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A loyal reader of my blog suggested that it would be useful for me to do a post with my suggestions for a gourmet stay in Paris of three or five days. I protested that existing sources, including Clotilde's "Epicurean Adventures in Paris" have everything one needs to put together a great food-oriented vacation, but she pointed out, correctly, that this wealth of information is not prioritized for those planning relatively short stays. Further, my point of view - however incomplete - may be more relevant to an American traveler to Paris than that found in the available resources.
So here goes. I am going to set out my thoughts on food-related things to see and do in Paris if you have three days there (too short) or are lucky enough to have five. I am assuming that the reader is not completely food obsessed, and will to save time for non-food related activities, like clothes shopping, going to museums and churches, and taking long walks in the most beautiful large city in the world. Following even a significant number of my recommendations will leave time for such pursuits. If you will be in Paris for longer than five days, so much the better; it would take more time than that to fully exhaust the list of places contained in this post, let alone the more comprehensive information that may be found elsewhere on this blog under the topic "Paris."
Except for open-air markets, I have not listed opening days or times. Beware of the fact that the French have very different views on this subject than Americans. Great restaurants are generally closed on Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays. Stores in the food business are often closed Mondays and Saturday afternoons. Anything might be closed in August. So check ahead. Virtually every place mentioned in this post has a website with contact information, hours and directions.
I plan to revise this and repost it from time to time, based on new experiences - good or bad - and, I hope, based on COMMENTS FROM READERS. If you try something that I recommend, please let me know your thoughts; tastes differ and places get better and worse, so feedback is guaranteed to make this post more useful for future visitors to Paris.
I will sometimes refer (and link) to other posts on my blog for more detailed information or photos. For more restaurant information, click on Paris Restaurants under Topics at right. My most comprehensive restaurant list may be found, not surprisingly, at Bobby Jay's Restaurant List.
Click on more below to get to the substance of the post. This will be a long post but a short guide to the ever-fascinating epicurean side of Paris.
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PLACES TO EAT
I do not pretend to have been to a significant percentage of the restaurants in Paris, so all I can do is to list places that `I like. If someone you trust recommends a place, go to it and feel free to eliminate one or more of my suggestions. If it's good, let me know!
Three-Day Visit
If you are in Paris for just three days, my advice is to eat French. Try these three lunch ideas and choose from the list of six dinner places. If you crave ethnic food, try Moroccan, which is excellent and can't really be found in New York. Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese just aren't worth it.
Granterroirs is a lunch place that also sells carefully selected, high-quality regional foods, wines and liquors. The food is really great, with a daily plat du jour and some excellent salads and open-faced sandwiches. I am sorry to report that the great Landais foie gras sandwich is not longer on the daily menu. Try to leave room for the dessert of the day. 30 rue de Miromesnil (Métro Miromesnil), 8th, Tel 0147 42 18 18.
Le Bristol is a gastronomic palace that has a great lunch for 85 euros. I know that sounds like a lot, but trust me on this one, it's a great deal. See my post of June 26, 2010. 112 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré (Métro Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau or Miromesnil), 8th, Tel 01 53 43 43 00.
Moving from the sublime to the ordinaire, I like to go to any cafe that looks nice and have a sandwich on a baguette at the bar (or at a table without a place mat), with a beer or glass of red wine. (I don't like the many new sandwich/salad places, which are no better than my firm's cafeteria). I recommend a "jambon mixte" (ham and cheese), "mixte de saucisson sec" (salami and cheese) or a "sandwich camembert" (just what you'd think).
Rôtisserie du Beaujolais is my number one place to take people who are not very familiar with Paris, although my wife and I go ourselves, too. Get the great duck confit with pommes Sarladaises if it's being offered. The regular duck for two is excellent, too, but all the food is really quite good. The best part is getting there, though. Take the Métro to Pont-Marie and walk from the right bank to Île St-Louis and then to the left bank. The view of the back of Notre Dame from the second bridge is one of the great sights in the world, in any weather and at any time of day. Desserts are fine, but we generally pass and walk back the way we came, stopping for Berthillon sorbets and ice creams at the outdoor place (not Berthillon itself, which is nearly always closed) on the aptly named Rue des Deux Ponts: the sorbets and ice creams are nearly all excellent, but the intense cacao amer is just not to be believed. 19 quai de la Tournelle (Métro Pont-Marie), 5th, Tel 01 43 54 17 47.
