I’ve said it before and I’ll say it forever: enjoying the local cuisine is one of my favorite parts of any trip. Wherever we plan to go for a vacation, you can bet that I either have ideas in mind of where I’d like to eat or will be researching with endless Google tabs open on my browser.
So when we decided to go to Paris for our 10th anniversary, the vision of macarons, croissants, baguettes, and other delicacies filled my dreams like a carbohydrate cloud. Where would we even begin to find the time and stomach space to get our fill of everything Paris has to offer? And how can you even decide on where to eat when every quaint street cafe looks incredible?
Thankfully, we had some help from friends, local recommendations, pop culture, and of course, a whole lot of Googling.
While just about everything we ate on our trip was absolutely wonderful, especially the bread (oh my goodness, the bread the bread the BREAD), here are the best of the best things we ate in Paris.
The croissants from Poilâne
I read online that the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten, says this is the best bread in Paris. Once I mapped out their locations, I realized there was one not too far from our Airbnb apartment and along the route to the Eiffel Tower. Therefore, it felt very appropriate after we arrived on our first day to stop by for croissants at Poilâne and take them with us for a little picnic. Their breads also looked so fantastic and I wish we had had time to stop in again. I’d say that we had other excellent croissants on the trip, but with the Poilâne croissants being the first thing we ate in Paris, they deserve a mention.
The chicken at Le Grand Colbert
Making sure we ate dinner at Le Grand Colbert was a must for me after seeing “Something’s Gotta Give,” one of my most favorite movies (that Nancy Meyers knows what’s up). If you’re not familiar with the movie or don’t remember, Diane Keaton talks about the chicken at Le Grand Colbert, and she ends up going there for her birthday with her boyfriend, played by Keanu Reeves. Jack Nicholson, the man she loves and who left her brokenhearted, shows up at the restaurant and they all dine together. It looks like the most wonderful meal in the world, and I wanted to live that. We went to Le Grand Colbert our second night in Paris on a rainy Saturday, and everything from the ambiance to the service was absolutely wonderful. Of course, Diane Keaton did not steer me wrong with the chicken. It was a delight!
The macarons at Pierre Hermé
Getting macarons in Paris was going to be a must. Thanks to our family friend Jordann, we were steered toward Pierre Hermé instead of some of the other popular places for macarons, such as Ladurée. According to her, she did a taste test between the two and PH won every time. We stopped into one of the Pierre Hermé locations near where we were walking on our first rainy day, and ordered a few different flavors. We tried their pistachio, chocolate, and vanilla flavors, and they were all delicious.
The croque monsieur at Georges at Centre Pompidou
We hadn’t planned on eating lunch during our visit at the Centre Pompidou, but after spending a soggy Sunday morning checking out the Picasso museum and walking toward the Centre Pompidou, we were a bit tired and water-logged. We saw the beautiful Georges rooftop restaurant when we took the escalators to the top of the museum, and because it was close to lunchtime, we decided to take a break before walking through our second museum of the day. It turned out to be a great decision. Georges has a gorgeous view of Paris and a very cool, modern vibe inside. After feeling very cold and wet from walking in the rain, ordering something warm and comforting sounded great. We both ordered the croque monsieur, the classic ham and cheese sandwich. What we received was a beautiful and glorious meal, toasted to perfection with the crusts cut off. This sandwich hit the spot and re-energized us for the rest of the day. And the best part (after the sandwich) was that we could see the clouds clear as we ate. After a day and a half of rain, the rest of the day and our trip were sunny and beautiful.
The famous hot chocolate “l’Africain” at Angelina
Going to Angelina was only a little bit on our radar, but after meeting a family on our bike tour who raved about their famous hot chocolate, it seemed like a must visit. On the day that we were visiting The Louvre, I knew that we would be wandering around the Tuileries Garden before heading to the Orangerie museum. When I looked at restaurants nearby as potential lunch options, I noticed how close Angelina was to the park. We lucked out and arrived just in time to get a table in the tearoom, and ordered delicious salads along with the hot chocolate (because, you know, balance). I didn’t know what to expect, but that hot chocolate was nothing short of decadent, rich, and Willy Wonka levels of chocolate goodness. It felt velvety and warm, hitting every single tastebud in our mouths. Zack isn’t a chocolate guy, but that hot chocolate was a big winner in his book. Sometimes, things are just worth the hype.
The chocolate mousse at Chez Janou
Would you believe we indulged in the two best chocolate dishes we’ve ever had in one single day in Paris? It all seems too much, but it’s true. After an Angelina afternoon, we took the metro up to Chez Janou, a beautiful and lively bistro that is known for their Provençal dishes and famous chocolate mousse. A former Cranbrook classmate Katharine Zarrella is a major fashion journalist and editor who attends Paris Fashion Week each year, so this past year I paid extra close attention to her Instagram for ideas of places to go. She posted a photo of herself at Chez Janou and deemed it her favorite bistro in Paris, so it felt like a must. Further research into the restaurant led me to discovering the famous mousse, which is brought to the table in what is essentially an urn or cauldron with a large spoon. The rule is you can eat all you want, but make sure to eat off your own plate and not out of the vessel itself. After an incredible meal, this chocolate mousse was a most delicious finale. It puts all of the other mousses in the world to shame.
