Be sure to check what's new at WorldPhotoAdventure.com for unique photo tours and itineraries
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Breathtaking dance performances
Ends December 31, 2024
Entre Chiens et Louves
Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
24 rue de Sèvres 75007
JACKSON POLLOCK
The Early Years (1934-1947)
Picasso Museum
Ends January 19, 2025
Trompe your oeil at this eye-catching exhibition. Musée Marmatton Monet
TROMPE L'OEIL
From 1520 to the Present Day.
Ends March 2, 2025
Each night the magnificent Church of Saint-Sulpice is transformed into a breathtaking sound, light and theater experience, with French history in the spotlight from 1640 until the Revolution
Église Saint-Sulpice
2 rue Palatine 75006
Ends November 23, 2024
(Performance in French - 1hour 1/2)
Made In France - Fabriqué en France:
A unique exhibition traces the history of textiles in France with a remarkable collection of fabrics, from the modest to the luxurious.
Archives Nationales - Hotel de Soubise
60 rue des Francs Bourgeois 75003
Ends January 27, 2025
- ALL WEEKEND -
LA VILLAGE EN FÊTE
Ends Sunday October 13, 2024
- Trajectoire du Rêve -
Centre Georges Pompidou
Ends January 13, 2025
From Anvers aux Abbesses
101 Artistes - 63 Ateliers
PORTES OUVERTES 2024
Friday November 15 - Monday November 18, 2024
- Montmartre opens its doors -
18th and 9th arrondissements
PARIS FASHION WEEK
September 23 to October 1, 2024
Ends January 5, 2025
Musée Jacquemart-André
PARIS DESIGN WEEK
2024
Ends Saturday September 14
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Summer Olympics 2024
Paris
Ends Sunday August 11
Fascinating look at the history of Paris including its origins as Lutèce
during the time of the Romans and reaching all the way back to
prehistory, as told by the river Seine.
Archaeological Crypt of the île de la Cité
(Parvis Notre-Dame Cathedral/Place Jean-Paul II)
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Exhibition:
MUSÉE D'ORSAY
Paris 1874: The invention of Impressionism
(Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley)
Tickets for the Exhibition
Ends July 14, 2024
IRIS VAN HERPEN - Sculpting the Senses
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Ends April 28, 2024
My First Easter EggCreate chocolate Easter eggs w/your child /
grandchild in Paris
Saturday March 30, 2024 - 2 1/2 hrs
Last days: MARK ROTHKO
Retrospective
Fondation Louis Vuitton
Ends April 2, 2024
Exhibition:
Aux Beaux Carrés: Travaux In Situ
Daniel Buren
Ends February 18, 2024
Théophile Steinlen (1859 - 1923)
The Centenary Exhibition
Renoir Gardens / Café Renoir / Atelier Suzanne Valadon / permanent exhibition
12 rue Cortot 75018
Ends February 11, 2024
Current: HEY! CÉRAMIQUE.S
Halle Saint Pierre, Montmartre
2 rue Ronsard 75018
Ends August 14, 2024
Christmas In Paris: What's On Best things to do - Paris Discovery Guide
Christmas Concerts Paris / Île-de-France
2023
2023 Christmas markets in Paris
- Something for everyone -
Best Christmas Markets 2023
Carte Noire Nommée Désir
Sensational afro-feminist multi-performance
Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe
L'Atelier Berthier
L'Atelier Berthier
1 rue André Suares 75017
November 28 - December 17
- ALL WEEKEND -
LA VILLAGE EN FÊTE
Montmartre's annual grape harvest festival
October 11 - 15
Engravings by the great masters of printmaking:
Rembrandt, Dürer, Callot, Toulouse-Lautrec, Goya, more
Le Petit Palais
Avenue Winston Churchill 75008
Ends January 14, 2024
An open-air contemporary art exhibition
Esplanade de La Defense
LES EXTATIQUES 2023 - L'art au grand air
Exhibition: Philippe Starck: Paris est pataphysique
Musée Carnavalet
Ends August 27, 2023
Ends September 3, 2023
Saturday / Sunday
June 24 - 25, 2023
PLACE DES ABBESSES
Marc Chagall - Paris / New York
Paul Klee - Convergence
Ends January 2024
March 19 - 20, 2023
(see blog for details)
Tati re-opens its doors
to street art
Ends February 16, 2023
entrée libre
The traditional Paris parade
is organized on Sunday 29 January, departure between 1 and 2 pm in the streets of the 13th arrondissement
between Avenue de Choisy, Porte de Choisy and Avenue d'Ivry. Music, costumes, cymbals, drums, scary tigers and colorful dragons. And for lunch, Asian restaurants abound.
