Archive for the ‘What to eat’ Category

Le Loir Dans le Theiere (favourite Tea Salon)

Le Loir Dans le Theiere Cafe / Restaurant

Postcards from Paris October - Le Loir Dans le Théière

My old-time favourite Tea House / Salon de The

Le Loir Dans le Theiere became one of my favourite places when I lived in Paris in the late 1980s, and I’ve heard that the name of this Tea Salon came from an unlucky dormouse which was thrown into a teapot during the Mad Hatter’s feast in Alice in Wonderland story.

THE DORMOUSE IN THE TEAPOT
3 rue des Rosiers – 75004 Paris
Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Le Loir Dans Le Theiere Cafe in Paris

 

 

Now in 2017, I still visit this gorgeous tea salon when I am in Paris each year, and I want to share it with you. This warm and cozy space is decorated with trinkets and knick knacks (odds and ends) and the aroma of the delicious gourmet cuisine (pies, large salads) wafts by and makes the mouth water.  Keep an eye out for the dozens of pastries which include the incredible lemon meringue pie and the chocolate fondant cake.

Come weekends, it’s hard to find a spot to sit as the place is filled with tourists who come for brunch. You may find yourself waiting for quite some time, so remember — you can’t make a Reservation, so come early (well before noon) or you may have to wait in the street.

I personally prefer this quaint corner during the week, when there are fewer tourists and crowds. Have fun – let me know if you check it out!

Le Loir Dans le Théière
3 rue des Rosiers
75004 Paris

See photos and more on their website:

Looking for other places to eat and drink, and enjoy Paris? Check out these pages:


I hope you enjoyed my “Le Loir Dans le Theiere” article!

I’m excited to tell you I’ve started planning my next trip to Paris – woohoo! July 2018 sounds like a great plan — can you meet me there? I’ve got my fingers’ crossed!

Let me know if you have any questions about Paris or my website,  or just want to share some tips about your trip to Paris.

There are ots of ways to get in touch — post a Comment below, send an email, click the little “Say Bonjour!” tab on the right side of the screen, or pop over to the Facebook page — I’d love to hear from you!

Ciao ciao for now, a bientot !

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Teena


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Le Chat Gourmand patisserie and lunch bar in 75011 Paris

UPDATE 27 Aug 2022 – a Google search shows Le Chat Gourmand – this cute little lunch bar as “permanently closed”.

Don’t despair – thre will be other new places I haven’t had the good fortune to find yet, as I haven’t been in Paris for a few years due to COVID

 

Today (10 Sept 2015) I popped into a little patisserie/lunch bar in Rue Saint Maur in the 11th arrondissement, which is owned by chef Alain (who loves cats, hence the name “The Greedy Cat” / Le Chat Gourmand).

This is not a café or restaurant – it’s where you can buy sandwiches and tasty treats, then walk to the nearest park and have a picnic :-)

 

Le Chat Gourmand patisserie and lunch bar in 75011 Paris

Everything is made fresh by Alain, from baguette sandwiches with delicious fillings, to home-made quiches, fresh salads (carrottes rapées = shredded carrot, epinards – spinach, etc), tasty pasta and much more).

If you’d like your quiche etc heated, not a problem.

The menu is a “Formule” (a “set menu”):

  • 1 x dish, 1 x salad, 1 x dessert or drink = 9,00 €

 

The prices are very reasonable, the food is fresh and delicious — eat in, or take away — yum!

If you’re in the 11th on or near Rue Saint Maur, do pop in and say Teena sent you :-)

Alain is a charming guy with a great personality, singing along to great songs on the radio, dancing a bit when and if required, always welcomes you with a big smile and a friendly “Hello!” :-)

PS — ask for a Carte de Fidélité (a Loyalty Card) – after 10 purchases you get ONE MEAL FREE!

Cafe/Restaurant: Le Chat Gourmand (The Greedy Cat)

63 Rue Saint Maur, 75011 Paris, France

Tel:  01 48 06 18 94

Metro: Rue Saint-Maur / Saint-Ambroise

For other cafe/restaurant reviews, pop over here >>

Le Chat Gourmand lunch bar in the 11th arrondissement

West Country Girl Crepes in Paris 75011

West Country Girl Crepes in Paris 75011

West Country Girl creperie is a local restaurant in Paris

There are so many great eateries in the 11th arrondissement, and I decided to try out this one for  dinner.

In a little side street called Passage Saint-Ambroise, this is the only foodie place in the entire street, making it easy to find. The menu is small, but boasts all quality local ingredients, and it looked very warm and inviting.

If you’re nervous about speaking French, don’t be — the servers also speak English :-)

I ordered a mixed salad (which generally means a green salad of lettuces and a dressing) for €3.

For a main course, I decided to try the Champignon, Chevre et ciboulette crepe, which is a Mushroom, creamy Goat’s cheese and chives for around €8.

Normally crepes are served with cider, but this little resto has all kinds of alcohol available. I went with a traditional cider for €3 a glass, which was delicious — the choices were a sweet cider or a very, very dry one. After tasting the dry one, I opted for the more regular sweeter one – t turned out to be an excellent choice.

West Country Girl crepes and cider in 75011

Everything was tasty, and perfect for a very light meal; you may need a few more crepes to fill you up for dinner :-)

Ambiance was great, lots of laughter from the guests, great music, terrific vibe. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.

Cafe/Restaurant: West Country Girl

6 Passage Saint-Ambroise, 75011 Paris, France

Metro: Rue Saint-Maur / Saint-Ambroise

For other cafe/restaurant reviews, pop over here >>

Cafe Thank You My Deer in the 11th arrondissement

Cafe Thank You My Deer is a real find, located in the 11th arrondissement 75011 of Paris

Today I was walking along Rue Saint-Maur and almost walked past this little café, but the blackboard sign outside made me want to go in :-)

The girls here are from Slovakia, Italy and Mexico, and offer gluten-free delights as treats or lunch (closed for dinner).