The cod at Jules Verne
When I say we did it up in Paris in terms of eating, we really did it up. Jules Verne is a decadent, once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. Visiting the Eiffel Tower is one thing. Dining inside of it is another. And the Jules Verne experience is another thing entirely. The service and food at Jules Verne are impeccable. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch with the chef’s tasting menu of five courses and glasses of champagne. Each course was a work of art, but of everything we ate, Zack and I both agreed that the cod was the very best thing. Truly, the best piece of fish we’ve ever eaten. It was delicate, light, sweet, elegant. This meal made me feel like a grownup, or at least a pretend one.
The ice cream from Berthillon
Berthillon ice cream was a recommendation from a couple of our friends, so of course we had to check it out. We were already going to be near the main location on Ile Saint-Louis when we visited Saint Chapelle, but realized that it was temporarily closed. Thankfully, restaurants nearby also serve Berthillon ice cream, including Le Flore en l’Ile. We stopped in on our rainy tourist day to get a break from the weather and see what all of the excitement was about. I ordered the coffee and chocolate flavors, and boy do I get it now. This is darn good ice cream, and the only way I could imagine it being any better is eaten with a cone while walking along the Seine. The weather didn’t allow us to do that, but indulging in this sweet treat in a beautiful restaurant was a perfect alternative.
The chicken curry from Seoul Mama
When you’re on vacation and dining out for every meal, you can start to yearn for a little variety. As much as we loved eating all of the bread and rich proteins at every meal, we wanted to try something different. Our Airbnb was located in a quieter part of the city, especially with many locals still on holiday in mid-August. We passed by Seoul Mama, a Korean-Indian restaurant, several times throughout the early days of our trip, but it was closed. Finally, on a day when we didn’t have any dinner plans, we saw that the restaurant would be back open that night. The reviews were wonderful and we were intrigued. We arrived just as they opened because we didn’t have a reservation and it’s quite a small space. This restaurant was out of this world! We enjoyed their KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) as a starter before indulging in our entrees. Zack ordered a beef bulgogi bowl, while I opted for the chicken curry. This meal was as delicious as it was gorgeous. I loved trying a different type of cuisine while we were in Paris, especially when it was such an interesting fusion of flavors.
The eclairs at L’Éclair de Génie
On our last day in Paris, we had a photoshoot with Pamela of The Parisian Photographers. As we talked about some of our favorite things we tried and asked for her recommendations, she told us about L’Éclair de Génie and their delicious treats. This was one of the pastries we hadn’t indulged in yet on our trip, and because we had an open day to explore, we made a point to find a location nearby. Based on Pamela’s recommendation, we ordered their chocolate and butter caramel flavors. These treats were both beautiful and delicious, and a much more manageable size than what I had in mind. We were very thankful to Pamela for the recommendation, and also for introducing us to…
The croissants at Cafe du Trocadero
Part of our photoshoot with Pamela included spending time at a cafe. Because we were taking photos near the Eiffel Tower in the Trocadero area, this cafe was a quick walk. Of all of the cafes we went to, this was the prettiest. I loved the black and white decor (intuition must have led us to wearing black and white outfits for this part of the shoot) and the location very much. We ordered drinks and croissants as delicious props, and boy was this our favorite croissant on the trip. It had a crisp and sweet coating of honey on the outside, but was soft and doughy in the middle. As croissant connoisseurs at this point in the trip, this little cafe croissant was a star. Feeling like celebrities trying to ignore the paparazzi might have also added to its mystique.
The octopus at Le Récepteur
The day we arrived in Paris, we took a three-hour bike tour with Fat Tire Bike Tours (that deserves its own blog post… stay tuned). Our guide Tim was a lot of fun and definitely a foodie, so with it being our first day, we grilled him for recommendations of his favorite restaurants and treats. We purposely left a few evenings free for this very reason. Tim highly recommended Le Récepteur, saying that they had excellent food and were more of a local spot. In mapping it out, we weren’t that far from the restaurant, so we decided to give it a try that very first night. Imagine our disappointment when we arrived 25 minutes later to see that they were still on holiday. Later in the trip, we went on a day tour to Versailles and Giverny (another experience deserving its own post) and drove past the restaurant in our van. To our delight, people were eating breakfast there. It was open! That evening had also been left free for whatever sounded good for dinner, so we decided to finally try it. Tim had recommended their octopus starter, and of course we ordered it with no hesitation. This dish and the whole vibe of Le Récepteur lived up to our expectations. I would absolutely recommend it to someone visiting Paris and wanting delicious food in more of a local, neighborhood setting.
The stuffed macaroni with black truffle at Epicure
As part of my restaurant research for the trip (and for most trips, really), I was perusing TripAdvisor to see what were the top ranked restaurants in Paris. Among the top five was Epicure, a beyond fine-dining experience from the acclaimed three Michelin star Chef Eric Frechon. All of the reviews of this restaurant said it was truly the best meal they’d ever had, with the best service. It seemed like the perfect place for our final dinner in Paris. Save the best for last, right? Epicure is located in the very posh and high-end Hotel Bristol, and immediately upon arriving I felt like a kid playing a grownup again. I was nervous I’d be like Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman” and use the wrong fork or something. But the service at Epicure could not have been lovelier. It was the warmest evening of our trip, so we opted to sit outside in the courtyard of the hotel. I think that helped me feel less like a wannabe in a fancy dining room. Chef Eric Frechon is known for several dishes, but this stuffed macaroni with black truffle, artichoke, and duck fois gras is perhaps his most popular. We order one to share, because wow this was an expensive meal, but the restaurant graciously split the servings onto two plates with gorgeous presentation. Everything we ate at Epicure was expertly and wonderfully prepared, but this stuffed macaroni was a standout. What a beautiful way to end our anniversary trip to Paris.
Hungry yet?