Month: May 2018

paris bistro

Top 5 Restaurants in Paris Open on Mondays

Visitors to Paris are often surprised to learn that much of the city shutters on Sunday: banks, shops, even supermarkets. But what’s even more surprising is that Parisian restaurants tend to be closed, not on Sundays, but on Mondays. Since so many folks dine out on the weekend, Monday is a well-earned day off for restaurant staff.

Luckily, that doesn’t mean you need to go hungry! A host of Paris restaurants remain open on Mondays; here are just a handful of our favorites.

1. Café Constant

This classic French restaurant not far from the Eiffel Tower is home to one of the most reasonable prix fixe menus in the city. 36 euro will get you appetizer, main, and dessert, each exquisite (and most influenced by Chef Christian Constant’s Southwestern French background).

Café Constant -139 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007

2. La Bourse et La Vie

This restaurant near Paris’ stock market is the prime example of a neo-bistro, featuring classic French dishes dressed up with a modern flair. Chef Daniel Rose’s pot au feu is famous, and his gougères, served with apéritif, are worth the trip alone.

La Bourse et la Vie – 12 Rue Vivienne, 75002

3. Racines

Within the Passage des Panoramas lies this little natural wine bar, just as focused on food as on vino. With a Sardinian chef at the helm, Racines offers the perfect blend of French and Italian sensibilities.

Racines – 8 Passage des Panoramas, 75002

4. Café des Musées

This typical brasserie has long been a local haunt in the Marais. Their beef bourguignon is one of the best in the capital, and their unique play on escargots, served here in mushroom caps, is the perfect appetizer to share.

Café des Musées – 49 Rue de Turenne, 75003

5. Le relais de l’Entrecôte

This staple of Paris dining serves only one thing: entrecôte steak with a secret sauce. With a frisée and walnut salad appetizer and your choice of dessert, it takes all of the guesswork out of a delicious meal out.

Le Relais de l’Entrecôte – 15 Rue Marbeuf, 75008

Did we leave out one of our favorites? Let us know on Facebook!

giverny

3 Easy Day Trips from Paris via Train

There’s enough to see in Paris to keep you busy for a lifetime – both of your Paris Uncovered guides have been based here for years and still have tons of exploring left to do! But as the weather grows nicer, you may be on the lookout for a way to take in a different – greener – side of France, and that’s when it’s time to head to your closest train station: here are three of our all-time favorite easy day trips from Paris.

1. Giverny

Fans of Claude Monet’s Impressionist paintings shouldn’t miss a trip to his home in Normandy. The house displays a host of Monet’s works, but still more are evoked as you wander through the garden, complete with the water lilies, green rowboat, and Japanese bridge that featured so frequently in Monet’s paintings.

To get there, take the train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon. Buses shuttle passengers from the train station to the small town of Giverny, where you can spend the day wandering and soaking up Monet’s inspiration.

2. Fontainebleau

For a breath of fresh air, take the train to Fontainebleau, home to the château of the same name. Here, you’ll discover Marie Antoinette’s Turkish boudoir as well as a museum devoted to Napoleon. The ornamental gardens are exquisite, and those looking for something a bit more rustic will love tramping through the forest, known to locals as one of the prime bouldering spots in the region.

To get there, grab a train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon station.

3. Chartres

To the southwest, Chartres is home to yet another Notre-Dame that is, if possible, even more impressive than the cathedral of the same name in Paris. The Gothic marvel was completed in 1220 and features two exquisite spires and distinctive blue-tinted stained glass.

Make a day of it, and wander the charming medieval village of Chartres before hopping back on a train to Paris in time for dinner.

To get there, board a Chartres-bound train from Montparnasse.

Insider’s Tip! While you can usually purchase tickets just before you head out to any one of these destinations, if you don’t want to risk disappointment, stop by any station or SNCF shop in Paris a few days before, or purchase your ticket online on the SNCF website!

croissant

Top 5 Viennoiseries in Paris

Perhaps one of the most famous French pastries is the croissant, but this beloved flaky wonder isn’t actually considered a pastry at all, by the French! Instead, it’s part of a category known as viennoiseries (named after Vienna – the city where the very first proto-croissant was born). These “pastries” are less sweet than the French desserts like éclairs and tartes that more frequently sport the name pâtisserie. Whereas pâtisseries are eaten at the end of a meal, viennoiseries actually make the perfect special occasion breakfast!

To get to know even more about this unique category of French baked goods, here are some of our faves in the city.

1. Top Pain au Chocolat – Blé Sucré

What Anglophones know as a “chocolate croissant” is dubbed either a pain au chocolat or a chocolatine in France. The one from Blé Sucré is unparalleled in its flakiness!

Blé Sucré – 7 Rue Antoine Vollon, 75012

2. Top Croissant aux Amandes – Vandermeersch

The almond croissant at Vandermeersch boasts the best ratio of flaky pastry and sweet almond filling we’ve found anywhere. Add to this that the bakery is co-owned by macaron master Pierre Hermé, and it’s no surprise that the details are spot-on.

Vandermeersch – 278 Avenue Daumesnil, 75012

3. Top Escargot – Du Pain et Des Idées

An escargot, in this case, doesn’t refer to a snail stuffed in butter, but rather to the viennoiserie more often sold as a pain aux raisins. The most traditional version of this baked good is made by spreading pastry cream over the same dough used to make a croissant, scattering it with rum soaked raisins, and rolling it up so that snail shell-shaped pastries can be cut. But Du Pain et Des Idées takes it a step further, with flavors like chocolate-pistachio, nougat, or even berry-cream cheese. The pastry itself is a dream – rich, buttery, and flaky. You can’t go wrong, here!

Du Pain et des Idées – 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010

4. Top Chausson aux Pommes – Poilâne

Directly translated as an “apple slipper,” a chausson aux pommes is a puff pastry filled with an apple surprise. This master of the miche country-style loaf makes his chaussons a bit differently than most, with whole chunks of apple in place of the apple compote that’s usually used.

Poilâne – 8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006

5. Top Croissant au beurre – Cyril Lignac

You wouldn’t think it, in Paris, but some croissants are actually made with margarine! Of course, that’s not the case for Cyril Lignac’s butter croissant or croissant au beurre: in fact, you can really taste the exquisite butter when you bite into this rich, flaky pastry. Get it while it’s hot, and this croissant will literally melt in your mouth.

La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac – 24 Rue Paul Bert, 75011

What’s your favorite viennoiserie in Paris? Share with us in the comments or on Facebook!