Photo: enchanting small Marché de Noël across the river from Notre Dame Cathedral, still under construction
Square René-Viviani
A fashion extravaganza. A feast for the eyes.
Elsa Schiaparelli
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Ends January 22, 2023
Worth the trip:
Halloween in medieval Belcastel -
one of the most beautiful villages in France
October 28 - 31, 2022
The exquisite Dior Exhibition:
A mustn't-miss during upcoming Fashion Week
SOLDES d'été 2022
Paris' long-awaited summer sales end July 19
Current: HEY! Le Dessin
Group exhibition - Ends December 31, 2022
Halle Saint Pierre, Montmartre
2 rue Ronsard 75018
Photo: trapped in an iron neck brace unable to speak or eat (2019 exhibition)
Another sublime exhibition (click photo to enlarge)
Ends January 1, 2023
An enormous event featuring wines and spirits from every region of France. Tastings, discounted wines, animations, special exhibitions, industry newbies and news....
2800 exhibitors
WINE PARIS & VINEXPO PARIS 2022
February 14 - 16
Porte de Versailles
Holiday outing:
Patricia Cunha's umbrella sky at Bercy Village.
Til January 16, 2022
"Changer l"Eau des Fleurs" - A beautiful adaptation of Valérie Perrin's "Fresh Water for
Flowers" sure to warm hearts over the holidays. In French at Théâtre Lepic, 1 Avenue Junot 75018
A mind-boggling collection of Thierry Mugler's designs at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Ends April 24, 2022
Wrap artists
Once-in-a-lifetime: Arc de Triomphe enveloped in fabric, vision of late artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Ends October 3, 2021
Exhibition: Surrealism, meet Art Nouveau....
Salvador Dalí
Antoni Gaudí
L'Atelier des Lumières - Ends January 2, 2022
Photographs
Cartier-Bresson at Musée Carnavalet
Ends October 31, 2021
On May 19, 2021, some of the restrictions that have been put in place will be lifted. See May 18, 2021 post, "Getting ready."
In France, the holiday season isn't officially over until the last day of January. Until then feel free to indulge in galettes des rois and send out cartes de voeux to your heart's desire.
(click photo to enlarge)
Once again the City of Paris has set up a Christmas village with a mini-Christmas market, festivities and entertainment in front of the Hôtel de Ville.
Ends January 3, 2021
.
Novenber 23, 2020
NOUVEAU BEAUJOLAIS
Still time to grab a bottle (or 3) at this charming Montmartre épicerie:
Maison des Épicureans
46 rue Lamarck 75018
Monet's Giverny closed until April 1, 2021
Dans les Têtes de Stéphane Blanquet
Halle Saint-Pierre
2 rue Ronsard 75018 Paris
Until July 30, 2021
***
Newsletters sent monthly to private subscribers only.