The French love their shellfish, particularly oysters, which are a bit brinier than North American varieties. It's fun and instructive to get a varied platter, especially in the winter season, when shellfish are kept and shucked to order on the sidewalks outside of restaurants and brasseries all over Paris. Garnier's little oyster bar is great for shellfish in the cold weather season. 111 rue St-Lazare, 8th. In winter or summer, try L'Écailler du Bistrot for excellent and totally fresh shellfish and classic fish dishes (e.g. marvelous, buttery, just al dente sole meunière). 20-22 rue Paul Bert, 11th, Tel 01 43 72 76 77.
Dominique Bouchet was very chic and popular right out of the box, and the food is imaginative and well-prepared. The ambiance is elegant but not overdone, and likewise the service. It's on the expensive side, but probably worth it. My only problem with this restaurant is that it was 100% filled with Americans the last time we had dinner there (not so for a fairly recent lunch), and I find it somewhat jarring to hear nothing but English at a Parisian restaurant. 11 rue Treilhard (Métro Miromesnil), 8th, Tel 01 45 61 09 46.
Le Hide features excellent, somewhat modernized classics at incredibly low prices. Winner of Pudlo's meilleur rapport qualité-prix for 2009. 10 rue du Général Lanrezac (Métro Etoile), 17th, 01 45 74 15 81.
Beaujolais d'Auteil: a recent great find. Non-touristy neighborhood bistro near the Bois de Boulogne, serving excellent food at very reasonable prices. 99 boulevard de Montmorency (Métro Porte d'Auteuil or Michel-Ange Auteuil), 16th, Tel 01 47 43 03 56.
I also like L'Accolade. A very reasonable 34-euro three-course dinner, including the unbelievable pig ear salad that I have chronicled elsewhere in this blog. 23 rue Guillaume-Tell, Métro Porte-de-Champerret or Pereire, 01 42 67 12 67, 17th.
Five-Day Visit
Now you may miss non-French food, so, in addition to the above, I add some ethnic places, along with some additional French ones that I like.
A Priori Thé, a nice place for tea, quiches and salad that is run by Americans, set in the gorgeous Galerie Vivienne, one of the most beautiful and most chic indoor arcades in Paris. Strictly for lunch or tea. 35 Galerie Vivienne (Métro Palais Royale or Bourse), 2nd. Tel 01 42 97 48 75.
The great pâtisseries also serve lunch at their tea salons. The best are Ladurée and Dalloyau (see below).
Kunitoraya: The best udon noodles I have found outside Japan are at Kunitoraya, and I try to get there at least once each time I am in Paris to enjoy the totally authentic kitsune udon. (My wife goes for the equally excellent tempura udon. There is nearly always a line, but if you go after 1:45 you probably won't wait more than a couple of minutes. 39 rue Ste-Anne (Métro Pyramides),1st.
Timgad or Étoile Maroccaine for Moroccan food. Timgad has excellent Moroccan in fancy (and expensive) surroundings. 21 rue Brunel (Métro Argentine), 17th. Tel 01 45 74 23 70). Etoile Morocaine has very good food in a nice setting. Despite proximity to the Arc de Triomphe, the clientele is not touristy; mostly locals who appear to be regulars. It is not very expensive. 56 rue de Galilée (Métro Georges V), 8th. Tel 01 47 20 44 43. It's fun, but not necessary, to go to either place with a group of at least four, which enables you to try more dishes. In any event, try the bastilla (or pastilla or b'stillla) - somewhat sweet pigeon pie with raisins, cinnamon & powdered sugar - as an appetizer.
We have never found good Italian food in Paris. When we feel a need for Italian food, we head to Sardegna à Tavola, an out of the way place with really interesting Sardinian food. It is not the same as Italian but satisfies the craving. They serve great pasta and fish (they are across the street from one of Paris’ better fish markets) with bold flavors, e.g. spaghetti with lots of bottarga. Pretty expensive for what we think of as Italian food (expect to spend $150 for two including wine), but constant crowds show that it's worth it. 1 rue de Cotte (Métro Gare de Lyon or Lédru-Rollin), 12th. Tel 01 44 75 03 28.
