Your Paris suggestions

[troutonthefly]

I’m reaching out to the LL membership for your personal advice and suggestions about Paris.

My wife and I will be travelling to Paris in October. It will be my first trip to the city and her second. She was last there 15 years ago as a student; a quite different experience than we hope for this October.

As well as the traditional sights, museums and strolls, we’re allocating a serious amount of time and resources towards eating, drinking, and shopping during our 7 day visit. I wonder if my fellow members could offer suggestions on the following:

• Fine dining – both lunch and supper. A knowledgeable and patient Sommelier would be welcome, as our wine knowledge is lacking compared to our understanding of food.
• Casual dining – the perfect stopping point for food and drink while exploring the city.
• Bars and lounges – places to quench our thirst before the evening meal or to end the day.
• Shopping – men’s accessories, women’s accessories, fragrances for both……women’s shoes (should I plan a full day for her shoes ), gastronomic goods.

I’m planning an afternoon at Charvet and greatly look forward to the experience. Is one week enough time to take advantage of their bespoke shirt service?

Cheers,

John

[Malandro]

Shopping – men’s accessories: Howards http://www.howards.fr, my favourite tie shop in Paris (close to Metro Liege)

Fragrances: Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, 5 rue des Capucines, 75001 Paris (close to Charvet)

[2025899]

Oh, troutonthefly, your wife and you have so many delights awaiting in Paris. The thought of it brings back floods of memories of our own visits there over the decades.

I can't comment on Charvet or other shopping for you, but on dining -- causal, superb, in-between -- I have a general suggestion and then a particular one:

- Pick up a retaurarant guide such as Lebey or Pudlo when you get there. We have found them to be of great help. Or you could even order one, or both, ahead of time from amazon.fr and study up. So much of the fun in a trip can be in the planning.

- For us, Alain Senderen's restauarant (formerly Lucas Carton) on place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondisement is incomparable. Go for lunch and plan to spend the whole afternoon. My wife and I still talk with pleasure of our meals there.

Others will no doubt have better and more pertinent ideas (I'm thinking of LL member Frog in Suit). And when you return, you might let us know how it all went. That would be much, much appreciated.

Kind regards,

- 2025899

[Luca]

Not hugely original and not cheap but always worthwhile and just... special.
Guy Savoy.

[culverwood]

If you have not looked at it John Talbot's Paris restaurant blog is at http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/

[hectorm]

There are already lots of great and unusual suggestions by LL members in the thread linked below. Enjoy!
http://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/vi ... 33&t=10640

[gegarrenton]

This is a great thread!

I'll be in Paris for the second time (barely got out of airport first time) in April, visiting w/ my wife, her sister and sister's fiancee for her birthday and our anniversary. Love to see the recommendations.

[Slewfoot]

Here are a few favorite restaurants. Have fun!

Passage 53 (number one choice)
Septime (more modern and inventive)
Clamato (same owners as above)
Frenchie's (new takes on classics)
Willi's Wine Bar (better for after dinner drinks)
Le Villaret (classic style bistro with great wine list)
Auberge Nicolas Flamel (went years ago, cozy and old school)

[lxlloyd]

First, I reckon i am rather uniquely positioned regarding how to get you in your wife's good books:

Didier Ludot and it's sister shop La petite robe noir, in the palais royale are amazing for anyone interested in quality women's fashion. One of the most revered vintage and couture dealers in the world, the owner is a fascinating character/reknowned collector/historian and well worth the visit himself.
Anouschka - Ex-Model Anouschka sells Cardin, Courréges and Hermès from the Twenties to the Eighties from three rooms in a Paris apartment
6 Avenue du Coq
Iris = one of the best-kept secrets of several top runway designers. The Italian-based shoe manufacturer produces Women's shoes for Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Victor & Rolf, John Galliano, Veronique Branquinho, and Paul Smith. And they have gathered their factory exports under one roof on 28 Rue de Grenelle.
The Space - 21 rue bonaparte - Carry a range of young designers
sabbia rosa - lingerie


This is a google map of restaurants, galleries, Vintage shops, Fabric shops, designer boutiques, cafes and bars I made at one point when i realised how much i was asked to reccomend things. https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212 ... ae85&msa=0

Stand out food/wine:
Verjus wine bar
Le cinq Mars Restaurant
Au Pere Louis Wine bar/restaurant
Le square gardette - Excellent brunch
Chez Saturne - swedish. very swedish.
The beef club
La cave de Vivant - small resto, excellent selection of wines.
Minimes
Ferdi

Interesting places:
The great mosque fooe mint tea and the hammam
La Piscine Pontoise (art deco swimming pool)
GALERIE STÉPHANE OLIVIER
Le comptoir de l’image (Photography books)
Le luxour - old egyptian-themed cinema that got completely rehauled and restored.
La Galerie de Paléontologie
Archi-Noire (for interesting objects/design/interior stuff)

Hotel/piano bar:
L’Hotel du Temps

coffee: Ten belles, telescope, loustic, lockwood

Cocktails:
Candelaria
lone palm
little red door
dirty dicks
Experimental cocktail club
Le Bar Artisan
Ballroom at beef club
l’Entrée des Artistes (also good wine)
Lockwood: but also for coffee

other:
Le Perchoir (ROOFTOP TERRACE!!!)
A La Civette - Tobacco specialists
Librarie Yvon Lambert - art books
Nose - bespoke perfume experts
LIBRAIRIE GALIGNANI

Du Pain et des Idées - Without a question hands down best croissant in paris. only bakery i know that could close all weekend and survive, and stop selling baguettes and still have a queue out the door for bread. I can tast them in my mouth now.....

