The amount of information online and in print about where to eat in Paris, the most visited city in the world, is absolutely dizzying. As much as I enjoy researching where to find the choicest morsels (it’s one of my favorite sports), I get overwhelmed and unfocused when there’s too much information to process. In situations like these, there’s nothing I appreciate more than a like-minded food lover telling me exactly where to eat. Thanks to my friends Steve, Stephane, and Roy, and the book Hungry for Paris by Alexander Lobrano, planning my Paris eating itinerary came together without fuss or flops. It is my hope that these write-ups will save fellow travelers the headache of planning out the perfect Parisian meals.

The Astronomer, my mom, and I met up with The Astronomer’s great aunt and Paris resident Paulette for lunch at Le Beurre Noisette on our first full day in Paris. This lovely bistro, whose name literally means “hazelnut butter” or “brown butter,” came highly recommended by Stephane. I’ve yet to encounter a more delicious name for a restaurant in all my years of eating.

Chef Thierry Blanqui opened Le Beurre Noisette in 2001 after honing his culinary skills and style at some of the city’s best restaurants including The Ritz, La Tour d’Argent, and Le Doyen. Here in the 15^th arrondissement, Chef serves up delightful plates inspired by the season’s bounty at beyond reasonable prices.

The day’s menu was scrawled on a portable slate board that was brought to our table at the start of the meal and removed as soon as we placed our order. Two set menu options were available including a starter and a main course for €22 or a starter, main course, and dessert for €30.  Anticipating a packed eating itinerary in the  days to follow, we felt that three dishes per person might be a bit much and decided to order a la carte.  It would be one of the few instances on the trip that we turned down the considerable bargain offered by the set menus.

The French table isn’t complete without a basket of extraordinary bread.

(more…)

Restaurant Joséphine “Chez Dumonet,” a 112-year-old bistro in the 6th arrondissement that’s known for its brilliant and bountiful execution of French classics, was my top pick for our inaugural dinner in Paris. The restaurant’s distinct old world feel set the mood perfectly for our first night in The City of Light.

As with all of the desirable tables in town, reservations were made weeks in advance to secure our spot. Though the restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived at 7:30, by the time we left a few hours later the petite bistro was bumpin’. The local set tend to eat late.

Small saucers of gazpacho were delivered to the table as we were making our final decisions about what to order. Cool, smooth, and sweetened by summer’s early tomatoes, the soup offered a lovely sip to start.

(more…)