Food Lovers' France
Snails... horse meat... tongue... goose liver paté... stinky cheese.... Even people who like American fast food might enjoy Europe's top cuisine. Share your best treats in France.
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Japanese, Thai, and Moroccan in Paris
We found these restaurants in Paris to be truly exceptional and were recommended to us by friends who live in Paris:
1. Yen, 22, Rue Saint-Benoît 75006 Paris, France +33 1 45 44 11 18 Japanese - truly exceptional experience
2. Mai Thai, 1, Rue Villehardouin 75003 Paris, France +33 1 42 72 18 77 Vietnamese, in the heart of the Marais, such great food and atmosphere that we went three times.
3. Chez Omar, 47, Rue de Bretagne
75003 Paris, France
+33 1 42 72 36 26
Old-school Parisian fine dining (Moroccan food), amazing couscous, ratatouille, steak au poivre. At lunchtime this place is filled with people of all ages, and we had a wonderful glimpse of elderly, very stately Parisians who had obviously been coming here for many, many years. No English seems to be spoken by the waiters.
evelyn
dallas, tx USA 10/30/2009
La Cordinnerie - Paris
20 Rue Saint Roch, 75001 Paris
A delightful recommendation from a French couple we know in Paris. The restaraunt is very small, a few tables, ours was feet away from the cooking area so we were able to watch as the excellent chef prepared meals for the evening. Delightful and just a bit north of jardin tuileries. Easy walk from Rue Cler and a six euro cab back...
Bob Stutts <email>
San Antonio, Tx USA 10/29/2009
La Varangue, Paris
Philippe Mollay runs an outstanding 1-man show restaurant on a tiny side street, south-east of The Eiffel Tower. You get a warm, genuine welcome from the English-speaking host, a choice of approximately 5 starters & main courses & very reasonable (low) prices. Don't expect to be rubbing shoulders with locals; most patrons are fellow travellers, sharing their experiences in The City of Lights. Wine (white, red or rose, house only) comes by the glass, pitcher or bottle. Don't miss this gem, La Varangue, 27, rue Augereau.
Brian Lee <email>
London, Ontario Canada 10/25/2009
Chocolate in Paris
Go to Angelina's on Rivoli across Tuileries for the absolute best hot chocolate ever. Great Desserts, too!! Not cheap but an experience every chocolate lover will remember.
Karen <email>
Waikoloa, Hawaii USA 10/13/2009
Portuguese Cuisine in Brugge
A good place for travelers to go in Brugge is a Portuguese/Italian Restaurant. I stopped in on a whim and had a great meal. Price comparison is on par with the other places recommended (16-22 Euros for plates). It also has a budget option of a 9 euro spaghetti with bolonese sauce. It's quiet so you can talk and the owners are very nice and accomadating. The place is called Porto Romano, on Sint Jakobstraat 50, Telephone 050/689219
Eric <email>
Berkley, MI USA 10/05/2009
L'Enoteca
My husband and I went to L'Enoteca tonight. The food was very average and the servers definitely made us feel unwelcomed. My risotta was flavorless and even the bread was tasteless. They acted appalled that we asked for an English menu. After such a great dinner last night at Cafe Constant, tonight was a real let down.
Christie
Fredericksburg, VA USA 09/30/2009
Cooking with Class in Paris
Wonderful intiminate cooking class. You learn a few cutting techniques and help prepare a delicious French meal to share with the other cooking class participants when the food is done cooking.
Julie <email>
Paris, USA 09/29/2009
Marguerite's Elegant cooking school
I loved the intimate nature of the class. It was very informal and fun, there is excellent equipment and supplies and the food was excellent. Thank you so much. the highlight of my trip to Paris! I will come back... though i have no idea when an opportunity to visit paris again will come. Thanks!
Mia
USA 09/29/2009
Cooking class in paris: marguerite's elegant home cooking
It was a lovely experience for all involved. Muriel explained the proceedures so that I, who am an experience cook, as well as my husband, who is definitely NOT a cook at all, could follow, understand and gain knowledge about the food, recipe, market, process of cooking and the culture of the country through the conversation and fellowship while eating out lovely meal.
