Paris Eats
My second time in Paris was all about the food! Although we were only in the city around two days, I think we did a decent job of cramming in some delicious meals and pastries. Other than one trip to the Louis Vuitton Foundation (which I would recommend, the building alone is worth seeing), the trip was solely focused on eating and walking as much as possible. One thing I learned this second time around was that a lot of the restaurants are closed on the weekends (odd), so make sure you make the trip in the middle of the week. I’m glad we decided to make Paris a layover on our trip to Jordan. Jordan itinerary coming soon!
the rundown
Here’s a quick run through of our Paris meals. Also adding two of our favorites from our first trip to Paris in 2016.
DAY 1 (Got to the hotel at 4 pm)
Macarons from our hotel at The Westin Paris - Vendome
Tasting menu dinner Verjus Paris
Day 2
Breakfast pastries at Du Pain Et Des Idees
Coffee and light breakfast at Fragments Paris
Lunch at Le Servan
Macarons at Pierre Herme
Casual Dinner at Ellsworth
Day 3 (Left for the airport at 1pm)
Chocolate run at Jean-Paul Hevin
Hot chocolate at Angelina Paris
Best pastries ever at Cedric Grolet’s patisserie at Le Meurice
September 2016 Highlights
Lunch at Le Comptoir du Relais
Tasting Menu Dinner at Le Chateaubriand
Ran into Karl Lagerfeld (RIP) (sorry had to put that in there)
the meals
breakfast / coffee / pastries
du pain et des idees
likely
We made a huge mistake by not ordering the pistachio chocolate escargot pastry. But the pastries we did get were still good. There is not a lot of seating, so it’s more of a grab and go spot. There’s no menu, just point at what you want from the pastry case.
Good For: Breakfast or Snack Break
What to Order: Escargot pastry (the pistachio / chocolate one)
fragments paris
Neutral
While the coffee and vibe were good, I wasn’t a big fan of the food. Their bread and jam were tasty, but I would probably skip this place if I were you, and stock up on pastries at Du Pain et des Idees instead. FYI: They have oat milk!
Good For: Coffee
What to Order: Coffee
Cedric Grolet Patisserie at Le Meurice
Extremely likely
BEST p a s t r i e s EVER! Yup, that’s a big statement, but it’s true. Nizar and I were mind blown. Don’t ask me what the names of any of the desserts are. I barely understood what they were saying. I just know the one with the pastry cream and almonds was divine!!
About: Cedric Grolet was named the best pastry chef in the world in 2017. He also makes the pastries for the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse, so yeah explains why it’s so freaking good.
Logistics: They are only open from 12 pm - 4 pm (closed on Mondays), or until they sell out. I got in line at 12 pm outside the shop and didn’t get my pastries until 12:50 pm. The store is really small and they only let 6-7 people in at a time. My suggestion would be to get in line at 11:40 am or earlier (even if you don’t see a line) so that you can avoid waiting forever. We jumped into an Uber right after to rush and catch our flight. The wait was worth the risk of missing our flight.
Good For: Mid-day pastry break
Pricing: Pastries range from 10 to 17 Euros each.
What to Order: One of everything (around 6-8 distinct pastries). I regret only getting three things.
Extremely likely
This is probably some of the best chocolate I’ve had in my life. They have a few locations around Paris, but both times we went to the Vendome location. I’ve read that their hot chocolate is also some of the best but the Vendome location is smaller and doesn’t serve it, so try another location. They don’t deliver beyond Paris so stock up on everything you want and get me some too (I’ll Venmo you, I’m serious).
What to Order: I like the individually wrapped milk chocolate squares, the chocolate pearls & the chocolate box (assortment).
neutral
We came here for one purpose only - the hot chocolate. It’s really rich. I would get a small to share between two people unless you don’t care about your health. But the one from Daily Provisions in New York is still my favorite. I’ve seen a lot of people also enjoy tea service at Angelina, but we didn’t have time.
What to Order: Hot chocolate
Extremely likely
Pierre Herme makes excellent macarons. I can’t vouch for the other pastries but they look delicious. I also don’t get what the fuss is about Laduree. I don’t mind Laduree’s other desserts but Pierre Herme has much better macarons. Plus, you can get Laduree in other cities outside of Paris, so stick to Pierre Herme.
What to Order: I think it’s obvious, but macarons. I honestly liked every macaron we tried, so order what appeals to you.
lunch / dinner
Le Servan
likely
Le Servan serves French dishes with influences from Asian cultures. It looks simple, but tastes complex. The lunch tasting menu is a bargain for the quality of food you are getting. Three courses for 28 Euros per person is amazing. Unfortunately, there is no a la carte portion, but don’t worry this isn’t a long tasting menu. You should be finished with your meal within an hour or so.
We didn’t make a reservation but luckily got a table for lunch about 45 minutes before closing. They are only open on weekdays and serve lunch four of those days. The menu was all in French and the server spoke broken English but I think Google translate helped and we did a good job ordering.
Good For: Lunch or Dinner - French-ish Tasting Menu
Reservations: Call but they also take some walk-ins.
What to Order: The tasting menu changes often, so you will just have to go with what they have available. But we loved the squash soup and the fish with endives & curry.
