February 2, 2012 by Forest Collins
Paris is one of the best cities in the world for exceptional food and wine combinations. In a refreshing change of pace, restaurant le Clarisse offers their tasting menus paired with sake in addition to the standard wine route. Although France’s gastronomic identity is undeniably tied to wine, who doesn’t like to opt for something original from time to time?
Tucked away in the 7th on a street busy with bar and restaurant options, le Clarisse is an elegant stop offering French-inspired fare prepared with precision and delicacy by a Japanese chef. While the restaurant itself isn’t new, the change in chefs a little over a year ago makes it well worth renewed consideration. Recently I was invited to taste test the sake-pairing menu and see what kind of revamp resulted from their association with Chef Sadaki Kajiwara.
The regularly changing menu is just the right size for my taste: four starters and five mains to choose from, each of which comes with a recommended wine or sake pairing and can be ordered a la carte or as part of a prix fixe menu. Restaurant director, wine connoisseur and in house sake expert, Jean-Philippe Pluvinet, is on hand to personally walk guests through the beverage pairings. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 8 Comments »
December 23, 2011 by Genevieve Sandifer
As this wonderful year draws to a close, we can’t help but be grateful for all the amazing things we experienced in 2011:
All of this, thanks to you dear readers! Is there something you would like to see more of in 2012? Drop us a line to let us know!
On behalf of the HiP Paris team and our gloriously talented contributors, we wish you warm and happy holidays, and a fantastic new year full of love and success.
All photos Courtesy of Carams. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
December 15, 2010 by Jack Dancy
When my friend Jack, co-founder of Trufflepig, and I went out for a night on the town, I should have known absolutely anything could happen! Everything from snooty hipster bartenders, gigantic mushrooms and famous people citings were on the menu. Jack described the night in perfect detail below, and I look forward to our next perfectly Parisian rendezvous. -Erica
Julien Hausherr – Hotel Amour
Paris is an ever-changing city of contrasts, and many people who come here on vacation looking for a fixed, romantic idea of Paris based on a book or a film or a dream end up being surprised that it’s a real place, not a movie set. Not all the buildings are beautiful, the sun doesn’t glint permanently off the slate roofs, and not everyone who lives here is a charming Gallic man with a bristling moustache and a well-trained aquiline nose.
Julien Hausherr – Hotel Amour
But every now and then an evening unfolds in such a way that comes straight off the Paris song sheet. I had just such an evening on a recent night on the town with Erica Berman of Haven in Paris. If the evening followed a script, it would have been one written by a combination of the tourist board and the comedy council, rather than Disney. For a start, we were up in the 9th arrondissement rather than strolling on the boulevards in the more obvious parts of town, but by the end of the evening we were in stitches at quite how perfectly Paris the night turned out to be.
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Posted in Parisian Living, Restaurant Reviews | 9 Comments »
March 10, 2010 by Haven in Paris
Text and photos by: Meg Zimbeck
I panicked, on a recent winter night, when some friends asked me to organize a dinner. Choosing a restaurant is something that I usually enjoy, but the guests for this particular occasion were a couple of chefs. And not just any chefs, but senior chefs working in three-star restaurants.
My anxiety subsided as soon as I remembered Les Papilles. This homey little spot near the Jardin du Luxembourg is a favorite among food and wine insiders. I think it’s something to do with the simple and honest cooking, the well-priced wine selection and the likability of owner Bertrand Bluy. Continue Reading »
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December 3, 2009 by Sarah Raymond
Image Erica Berman
Last month saw the introduction of MenuPages for diners in Paris and London. With restaurant listings by arrondissement, neighborhood, and cuisine, this English language website proves to become a valuable resource for Anglophone travelers to Paris. Long a staple for residents of and visitors to New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and other American cities, the MenuPages team has finally crossed the pond to include sites for two of the most visited European cities.
Upon a quick glance at the new Paris MenuPages, already some of HiP’s tried and true spots are included in the listings. Le Verre Volé, Juvénile’s, Chez Janou, Rose Bakery, and many other longtime favorites get mention on the site, which features user reviews, online menus, addresses, and phone numbers – in addition to other key details.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
September 5, 2009 by Sarah Raymond
Photo Erica Berman
Many people come to Paris craving traditional French cuisine: boeuf bourgignon, croque monsieur, omelettes at lunch… the list goes on. And it’s true that the French create amazing dishes. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to have a bit of variety. This impulse is what led a group of us to La Pizzetta Più Grande for dinner a couple of weeks ago, which in turn inspired me to try their smaller sister restaurant in the 9th arrondissement, La Pizzetta.
As you might suspect from the names, these restaurants do pizza – and do it well. However, their menus go beyond pizzas, boasting creative appetizers, excellent pasta dishes, main courses of meat and fish, and intriguing desserts. I tried La Pizzetta Più Grande first – literally, the bigger Pizzetta. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Restaurant Reviews | 2 Comments »