Catherine
Ellensburg, WA USA 09/29/2009
cooking class in Paris
Cook N' With Class was fantastic. We took the lunch class and bought food at the market. We learned a lot while buying the ingredients. I'm already printing the recipes to try and I just got back from Paris yesterday. Chris was our chef and was delightful.
Karen
Seattle, WA USA 09/22/2009
Cooking Class in Paris
HI, I just wanted to comment on the "Cook'n With Class" pastry class my Granddaughter and I took in Paris in August this year. We had the best time.You make 5 French Pastries and it is worth every cent. Not only do you get to eat a few of the things you make you get to take the rest home. Our instructor, Rachel, was great. We learned all sorts of tips to make cooking easier and more exact. It was a fun experience to try in Paris and I would recommend it to everyone traveling there.
Donna Berger <email>
Grosse Pointe Woods , MI USA 09/16/2009
Cooking with Class
We participated in the market trip/lunch class with Chef Pino at Cooking with Class in Paris. It was without a doubt the highlight of our trip! We learned so much about cheeses, meats, fish, produce...proper prep techniques...how to use fresh herbs properly...Pino is a wonderful instructor, informative, humorous, talented...we all left believing we could do this at home! I can't think of a better way to spend a portion of your time in Paris. We will definitely be returning for other classes.
Robin Frye
Carrollton, TX USA 09/13/2009
Great French restaurants
Cafe Constant on rue Sainte Dominique @ rue Augereau is excellent (7th Arr). Their menu is printed on chalkboards in French and English.
Laduree is also excellent. See their website.
USA 09/11/2009
Superb Italian restaurant near the Eiffel Tower
Just wanted to add two very big thumbs up for La Casa Campana in Paris (mentioned in Rick Steve's update to his Paris book). Absolutely wonderful experience--a delightful, relaxing, cozy family-run restaurant and the entire meal was absolutely delicious (especially the homemade raviolis and tira misu).
Warren
Papillion, NE USA 08/29/2009
Restaurant Review
Just ate at a place called La Latin in Paris near the Louvre in the Latin quarter. The chicken was under cooked and the lamb was grizzled and not edible. My daughter did not eat the scallops because they were way overcooked. My wife's salad lacked the vegetables on the menu. Pass on this place. In contrast, La Bousquet, which is on the Rick Steve's list, was great! Listen to Rick or Zagit. Jack
Jack
Seattle, WA USA 08/27/2009
L'isle sur la Sorgue Patisserie
While visiting Provence we stopped by L'isle sur la Sorgue, which is a great little town. As we were shopping to assemble a picnic, we found a patisserie named Leyris right in the center and we really enjoyed the pastries but also appreciated the English speaking owner, who was very helpful planning our sightseeing. The place is owned by a French/American couple.
genio
New York, NY USA 08/23/2009
Learning how to make authentic
One of the funnest/most delicious things I did while in France was a crêpe class.
The École Treblec is located in a small town in Brittany, Maure-de-Bretagne, about an hour outside of Rennes. They train Maîtres Crêpiers (master crêpe-makers) from around the world. Usually, one Saturday a month, they'll hold a one-day workshop for the general public. We made authentic sweet and savoury crêpe mixes, cooked them on these raised round griddles called billig’s and spread the batter with miniature wooden rake-looking spatulas called rozel’s, and prepared different fillings (the best, in my opinion, was a salted butter caramel, which is very popular in Brittany). The other participants were from Paris, other areas of Brittany, Normandy and even Provence. It was great fun, and one of the best memories I had. My friends back home have all enjoyed the results!
One quick note, though, these courses are offered in French only, so you do need to know the language well. But it's as "Through the Back Door" as you can get.
Julie
Ottawa, ON Canada 08/14/2009
cooking class, Paris
I gave my husband a cooking class in Paris as a wedding present. Boy was he surprised! We both loved it! We went to Cook n' With Class and did the market tour and meal with Pino as our chef. Everyone was nice and we learned quite a lot, not only about cooking (the food was amazing!) but also about cheese and meat and bread and fish and vegetables as we walked through the market. Next time we're in Paris we will definitely take another class. The atmosphere was relaxed, we received lots of personal attention, and the chefs were well trained. Pino even offered to share recipes and advice about food which wasn't part of our class agenda. Overall a great experience which really got us into experiencing the culture of France, rather than just observing things. Highly recommended.
