April 30, 2013 by Diane Yoon
Tucked away on a tiny side street near Square Temple, across the street from hipster hangout Nanashi and bobo haven The Broken Arm, Café Pinson is serving up quality coffee and healthy eats to expats and natives alike.
Eschewing the grungy chipped paint aesthetic of so many new openings in the city, the bright, welcoming space features classic details like white-paneled walls, wicker chairs, and geometric-patterned tables. It’s the kind of place that invites any and all to come in and get cozy – I would feel comfortable cuddling down into one of their sunken chairs with an engrossing book and tea and pastry for a couple of hours, just as I would be happy meeting a big group of friends for a quick catch-up session or hunkering down with my laptop for a good old-fashioned work crunch. The honest-to-goodness friendly staff was all smiles as I took up a precious corner table for hours and hours one busy Friday afternoon. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 6 Comments »
March 27, 2013 by Paige Bradley Frost
When friends come to visit in Paris, I always get a little nervous. It’s Paris after all, the most-visited and eulogized city in the world. They’re expecting a lot. And I live here.
That means I’ve got the place wired, right? No exhibition ticket should be too hard to acquire, no chic table impossible to book. Such were my anxieties as I prepared for a recent visit from my sister and brother-in-law. We’d have ten days together but only a couple of kid-free evenings. Those dinners had to be perfect.
And so I searched. I scoured reviews, made calls and asked friends for recommendations. Of course I know plenty of great restaurants. I have dozens of favorites and an ever-growing list of places to try. But could I select the perfect place to eat? The one that says “this is the best of Paris” – that elusive combination of great food, distinctive atmosphere and, most importantly, a place where I could actually score a table on the night we had free?
Continue Reading »
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | 7 Comments »
January 24, 2013 by Amy Thomas
Albion
Dining in Paris is the stuff dreams are made of: elaborate dishes made with top notch ingredients, artfully presented by passionate chefs.
Albion
Unless, of course, you happen into one of the infinite restos where instead of having a mind-blowing meal, you’re served mediocrity along with impressive attitude. In fact, doesn’t it taste like those vegetables on your plate came straight from a bag?
Albion
Of course every town has its dining hits and misses. But for so long, it was unfavorably risky to gamble on your average neighborhood bistro in Paris. But finally the tides have turned. We seem to have arrived at a place where you don’t have to break the bank to have a fantastic meal that gets your heart and stomach juices pumping. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 10 Comments »
November 28, 2012 by Elise Marafioti
On a recent Culturefish “Must Do” walking tour around the center of Paris, our guide Pierre enthusiastically described a major turning point of Parisian culture. During the Age of Enlightenment, the city was a hotbed of thinkers and politicians who were getting hyped up on a new drug being served around town: coffee!
The famous Café Procope, Paris’ first café, was serving this new, caffeinated beverage to the likes of Voltaire – rumored to have consumed 40 cups of coffee a day – among a star-studded cast of other enlightened historical figures, including Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Diderot, and Robespierre. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 7 Comments »
October 23, 2012 by Krista Stein
To be honest, eating at Le Galopin was a bit of a leap of faith initially. I had heard positive things, but its location on Place Saint Marthe (a great neighborhood, but far from my usual stomping grounds) and its link to television (the chef-owner is the 2010 Top Chef France winner Romain Tischenko) made me slightly skeptical.
However, willing to make sacrifices in the name of discovering delicious new things to eat, I went. And I was glad I did. In fact, I was so glad, that I found myself returning recently for my second dinner.
Place Saint Marthe in the 10th arrondissement is actually a bustling square, off the most well trodden parts of the Parisian dining grid, but clearly not unknown. Continue Reading »
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | 2 Comments »
September 28, 2012 by Elise Marafioti
As I parked my Velib on a rare sunny afternoon in Paris, just steps from the Canal St Martin, I could already tell I was in for a treat. I made my way up charming rue de la Grange aux Belles to the narrow storefront of Ten Belles, snuggled next to a lush, overgrown plant store (le Bleuet Coquelicot). I highly suggest a peek inside… adorable!
Ten Belles, this brand new Paris coffee house is a collaboration of the team behind Le Bal Café and Frogfight organizer, and well known Paris barrista, Thomas Lehoux. It’s intimate ambiance and focus on refined and meticulously cared for coffee make it the perfect stop for coffee enthusiasts, even attracting other known Paris baristas on their days off. Ten Belles served up one of the best cappuccinos I have ever had in Paris, and the charming baristas make it all the sweeter. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 12 Comments »
August 22, 2012 by Elise Marafioti
Although the trend is nothing new stateside, the French have been a little slow to hop on the artisan & craft beer bandwagon. This could be all set to change, however, with a new opening in Montmartre that has serious beer drinkers rejoicing. -Geneviève
Paris, a city known for being the wine-imbibing capital of the world, has another vice that’s been garnering more attention as of late.
Beer has always been an important staple in the cafés and brasseries of Paris, a demi-pression being a popular and affordable choice as an aperitif, or to sip indulgently throughout an evening with friends en terrasse. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 14 Comments »
June 22, 2012 by Paige Bradley Frost
With our kids in their PJs and the babysitter on her way, everything was set for a perfect date night in Paris. Except for one thing. We had no plans. A busy week meant neither Greg nor I had made reservations, bought tickets or planned with friends.
So he grabbed the bistro guide and started dialing. The first five calls were met with terse “On est complet, monsieur,” until we scored with a last minute reservation at Claude Colliot in the Marais. Continue Reading »
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | 4 Comments »
June 14, 2012 by Kim Laidlaw Adrey
The Paris weather has been decidedly grey and overcast this spring, with only brief displays of sunshine punctuating what seem like never-ending downpours. The usual sunny Paris picnic season has been mostly rained off—and this is where Le Conservatoire comes to the fore.
Le Conservatoire, the latest private dining experience from Cédric Casanova, is a Sicilian grocery store-cum-restaurant, much like its predecessor and sister establishment, La Tête dans les Olives. Continue Reading »
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | 10 Comments »
June 11, 2012 by Erica Berman
L’Office owner Charles Compagnon
Coming off a string of mediocre Paris meals, I was less then lukewarm about heading out to, yet another Paris neo-bistro. Anticipating haughty service and below average food at a high price in banal ambiance, I almost bowed out of my recent girl’s night out at L’Office.
Going into this meal with a bad attitude and a hungry tummy, disappointment seemed imminent.
What a pleasure it was to be proven wrong, and how so! l’Office may just be my new French ‘go to’ restaurant for tasty food, in a mellow setting with adorable service. Continue Reading »
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | 5 Comments »
Cafe Pinson (Diane Yoon)
Cafe Pinson (Diane Yoon)