Below: sample synopses from previous issues
July 2020
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June 2020
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May 2020
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April 2020
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March 2020
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February 2020
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January 2020
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The last month of the year's newsletter kicks off with my pick of 2019's Paris Christmas markets… Plus: whether you live in the City of Light or are visiting over these holidays and just looking? 4 don’t-miss art / photography exhibitions that will leave you speechless. Plus: bistrot-hopping during Fashion Week: my Complete List; where we went, what we ate/drank. En plus… Noël Noël: more inspiring photos from Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, enchanted castle (and filmset to over 80 films), decked out for Christmas for a magical family outing. Finally: holiday shopping - the unusual, the unique; fantastical baubles and bulbs for the tree. Wishing one/all the Happiest of Holidays, and see you in the New Year! BPJ
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November 2019
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October 2019
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September 2019
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August 2019
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July 2019
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June 2019
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May 2019
Eataly Paris arrived with a bang: a peek inside the pre (press) opening gala, with tastings and demos galore. Plus…Claude Monet didn’t want to be anywhere else, and neither will you: lose yourself among thousands of tulips at Giverny... And speaking of tulips… 3 hours (or less) from Paris: Amsterdam revisited: its canals, its bridges and yes, its food (not just dutch pancakes and split pea soup!); restaurants, "brown bars," exhibits, where to rent a bicycle, using the trams. Photo: inside the Amsterdam Royal Palace. BPJ***
April 2019
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March 2019
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February 2019
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January 2019
December 2018
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November 2018
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October 2018
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September 2018
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August 2018
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July 2018
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June 2018
Thanks to a non-stop stream of visitors last month turned into a fooding extravaganza. In this month's newsletter: Vietnam in Paris - where to eat (2 favorites are in my "hood," Montmartre); what to order. Plus... Michelin on my mind (and plate!): 3 mouth-watering reviews of 3 shining stars. Plus: Vive les truffes! An older French woman once told me, “Truffles are a bit like the female orgasm. If you’ve never experienced it, you don't miss it.” Four don’t-miss addresses (click photos to enlarge). BPJ
***
May 2018
Update 5/14/2017: more Tangiers photos / travel tips mailed out today
I believe in manicures.... Audrey Hepburn
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April 2018
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March 2018
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February 2018
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January 2018
My favorite Paris coffee shops; 3 Hours (or Less) From Paris: seductive Andalucia, los pueblos blancos, in photos; holidays past, French style; looking back: 20 most viewed photos 2017. Plus: more great "Mothers and Daughters" news!! [or, Unexpected Gift: looks like M&D is about to get yet another wind since its 5/2016 release and brought to the attention of many more :)] BPJ
There's no such thing as bad publicity.
Phineas T. Barnum
The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
Oscar Wilde
All success begins in scandal.
Salvador Dali
....
***
December 2017
Paris passages: Lose yourself in the charming precursors of today’s shopping malls from the 18th and 19th centuries and experience the Belle Époque. Plus: A Night at the Opera, Men In Tutus, Thanksgivings past... (Photo: inside hilltop village Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, Burgundy) BPJ
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November 2017
Autumn in Paris; fall Fashion Week in retrospect; Halloween French style; toujours chic: the Café de Flore; FocusOnParis.com's top 10 most viewed photographs.
Special for Photography Month: A magical photo trip thru Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon and Colorado National Monument (scenic Rim Rock Drive, more), with travel tips.
On photography: Years ago one of my brothers and his
family came to stay with me in Cadaqués, Spain, where I was living, for the holidays. Driving from the Figueres train station where I'd picked them up he insisted we
stop the car halfway over the mountain so he could take
what must have been dozens of photos, incredulous at the
turquoise blue of the Mediterranean, a color he'd seen only in post cards. That's
how I felt in Monument Valley (iphone photo taken from our hotel room balcony - click to enlarge): true colors; no touch-ups necessary. Special thanks to sponsor WPA. BPJ
***
October 2017
Stupéfiant: More photos from my press trip to Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s boot just a 2-1/2-hour flight from Paris, with tips on when to go, where to stay and eat, getting around, more. And... Star-studded Special Awards & Thanks “Mothers and Daughters” Dinner (French chef; private home Beverly Hills). Plus: “I love Paris in the Fall” fashion update. BPJ
Update 10/11/2017: New York Times Travel - Matera
***
September 2017
Next stop Pigalle: Don’t let Pigalle’s naughty reputation stop you from
visiting this up/coming quartier’s cocktail bar sensations like Lulu White. Plus… Retrospectives and introspection: if you missed Olga Picasso, there's still Hockney, Derain, Balthus, Giacometti, Christian Dior, Anselm Kiefer, more.... It's la rentrée and Paris is pulsing with art. Finally:
Deadline Hollywood: British director Paul Duddridge and principal producer
Danielle James (yes that Danielle James, my Spain/London/Paris-raised
offspring...) release their first trailer of "Together" starring two of the U.K.'s best-loved actors, Peter Bowles and Sylvia Syms. Filmed in
London. BPJ
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August 2017
3 Hours (or Less) From Paris: London
Doctor Faustus was a good man,
He whipped his scholars now and then;
When he whipped them he made them dance
Out of England into France.... English nursery rhyme
Gare du Nord central Paris into St. Pancras station central London is just 2 1/2 hours by Eurostar. Paris in London; an afternoon tea; style on the High Street; drinks at 7?.... Plus: Paris in August. BPJ
***
July 22, 2017
Tour de France - More than 2,000 miles and three weeks of pedaling end tomorrow Sunday July 23rd as the final leg of the world's most famous bicycle race takes place on the Champs-Élysées, with Le Big Finish at Place de la Concorde. Find a spot along the way!