Anne
USA 08/08/2009
La Varangue
I've eaten at La Varangue several times over the years and was there again on July 17, 2009. My salmon with champignons was sumptuous. Philippe is an outstanding chef and a delight to visit with. His charm makes every visit to La Varangue pure pleasure. I wouldn't go to Paris without going to Philippe's.
PS -- The gateau au chocolat is still to die for.
Christine
Shawnee, Kansas USA 07/30/2009
Dining
We were disappointed to learn that Le Pavilion des Lys in Amboise is closed on Mondays, not Tuesdays as was noted in Rick Steves' FRANCE 2009. The other two places we ate in town, L'Alliance, and L'Epicerie, were excellent however--my husband had been to L'Epicerie two years ago and felt they had stepped up a notch since that time.
Also, must recommend dining at L'Atelier with Chef Jean-Luc Rabanel in Arles. The almost 4-hour, 13 course dinner was fabulous--like other diners in the restaurant, we started taking photos of each amazing course! If you like wine, I'd also recommend ordering the wines that they pair with each course.
Ann
Thiensville, WI USA 07/26/2009
La Varangue (aka Phillipe's)
After seeing the Eiffel Tower, we needed a nearby restaurant. We wanted to return to the Tower after dark to see it all lit up.
We found a great little place in the Rick Steve's Paris guidebook:
La Varangue, 27, rue Augereau, Paris Also known as Phillipe's.
It's small, but the 4 of us squeezed in and had a fine meal.
According to Rick's book, Phillipe spent several years cooking in the American mid-west. Then he returned to Paris & created an American-friendly restaurant.
Joan <email>
Portland, OR USA 07/25/2009
Cooking Schools
Cooking with Class was such a great experience and Pinot, our chef and host, was very gracious and knowledgeable. I highly recommend taking a cooking course with Eric and Pinot.
Mary <email>
Middleburg, FL USA 07/20/2009
Restaurant in Sete
A restaurant you may want to avoid in Sete is Restaurant "Au Feu de Bois" at 8 bis rue Frederic Mistral, Sete. We were advised to order one cut of meat because it was not as "tough" as the restaurant - only to discover that what we got was a hamburger patty! At a very expensive price.
Dorothy
Portland, OR USA 07/20/2009
Dessert
The dessert at Crepe Suzette is amazing.
BL <email>
Claymont , DE USA 07/16/2009
French Menu Translator
The best menu translator I have found for dining in France is Eating & Drinking in Paris. It's an easy to use book that is thin and small enough to fit in your pocket. Good restaurant recommendations and tips on budget dining, too. The book is by Andy Herbach.
Karl
Chicago, IL USA 07/14/2009
Worst Meal Ever in France
We recently had the worst meal ever in France, at the restaurant of Hotel Le Beauvoir, near Le Mont St Michel, Normandy. It was a fairly expensive set menu, that boasted "Mille Feuille of Goat's Cheese" but which in fact turned out to be two pieces of fruit cake with some goats cheese in the middle. Navarin of Lamb for the main course contained more fat than meat and the pomme frites which accompanied it managed to be both soggy and burnt at the same time. The desser of Tarte Normande was a horrible inedible mess. When we complained both the manager and chef were rude and refused to recompense us in any way. The chef then brought out a raw potato from the kitchen to show us, presumably to prove that the disastrous chips were of his own doing. Avoid this hotel and restaurant at all costs.
Dana <email>
London, UK 07/12/2009
Changing dollars
Broke in Domme - Just back from 2 weeks in the Dordogne. My ATM card would not work, but we had dollars - to no avail. Banks and post offices, which used to change dollars to euros, would not do so because of counterfeit dollar problems. Only bank in region which will change dollars - Bank of France in Perigeuex. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that. Better have euros or an ATM card that works.
