer and wine. Have a great trip!
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Just curious, which apartment did you stay in on Ile St Louis?? My husband and I will be staying in %26quot;Rose%26quot; thru Guest Apartment Services in October. I can%26#39;t wait. I am taking notes of where you ate!! Diane
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You will be in the same building as us. This was our 2nd time renting %26quot;Lily%26quot; - we just love our little pied-a-terre. You%26#39;ve chosen the best location to stay (Ile St Louis overlooking the Seine) and the best company to rent from (Guest Apartment Services). You%26#39;ll have a wonderful time.
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Loved your trip report. I am a pastry chef, taking my daughter to Paris (our first time) and we are renting with guestapartment services. The anticipation is driving me crazy! Thank you for listing details on restaurants etc... It is very helpful
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Wow~ What a great report - I%26#39;m exhausted.
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I can not wait to picnic in Paris. What tips do you have for packing your picnic lunch. Specifically what did you pack for supplies from the apartment (silverware, glasses, wine opener) and what do you get from the store. Can you get paper napkins and plastic silverware at the stores or do you bring your own. Also glassware, are there plastic cups available or do you pack glasses. What is you favorite type of bag to carry for you lunch supplies. We plan on doing lunch frequently by picnic so any tips will be helpful to make easier.
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My husband wears a small backpack that we carry our stuff in. Our apartment has a wine opener but the wine shop Nicholas has opened bottles for us in the past. We took plastic utensils and plastic cups from the plane. I brought a few napkins with us from home. All that stuff would go in the backpack. We usually made our food purchases on the way to our picnics and the shops usually put our stuff in a plastic bag but I carried one with us just in case. Enjoy! Picnicking in Paris is just the best.
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thanks for the great report
I will be there in September!
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