June 20, 2011 by Erica Berman
Dining in a restaurant in France is pretty much the same as in the US, or is it? Looks can be deceiving. In fact, eating out in France is quite different from the typical North American restaurant experience.
I often relive with humor a French family vacation filled with my family showing up for dinner at 7 pm famished (an ungodly late hour for a family used to eating at 5 pm) to find restaurants not yet open or the employees dining before their shift. I also remember often being the last to leave even though we were the first to arrive as we could not figure out how to get the check and pay (despite putting on coats, stacking plates and brandishing credit cards).
In France, as opposed to the US, you can’t just show up to a restaurant at any hour of the day or night expecting to be served. Meals occur at particular times; outside those given hours, you will be loathe to find anything except unappealing brasseries, shriveled sandwiches, and fast food. To spare you the hassle of some of my early experiences, here are a few tips on French restaurant etiquette:
Hours – French restaurants mostly follow the following schedule:
- Breakfast is not often eaten out in France (a quick coffee and croissant at the local café will do)
- Brunch is becoming more popular in Paris. Normal brunch hours are 11am-3pm.
- Lunch is 12-2pm with most Frenchies showing up at 1 (some restaurants serve till 3).
- Dinner is 8-10 pm. Some restaurants open at 7:30 and some serve until 11 pm or later. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 31 Comments »
June 16, 2011 by Paige Bradley Frost
Le Bon Marche – Roboppy
I first discovered Le Bon Marché in 1999. Or perhaps I should say Le Bon Marché discovered me.
I had recently moved to Paris from San Francisco with my fiance. We were planning our wedding at a chateau in Burgundy and I quickly realized that I needed clothes – lots and lots of new clothes. With family and friends flying thousands of miles to join us, I was determined to show off the new Parisian me.
Le Bon Marché; Food at La Grande Epicerie (Melancholy Rose)
At Le Bon Marché, I discovered my inner Parisienne and began a love affair with brands like Vanessa Bruno and Paul and Joe. The shoe salon…the bags…the lingerie! It was a dream-come-true for a bride-to-be.
And ten years later, it still is. We left Paris after three life- and wardrobe-changing years. Now we’re back – hopefully for good – with two kids in tow and a Left Bank apartment to furnish. Paris life is certainly different now, but one thing hasn’t changed: there are still plenty of reasons to love Le Bon Marché. Here are my top 5:
Pastry from La Grande Epicerie (RC!)
1. La Grande Epicerie de Paris: Imagine 30,000 gourmet products from around the globe culled in one expansive, well-lit space: A patisserie case containing a rainbow of macarons, chocolate truffles and sugar dusted tartes aux fruits made on-site; Pique-nique perfect dishes waiting to be ferried to the banks of the Seine; That dream gift for a foodie back home, like foie gras or truffle salt from La Maison de la Truffe. Still have shopping or museum-hopping on the day’s agenda? They’ll even deliver to your flat (for a fee.) Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Shopping | 18 Comments »
May 11, 2011 by Eric Goldschein
As soon as I landed in Paris, I knew I wanted a bicycle. Though I love and support the idea of Velibs, I have to admit I feel a bit dorky on those bulky gray carbon copies—plus, each Velib ride inevitably leaves me with grease on my pants. But a more important factor in my decision was an image I had formed when I first booked my ticket to France: me, riding a cool French bicycle, baguette in tow, zooming down the streets of the city of love. And the fancy hybrid I left back in Brooklyn would not do: I needed something that this romantic, idealized version of me could distinctly call his own.
So where does one go to find the bike they always dreamed of riding in Paris? There are a few different options that satisfy a variety of urges, from casual biker to fixie-dedicated hipster to everything in between.
1) Velo Vintage
To answer my own question: this is where I went to find the bike I always dreamed of riding in Paris. A craigslist post brought me to this small, 80s-inspired shop in the 18th. Upon entering the shop I was struck by the quality of their vintage rides, which looked more like art with a seat on it than transportation device. Their bikes range from classic French Peugeot’s to Dutch cruisers. Few are built for the Tour de France; style, comfort and more style reign here.
Although it would be easy to stop at window shopping here, a purchase at VV can be a wise—and even cost-effective—investment. While some of their bikes are in the 600+ Euro range, my very comfortable, sleek, blue 5-speed with a rear rack only set me back 180 €. Before riding off, co-owner Eddy told me to send a picture from wherever the bike ends up taking me. And I’m sure I will: on this bike I feel very photogenic.
Velo Vintage, 58 Rue du Ruisseau, 75018
2) Bicycle Store Paris
Entering this store is like walking into a hipster’s wet dream. Or the wet dream of anyone who likes beautiful bicycles. If you can look past the demonic clown art on the walls, BSP offers up a fantastic array of bikes, from fixed-gear (a favorite of bicycle messengers everywhere) to French velos de ville, in a stunning array of colors and designs. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 12 Comments »
April 15, 2011 by Erica Berman
Erica Berman is a serious coffee drinker. No joke. Long frustrated by Paris’ less-than-stellar coffee scene, she is overjoyed to see that some serious brewsters are finally taking hold of Paris. Be sure to check in next week for our review of Frog Fight, the buzz-worthy (and caffeinated!) competition where Paris’ best baristas battle it out. – Geneviève
Cappuccino from Kooka Boora – Erica Berman
I don’t drink coffee in Paris. Why should I? It’s expensive and mostly bad and the waiters are often surly and unfriendly. No self-respecting coffee drinker should have to subject themselves to overpriced Parisian sludge served with a sneer.