Patrick O'Sullivan
Sanibel Island, FL USA 07/02/2009
Good cafe near Bon Marche
We had at a really good cafe across from Bon Marche. It's Les Oiseaux on rue Sevres. It's typical cafe food, i.e. omelettes, salads, and sandwiches. The quiche was big with really thick cut pieces of bacon. It came with a simple but tasty salad for 8 euro. I had a cheese omelette that was light, fluffy, and actually had cheese in it. The staff were amenable and kind, and the prices were very reasonable. They also had some interesting specials, like a mixed grill with 3 different meats and a baked potato. It looked very good. One of the salads looked exceptionally good; it came with smoked salmon and cream cheese. It was nice to find, because the cafe in Bon Marche looked too funky for our 3 yr old son.
Sonia
Austin, TX USA 06/18/2009
Oustau de Baumaniere: Heaven!
I have had so many Gastronomic love affairs in France. One of my favorite restaurants is in Provence, called Oustau de Baumaniere. It is located at the bottom of a craggy hilltop village named Les Baux-de-Provence. Peter Mayle included it in all 3 of his Provence books. Mostly with reference to the price, but also the incredible quality. So, for my honeymoon last year we decided to try it out. And I have yet to taste a meal which equaled it in any way. I wrote a review of it on my blog www.passportfoodie.com This is not shameless promotion, I just think all of you Rick Steves fans will enjoy it.
Taylor Young <email>
Chadds Ford, PA USA 06/15/2009
Burgundy Discovery Wine Tour
Our family of five had a marvelous multi day private tour of the Burgundy wine region with Burgundy Discovery hosts David and Lynne Hammond. (www.burgundydiscovery.com) We would highly recommend them for anyone interested in touring, tasting, and learning all about the wine grown in Burgundy. The private tastings at numerous wineries, visiting with the owners, enjoying delicious lunches highlighting the burgundy food, were all part of a most memorable experience. We will look forward to a return visit to this beautiful region in France and will definitely plan to tour again with Burgundy Discovery!
Mary <email>
Dallas, TX USA 06/10/2009
La Bateliere - France
Driving to Bastogne after touring Jumieges Abbey, we happened on this small restaurant at the side of the Seine.
We had the best French meal here during our entire stay in both France and Belgium. It was simple and right of the daily special. My friend had salmon and I had 'its like chicken'. Never knew exactly what it was except it was a bird and the sides were excellent. If you are in the area please stop.
Vicki <email>
Spring, Texas USA 05/30/2009
Cooking Classes in Paris
A World in a Pan: Best time in Paris! Great teacher and fun class, we highly recommend this French cooking experience.
Dan and Leslie Johnson <email>
San Diego, Ca USA 05/20/2009
cooking class in Paris
I second the recommendation for Cookin' with Class. I took a class last week and it was one of the highlights of my trip.
Sherry
Hernando, MS USA 04/30/2009
French markets
The market street of Rue Des Martyrs was wonderful! On Sunday morning, they shut down the street to traffic and the whole neighborhood turns out to peruse the cheese shops, the butcher shops, the fruit and vegetable stands. The bakeries were open everyday from 7am, and I stopped in for my morning croissant and to pick up a snack for the days trek. Wonderful lifestyle. We Americans are missing out with our supermarkets.
Genie
Chicago, IL USA 04/25/2009
Provencal Cooking Class/Wine Tour
My family and friends booked a fantastic day of cooking and wine tasting through one of Rick's recommended guides, Olivier Hickman of Wine Uncovered. He coordinates with Barbara Schuerenberg of Cuisine de Provence in Vaison la Romaine to offer a well organized, delicious and fun cooking class/lunch in Barbara's home in the first part of the day. This was followed with a very informative, professional and entertaining tour of Chateauneuf du Papes/Cotes du Rhone wineries, where we got to sample many wines and talk with one of the winemakers. Olivier also arranged door-to-door transportation from our hotel in Avignon, and both he and Barbara were very accommodating to our three teenagers! Highly recommend this wine/cooking tour combination.
Terry
Issaquah, WA USA 04/22/2009
Cookin with Class
We took a class with Cookin with Class in Paris during our honeymoon and had a wonderful time! The best molten lava cake I've ever had - and croissants, and pizza, and so much more. There was eating and drinking and merriment! What more could you want!
Darcie
Miami, Florid USA 04/19/2009
Highlight Of Our Paris Trip
In March (2009), my husband & I were in Paris for ten days where we took two classes at "Cook'n With Class".
Our first class began with an extremely enjoyable and informative morning at the local market with Chef Pino as our guide. Later the next week, we also took the evening class and we were lucky to have Pino as our Chef again.
