Last weekend, I was lucky enough to take a petit pause from the mildly stressful pace of college to hop across to Paris for a couple of days. I was travelling with my Italy companion Orla, so of course, plenty of food was on the agenda. We had planned out in advance all the places we just needed to see, and apart from a minor crisis when I realised my old favourite local boulangerie had gone out of business (no more papillons au chocolat – the horror), everything went swimmingly. So here I am sharing 5 great places that we visited over the weekend (Credit for most of the photos goes to Orla and her Iphone 🙂 )  Enjoy…
1. Angelina
As clichĂ©d as it may be, I insist on bringing all those who come to Paris with me to queue outside Angelina on Rue de Rivoli. And each time, I have to convince them that yes, the hot chocolate is worth it, and no, you won’t mind that you paid the same amount for it as you paid for lunch. I know all the tricks – when there is a huge queue or you are in desperate need of a chocolate hit, go into the patiserrie and get one to go – cheaper and immensely quicker, but with less ceremony (it doesn’t taste quite the same out of a paper cup). There are branches elsewhere around the city, and we frequented the Luxembourg one – it was the best treat after braving scary French exams (or just a tough day of lectures).
Haters gonna hate, Angelina has to be done.
2. Relais d’Entrecote
Another clichĂ©d, quasi-touristy entry. Yes, there will be as many Americans as French in the queue, and yes the prices (26 euro a head for a salad and steak-frites) are most definitely not the best value in Paris, but honestly, a trip to Relais d’entrecote (either Montparnasse or Rue Marbeuf) is worth having.
There is only one item on the menu, and as you are seated, the waiter will likely bark ‘la cuisson?’ at you. Many a ‘I got an A in the LC’ french-speaker has been flummoxed by this – she is just asking how you like your steak cooked. For those who eat it medium-well in Ireland, respond ‘Bien-cuit’, for those who like medium-rare, ‘Ă point’, and for those who like it rare to mooing, ‘saignant’ or even ‘bleu’ (Literally bloody (rare) and blue – you’ve been warned). You will get a nice walnut and frisĂ©e salad to start, and plenty of bread – don’t eat it all now, you will want it to mop up the deliciousness that is the mystery sauce that comes with the steak. Also, don’t be alarmed when the waitress comes over and shovels more food onto your plate – the portion comes in 2 halves. I’ve never tried the desserts, as I’ve always been full to the brim with steak-frites, but I can say with certainty that the choux pastry thingy with ice-cream and chocolate sauce looks absolutely divine. Maybe next time?
3. Popelini
A great find stumbled upon by accident when Jane came to visit last February, Popelini sells mini choux buns filled with creme-patissiere of all varieties, and sold individually or in beautifully packaged boxes for your most chic of Parisien hostess gifts. Having discovered the branch on Rue des Martyrs in Montmartre, I then scoped out the more convenient one in the Upper Marais. I’ve tasted almost all they have on offer, my all time favourites being the Chocolat au lait avec confit de passion (Milk chocolate with passionfruit), PralinĂ© (tastes like posh nutella), Citron (lemon, of course) and the Fruit de la Passion (unadulterated passionfruit goodness). I love these so much, I brought a box of twelve home, via 2 taxis, a plane ride, a bus journey and in the car down to Clonmel. They did look a little worse for wear, but tasted amazing. So worth it.
4. Les Cocottes
A little more upmarket than we expected, Les Cocottes turned out to be a cool, buzzing winebar style of restaurant, surprisingly close to the tourist trap of the Tour Eiffel and Les Invalides, an area notoriously difficult to find quality food at earth-prices. Given that the walls of the bar were home to laden shelves bearing hundreds of copies of the proprietors cookbook, we cleverly deduced that said proprietor must be a celebrity chef. In French, a ‘cocotte’ is a little earthenware dish, used to bake gratins/cassoulets in the oven. So naturally, we both went for cocottes – mine a langoustine ravioli with an unbelievably rich aubergine foam thing, and Orla for the more sensible vegetable gratin. Both were delicious, and judging from the constant stream of customers jostling for seats, they must be doing something right. One I’d go back to.
5. Dose, Dealer de café
This last one is a bit random, because it is totally un-French. It is styled like a typical posh Australian/American/Irish coffee shop – similar to CafĂ© Grey or Fixx on Dawson Street. However, it is a rare gem in Paris. I don’t know where I came up with the idea that the French were good at coffee, but it is a fallacy – they rejoice in bad coffee – and God forbid that you were someone who prefers their coffee with milk? This is one of the few places near me that would serve a latte or a cappuccino that resembled something close to what the Italians intended. The prices are Starbucks-style, but so much better than resorting to the dreaded MNC when trying to be all sophis and urban. It is on the charmingly tacky Rue Mouffetard, which incidentally is one of the best places to head to on a Sunday morning – enjoy banter with the stall-holders on lower Rue Mouffetard before popping over to MarchĂ© Monge to pick up some goodies
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Daisy Chain Feasts 