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| Suggested places to stay and things to
do... (#2) |
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| More restaurants ! (with
something particular) |
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Instead of ...... (or : in addition to !) |
- For students : the best value
restaurant in town : Les Arts et les Sciences reunis, 161 avenue Jean Jaurès 75019 (near Cité
de la Musique) Tel. (0)1 48 03 10 68 : this is the restaurant
where young members of the prestigious workers fraternity of
the Compagnons du Devoir learn how to cook... Read more
about "compagnonnage".
- Tea Room : Angelina and its famous chocolat chaud 226
rue de Rivoli 75001 Tel. (0)1 42 60 82 00
- Ethiopian
restaurant
: Entoto, 145 Rue Leon Maurice Nordmann 75013 Paris
(near the Santé jailhouse) friendly, with quite unusual
food.... Tel. (0)1 45 87 08 51
- English or American-owned restaurants
- XVIIth Century : Nos ancêtres
les Gaulois,
39 rue Saint Louis en l'Ile, 75004 Paris Tel (0)1 46 33 66 07
: very noisy, fun, robust traditional French food on large tables
- Caveau François Villon : French songs
in a medieval cellar, 64 rue de l'Arbre Sec, 75001 Paris, Tel.
33-(0)1 42 36 10 92. (40 Euros)
- More to come...
WARNING !
Here's a tip to avoid some embarrassing confusion. In France,
a "restaurant" is for a whole meal. If you go to a
restaurant, NEVER order just a salad and declare that
you are not hungry for anything else ! If you're not very hungry
and just want a salad, a sandwich, or an omelette, head for a
"brasserie". In general, if you sit at any table which
is covered with a tablecloth, it means that that table has been
set up for a meal (and for the French, a meal is not a sandwich!).
In a brasserie, for example, if you just want a sandwich, head
for the "tableclothless" tables! More about it.
USEFUL TIPS....
It is very unusual to share food in a restaurant. Of course
you can do it occasionally but a situation where everyone would
taste everybody else's dishes must definitely be avoided ! The
French like to talk and comment about what they are eating but
they would not think of giving you a taste of it.
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Many
monuments in Paris are often overcrowded whereas some others,
which are very spectacular, are more easily accessible. Why don't
you try them ?
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instead of...... |
why don't you try ...... |
Notre Dame
Cathedral (12 million visitors/year)
is closed for several years after the 2019 fire |
Sainte Chapelle : much smaller, fantastic windows and the
stones all painted as they used to be in the 11th century or
Basilique Royale (in Saint-Denis, Metro Line 13) : magnificient 12th century cathedral, with the graves of more than 70 kings and queens of France. Buy the ticket online. |
| Musée d'Orsay (2,7
million) |
Musée de l' Orangerie beautifully rebuilt, with the Monet nympheas cycle. Buy the ticket online.
or
Musée Marmottan: wonderful
Impressionist paintings in both museums |
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Versailles (2,7 million), built by Louis XIV
Getting mixed up with kings ?
Click here....
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Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle
: built by Fouquet, the Finance Minister of Louis XIV, who was
dumb enough to invite his boss the King to a party ; the Sun
King was so jealous that he fired him immediately ! |
| Louvre Museum
(over 8 million) |
Musée
Picasso : its major works in a beautiful XVIIth
century mansion (Hotel Salé) |
| DisneyLand
Paris (14 million) |
City of Provins : a (real) medieval city near DisneyLand
(why pay for fake medieval ?) |
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| Unusual restaurants in
Paris... |
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The French fast food
chains... |
- "Dans
le Noir" (51 rue
Quincampoix, 75004 Tel. 01 42 77 98 04) is an incredible restaurant
: you are in total darkness, served by blind waiters, the food
is good and it is an amazing experience (you'll understand what
being blind means). Click here
for a more detailed description.
- Paris has not only high-class
restaurants : in many places, you can enjoy a great dinner. Click
here to read my column.
- Vegetarians
? It is not easy to find
vegetarian food in Paris ; however, here are a few suggestions
:
- Aquarius, 40 rue de Gergovie
75014 Tel. (0)1 45 41 36 88
- L'Ebouillanté, 6 rue
des Barres 75004 Tel.(0)1 42 71 09 69
- La Victoire Supreme du Coeur,
41 rue des Bourdonnais 75001 Tel (0)1 40 41 93 95
- Les Quatre et Une Saveurs, 72
rue du Cardinal Lemoine Tel (0)1 43 26 88 80
- Restaurants in a theater or in a movie theater, like le Vieux Colombier (in Saint Germain des Prés), the Lucernaire (in Montparnasse), and several others
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If you must have fast or chain
restaurant food, instead of the McDonald's and other chains that
you can find everywhere, try one of the French fast food restaurants
(for less than 15 Euros), such as :
- Cojean (salads and sandwiches)
: probaby the best chain
for sandwiches and salads
- Hippopotamus (steaks)
- Leon de Bruxelles (Belgian : mussels and
French fries)
- Brioche Dorée (panini)
- Flunch (salads)
- La Criée (sea food)
- Buffalo Grill (steaks)
- Oh'Poivrier (salads)
- Pizza Del Arte (pizza!)
- Bistrot Romain (carpaccio, pasta,
...)
- Chez Clément (nice setting,
upscale chain)
USEFUL TIPS
.... In Paris (like in New
York and many other places), a restaurant may be wonderful, then
successful, then a rip-off within a six-month period of time
: beware of young fame...
Always
remember that prices in Paris restaurants are approximately twice
as high as anywhere else in France : you will have this confirmed
if you travel outside Paris...
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| USEFUL TIPS... Many restaurants are closed on Sunday
and most of them on Sunday night. Monday can be tricky as
well. Always call first (and remember that Bertillon, the best
ice cream shop in town was closed in August until recently!!). |
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USEFUL TIPS......Don't give to beggars ! Most
of them come from the same foreign country and they work in gangs.
The money would not go to them but to their bosses who run the
burglary business in Paris. Don't be swayed by their pathetic
look and by the baby they carry : he/she is the only victim (and
the beggar is not necessarily the mother). |
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If, when in Paris, you visited
a very unusual place that you really enjoyed, please let
me know : I'll include it in my page.The ideas for
places to go and things to do in Paris that you'll find on these
pages are strictly personal choices. I'm happy to share a few
addresses of hotels and restaurants and tea rooms with you but
since I'm not in the guide book business (thank heavens!) I am in no way responsible for changed phone numbers and addresses
or a bad meal! By the same token, although I'd love to, I cannot
answer questions regarding what to do or where to go in Paris
beyond what I have already included and may include in the future.
For these kinds of questions, some of the links I mention on
my site may be helpful. |
| To related pages : more suggested places (#1) and activities (#3), links to American - run
businesses in Paris, etc... |
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Harriet Welty
Rochefort writes articles and books about France and the French.
Order her books :
- "Joie de Vivre", Secrets of Wining, Dining and Romancing like the French, St.Martin's Press, New York, 2012
- "French Toast, An American in Paris
Celebrates The Maddening Mysteries of the French", St.Martin's Press,
New York, 1999
- "French Fried, The Culinary Capers
of An American in Paris", St.Martin's Press, New York, 2001
More on Harriet's books (excerpts, upcoming
events, testimonials, etc..)
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me |
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