Pino Ficara is a talented chef who likes people and enjoys sharing his knowledge and skills. His English is excellent and, with his wonderful sense of humor and natural kindness and patience, his students are quickly put at ease. My husband was initially very apprehensive about attending a cooking class but the whole experience was so great that he is still talking about it.
We both agree that the meals we shared at "Cook'n With Class" were the BEST of all we ate during our ten days in Paris. The memories we collected will stay with us forever.
The small number of students in both classes made the experience very personal and we totally enjoyed every minute ~~ especially all of the delicious food we prepared together.
The Morning Market Class begins with Pino leading the way around the neighborhood shops to collect ingredients ..... meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, cheese, and bread. Pino was very receptive to all of our questions and observations. The Morning Market class offers a wonderful taste of living in Paris as the Parisians do it.
Back at the school, every student contributes to the preparation of the different courses. The pace of the class is not frantic nor rushed. It is just right.
The meals we shared at both classes were OUTSTANDING! But, almost more importantly, "Cook'n With Class" provides a fun way to experience French culture and the French people .... in addition to the fun we had with Pino and all of our fellow students
Although not cheap, it is WELL worth it....... much more memorable than endlessly cruising through crowded museums ........... "Cook'n With Class" is a wonderful additional experience of Paris.
In the end, both classes made fabulous meals and later Pino emailed all of the recipes to us. His classes are recommended to both novice and experienced cooks and we look forward to taking another on our next visit to Paris.
Susan DeVore <email>
San Diego, CA USA 04/19/2009
Help translating French Menus
We picked up a slim food guide entitled, "The A-Z of French Food", a French to English Dictionary that never failed us in finding the English explanation of a French food term/word.
The publisher is Scribo and we found our copy at the Librarie Gourmande located on Rue Montmartre. The store, specializing in cookbooks, is owned and operated by a couple of lovely helpful ladies. 20,000 cookbooks to peruse on the store's second floor.
Tom
Orlando, FL USA 04/11/2009
Paris - La Litote
I was in Paris last month (March 09)and was really disappointed to discover that La Litote, a great little restaurant in the 7th on rue Bosquet, which I had enjoyed previously and which others here have posted comments on, has disappeared - it's been replaced by an Italian restaurant...too bad.....
Kathy
Ottawa, Canada 04/06/2009
Cook'n With Class Cooking School In Paris
I have never taken a cooking or baking class and thought it would be fun to do that in Paris. I reviewed a number of schools and was impressed with "Cook'n with Class. I now know why the reviews were so favorable! Pino Ficara was there to welcome us and that put me at ease. I must admit I was nervous at first, but that did not last for long. We made croissants, pain au chocolat, a braided apple bread and pizza. The instruction was in english and Pino made sure that we understood everything, answering our many questions and giving us plenty of opportunity to try creating the recipes ourselves. Pino never gave us the feeling that he was watching the clock. He even mentioned that we may go over the three hour time frame, but he wanted us to have a chance to try our hand at everything. One of the best parts was eating everything as it came out of the oven. Everything I tasted rivaled any baked goods I had while checking out bakeries in Paris. Eric Fraudeau who is the owner of the school was very helpful and very informative. Now if only I can replicate all of the goodies we made! Practice makes perfect!
Debi
Annandale, VA USA 03/31/2009
Great restaurant in Orange
Our best meal in France. Five star food at two star prices. Just minutes from the theater, in front of the parking lot.
Le Parvis
55 cours Pourtoules
Jeff
moscow, id USA 03/22/2009
Basque Home Cookin' (Bayonne)
For anyone in the Bayonne/Biarritz area looking for an extremely delicious and authentic French/Basque meal at a restaurant that defines the "mom and pop" category--Chiloa Gurmenta (7 Rue des Tonneliers, Petit Bayonne) is the place!!!