Mon Vieil Ami is an excellent bistro on the Île St-Louis. Really good food in a fashionably modern décor inside an ancient building. The executive chef is from Alsace, but the food is not particularly. It is very popular among Americans, so be prepared to see lots of tourists. 69 rue St-Louis-en-l'Île (Métro Pont-Marie), 4th. Tel 01 40 46 01 35.
Le Troquet is a really good family-run bistro deep in the 15th arrondissement, said to be Basque but a bit more general. Wonderful 30 Euro menu and warm welcome. Just what you want a bistro to be. 21 rue François Bonvin (Métro Volontaire or Sèvres-Lecourbe), 15th. Tel 01 45 66 89 00.
Relais d’Auteuil is one of our favorites. Excellent food, at a “neighborhood” place near the Bois de Boulogne. They are just lovely people there, who are out to make you comfortable, not to show off. Lots of half bottles of wine from all regions and at fair prices. Stupendous artisanal cheeses served from enormous wheels. This is a big splurge but worth it. 31 boulevard Murat (Métro Michel-Ange Auteuil), 16th. Tel 01 46 51 09 54.
Apicius is another one of our favorites. It has very sophisticated food (two stars from Michelin), beautifully presented without a trace of snobbery. The chef and the help couldn’t be nicer. Try the hot foie gras with unsweetened chocolate sauce – really – or whatever is the hot foie gras of the day; theirs is the best that we have found anywhere. This restaurant moved a couple of years ago to a fancy chateau (yes, a chateau in the middle of Paris), increased its prices and become a huge power place; it is great. 20 rue d'Artois (Métro St-Philippe-du-Roule or Franklin-D-Roosevelt), 8th. Tel 01 43 80 19 66.
Clos des Gourmets serves slightly modernized versions of classic bistro fare, with a 35-euro menu that's a great deal for food of this quality. A bonus is the stupendous view of the Eiffel Tower from the Pont de l'Alma as you walk to the restaurant from the Métro (and on the way back). See my post of February 27, 2010. 16 avenue Rapp, 7th (Métro Alma-Marceau), Tel 01 45 51 75 61.
PÂTISSERIES
Three-Day Visit
Where you go in a three- as opposed to a five-day visit will depend heavily on where you are staying or what you are otherwise doing. I recommend getting to at least two pâtisseries in a three-day visit, including Dalloyau and La Pâtisserie des Rêves if not too inconvenient.
Five-Day Visit
For a five-day visit, in addition to the ones named above, I would highly recommend a trip to La Bague de Kenza to see something you won't find elsewhere (follow the link below for photos). Supplement with any of the others mentioned below.
Dalloyau. Our go-to pastry store, only in part because we live two minutes away. Perfect croissants - flaky and rich without a hint of greasiness - pains au chocolat and pains aux raisins for breakfast, and, in my opinion, the best macarons in Paris (i.e., the world). My blog is littered with pictures of cakes in Dalloyau's windows. 101 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 8th, 63 rue de Grenelle (Métro Rue du Bac), 7th. For other locations, check the Internet.
Ladurée. If not the inventor, then the popularizer of macarons. Widely considered the best ones in town, but Pierre Hermé and Dalloyau each have their partisans (notably me in the latter case). They also have a really great tea salon for breakfast, brunch (truly spectacular omelets and scrambled eggs), lunch or tea. 16 rue Royale, 8th.
Gerard Mulot. An excellent left bank pastry shop across the board. Try the truly amazing orange tart, which is a cross between a tart and a custardy crème brulée (too sweet for one person). 76 rue de Seine (Métro Odéon), 6th.
Pâtisserie des Rêves. This little shop on Rue du Bac has some of the most beautiful pastries I've ever seen, including interpretations of classic desserts -- like tarte tatin and mille-feuille -- that are reconsidered and reconstructed, as well as classics like a pistachio financier and a Breton kouing-aman (a stupendous caramelized, layered cake). 93 rue du Bac, (Métro Rue du Bac), 7th.
La Bague de Kenza. An Algerian pastry shop whose magnificent offerings will blow you away. There is a tea salon next door. The selection there is meager, but it's okay to go into the pâtisserie and tell them its for next door. A selection of pastries and mint tea makes for a memorable Paris experience. 106 rue St-Maur (Métro Parmentier or St-Maur), 11th.
La Petite Rose. My local favorite, this small patissier-chocolatier run by Japanese women has wonderful tarts - especially the perfectly balanced lemon tart - and great chocolates at 60 euros per kilo, 40% less than the well-known chocolatiers. A must if you are at the rue de Lévis market. 11 boulevard de Courcelles (Métro Villiers), 17th.
