If there’s one thing the French know how to do well, it’s food. Food is more of an art (and for some, a quasi religion) in France, and so I knew I would be remiss in my duties to readers of paris-eiffel-tower-news.com if I did not go and seek out Paris’s finest gastronomic glories for you. Sampling the following is not an option – it’s a must!!!
Now in this third part, as icing on the cake (no pun intended), I’ve uncovered two more Parisian gastronomic wonders, including for dessert Berthillon’s simply outstanding range of ice creams and sorbets on the charming St-Louis island.
BE – Tasty and Classy
Boulangépicier, or ‘BE’ for short, is owned by two of Paris’s most famed and respected chef and baker: Alain Ducasse and Eric Keyser, respectively.
BE’s name and concept result of the fusion of ‘boulanger’ (baker) and ‘épicier’ (grocer). Its culinary creations are inspired by simple, traditional French recipes.
BE is housed in a smart, typically Parisian building located not too far from the Arc de Triomphe, and close to the Parc Monceau. This makes it an ideal spot for a take-away lunch near one of Paris’s loveliest green expanse.
On sale is a carefully selected range of fine products and a tempting selection of sandwiches, homemade soups and fresh salads as well as pastries and desserts, whether to take away or eat in (there is a seating area that takes about ten).
On the grocery front, BE sells a range of gourmet goods (unusual spices, condiments, jams, chocolate, candy, pasta etc.), and a small selection of organic produce and dairy products.
On the bakery front, they sell Mr. Keyser’s renowned breads, made on the premises, whether as a loaf to take home or in the mouth-watering array of ready-made sandwiches. I had never actually tasted Keyser bread, and was genuinely surprised to find that it was far superior to almost anything I tried from other Parisian bakeries, including the famous Paujauran bread.
The array of breads is carefully displayed; they are made from various combinations of high-quality ingredients and are all at once tasty, crusty, fresh and moist, a welcome break from the ubiquitous mass-produced chewy white bread.
I was particularly intrigued by their concept of ‘Sandwich Brochettes’, an assortment of mini-sandwiches on skewers. After much deliberation, I went for the ‘Brochette Riviera’, which was comprised of little buns of black olive bread filled with tapenade (olive paste) and slices of fresh goat cheese; tomato buns filled with tomato ‘caviar’ and basil turkey; and then basil buns filled with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Wise choice.
I washed down the lot with a bottle of Orezza, a sparking mineral water sourced from springs near Rappagio in Corsica. I’d never tasted it before, and had expected to find the more common French mineral water brands such as Chateldon and Badoit, but it was a pleasant surprise – Orezza has a fine flinty aftertaste and delicate levels of natural gas.
Naturally, this ‘designer food’ isn’t the cheapest: sandwiches start at 5 euros, and my Brochette Riviera set me back 7.5 euros. But it was worth every cent.
Tuck into BE’s tasty and classy food on the go or to take away at 73, boulevard de Courcelles, 75008 Paris
And Now for a Spot of Dessert…
I think it’s safe to say that Berthillon sets the standard for ice cream and sorbet… Not only in Paris, but all of France – and quite possibly, the world.
Berthillon’s typically Parisian ice cream parlor is located right in the middle of the Ile St-Louis, a small island on the Seine River which is itself a major tourist attraction. The St Louis Island is a charming little miniature Paris with quaint restaurants and hotels. In the early 20th century, its inhabitants fancied their specificity, and ’seceded’ from France to become the ‘Republic of the St Louis Island’. One of those French loopy ideas!
Most of the food stores, tea parlors, and restaurants on the St-Louis Island advertise that they stock Berthillon ice cream. Yet there’s only one Berthillon tea parlor. The company is owned and operated by the Chauvin family, descendants of the eponymous Monsieur Berthillon who opened the first shop in 1954. The parlor is smart, wood-paneled inside and out, an elegant version of Friendly’s in America.
Berthillon sells its ice cream in bulk and by the scoop from its parlor, but many other retailers in Paris sell their ice cream in cones and cups, and some grocers sell larger amounts.
Any guilt you may feel at indulging can be laid to rest because Berthillon’s fame derives in part from its use of natural ingredients. Their sweets contain absolutely no chemical preservatives, sweeteners, or stabilizers. The ice cream is made with nothing else than milk, cream and eggs, and the flavorings are natural: cocoa, vanilla, fruit etc.
In terms of flavor, we go way beyond ‘Chunky Monkey’ and ‘Fish Food’. Get ready for something altogether more refined and, in the final analysis, much more tantalizing for the old taste buds (which should be stimulated rather than assaulted). We’re talking pear sorbet that tastes to me more of pear than an actual pear does; green apple; wild strawberry (“fraise des bois”); coffee; honey nougat; prune Armagnac… All to die for.
