Paris is a city of many faces. There is the bohemian Paris of the artists and the gourmet paradise dotted with pricey pastry shops and restaurants. There are so many excellent restaurants in town that it would take years to experience them all. Here are a few tips for adventuring into Europe’s foodiest capital.
Where to Eat in Paris up to 25 Euros
On this budget in Paris you can afford a breakfast worthy of the name even in one of the top pastry shops of the metropolis.
Pierre Hermé in rue Bonaparte sells the best croissants in town. Try the poetic one with raspberry jam and wax, or the Ispahan croissant topped with icing and roses. Hermé is the man Vogue has dubbed "the Picasso of Pastry", and he enchants customers of his boutique with the macarons: don’t miss the lilac coloured ones.
Angelina, in rue de Rivoli, is famous for her Mont Blanc and hot chocolate topped with cream, considered to be one of the best in France. Luxury snacks and breakfasts are also on the menu of maître Jean Paul Hévin, who has several venues around the city.
Those who prefer éclairs to macarons cannot miss the minimalist pastry shop of Sadaharu Aoki. However, it must be remembered that all of these are signature pastries so don’t get carried away because each item will set you back about 5 Euros.
Where to Eat in Paris from 25 to 50 Euros
Paris is still the favourite spot for all those dreaming of a romantic getaway at the Castille Paris-Starhotels Collection, a few steps away from Place Vendôme and the Louvre; looking out onto the atelier of Maison Chanel, this venue is the expression of the quintessential Parisian style.
The novelty is that chef Ugo Alciati is in charge of the kitchen starting from this month and is sure to bring something of the Italian style to the Assaggio restaurant. The menu is still being defined but, rest assured, it will not be complete without mamma Lidia’s agnolotti del plin.
If you have set your sights high and have a weakness for the style of the Mandarin Oriental Paris, you must try the cuisine of house chef Thierry Marx. There are two options: Le Sur Mesure, where you pay for the number of courses you order (from 4 to 7, but the minimum charge is 85 Euros).
On a more modest budget, go for a dessert or choose Le Camelia, Marx’s second restaurant, where you can enjoy a single course meal. For instance, you can try the two textured octopus with chorizo oil, fresh peas and mint (34 Euros) or a cheese tasting experience featuring products from the famous cheese aging firm Maison Mons (22 Euros) accompanied with a glass of chilled Sancerre rosé 2015, Vincent Pinard (13 Euros).
The Peninsula Hotel hosts several exclusive restaurants, and above all, the magnificent Oiseau Blanc. The tasting menu here starts at 150 euros, but don’t despair; you can always go up to the Rooftop restaurant, for an unforgettable cocktail. For example, a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: with a vodka base, Amaretto, maracuja juice, lime juice, ginger beer (26 Euros). The sun setting with the Eiffel Tower in the background will become one of your most enchanting experiences in Paris.
Head to avenue Kléber to access one of the most picturesque terraces in Paris, La Terrasse Kléber, where Head Chef Laurent Poitevin and his team offer dishes that won’t make too much of a dent in your wallet; The Menu du Marché includes two dishes for about € 50. To tempt you further here is one of the main courses: "Le cœur de cabillaud français", Steamed cod fillet, served with a daikon radish, ginger-scented bay shrimp broth.
Where to Eat in Paris from 50 to 100 Euros
Any gourmet traveller will surely have heard of Le Bristol Paris, the iconic hotel owned by the Oetker Collection, established in 1925 and located in the heart of Paris - in rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré - without ever daring to go there for fear of breaking the bank. Well, it is worth knowing that this hotel houses the legendary three-starred Epicure restaurant (96 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2017).
Here a poularde de Bresse for two costs 290 Euros. If you wish to experience Eric Frechon’s cuisine on this budget, you can say you have been to the Olympus of French cuisine, and order a regal selection of cheeses (32 Euros), one of the most sought-after in France, which obviously varies with each season. The maîtres fromagers et affineurs are Marie Anne Cantin and Bernard Antony. Top it all with a dessert that is as sumptuous and glittering as the venue itself: precieux chocolat “nyangbo”, liquid cacao and Gold sorbet (38 Euros).
For 56 Euro, at the 114 Faubourg, another starred restaurant of Le Bristol , you can enjoy two courses of your choice from a lavish menu, but only at lunchtime.
Finally, take a seat at the Café Antonia, also located in the Bristol. It was there that I ate the best, and possibly most expensive fish and chips with tartar sauce of my life: 68 Euros well spent. On this budget you still have enough left over to try the new ceremonious afternoon tea at the Café Antonia, which – in case you fancy it – comprises a visit to the Grand Musée du Parfum recently opened in the vicinity of the hotel.
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