I hear the rosa bonheur folks have opened En Attendant Rosa on the banks of the seine which is attracting a decidedly more corporate crowd than the original.


IF you look up the thread paris Black Tie there are many recommendations flying around. I picked up the two most detailed.

Rosa bonheur has been mentioned several times. Other outdoor venues would be Bagatelle (in the bois de boulogne), Longchamp (the race course turns into an open air club> interesting space, similar sort of crowd to l'arc however, which isn't my cup of tea) and Wanderlust, which is a restaurant cum massive terrace that turns into a club and then moves inside; it's at the Institut Francais de la Mode which is overhanging the Seine. (a dramatic space, which has a good ambience, if a little bobo like the rest of paris.)

The Experimental Cocktail Club on rue saint saveur is a discreet cocktail bar with excellent drinks.

The beef club is a steakhouse (open very late) that has a ballroom (read good cocktail bar) hidden underneath, speakeasy style. Run by the same teams as curio parlour/prescription cocktail club, which is a good indication.

L/inconnu opened near me recently by a mixed team, quite a few from Chez Carmen. It's good for coffee/day drinking in the chesterfields, and Kevin the bilingual bartender has perked me up several times by inventing cocktails for me or literally perking me up with a coffee martini, which should be disgusting but surprisingly isn't.

Le pompon is old school cool, but unless you want it crowded full of models, fashion girls and the creatives/hype followers of paris go during the week when it's emptier. I like Tuesdays. (The trick being that as a twentysomething fashion girl i can go at either time, but I'm actually a 90 year old man at heart and I like listening to a bit of everything). They made up a drink for me and it involves a pint of champagne and roses, so they bought me early on.

La 25e Heure is a tiny ex whorehouse that's become an intimate, cozy hidden club, where you ring the bell to get in. Ugo is one of the owners and a fantastic bartender, though i don't think there's an actual menu (that i've found, at any rate). It's full of artbooks and vintage furniture.

Candelaria is a great taco place. but it also has a speakeasy bar with one of the best cocktail selections in the world (they have actually been nominated in so many international competitions/awards. both as an institution and separately as individual bartenders). I like going early for an apero when it's less crowded.

Le Fumoir is quite old school. opposite the Louvre. But there's a long wait. I don't really like waiting.

L’Hotel Particulier is another semi-secret bar in l‘Hotel Particulier Montmartre, which was the Hermes family residence and is now a hotel. You have to make a reservation, then ring at the door and ask to boire un verre. It's all rather clandestine.

I know there's a pop up club opposite the eiffel tower near the baron this summer, called La Guinguette Eiffel. I haven't bothered wandering over yet, I'm a creature of habit and like spending time in my cocktail bars, neighbourhood bars (Pompon/l\inconnu/Chez Jeannette/le Progres/couer fou/Le temps des cerises/chez prune) or by the Canal saint martin. I also venture to Tigre, Baron, Silencio, Bus Palladium, Favela Chic, Pop in and the normal parisian haunts, but those don't really fit the description given...

L'acte 3 on rue Quincampoix is another one of those clandestine unsigned cocktail affairs. Management has been pilfered from Baron and costes, i believe, or at least a significant portion thereof. Reasonably priced drinks. food. Lots of lesbians, because it's near the gay area and because one of them used to work at an infamous lesbian club.

Le p'tit bar in the eleventh is run by mme paulo. She is an authentic character. There is a cat. called wa oooh. There are about three seats. But she is fascinating. Speak french.

Le Café Rouge looks like a normal brasserie with chairs and tables but it's actually deceptively massive and has two mezzanines (each with a different vibe), a lounge with a fireplace, huge Chesterfield sofas, a chandelier and a piano. A magazine i work with like to have their meetings on the top floor, and it's near my regular cafe (Merce and the muse) where i go to find decent coffee in paris.

Le Forum has earned its reputation as one of the finest cocktail bars in Paris.

Le Petit Fer à Cheval is miniscule but charming.

L'Arc is not what I am looking for (and am sure you're not either): extremely show off and crappy music.

Haven't been to Les Bains Douches for years. Baron is a little bit washed up but still nice to go if you like to party in a 5sqm room. other clubs in that range include le Madam for instance.

Lately, I've been most enjoying going to bars in my dear city, so I guess that's all I can tell about nightclubs. oh, the Bus Palladium is a good one too.

