Absolutely! Margaritas to knock your socks off, real guacamole to tingle your tastebuds :-)
A couple of new friends invited me to meet them at this little place at 7:0pm without any explainations of what it was like, so I took the Metro to Filles du Calvair (Boulevard du Temple exit) and headed north, ambling along until I came to rue de Saintonge on my left.
Turning into this street, I discovered all kinds of cute and interesting shops and almost had to drag myself along the street until I found the restaurant.
About as big as a postage stamp, there was one table just inside the door which seated about 7 people. Further inside there were a couple of high stools where people could sit at the counter and eat. The counter had a great old icy drink machine which was chilling a margarita mix and I was anxiously awaiting the result (haven’t had a good margarita in years!)
While I waited for my friends, I ordered Guacamole to nibble on with excellent corn chips (none of those crumbly packet varieties), and before I knew it the margarita was ready for me to sip.
Oh how delicious it was! A small glass with a red-crusted rim, it tasted divine, and was just what I needed after a busy day exploring Paris. Slowly the hungry hordes started to arrive, and I was lucky to be able to hang on to only one spare stool for my friends to sit on. The place got quite busy, very quickly, and everyone lusted over the table — I was hanging on with both hands :-)
When my friends arrived 40 minutes later, we managed to grab two extra stools as another party got up from the table, and the four of us perched around the Guacamole and Mexican beers while we all caught up on our news, told stories, and talked about what we might order. By now the place was really buzzing, and as a few bodies left they were replaced by more from the crowd outside. My tip – get here at 7pm if you really want to grab a seat at the table.
The items on the menu started from about 3,50 euro so between us we ordered a few of each item – soft tacos, hard tacos – which came in a variety of colours with enough sauces to satisfy any hungry crowd looking for delicious spicy Mexican food.
The beers flowed, the food fed our hungry stomachs, laughter followed and a great night was had by all. We eventually left closer to 10pm than 9:30, because the demand for the table was still high :-)
If you’re looking for authentic flavour, check out the Candelaria Mexican restaurant – I think you’ll be glad you did!
I have been asked, “Is rue Saint Denis in Paris dangerous?”
Rue Saint Denis is Paris’ “red light district” where the ladies of the night meet gentlemen who are looking for company.
OK so that’s a polite way to put it :-)
Many people are nervous about the rue Saint Denis but if you’re sensible and keep your wits about you, you’ll be fine. As with any city’s streets you’re not familiar with, keep a hold of your handbag and make sure wallets are secure. Don’t pull out your smartphone and flash it around.
I rented an apartment in a little street off rue St Denis in the 2nd arrondissement, and there were ‘ladies of the night’ on the corner of my little street during the day. I spoke with several local residents over several days who advised that it’s perfectly safe during the day, and up until late at night.
During the day there are many businesses open from clothing, handbag and shoe stores. to cafes and restaurants, and it’s also the wholesale fashion district.
Yes the rue St Denis might have a seedy appearance in some areas, but it’s also rich and colourful with many ethnic shops and restaurants. One well-known example is Passage Brady, which houses some marvellous and authentic Indian restaurants.
Visit rue Saint Denis and Passage Brady, Paris
Passage Brady
46 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis
75010 Paris
Nearby Opéra – Grands Boulevards, République – Gares de l’Est et du Nord – 10e Arrondissement
India in Paris! Passage Brady, built in 1828, is one of the rare Parisian arcades composed of two parts which are separated by Boulevard de Strasbourg. On one side, the arcade is covered by a glass roof, and on the other it is in the open air. A visit to Passage Brady is an invitation to a visual, sensory and aromatic journey. Commonly referred to as ‘Little India’, it houses numerous Indo-Pakistani, Mauritian and Reunion businesses. People come here for a break to eat tasty, spicy food, to buy exotic products, and even to hire colourful outfits! This beautifully decorated universe is also accessible via 22 or 33 Boulevard de Strasbourg and 43 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin (for the open-air part).
Is rue St Denis dangerous? Not if you pay attention :-)
What was your experience in this part of Paris? Please do let me know:
record an audio for me – big button on the right of this web page
If you’re travelling with children, make your kids a Travel Journal before you leave home, and document the things they loved about where they were visiting.
Buy mini-staplers (they’re so tiny!) and glue sticks and supervise if necessary as your kids staple in business cards from toy stores, museums etc you’ve visited. If you forget to buy before you leave home, buy on arrival in a supermarket.
Encourage them to :
DATE each item
DRAW in their Travel Journal
and WRITE about what they liked … and didn’t like :-)
Help them create PAGES at the start of your trip for things like:
What are the new foods I tried?
What is the best candy I tried? (or “lollies”)
What are the new words I learnt?
What are the most fun/boring museums we visited?
Explain how they can answer these questions whenever they like throughout the trip, and they’ll have fun drawing on the pages to remind them.
Show them how to staple cool stuff in their Travel Journal, like:
the entry ticket to a museum
or a brochure about the Catacombs
or a business card from that fabulous icecream place where you had so much fun
perhaps a postcard of a tourist attraction like the Eiffel Tower
or maybe even a price tag from something they purchased, the brighter and more colourful the better
you can even staple in the tear-off luggage tags from their bags – and boarding pass stubs – to get them started.
They can cut out words from tourist brochures and glue or staple into their book, then write what it means in English beside it.
When you get back home, go over your Travel Journals together to remember the fun you had and to share your experiences again – the kids will love this!
My Travel Journals to buy online
I’ve created several new travel journals with my own photos and designs, which have unlined pages (great for drawing!).
The spiral spine allows the kids to open the journals flat or fold under while they write on the pages, great for travelling.
Order these to arrive before you leave on your trip, and the kids can start putting in some headings and questions at the top of the pages.
Be one of the first to own this new Journal!
Size: 4.5 x 8.5″
50 pages/100 sheets
Introductory Price to 7th July 2014: $US14.97 + shipping $5.00 worldwide (total $19.97)
If you’re travelling with children, make your kids a Travel Journal before you leave home, and document the things they loved about where they were visiting.
LET'S CHAT