VERJUS PARIS
Extremely likely
This was probably the highlight of our time in Paris (well other than all the pastries we had). It’s pretty rare that I like every single dish on a tasting menu. There is always one dish that I’m not happy with, but that wasn’t the case here. Verjus has a quaint dining room making this a very intimate dining experience. The tasting menu is around seven courses (including bread service) and is reasonably priced (78 Euros per person) compared to the Michelin starred meals. I think it’s a great alternative if you can’t get reservations at any of the Michelin restaurants. And fun fact, the chef couple are Americans that moved to France 20+ years ago.
Good For: Dinner - French/American Tasting Menu
Reservations: Online, they also have a waiting list option
What to Order: The tasting menu changes often, so you will just have to go with what they have available. But their socca “starter” was phenomenal.
ellsworth
neutral
Unfortunately, this is the worst meal we had in Paris. This is owned by the same team as Verjus, so we had high expectations. The cuisine was a fusion of Modern Southern/American. The fried chicken is the star of their menu, but I found it to be just ok. Now if this restaurant was in Atlanta, it would probably fall in the average category for me, but overall I wouldn’t recommend going here. Apparently, their brunch is supposed to be better.
Good For: Casual Southern/American Dinner or Brunch
Reservations: Online, they also have a waiting list option
What to Order: Nothing
September 2016 highlights
Le Chateaubriand
extremely likely
When we went for the tasting menu it was one of the 100 best restaurants in the world (#74). It’s no longer on the list, but it still has great reviews.
This is a blind tasting menu, or at least it was for us since the waitress told us the menu was in French. This is still one of my most memorable tasting menus because we had no idea what was coming out. It was also when I became a fan of cuttlefish. But the most memorable dish was the egg yolk dessert. You eat it in one bite and the brûléed egg yolk pops in your mouth.
This tasting menu is 75 Euros per person.
Good For: Dinner - French Tasting Menu
Reservations: Make a reservation
What to Order: The tasting menu changes often, so you will just have to go with what they have available. But hopefully, you get that brûléed egg dessert.
Le Comptoir du Relais
likely
I loved the St. Germain neighborhood where this restaurant is located. They don’t take reservations, so just get in line awkwardly in front of the restaurant, staring at everyone eating. The seating is tight, so get friendly (or don’t) with your neighbor.
We went to this place twice on our trip, and the second time wasn’t as great as the first, so I was hesitant to include this but maybe you will have a great first meal as we did!
Good For: Casual French Lunch or Dinner
Reservations: Walk-ins only
What to Order: Our favorites were the carpaccio, tuna salad & the pot de creme.
hotels
December 2018 - the westin paris vendome
With my husband’s Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status we were able to apply two suite night awards (he gets ten a year) and got upgraded to a beautiful suite. We also emailed them before arriving that we were celebrating our anniversary (which always helps, and yes it was true). Sometimes we get lucky with the upgrades and sometimes we don’t. This time we got a corner room with a balcony that wrapped around, two full bathrooms, and a separate living room. Not to mention views of the Eiffel Tower & the Louvre!
This hotel was also walking distance from a lot of the pastry shops we visited, so was perfect for us. I’m not sure how the regular rooms are, but they seem to be more contemporary in nature. Plus their macarons were really good, I would eat them again!
September 2016 - W Paris Opera
The W hotel was located right across from the Paris Opera house, which was nice to look at. But other than that I wasn’t a big fan of the surroundings. It was a bit out of the way of places we were eating at, etc. The room was decent, but over the past few years, my interest in the W has significantly declined. Not my vibe.
That one time we ran into Karl Lagerfeld (RIP) outside of burberry
on my radar
PLACES TO EAT ON MY NEXT TRIP
Fine dining
Frenchie Rue Du Nil | Upscale French - Frenchie just received their first Michelin star in 2019. We weren’t able to get a reservation for their tasting menu while we were in town, so decided to check out their bar (that also serves food) across the street, Frenchie bar a vins. Unfortunately, there was a 1.5 hour wait, so will have to save this for next time.
Ritz Paris | Tea Service - Most of the fancy hotels host an afternoon tea service. So if you aren’t able to sleep at a fancy hotel, then at least you get to enjoy their food (but still at a cost). But don’t show up without a reservation! The other tea services that looked good are at Le Meurice, the Four Seasons or Plaza Athenee.
Septime | Upscale French - If you followed me on Instagram when I was in Paris, then you know how crushed I was when I received six “rejection letters” saying I didn’t get off the waitlist. Septime is #40 on The World’s 50 Best List. Both lunch and dinner services are tasting menus. The pricing honestly seemed reasonable to me compared to what you would pay at the three Michelin star establishments in Paris.
Casual Dining
Boutique Yam’tcha | Baos - A great spot for a quick lunch or snack. They sell steamed buns from their window counter. They also have a formal restaurant that was featured on Chef’s Table France, Yam’tcha.
Kunitoraya | Japanese - According to a friend (thanks Michelle), this is one of the best spots to get your Japanese udon noodle fix. It’s also one of Eva Chen’s favorite spots in Paris, so there’s that!
Miznon | Casual Israeli - If you want a break from French cuisine, then Miznon is supposed to have some of the best Israeli food. The OG location is in Israel, and they also have some in NYC & Vienna.
Mokonots | Bakery - In addition to pastries they also serve savory lunch items. Expect some Mediterranean influence as well.
Telescope Cafe | Coffee - We stopped by here, but they were on a two week vaca for Christmas / New Year. When I posted this on insta, the owner was so friendly and DM’d me that he was sorry they were closed and told me where else to go. I’ll check this out next time.