July 20, 2017
Rob:
All love, condolences and strength to you sweet friend, and to your
family and fellow band-mates. R.I.P. Chester Bennington.
Barbara and Frédéric
Photo: with Rob Bourdon, Linkin Park, in Paris
***
July 2017
Look at me....
Pamper yourself at a trendy Montmarte gourmet teas and coffees shop. Uplift the senses at a luxury rooftop spa. Plus: Post-Mother's Day 2017... Exciting "Mothers and Daughters" film news! BPJ
***
June 2017
Don't forget to download June newsletter (mailed out 6/15) loaded with even more photos of our latest jaunt to Greece. Plus: From Aunt Maria's Kitchen... Timeless recipes as taught to me by my Italian aunt when Frédéric and I stayed with her in Rome, now re-created (and filmed!) in a French chef friend's beautiful Paris atelier. BPJ
The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
Oscar Wilde
All success begins in scandal.
Salvador Dali
....
***
December 2017
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November 2017
Special for Photography Month: A magical photo trip thru Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon and Colorado National Monument (scenic Rim Rock Drive, more), with travel tips.
***
October 2017
Update 10/11/2017: New York Times Travel - Matera
***
September 2017
***
August 2017
Doctor Faustus was a good man,
He whipped his scholars now and then;
When he whipped them he made them dance
Out of England into France.... English nursery rhyme
Gare du Nord central Paris into St. Pancras station central London is just 2 1/2 hours by Eurostar. Paris in London; an afternoon tea; style on the High Street; drinks at 7?.... Plus: Paris in August. BPJ
***
July 22, 2017
Tour de France - More than 2,000 miles and three weeks of pedaling end tomorrow Sunday July 23rd as the final leg of the world's most famous bicycle race takes place on the Champs-Élysées, with Le Big Finish at Place de la Concorde. Find a spot along the way!
July 20, 2017
Barbara and Frédéric
Photo: with Rob Bourdon, Linkin Park, in Paris
***
July 2017
Pamper yourself at a trendy Montmarte gourmet teas and coffees shop. Uplift the senses at a luxury rooftop spa. Plus: Post-Mother's Day 2017... Exciting "Mothers and Daughters" film news! BPJ
***
June 2017
Don't forget to download June newsletter (mailed out 6/15) loaded with even more photos of our latest jaunt to Greece. Plus: From Aunt Maria's Kitchen... Timeless recipes as taught to me by my Italian aunt when Frédéric and I stayed with her in Rome, now re-created (and filmed!) in a French chef friend's beautiful Paris atelier. BPJ
***
May 2017
My month ahead: Press trips and book launchings.... BPJ
Publisher: Flammarion
2017
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.
2017
More....
***
June 20, 2017
Recipe: Aperol Spritz
Fill a bowl-style wine glass with ice then add:
3 parts Prosecco
2 parts Aperol (in Venice they use Select)
a splash of soda (I use Perrier and top it off with a little extra)
a slice of orange
Stir and... Santé!
***
June 11, 2017
With Athens only a 2-1/2 / 3-hour flight from Paris, the Greek Islands are just a hop via frequent ferries - and the perfect excuse to pack those off-the-shoulder white see-thrus and designer leather flip flops.
