Month: January 2019

Top 3 Things to Do in February in Paris

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a food tour – there are certain Paris must-sees that never change. But the French capital is also home to a thriving, ever-changing scene of exhibits, concerts, and more! Here are the three things we’re most excited about this month.

1. Trying a New Michelin-Starred Restaurant

The new Michelin guide was published in January, and with 18 new one-star and two new two-star restaurants in the capital, there are more than a handful of places we’d love to try (and a few, like Frenchie and Racines, that we’d love to go back to!) While dining at a Michelin-starred establishment can certainly be an investment, it’s also an experience that’s well worth the heftier bill. A bit of local advice? Try going at lunch, when the check won’t be quite as pricey but the food will be just as delicious.

2. Seeing a Street Art Train

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On February 2nd, an art installation that has already seen success in Poland, Austria, and Germany will be coming to Paris – to Gare de l’Est, to be precise. The graffitied train is the longest mobile street art piece ever created and will be hanging out on Parisian tracks all day on Saturday. With two new cars tagged by local street artists, this installation is intended to draw attention to transportation’s effect on the climate.

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3. Immersing Yourself in Van Gogh

Following the enormous success of the Atelier des Lumières’ Klimt exhibit, the immersive space is inviting France’s favorite Dutchman, Vincent Van Gogh, to be its next star. Beginning on February 22, Van Gogh’s most famous paintings will be accompanied by sound and light installations for a 35-minute immersive experience that promises to be something very special.

Gain skip-the-line access to this and other exhibits as part of our no-stress turn-key trips!

Top 3 Places to Warm Up in France

While the song claims that Paris is still lovable in the winter drizzle, sometimes, you just want to get warm! Luckily, even if you’re based in Paris, there are a number of spots in France you can go to get a little bit warmer this winter. Here are three of our favorites.

1. Bordeaux

Ever since the TGV line from Paris to Bordeaux launched in 2017, this southwestern wine region is just over three hours away from the French capital. Bordeaux often boasts better wintertime weather than Paris, and tasting some delicious grand crus will warm you up in no time.

2. Savoie

On the French border with Switzerland, you’ll find Savoie, home to snow-crested peaks and tons of winter ski bunnies. While Savoie is quite a bit colder than Paris, there’s nothing to assuage the winter chill better than a cozy chalet with a roaring fire (and a bubbling pot of fondue!)

3. Normandy

Those familiar with the Normandy coast may be scratching their heads at this suggestion: after all, Normandy is renowned for its rain! But just a few hours from Paris, Normandy is home to quite a few world-class spas, including the thermal springs of Bagnoles-de-l’Orne. It may be drizzly outside, but you’ll be pampered inside!

Top image by Ezra Comeau-Jeffrey on Unsplash

Decoding Café Menus (Or, Why You Should Never Order a Café Au Lait!)

Visiting a Parisian café is a time-honored tradition, but Americans may be surprised that it’s not as simple as ordering just a “coffee.” There are many different options on a café’s menu, and things can quickly get confusing. Luckily, we’re here to help!

The Simple: Le Café

The most basic option on any café menu is un café. While the term directly translates to “a coffee,” Americans might know it better as “an espresso.” Short, dark, and bitter, le café is the cheapest item on most café menus, usually costing about 2 euro at most Parisian cafés.

Your typical café can be modified in a few ways:

  • Un serré – literally, a “tight” (coffee), is a shorter espresso. It will be richer and darker than your run-of-the-mill café.
  • Un allongé – literally, a “long” (coffee), is a longer espresso. It will be slightly weaker than most French coffees. Cafés will either serve this to you as is or, sometimes, as a regular coffee with a pitcher of hot water, so that you can dilute your coffee as you like.
  • Un américain – literally, an “American,” is an even longer coffee, similar to an Americano.

Level Two: Milk

Coffee with milk is traditionally a breakfast item in France, and while most Americans are keen to order a café au lait, you’ll only find this option on the most touristy of menus. Here are your choices if you’d like a touch of milk:

  • Un noisette – literally, a “hazelnut,” has no nuts added! It’s an espresso with a dollop of foamed milk, similar to a macchiato. It’s also the only milky coffee that most French people would consider drinking past breakfast.
  • Un crème – literally, a “cream,” is what most people are thinking of when they order a café au lait. Similar to a latte, a crème is made by topping espresso with steamed milk and a touch of foam. Most cafés will offer both a grand crème (with more milk) and a petit crème (with less milk).

Cappuccino, Filter, Flat White, Oh My!

Expats have been present on Paris’ coffee scene for a number of years now, so it’s not uncommon to find coffee shops and coffee houses offering Italian, American, or Australian coffee specialties like cappuccinos, filter coffee, or flat whites. You’ll rarely see any of these options in a typical French café.

Sit, Stand, or Go?

Most Americans are used to grabbing their coffee to go, but this mindset has not really been adopted by the French, who far prefer to sit and enjoy their coffee for an hour (or two!) If you want a really French experience, linger over your coffee. You won’t be given the side-eye by your waiter, and you can stay as long as you like!

If you need a faster jolt, consider the time-honored Parisian tradition of enjoying your coffee au zinc: at the bar. If you stand and order your coffee at the bar instead of pulling up a chair, you’ll usually pay even less!

If, however, you need to drink and run, there are a few places you can grab a to go coffee. Starbucks has infiltrated the city, but many bakeries also offer coffee in to go cups. You’ll also find coffee machines in all of the train stations and some major metro stops where you can have your coffee à emporter – to go!

fondue

3 Best Cheese Pulls in Paris

We know we’re not the only ones who love a good cheese pull. As the weather gets cooler, the French are digging into their favorite après-ski dishes: raclette, fondue, and aligot. And we know where to get the best of all three.

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1. Fondue

Fondue is classic wintertime fare in France and Switzerland. A bubbling pot of melted cheese thinned with a touch of wine or kirsch is set in the middle of the table, and diners dip bits of slightly stale bread into the vat to enjoy.

Most fondue joints make both this cheese fondue, known as fondue savoyarde, as well as a meatier version from Burgundy that calls for cubes of meat to be plunged into a simmering pot of oil or broth and then dipped in a variety of sauces. These classics are both on offer at Pain, Vin, Fromages, which also offers some unique spins including a Camembert fondue – not for the faint of heart!

Pain, Vin, Fromages – 3 Rue Geoffroy l’Angevin, 75004

2. Raclette

Raclette’s name comes from the verb racler, meaning “to scrape.” To enjoy it, a half-wheel of eponymous raclette cheese is placed over a hot plate, and diners periodically scrape the melted cheese onto plates of potatoes, pickles, and ham. It’s an experience as much as it is a meal, and as far as we’re concerned, there’s nowhere better to enjoy it than Chalet Savoyard. Not only is the restaurant decked out just like a traditional chalet, but the menu boasts a host of different cheese and charcuterie options, like smoked cheese or truffled ham.

Chalet Savoyard – 58 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris

3. Aligot

Two comfort food classics meet in the Cantal with aligot, a combination of mashed potatoes and decadent melted cheese. Aligot is a side dish on offer with most of the mains at Le Plomb du Cantal, where it’s made to order in a copper pot and served tableside so you can really enjoy the cheese pull before digging in!

Le Plomb du Cantal – 3 Rue de la Gaité, 75014

Top Photo by angela pham on UnsplashC