OPEN-AIR MARKETS (MARCHÉS VOLANTS) AND MARKET STREETS (RUES DE COMMERCE)
The open-air markets, and related market streets, are among the gems of Paris, and no gourmet's visit to Paris should omit a visit to at least one of each. Most open-air markets are open two mornings a week, with the weekend market being substantially better. No open-air markets are open on Mondays, and the Market Streets are pretty lame, too. That makes Monday a perfect day to go to La Grande Epicerie or Lafayette Gourmet (see below).
Three-Day Visit
Which markets you visit will be a function of where you stay and the days of the week you are in Paris. If you will be there on a Saturday, I highly recommend the Marché Président Wilson; on Sunday, try to get to the Raspail organic market. For market streets, try the ones nearest where you are staying.
Five-Day Visit
Now you will be there for all markets. In addition to the above, the Place des Fêtes is fun for something different, Place Monge for something charming and Bastille for sheer size. Just make sure you go. Few market streets are really destinations, so go to the ones nearby.
My favorite open-air market is the one on the Avenue du Président Wilson (Métro Iéna or Alma-Marceau), in the wealthy 16th arrondissement, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The market at the Bastille, on Boulevard Richard Lenoir (Métro Bastille or Bréguet-Sabin), open on Thursdays and Sundays, is enormous, but the quality of the produce on offer varies tremendously. I also like the Place des Fêtes, (Métro Place des Fêtes) open Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings, in the far-off 19th, where the varied quality mirrors the transitional nature of the gentrifying neighborhood. The Auteuil market on Place Jean-Lorrain (Métro Michel-Ange Auteuil), in a pretty snazzy part of the 16th, is small but good, and a walk around the neighborhood uncovers some interesting architecture from the early 20th century; it's open Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The best organic market is on the Boulevard Raspail in the 6th (Métro Raspail) on Sunday mornings, although the other markets have numerous stands selling organic produce.
My nearest market street, which is a good one, is rue de Lévis, in the very residential 17th (start at Métro Villiers). Other good ones are
- rue Cler, in the chic 7th (Métro École Militaire)
- rue Mouffetard, in the 5th (Métro Monge)(go on Wednesday, Friday or Sunday morning, when the Monge market is open)
- rue Poncelet (Métro Ternes), in the 17th (go to the nearby Maison Pou (16 avenue des Ternes) for some of Paris' best terrines, foie gras, etc.)
- rue de Buci, in the 6th (Métro Odéon)
CHEESE
Three- or Five-Day Visit
There are an infinite number of excellent cheese shops in Paris. The problem is that you can't legally bring cheese into the United States, so there's not much point in buying a lot, although a picnic lunch can be really fun if the weather is good. Nevertheless, it's worth going to the ones listed below and enjoying the cheese counters at La Grande Épicerie and Lafayette Gourmet.
Barthélémy. This famous cheese shop in the chic Seventh deserves its reputation. Notable camembert and vacherin, among so many others. 51 rue de Grenelle (Métro Rue du Bac), 7th.
Alléosse is a lovely cheese shop on a small but good market street. All cheeses are good, but especially the 30-50 varieties of chèvre on view every day. 13 rue Poncelet (Métro Ternes), 17th.
Androuet has been among the best affineurs in Paris for 101 years. Everything is reliable and they vacuum pack for travelers. There are multiple locations so consult their website for the nearest one.
Dubois et Fils. I love this shop, which is quite a walk for me but worth it. They have two private label camemberts, mild (not really) and strong (really!), as well as a great selection of hard cheeses like beaufort and salers. They also have wonderful tête de moine that they will shave freshly on request. 80 rue de Tocqueville (Métro Wagram or Villiers), 17th.
CHOCOLATES
Three- or Five-Day Visit
Parisians are chocolate-crazed, so there is an amazing number and variety of chocolatiers in Paris. A visitor who is a real chocoholic could spend most of three (or indeed five) days eating and drinking chocolate. I will only hit some of the highlights.
Pierre Marcolini is a superstar Belgian chocolatier who sells his amazing (and expensive) chocolates on Park Avenue as well as Paris and elsewhere. So I really don't bother to go there unless I am in the neighborhood. It is a convenient neighborhood, though, so this is not so rare. 89 rue de Seine (Métro Odéon), 6th.