This is the type of place that has the menu written only on the chalkboard outside, but once inside the menu may very well be different, and may in fact change by the minute depending on if it's the sweet, mild mannered "pop" telling you, or the sassy and brassy and utterly hilarious "mom" cook. It also may depend on what people around you just ordered (at my last visit we tried to order an Omelette Basquaise for our starters and the cook told us she didn't think she had enough eggs, but then she asked the guys at the table next to us if they were sure they didn't want the soup instead so we could have the omelette--and they decided to change! In the end I think she made do because everyone who wanted some got some (extremely delicious) omelette. And soup). In any case you shouldn't be too fussed because pretty much everything on the menu is utterly delectable, and very Basque. As I said, the menu changes daily (or hourly), but some things you can pretty much always count on are a starter of Garbure (a hearty "country" soup), Axoa de Veau (ground veal with piments d'espelette, garlic, tomatoes, etc and a delicious sauce, served with piping hot scalloped potatoes), and Gateau Basque à la cerise noir for dessert. Warning: you may not be able to walk because you'll be so full. The best part? The menu is 10 euros (for starter, main and coffee or main, dessert and coffee), or 12.80 for starter, main, and dessert. You're not gonna find a better deal than that!
You may have a bit of trouble if you don't speak a word of French (or Spanish or Basque), but they are certain to make a good faith effort to communicate, and the good natured jabs and jokes and orders to finish what was served to you go beyond language barriers! They are such characters! And although there may be a bit of confusion sometimes, this restaurant is such an experience on so many levels--if I had visitors in town and only one night to give them a Basque food experience, this would pretty much always be the place.
Camille <email>
Federal Way/currently Bayonne, France, WA USA 02/10/2009
Cooking class in Paris
Cook'n with Class - Cooking classes in Paris -- I've never posted a review on here before but would like to share for those of you visiting Paris anytime soon -- Having already visited Paris numerous times before and done the “touristy” thing – we were interested in going off the beaten path just a bit. We read the reviews for the “Cooking with Class” classes and were certainly intrigued. I along with my fourteen year old daughter signed up for the morning cooking class and was lucky enough to have Pino as our Chef. Pino – a world renowned Chef in his own right who has worked with other famous Chefs all over the planet – was very down to earth, laid back, funny, warm and informative. I was a bit hesitant due to the cost – but it was all completely worth it. Every last penny. The morning started with a trip to and through, the French markets. The menu was literally decided on right then and there by all the participants as we walked to the markets. We made stops at a cheese market, produce, meat markets and bread store. At each stop, Pino educated us on neat little tidbits about the food items that only the locals would know, how to pick out which item at each market and what to look for/avoid. I felt like a true Parisian! We walked back to the classroom/kitchen and started preparing our menu. The preparation itself was quite informative and we learned a lot. Everyone pitches in to help with the cutting, chopping, stirring, etc. After preparing and cooking our menu items – it was time to eat our creations. We opened up a few bottles of wine, tasted our delicious wares and enjoyed good conversation. (Be sure to ask about the best local restaurants and shops!) Truly magnifique! We enjoyed it so much we plan on returning to take another class soon. Thank you Pino and Cook'n with Class. We had a wonderful time. http://www.cooknwithclass.com
Shanna <email>
APO, AE United States 01/27/2009
Great Blog For France Lovers
Awesome Blog about Authentic France! My husband and I are always looking for ways to better experience the authentic side of our favorite country -France. We both love great wine and great food, so we find ourselves coming back to France time and time again.
We just discovered this amazing blog www.grapejournal.blogspot.com which is written by a North American woman living in the Burgundy vineyards. There are tons of useful travel tips for experiencing "real" France, just click on the label "Authentic France Travel Tips" on the upper right hand corner.
We love this blog - it is entertaining, useful, and very French.
Happy Reading!
Jane
Jane Beaudry
Berkeley, CA USA 01/22/2009
4 night luxury trip to Paris
Hi - we had the most wonderful 4 night trip to Paris though www.francemadeeasy.com and visited some most interesting 16th century wine cellars where we had tastings included in the price. We stayed in a lovely luxury hotel very near the Louvre and the comprehensive guide that these guys gave us was wonderful as we got to places the public don't know about.They also gave us museum passes and 2 days on the open top bus which was fun!! Check them out! Worth trying them.
Marie-Ellen Delaney <email>
San Antonio , Texas USA 01/11/2009
Great cooking class in Paris!
The cooking class we had with Margerite has been of the highlights of our trip to Paris....
Sally
FL USA 01/08/2009