To a background of Greek music and cries of seagulls as the warm Aegean laps your toes, sip rakomelos and bask in majestic sunsets watching sailboats drift by, and faster than you can say "Yassas!" (probably the only Greek word you'll need) it’s time for dinner....
Some recommended islands:
- Hydra (near Athens - Leonard Cohen; celebrity, artist hideaway)
- Skopelos (think Mamma Mia!; baritone Ivan Rebroff)
If you're a #whitefishingvillagesaddict like I am, pick any of these from the Cycladic group:
- Amorgos
- Astypalea
- Mykonos
- Naxos
- Paros
- Santorini (stay in Oia)
- Sifnos
When to go: May, June, September
Book with: expedia.fr, kayak.com, opodo.com.... Compare travel sites and start two months in advance, or check for last-minute deals. If you hit it right a round-trip plane fare can cost less than a one-way high-speed train ticket to the South of France.
Getting there from Paris: Fly into Athens or Santorini but check boat schedules online before booking. High-speed boats and ferries leave from ports of Pireus (Athens), islands of Naxos. Mykonos and Paros daily, connecting the islands.
Where to stay: First night Athens - Hotel Grande Bretagne in the heart of the city for its elegance, buffet breakfasts and unbeatable night views of the Acropolis from its rooftop restaurant (desserts by Montmartre's own Arnaud Larher!). On the islands - Balconied studio apartments, hotels dripping with bougainvillea. Try for a sea view or sliver of one. Slumming it? Locals holding up signs offering rooms in their homes will be waiting at ports for boat arrivals. Negotiate.
What to do: Swim, eat, drink, meander, hike, eat, reflect, rent a motor scooter (just 10 euros a day, insurance included). Get hold of a map of the island you’re on and explore villages, farms, archeological and historical sites. Bring along a good read or two and your laptop: wi-fi is almost everywhere including in cafés. Join in village festivals. Take lots of photos. Get a massage.
What
to eat: Even small village tavernas are dishing out traditional Greek
ingredients with modern twists. For breakfast try thick local yoghurt
made from sheep’s milk with honey, walnuts and fresh fruit and feel
like a god/goddess for the rest of the day. Look for spit-roasting lamb
or goat, crispy green falafels (using fresh herbs), icy house lemonade
with mint leaves. Ask to try local cheeses. Order a Greek coffee
anytime; if you nibble a sticky Greek pastry with it you won't need to
add sugar.
Photo: slightly spicy hot dipping starter of melted feta with garlic, onions, strong local olive oil and grilled red peppers
***
California Dreamin’: A Paris Restaurant Marathon
by Barbara Pasquet James
[Published summer issue The Good Life France Magazine 2018]
Paris is indisputably one of the best food cities in the world.
Innumerable markets and shops tout eye-popping drool-inducing produce, pastries, chocolates and more, fodder for thousands of food blogs, and there are enough neo-bistros and restaurants to keep food reviewers busy for a lifetime just revisiting old chomping grounds.
So imagine being contacted by insatiable foodie friends from California, with whom you’ve shared many a stellar meal, announcing that they are returning to Paris not for the shopping, not museums or monuments, but for five days of “extreme fooding” - a marathon of restaurants they’d been dreaming about for the better part of a year - and they’d love it if you (and in my case, French hubby as well) would join them? That’s exactly what happened not long ago and my mission, which I cheerily chose to accept, was to snag reservations at some of the hardest-to-get tables in town on relatively short notice.
There would be nine fantastic restaurants in five days, seven of them with us, lunches and dinners. They would squeeze in Daniel Rose’s Spring and Hélène Darroze on their own but for all the others, we would eat and drink our way through the city together.
Juggling bookings at sought-after Paris watering holes can be a challenge: most are open on certain days only. Others just for dinner and incredibly, starred players are closed on weekends. But I was both pistonnée (food writer / guest eater at chefs’ tables) and persistent. Our only restriction: no fish or shellfish for one in our party. We were afraid this would prove to be an obstacle at places with fixed tasting menus but happily, it wasn’t.