After chatting with the Barista to see how they make their coffees, I ordered a double-shot latte and was really, truly pleasantly surprised! Made with arabica beans, real fresh milk (not long-life milk like the average French cafe) and tasted great! Woohoo!

Do drop by and have a look if you’re in the area — their menu is fresh and sounds delicious.

Cafe:  THANK YOU MY DEER

Located at: 112 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris

Open:  8:00am to 6:00pm

Update: 9 Sept 2015

I popped back to this café this morning for “P’tit Dej” (Petite Dejeuner = breakfast), where there’s a variety of gluten-free muffins and and cakes, home made granola, and eggs – yum!

Food trucks in Paris – Le Camion Qui Fume

Food trucks in Paris - Le Camion Qui Fume
When I lived in Paris all those years ago, the thought of “food trucks” (like in the USA) were unheard of.

Zoom forward to the 21st Century and “Voila!” they’ve definitely arrived and become popular

  • Grab a hamburger for €8.50
  • add fries for a total of €10.50

The very first food truck was launched by an American from California who was studying at a culinary school, and saw an opportunity. Called “le Camion Qui Fume” (the Smoking Truck), it can be found at different locations at different times, so check the website for the up-to-the-minute schedule or follow them on Twitter:

Le Relais de Venise Restaurant in Paris 75017

Le Relais de Venise Restaurant in Paris 75017

In the mood for a very tasty steak and fries (“chips” and the French “frites“)? Pop over to Le Relais de Venise.

I love a good steak and I really love Chateaubriand, but if you’re not looking for something so rich, you might enjoy this great resto (and the great news is they’re also in London (x 3!) and New York!)

  • head on over to Porte-Maillot metro in the 17th arrondissement
  • no reservation is necessary
  • when ordering your how your steak will be cooked, you’ll only have TWO choices — rare or well-done, so please don’t ask for anything else :-)

This restaurant has also become known by the name of L’Entrecôte and you can ask for directions and everyone will know which restaurant you mean.

Once you’re seated at your table, your waitress will ask you: “Saignant?”  (rare), or “Bien cuit?  (well done)”.

That’s it — no other choices, no “medium” or “medium rare” — so knowing that up-front will make it easier to choose. The steak is thin so it can really only be cooked in two ways. Easy, non?

When your steak arrives it will be thinly sliced and covered with an amazing sauce (and it’s a secret recipe handed down through the generations), paired with delicious “frites” (or fries, also known as “hot chips” in the UK, Australia and New Zealand).
When you’re ready for dessert you’ll have many wonderful delicacies to choose from, so go ahead and enjoy!

Your Say

If you do visit this restaurant, I’d love to hear what you think about it – just send a Comment below, or a voicemail (click the button on the right of the website) or tell me about it on my Facebook page, Twitter etc — thanks in advance!

http://www.relaisdevenise.com

271 Boulevard Pereire
Porte-Maillot 75017
Tel: 0145 74 27 97

Map to Le Relais de Venise Restaurant

[mappress mapid=”36″]

For other great famous French food to eat, pop over here >>

Petit Dejeuner in Paris 75002

Petit Dejeuner in Paris 75002

Petit Dejeuner in Paris 75002

Need petit dejeuner in Paris?

Walk around any Parisian street every morning of the year and you’ll see people in cafés, eating croissants, standing at the bar to drink their espresso coffee and others dipping their croissants into their thick creamy cafe au lait (milky coffee).

Every now and then when I’m in Paris I’ll have a change and order a non-croissant breakfast which comprises of a cafe au lait (milk coffee), a tartine (a piece of baguette) with beurre (butter) and confiture (jam).

In this photo above I was in a cafe in the 2nd arrondissement (le 2eme – “the Second”) and could watch the world go by while I took my time over breakfast. I’d be making notes and sketching in my trusty notebook and taking photos and videos with my iphone, relaxing whilst absorbing the bustling Parisian life around me.

I never ever tire of doing this – it’s a wonderful way to start the day, and to me, Paris feels like no other city or location I’ve lived in around the world.

Have you had the same feeling when you’ve been in Paris or anywhere else? I’d love to hear about it … comment below or click any of the buttons to connect with – better still, make a quick video or audio and email them to me, that’d be very cool :-)

Petit dejeuner in Paris … the ONLY way to start your day!

Delicious Francois’s Paella in 75004

Delicious Francois’s Paella in 75004

Paella in 75004? Look no further!

I’ve just heard about Francois, an amazing chef who whips up the most delicious Paella in Paris … all from his trusty van parked at a local market twice a week.

Paella in 75004 Paris - delicious! (image)

Francois makes the paella from scratch, and if you are there on a Saturday, you’ll need to wait until around 11:30am.  I’d be tempted to buy a couple of the other dishes to take home for dinner :-)

The very generous serves are 7 euro (at Oct 2009) and you’ll be in for a real treat.

Taste delicious Francois' Paella at the Saturday market in Paris 75004

If you’re not up for the Paella or would simply like to try one of the other dishes, check out Francois’ tasty treats:

  • chicken stew with white beans and
  • beef Bourguignon
  • chicken fricassee
  • big sausages with lentils.

 

Where to find Francois’s Paella at the Market

  • Baudoyer market
    Place Baudoyer, between rue de Rivoli & rue Francois Miron, 4th arrondissement 75004
    Metro:Hotel de Ville, St. Paul
    Open Saturday 7AM-3PM- Note: paella is not ready till about 11:30AM
    Wednesday 3PM-8:30PM

 Map to Francois’ paella in 75004

[mappress mapid=”33″]