Jean-Paul Hévin is another superstar, located in an equally fancy area, near the spectacular Place Vendôme and the Louvre. I don't really love his chocolates, but there is a nice tea room above the store where you can sample the beautiful pastries on offer on the ground floor. 231 rue St-Honoré (Métro Tuileries), 1st.
Maison du Chocolat makes wonderful chocolate, but it is so readily available in New York that I don't bother to go to any of the numerous Paris stores. But then I am not a chocoholic.
Patrice Chapon is conveniently located on the rue du Bac, a stone's throw from Barthélémy, Pâtisserie des Rêves and Dalloyau's left bank branch. I am not wild about their award-winning chocolates, but they are highly respected.
But my favorite is the not-famous La Petite Rose, which makes an array of classic chocolates. The best are the dark mendiants, rochers and chocolate-covered orange peels, which border on the bitter but manage to stay just on the right side. See above under "Pâtisseries."
You can find hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) everywhere in Paris, but the good stuff is best found at tea salons. And the best of the best, I am told, is at Angelina. Their mix, which may be found at the salon and also at La Grande Épicerie, makes a great gift. 226 rue de Rivoli (Métro Tuileries), 1st. NOTE: This is the only place mentioned in this post that I have not been to myself - it's just too touristy. So I am relying on the virtually unanimous accolades Angelina receives from chocolate lovers everywhere.
ICE CREAM AND SORBET
Three- or Five-Day Visit
Berthillon, Berthillon, Berthillon. Established on the Île St-Louis, this is the place for sorbets and ice cream. The textures are perfect and the array of tastes, which change with the seasons, brilliant. The cacao amer sorbet is a must, but for the other scoop(s), you can choose among pain d"épice spices, real fraises des bois, other exotic fruits and the more mundane nuts, spices, and fruits. The main store is nearly never open - they take August off, which is pretty amazing for an ice cream store - but their products are available through other stores, mostly on the Île. Stores selling Berthillon products are not shy about it, so you will know when you find it. 29-31 rue St-Louis en l'Île (Métro Pont Marie), 4th.
There are other good ice creams, sorbets and gelati in Paris, but I would not go out of my way for any of them. You are on your own. But Reader, please don't waste an opportunity to discover something new in Paris by going to Haagen-Dazs.
FOOD STORES
Three-Day Visit
Depending on where you are staying, go to one of La Grande Épicerie or Lafayette Gourmet, and do get to the Place de la Madeleine for the group consisting of Hediard, Fauchon and Mariage Frères. Maison de la Truffe and Caviar Kaspia, which specialize in what you'd expect from their names, are just next to Hediard.
Five-Day Visit
Add Goumanyat and at least one of the other stores to the Three-Day Visit musts and, if possible, get to the other department store.
La Grande Épicerie, the stand-alone annex of Bon Marché, is one of the great food stores in the world. The selection of luxurious foods from France and around the globe, though not huge, is extremely choice, and their own pastries, breads, cheeses and charcuterie are of top quality. There is also a big selection of wines and spirits. I often spend an hour or more just looking, and end up picking up terrines, spices, nut oils and chocolate bars to bring home as gifts for friends or for myself. 38 rue de Sèvres (Métro Sèvres-Babylone), 7th.
Lafayette Gourmet, the food store of Galeries Lafayette, is also excellent, but not quite as good as La Grande Épicerie where they overlap. But they have counters from Dalloyau, Eric Kayser (one of Paris' best bakers) and Sadaharu Aoki, and stands selling beautiful and appetizing Moroccan and Chinese/Thai prepared foods, so this is an excellent place to buy food to heat up for dinner. The excellent wine store is in a separate but contiguous space. 50 boulevard Haussman (Métro Havre-Caumartin or Chausée d'Antin), 9th.
Hediard is a general luxury food store selling the world's best pâtes de fruit and spectacular looking fruits glacés (which I have never tried), teas, coffees, wines, jams, etc., beautifully displayed. A good place to buy gifts, especially the compact pâtes de fruit. 21 Place de la Madeleine (Métro Madeleine), 8th.
Fauchon is not what is used to be, but it still has a big selection of fine luxury food items, and offers inviting pastries and light food that can be consumed in the store. 26, place de la Madeleine (Métro Madeleine), 8th.