Wednesday Lunch
DAVID TOUTAIN
- Naxos
- Paros
- Santorini (stay in Oia)
- Sifnos
Book with: expedia.fr, kayak.com, opodo.com.... Compare travel sites and start two months in advance, or check for last-minute deals. If you hit it right a round-trip plane fare can cost less than a one-way high-speed train ticket to the South of France.
Getting there from Paris: Fly into Athens or Santorini but check boat schedules online before booking. High-speed boats and ferries leave from ports of Pireus (Athens), islands of Naxos. Mykonos and Paros daily, connecting the islands.
Where to stay: First night Athens - Hotel Grande Bretagne in the heart of the city for its elegance, buffet breakfasts and unbeatable night views of the Acropolis from its rooftop restaurant (desserts by Montmartre's own Arnaud Larher!). On the islands - Balconied studio apartments, hotels dripping with bougainvillea. Try for a sea view or sliver of one. Slumming it? Locals holding up signs offering rooms in their homes will be waiting at ports for boat arrivals. Negotiate.
What to do: Swim, eat, drink, meander, hike, eat, reflect, rent a motor scooter (just 10 euros a day, insurance included). Get hold of a map of the island you’re on and explore villages, farms, archeological and historical sites. Bring along a good read or two and your laptop: wi-fi is almost everywhere including in cafés. Join in village festivals. Take lots of photos. Get a massage.
Photo: slightly spicy hot dipping starter of melted feta with garlic, onions, strong local olive oil and grilled red peppers
California Dreamin’: A Paris Restaurant Marathon
by Barbara Pasquet James
[Published summer issue The Good Life France Magazine 2018]
Paris is indisputably one of the best food cities in the world.
Innumerable markets and shops tout eye-popping drool-inducing produce, pastries, chocolates and more, fodder for thousands of food blogs, and there are enough neo-bistros and restaurants to keep food reviewers busy for a lifetime just revisiting old chomping grounds.
So imagine being contacted by insatiable foodie friends from California, with whom you’ve shared many a stellar meal, announcing that they are returning to Paris not for the shopping, not museums or monuments, but for five days of “extreme fooding” - a marathon of restaurants they’d been dreaming about for the better part of a year - and they’d love it if you (and in my case, French hubby as well) would join them? That’s exactly what happened not long ago and my mission, which I cheerily chose to accept, was to snag reservations at some of the hardest-to-get tables in town on relatively short notice.
There would be nine fantastic restaurants in five days, seven of them with us, lunches and dinners. They would squeeze in Daniel Rose’s Spring and Hélène Darroze on their own but for all the others, we would eat and drink our way through the city together.
Juggling bookings at sought-after Paris watering holes can be a challenge: most are open on certain days only. Others just for dinner and incredibly, starred players are closed on weekends. But I was both pistonnée (food writer / guest eater at chefs’ tables) and persistent. Our only restriction: no fish or shellfish for one in our party. We were afraid this would prove to be an obstacle at places with fixed tasting menus but happily, it wasn’t.
Wednesday Lunch
DAVID TOUTAIN
David Toutain (multi-course tasting menu)
29 rue Surcouf 75007 Paris
Tel: 01 45 50 11 10
Wednesday Dinner
FRENCHIE
Scoring a table at Frenchie on short notice imparts an enormous sense of accomplishment. Yet its laid-back location on a narrow backstreet in the Sentier garment district makes one wonder what all the international fuss is about. It’s about the food, the wine, the terrific service. Nantes native Gregory Marchand hit it right by offering gorgeous seasonal farm-to-table fare paired with just as gorgeous wines. An unpretentious cave à vins and Frenchie’s To Go followed, along with gourmet food shops, and now, just a visit to Frenchie, especially if combined with nearby market street rue Montorgueil, is a gourmet experience. Our multi-faceted meal included perfect duck breast, pumpkin ravioli packages bursting with texture and crunchy Brussels sprouts topped with crumbled feta. Frenchie’s signature maple-glazed scones with bacon from the chalkboard next door put in an appearance and amused our geueles. Warning: Frenchie is the sort of place where diners at cramped tables to the left and right might want to know what it is you’re having, and try to cop tastes. Fabuleux.