Regarding places to act all lazy in summer afternoons I'd recommend:

- Jardin du Luxembourg. Don't forget to pay a visit to:
a) Patisserie Mulot (http://www.gerard-mulot.com/ 76 rue de Seine): their orange/Cinnamon macaron is to die for. Forget LaDurée. Other delicacies I'd recommend would be the Amarylis (cake made of two macaron shell, filled with creme patissiere, raspberries and almonds mmmh)
b) Chocolate maker Patrick Roger (http://www.patrickroger.com/en/index.php 108 boulevard Saint Germain): forget about Pierre Hermé. Best quality in town (IMO). His feuilleté noir will take you to heaven. (If you need confirmation on this, just ask Costi )
c) all the art galeries down the rue de Seine and rue des Beaux arts
d) go have a drink at the bar of "L'Hotel", rue des beaux arts: really nice atmosphere and good cocktails.


- Canal Saint Martin: much more "parisian bobo" but the atmosphere is really nice. lots and lots of bars and restaurants, could not recommend one in particular. Hotel du Nord (after the famous movie) is nice. But just sitting by the canal to drink your beer is enough.
One great place next to the Canal Saint Martin is Café A (http://www.parisbouge.com/articles/le-c ... parle-665/ 148 rue du faubourg Saint-Martin,), a former convent with the nicest terrace. You can also watch a show / party at the Point Ephemere (http://www.pointephemere.org/ 200 quai de valmy) which has a really good music schedule - and a nice terrace.

- Go have a picnic in the parc de la Villette

- Go picnic in the Parc de Sceaux (outside of Paris)


Regarding bars, I mostly go out around where I live (9th, 18th arrondissement, Montmartre). You can find some really great bars in the Abbesses neighborhood (Pigalle), or in the 9th arrondissement in the rue des Martyrs. Nice restaurants there too. Go have a brunch at La Maison Mere (http://lamaisonmere.fr/) and at the Hotel Amour (http://www.hotelamourparis.fr/).
One place is either a total win or forgettable: Le Blue Note (http://www.lebluenoteparis.com/ (14 rue Muller)). Last time I went there there was a band playing typical Ivory Coast music, with 99% of the attendance being guys from back home, dancing like crazy and with such happiness you couldn't do anything but go on the dancefloor and be the silly white man looking dumb trying to dance like the Black ones... they also serve the strongest Cuba Libre I've ever tasted. Other fun times can include chatting with the Burundi Ambassador's son about Black Flag and other punk bands...
Other places I'd go to are bars around the Cour des petites ecuries/rue du faubourg poissoniere. Will post names when they come back to my mind.
Oh, go have a brunch at the Mama shelter (http://www.mamashelter.com/en/paris/food-drink/) really, really good one. Need to book early! On the other side of the street you have La Fleche d'Or, a former train station transformed into a concert place/ nightclub. Most of the time shows are free. Really worth a loo (http://www.flechedor.fr/Accueil/ 102 rue de bagnolet).


All of this may not be "old fashioned" alas...

[Luca]

Wow. I just bookmarked this. One day, when I'm feeling brave, I need to do a similar map / guide for London.

[troutonthefly]

First, I reckon i am rather uniquely positioned regarding how to get you in your wife's good books:

lxlloyd....and I will ensure you receive full credit with her! Your map is brilliant! Thank you for passing along this information. I'm working through your lists now and you are filling in the blanks on much of our itinerary.

I wonder if you have dined at Le Taillevent? I've received two recommendations from friends, but one is 3 years old, the other from 2005. Perhaps there are more current reviews out there?

Cheers,

John

[lxlloyd]

Wow. I just bookmarked this. One day, when I'm feeling brave, I need to do a similar map / guide for London.

If you have a smart phone it's easy to just add the place from google maps in your phone when you're there.
Someone should make one of all of the tailors recommended here!

[Concordia]

Just thought I'd revive this with a somewhat more specific question. I'll be in Paris for an afternoon's worth of appointments in May, and my points of call are Gare du Nord, Place Vendome, and a quick jaunt across the river. I might be able to have lunch and dinner there if I get up early enough in the morning and become lazy/relaxed enough at the end of the afternoon.

Any special recommendations-- or thoughts of another sight to see instead of taking a longer lunch? I'll be coming from and to London, so good food on its own aren't absolutely necessary. Formal and rich are hardly required-- anything enjoyably Parisian that doesn't involve too many empty carbs will be welcome.

[hectorm]

Of course on the way out you don´t want to linger too much in the Gare du Nord. A real dump even for those using the Eurostar facilities. It´s about time they redo that place (London´s St. Pancras would be a good example). Fortunately on the way in, having done the paper work in London, is just a breeze
And Place Vendome is all boarded up (cute boards, though) with the Ritz and the column restoration.
A visit to Charvet is always nice.
And I recently had lunch two blocks down from Charvet towards Tuileries at Le Soufflé on Rue du Mont Thabor. For a 3 soufflé formule that my wife said it was a culinary highlight of the trip. I would recommend it as something not usual in London.
(edited) P.S. when are you travelling?

[aston]

Have a look at Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyon. It has just been through a major facelift and looks fantastic.