Goumanyat is a super spice store near the still unfashionable République and the now très chic covered Marché des Enfants Rouges. This is the relatively new retail outlet of Jm Thiercelin, a 6th- or 7th generation spice manufacturer (founded 1809) located in Melun, not far from Paris. This company actually makes the spices, with raw materials obtained throughout the world. The have a huge assortment of peppers, oils and proprietary spice blends. A wonderful place for gifts for foodie friends who cook. 3 rue Charles-Francois Dupuis (Métro République), 3rd.
G. Detou primarily sells products in bulk to baking professionals, but also sells to the retail public. It is a lot of fun to visit. In addition to the professional stuff, including kilo bars of Valrhona chocolate, they have a nice selection of oils, jams, chocolates and other gourmet products. Worth a visit when you go to Dehillerin or M.O.R.A. 58 rue Tiquetonne (Métro Étienne Marcel or Sentier), 2nd.
Mariage Frères is one of the great tea purveyors in the world. My wife always keeps the Mahé and the Earl Grey French Blue in stock, but she has enjoyed many other MF teas. Probably the most amazing part of their selection is the dazzling variety of Darjeelings, which are prominently displayed throughout the stores. All but the Madeleine store also include elegant tea salons, where you can taste any of MF's teas as an element of a (generally quite good) meal or light collation. Each store also sells an array of expensive tea pots and utensils. 17 place de la Madeleine (Métro Madeleine), 8th; 260 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré (Métro Ternes) 8th; 13 rue des Grands-Augustins (6ème); 30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg (Métro Hôtel de Ville), 4th.
La Cure Gourmande is a wonderful candy store, which is headquartered in Balaruc-les-Bains (near Montpellier). It recently opened a branch near the Opéra. The shop is very attractive, as are the goods they sell, most notably the hard candies (berlindises) and spectacular lollipops ("Choupettes"), as well as cookies, chocolates and calissons (a kind of dense almond cookie). Most things are available in bulk but also are offered in charming decorated tins that make perfect gifts. 49 avenue de l'Opera (Metro Opéra), 9th, and multiple other locations (check on line).
COOKING EQUIPMENT
Three- or Five-Day Visit
Get to all these places, which are close together (and near G. Detou).
E. Dehillerin is renowned as the best kitchenware store in Paris and one of the best in the world. Personally, I find it obnoxious. Prices are not posted, and when you get help they are quoted H.T. (hors taxe, without the VAT); in any event the prices are comparable to everyone else's. BUT . . . it is clearly the best place in the world to buy their proprietary label copper pots and pans at reasonable prices. I have a number, and have given many as engagement or other gifts; they are always well-received. Apart from copper pots, though, most everything they have is now available in New York at comparable prices. 18 rue Coquillère (Métro Étienne Marcel or Les Halles), 1st.
M.O.R.A., just up the street from Dehillerin, is another equipment store that caters to professionals and retail customers alike. Clearly the focus here is on baking nad chocolate making at the professional level. Their stock is better presented and organized than at Dehillerin, prices are marked, and it's a fun place to browse. 36 rue Montmartre (Métro Étienne Marcel), 1st.
A. Simon, which sells restaurant grade dinnerware and some kitchen equipment, is just a minute away from M.O.R.A. Worth a visit. 48 rue Montmartre (Métro Étienne Marcel), 1st.
La Bovida is just across the street from M.O.R.A. I am not sure what purpose it serves, but if you're in the neighborhood, it won't hurt to spend five minutes there. 48 rue Montmartre (Métro Étienne Marcel), 2nd.
Duthilleuil sells uniforms for people in the food business - cooks, waiters, sommeliers, etc. It's fun to browse there, and I have found very high quality linen aprons and kitchen towels, both for my own use and as gifts. 14 rue de Turbigo (Métro Étienne Marcel), 1st.
There are also excellent kitchen equipment and houseware departments at Lafayette Maison, just across from Lafayette Gourmet, 40 boulevard Haussman (MétroChausée d'Antin), 9th, and the justly famous Bazaar de l'Hôtel de Ville (BHV) department store, 52-64 rue de Rivoli (Métro Hôtel de Ville), 4th.
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So there you have it: my thoughts on what to do if you have a few days in Paris and want to steep yourself in its rich food culture and tradition. Enjoy!
Bobby Jay
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