I long ago gave up on the idea of great coffee in a sunny café by the Seine, and content myself to home brewed beans, leaving cappuccinos and friendly cafes for Italy.
Le Bal Café – Erica Berman
Happily, changes are taking place in Paris. Just as the artisanal baguette was reborn after a long period of low quality bread on the Parisian bakery scene and interesting types of non Lipton tea are popping up in shops and cafes around the city, all of a sudden good, even great, coffee has arrived and a pro-artisanal coffee movement is on the rise, albeit only in a select few Parisian spots. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 37 Comments »
March 14, 2011 by Rosa Jackson
While some French food enthusiasts cherish the macaron, the piled high buttercream cupcake or the newly-enamored whoopie pie, I remain an original meringue fan. Whenever I pick up my baguette in Paris, I always add a simple gigantic meringue to my order, as every bakery keeps a few at the ready. A lot of egg whites and sugar, whipped and baked, meringues are an old standby and perfectly resilient. We think the new Au Merveilleux de Fred bakery, a spot heavily dedicated to meringue, will change all that soon. Thanks to our friend Rosa Jackson for sharing it with the world and, hopefully, making it au courant again. – Maggie
When my friend Maniko casually mentioned a meringue shop in her neighborhood, I stopped her in mid-sentence.
“Did you say a meringue shop? As in a shop selling only meringues?” Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 22 Comments »
June 21, 2010 by Robin Locker - Girls Guide to Paris
Girls’ Guide to Paris, a fantastic online resource for fabulous things to do in Paris, helps to answer here every antsy traveler’s questions about packing for Paris. This article was also written by HiP Paris blogger friend Robin Locker, of My Mélange…
Packing for any trip can be frustrating and daunting. But when you’re heading to the fashion capital of the world, the task can seem even more arduous. You know that Parisians are stylish and chic, so you want to do your best to fit in. But you also want to be comfortable, without toting around unnecessary stuff.
Most women I know spend hours mixing and matching outfits, piling every available piece of clothing on the bed until it disappears under a mound of fabric. And though there will always be two types of packers—those who believe in taking only a carry-on, and those who just can’t fathom the thought—there are some essentials any girl headed to Paris should bring along.
Black. Lots of black. Black is classic and always in season, and it matches easily with almost every other color, which makes it perfect for layering. Dark clothes are flattering on all figures and hide wear and tear better than their counterparts, so they will be more forgiving if you splash some espresso on yourself. And every girl needs a little black dress for a nice evening out in the City of Light. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 14 Comments »
May 11, 2010 by Tory Hoen
I can already tell I’m going to get into trouble with this post, but I’ve never been afraid to ruffle a few feathers (especially of the French variety), so here goes. As a female ex-pat, living in Paris is no guarantee that you’ll automatically become a local. If you’re not a Parisienne and you want to be, these are the rules.*
1. Cultivate austere beauty. Today’s Parisienne has natural beauty down to an art: very little make-up and a fresh-faced complexion. Hair should be un-“done” (bonus points for bangs and / or a careless ballerina-inspired bun) and brown. With a few rare exceptions, blond hair is a red flag that screams foreign and/or fake. Beware! You want your look to seem unstudied—even though we know it’s not. For inspiration, look no further than Jane Birkin and Jane Birkin 2.0 (her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg).
2. Don’t smile much. You might be surprised to learn that smiles are, in fact, a limited resource in Paris. They’re not to be wasted on the undeserving, and they play no part in most daily interactions. When deployed, a well-timed smile is a Parisienne’s deadliest weapon, but your default expression should always be set somewhere between deadpan and “subtle scowl.”
3. Nail the “I don’t think so, but I guess if you do…” look. When someone says something you find wrong / distasteful, don’t openly object. Passive judgment is much more effective. Just raise your eyebrows, and look down / sideways to see if anyone else is noticing how absurd the statement was. Note: This is also a good way to establish solidarity with other true Parisiennes in the group, who will undoubtedly be giving the same look.
4. Be thin. But not just thin, a particular kind of thin that I like to call “healthy frail.” Other than a few moments spent standing on a mysterious vibrating plate from time to time, Parisiennes don’t really exercise. As a result, they don’t really have muscles, so they’re diminutive but vibrant, waifish but not gaunt. Damn them. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 43 Comments »
November 2, 2009 by Haven in Paris
As the days grow shorter and the air gets colder, winter fashion hits the Parisian streets. Expert Julie Blakley gives us the lowdown on how to dress for a stylish (and warm) winter in France!
by Julie Blakley, Why Go Paris
Despite the fact that I have an ample amount of French blood pumping through my veins, I still find myself to be the fashion and style inferior to all the fabulously dressed French women when I’m traveling in France. After living in Paris through the winter, and doing enough shopping while I was there, I learned a great deal about how to dress so I wouldn’t look like a tourist when I was going to class, sipping my cappuccino or shopping. Here are a few tips on excellent winter wear in France, so you won’t stick out quite so much when walking the streets of Paris, visiting the vineyards of the Loire or bundling up in the mountains of the Alps. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 22 Comments »
TheCarol
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