Frenchie (multi-course tasting menu)
5 rue du Nil 75002 Paris
Tel: 01 40 39 96 19
Book well in advance
Thursday Lunch
CHAMPEAUX
Under the Les Halles canopy a modern Michelin-starred French bistro-brasserie signed Alain Ducasse is open every day of the week. A view of the ancient Church of Saint-Eustache and modern graffiti-covered walls are a backdrop to traditional French classics such as boudins, oysters, foie gras, beef tartare, duck and snails that share a simple carte alongside ricotta-spinach ravioli, smoked salmon, salads and oven-fresh soufflés, a specialty. Kicking off with a coupe de champagne we tried the two raw fish starters: sea bream in citrus fruit shavings, black pepper and basil, and sea bass with carrot, fresh lime and ginger. Spectacular. This was followed by the copious house salad (romaine, shaved radish, fennel, carrot, beets, cucumber dressed in a tart yogurt mint vinaigrette), all forerunners of two sky-high soufflés - one cheese, the other in-season asparagus - both exploding with flavor and obscenely generous. Wines were expertly paired with each course and by the time dessert arrived - pistachio-laced salted butter caramel soufflé - we almost stood up and applauded. But we were too full! (Note: Champeaux does a great "Happy Hour" with imaginative planches and much more, but only in winter).
Champeaux Brasserie Bar & Lounge
FRENCHIE
Scoring a table at Frenchie on short notice imparts an enormous sense of accomplishment. Yet its laid-back location on a narrow backstreet in the Sentier garment district makes one wonder what all the international fuss is about. It’s about the food, the wine, the terrific service. Nantes native Gregory Marchand hit it right by offering gorgeous seasonal farm-to-table fare paired with just as gorgeous wines. An unpretentious cave à vins and Frenchie’s To Go followed, along with gourmet food shops, and now, just a visit to Frenchie, especially if combined with nearby market street rue Montorgueil, is a gourmet experience. Our multi-faceted meal included perfect duck breast, pumpkin ravioli packages bursting with texture and crunchy Brussels sprouts topped with crumbled feta. Frenchie’s signature maple-glazed scones with bacon from the chalkboard next door put in an appearance and amused our geueles. Warning: Frenchie is the sort of place where diners at cramped tables to the left and right might want to know what it is you’re having, and try to cop tastes. Fabuleux.
Frenchie (multi-course tasting menu)
5 rue du Nil 75002 Paris
Tel: 01 40 39 96 19
Book well in advance
Thursday Lunch
Under the Les Halles canopy a modern Michelin-starred French bistro-brasserie signed Alain Ducasse is open every day of the week. A view of the ancient Church of Saint-Eustache and modern graffiti-covered walls are a backdrop to traditional French classics such as boudins, oysters, foie gras, beef tartare, duck and snails that share a simple carte alongside ricotta-spinach ravioli, smoked salmon, salads and oven-fresh soufflés, a specialty. Kicking off with a coupe de champagne we tried the two raw fish starters: sea bream in citrus fruit shavings, black pepper and basil, and sea bass with carrot, fresh lime and ginger. Spectacular. This was followed by the copious house salad (romaine, shaved radish, fennel, carrot, beets, cucumber dressed in a tart yogurt mint vinaigrette), all forerunners of two sky-high soufflés - one cheese, the other in-season asparagus - both exploding with flavor and obscenely generous. Wines were expertly paired with each course and by the time dessert arrived - pistachio-laced salted butter caramel soufflé - we almost stood up and applauded. But we were too full! (Note: Champeaux does a great "Happy Hour" with imaginative planches and much more, but only in winter).
Champeaux Brasserie Bar & Lounge
Forum des Halles La Canopée 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 53 45 84 50
Friday Lunch
Tel: 01 53 45 84 50
Friday Lunch
Since the opening of this superstar starred neo-bistro on a street behind Bastille, chef Bertrand Grébaut has never looked back. A relaxed decor belies top talent in the kitchen. Grébaut’s menu of pure seasonal ingredients complements a wine list of carefully selected small producers who avoid additives. I’d been sure to let them know in advance about our friend’s fish-shellfish allergy, and they rose to the task. All of the dishes were beautifully presented. Synergies of flavors and textures prevailed: white asparagus with an oyster sauce gribiche; pork tenderloin with slivered radishes; steamed cod with pickled turnips and yuzu sauce. Dessert, every French schoolchild’s fave, riz au lait vanille, creamy rice pudding tanged up with a passion fruit coulis, arrived with another old favorite, a deconstructed Mont Blanc with its familiar chestnut cream “spaghetti,” making this meal a knockout, just as we’d hoped it would be. Next.
