In a few days, I’ll be sipping wine at un petit café in the Marais, just in time, we all hope, for the weather to finally swing toward Spring. There’s too much to squeeze into this 3-week trip.

Besides visiting Verjus and Au Passage bien sur, I hope to dine at Septime and Bistro Volnay. Perhaps I’ll splurge on a meal at L’hôtel Thoumieux. Though, the best part of being in my own Paris pied-a-terre is stocking up at the Marche des Enfants Rouge for home-cooked dishes that always seem to taste better in Paris.

Merci concept store (Liquidx)

While I hope to buy something special at Merci (a girl can dream), I’ll definitely pop into Les Mauvaises Graines, an urban garden concept store in Montmartre, and will likely fall in love with a handcrafted souvenir at Le Petite Atelier de Paris.

On one of my weekends abroad, I’m jetting to Copenhagen. Being a New England girl, I suppose I’m a sucker for the cold weather. I’m also eager to visit what’s hailed as the best restaurant in the world and after several odd-hour phone calls to Denmark, lucked out with a reservation at Noma. We’ll see if Copenhagen food stacks up to Paris culinaria.

Septime (Lindsey Tramuta)

More than anything though, I simply want to find my favorite spots near my Marais flat. I hope to take my daily espresso at Merce and the Muse, lunch at Glou and unwind with an evening wine at La Perle. I promise to only visit Jacques Genin’s fabulous boutique once or twice if, and only if, I take a few strolls around the Square du Temple.

What will you do on your next visit to Paris? Please send all ideas my way, including your favorite croissant spot, because, there can never be too many croissant shop visits when in the city of pastries. Au revoir!

Cannelés (Leedav)

Related Links:

• For a fresh taste on traditional French pastries, check out this Japanese-influenced Patisserie
• Maybe Maggie should add this Parisian Hot Dog to her list while she’s there…
• … and check out this natural-meats-and-wines bistro by the Canal Saint Martin

Written by Maggie Battista for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in London, Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Photo by Erica Berman

Parisian Market Shopping

Although supermarkets, big and small, abound in Paris, most natives make it a point to buy their fresh produce from the colorful, bustling Marchés that dot Parisian neighborhoods. Long considered the centers of city life, nothing beats the satisfaction of returning to your apartment with a cartful of fragrant produce and a head-full of neighborhood gossip. With that in mind, here are few tips for navigating the oft-intimidating foodie meccas…

•    It’s more than worth it to make it out early enough to snag the day’s freshest picks. Most produce markets open around 9 or 10, and you can bet the freshest fish will be gone by 11.

•    It’s a good idea to do a quick walk-through before you start purchasing in order to get familiar with the offerings. Most stands will appear indistinguishable – yards and yards of contiguous vegetable stands, for example – but each often has a loyal following for whatever it does best, so a little detective work can pay off.

•    Unless you have a particular meal in mind, feel free to ask the vendor what he recommends – you’ll find most are more than willing to chat and, if prompted, are happy to point you to the choicest picks. A little charm and you might even walk away with a couple extra shrimp!

•    When it’s your turn to order, especially at cheese or olive stands, feel free to ask for a quick taste of your top choices before going with your final pick. And in order to guarantee you don’t have to walk away from a beautiful Tome de Brebis, be sure to bring enough cash.

•    A few stands may have credit card machines, but markets mostly operate on a cash-only basis.

•    Although you’ll see almost everything you need to stock your kitchen for gourmet feasts, markets are generally best for specialty foods, meat, fish, vegetables, cheese and fruit. You’ll mainly want to stick to your neighborhood boulangerie for bread and to supermarkets for non-perishables.

•    A few must-sees to start you off: The chic Raspail market in the 6th features exclusively organic produce. The legendary (part covered, part open-air) Marché d’Aligre in the 12th has everything from antique books to Halal butchers to artisan cheese mongers. For rare finds, try the famed St Ouen flea market. The covered Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd, the oldest market in Paris with its variety of sit-down “traiteurs”, is also not to miss.

•    A few helpful links:

o Excellent list of all Paris markets with address, hours, and Metro stop

o   A list of food markets & hours – by arrondissment
o   List of Paris’ Flea Markets

o Article from the Guardian describing some different Paris markets (Fleur et Oiseaux, Marhce rue Dejean,     Marche Richard Lenoir, Montreuil Flea market, and more

o    Info on rue Cler Market, Saxe-Breteuil Market, Marcher de Grenelle, and the Marche Ave President Wilson