Septime (multi-course tasting menu)
80 rue de Charonne 75011 Paris
Tel: 012 43 67 38 29
Book well in advance
Tel: 012 43 67 38 29
Book well in advance
Friday Dinner
VERJUS
Verjus is the happy outgrowth of The Hidden Kitchen, where exquisite dinner parties hosted by Laura Adrian and Braden Perkins were held in a private Paris apartment. The view is of a theater reminiscent of New Orleans’ old French Quarter and below, in a small intimate room, is their wine bar with its ever-changing chalkboard. I’d not dined at Verjus before because we’d fill up on the apéro plates downstairs - pork belly with sesame seeds, indescribable Parmesan “churros,” duck terrine maison with pistachios - and felt no need to go upstairs for their nine-course extravaganza. However on this night, oysters from Utah Beach with rhubarb, gougères dusted with seaweed and asiago, perfectly roasted pork, foie gras with walnuts and a jaw-dropping beet tarte tatin, more, kept us happy all the way to dessert: caramelized Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with apple and cinnamon. I vowed to return.
52 rue de Richelieu 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 97 54 4
Book well in advance
Saturday Lunch
LiLi
Being escorted through the opulent Hotel Peninsula then seated in LiLi’s spacious dining room felt like we’d arrived on a Hollywood film set. This gastro Chinese temple was our choice for Saturday lunch, not so much for a change from French cuisine, but to sample their reputed authentic gourmet Cantonese dim sum. Excited, we went for what else, the Menu Dim Sum: steamed lobster dumplings with asparagus, Shanghai-style steamed pork raviolis, chicken and eggplant dumplings with XO sauce, pan-fried minced pork dumplings with bok choy, each deliciously succulent and elegantly presented. But, as the saying goes, “Chinese food goes right through you,” we decided to loosen our belts and go for some mains. To wash it all down, martinis with lemon twists which, I discovered, beautifully cleanse the palate between courses. Dessert? Not this time. Dinner would be in a few hours.
LiLi at the Hotel Peninsula
19 avenue Kléber 75016 Paris
Tel: 01 58 12 67 50
Tel: 01 58 12 67 50
Saturday Dinner
L’AVANT COMPTOIR
Our last stop after such a raffinée experience at lunch, standing-only (and standing-room-only) French tapas-wine-bar L’Avant Comptoir seemed a natural choice for dinner. And, as we’d all be off to a concert later, we could Uber away within minutes’ notice. Loyal fans of chef Yves Camdeborde since his La Régélade days in the far-flung 14th way back when, we’d followed him to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. First-timers here are astounded when they look up: a forest of small banners with photos of dozens of small-plate choices hangs from the ceiling. An impressive selection of wines, sausages, and a gigantic hunk of salt-studded butter dominate the zinc counter with still-warm country loaves cut into chunks, mustard, cornichons, and fleur de sel for the taking. We joined the throng and ordered away: crunchy calamari and crunchier fried chicken with house frites and sauce gribiche; waffles topped with artichoke cream and Bayonne ham; foie gras with piquillo kebabs; caramelized pork belly; sautéed cèpe mushrooms with garlic. We did it. Bordeaux and dry rosé by the glass and endless toasts with total strangers, and it was over.
L’Avant Comptoir
3 Carrefour de l'Odéon 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 42 38 47 55
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Barbara Pasquet James (left) at fashionable
Via Veneto in Santa Monica, California with fellow foodies, bon vivants, world adventurers and dear friends Tom and Lauren, who came to Paris.
- A Very Special Thanks -
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Many thanks again to Wilf, the WPA team, and everyone who wrote in.
BPJ
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. – Jawaharlal Nehru
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