Keep in mind that the French don’t scoff, they ‘déguste’ (savor with relish) – so if you’re expecting large Ben & Jerry’s portions like you get in the US, you’ll be disillusioned. But then again, that may not be so bad as far as our waist-lines are concerned…
Unfortunately, Berthillon’s excellence is no secret. There is always a long line of eager customers no matter when you go, and it’s even worse during hot weather. Trust me though, the trip is worth it.
I do like their hours though – open from 10 am with a late 8 pm closing time, I know my evening cravings will be catered for – well, at least from Wednesday to Sunday, as sadly they are closed the rest of the week. Also, much to my chagrin, I found out the place is not opened for business during a large part of the summer holidays (a relatively common occurrence in France). Yet all is not lost since we can always get our Berthillon fix from the other ice cream shops and tea parlors on the Island!
For a taste of Bertillon’s habit-forming, gourmet glories, get onto Ile Saint-Louis: walk down the left side of Notre Dame; at the back of the Cathedral, cross the bridge to your left onto Ile Saint-Louis; then, hang a right on Rue St-Louis en l’Ile, and go to number 31 on the right side of the street. Or go by Metro and get off at the Pont Marie station, and cross the bridge. When you get to the central street of the island, make a hard left, and the shop stands right there, on the opposite sidewalk.
If there’s one thing the French know how to do well, it’s food. Food is more of an art (and for some, a quasi religion) in France, and so I knew I would be remiss in my duties to readers of paris-eiffel-tower-news.com if I did not go and seek out Paris’s finest gastronomic glories for you. Sampling the following is not an option – it’s a must!!!
In Part I, we discovered real French bread at Poilane’s and the Raspail organic food open street market. Now, we uncover the top level Lafayette gourmet food court, and Paris’s finest fromageries in Androuet’s 5 Parisian cheese shops to you.
Lafayette Gourmet – a Riot of Tastes and Colors
The Galeries Lafayette is one of the most distinguished and famous shopping landmarks in Paris. Their high-fashion displays and grand old-world architecture (including a very fine stained-glass dome) make any shopping there a remarkable experience. I have to admit though that I tend to spend most of my time loitering around its breathtaking Gourmet food court.
The food court is located on the top floor of the Galeries, and is a veritable riot of tastes and colors. There you’ll find everything and more to tantalize the dedicated gourmet: a bakery with a dizzying array of specialty breads and pastries (testament to France’s continuing love affair with baked goods of every description); a cheese counter with at least a hundred different varieties of cheese (both French and imported); meats and seafood; a deli offering the very best specialty foodstuffs; and fruit and veggies of every origin from all around the world — all products flawlessly fresh.
There is even a large section dedicated to every spice imaginable. The luxury chocolate and candy displays are worth a prolonged visit. I usually stock up here on all kinds of European chocolates when I’m in town as many brands can’t be found in the US and all of them are sold cheaper in Paris.
To top things off, Lafayette Gourmet also boasts a ‘wine library’ unlike any other: 1,800 of the world’s finest wines, classified and presented with enough loving attention to satisfy demanding wine connoisseurs.
40, boulevard Haussmann 75009 PARIS
Metro: Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette
Say Cheese!
Beside wine, what else are the French obsessed with? Cheese! The French passion for cheese and the proliferation of the stuff in their country is frankly unsurpassed. A famous quote from Charles de Gaulle goes, “How can you be expected to govern a country that has 246 kinds of cheese?”
The French are as serious about their cheese as they are about their wine, and so it comes as no surprise that, like wine, French cheese is protected by AOC laws (appellation d’origine contrôlée, name of a controlled origin). These laws allow only certain limited quantities of a particular cheese to be produced in order to prevent mass production ruining the subtle variations in French regional cheeses.
So, in search of the ultimate cheese repast, I asked my Parisian friends where the cheese crème de la crème (no pun intended) was to be found in France’s capital. The answer was unanimous: “Androuet!”
And Androuet it was. I wandered over to their fromagerie (cheese shop) at 37, rue de Verneuil and was greeted with the most tantalizing displays of cheeses – you have to see it to believe it! The cheeses look a far sight different than what they laughingly call cheese in supermarkets – this is the real enchilada.
Family owned and run, Androuet was founded back in 1909 by the current owner’s grandfather, and since then its people have been cultivating the art of the maître fromager affineur (cheese maturing master). The name is famous worldwide. Today, and to the great benefit of the Parisian population, the house of Androuet actually comprises 5 fine cheese shops in Paris alone and plans to open another one in the new Roissy airport! They even have a branch in Stockholm, Sweden’s capital.
Androuet’s cheeses hail from more than 200 different locations and are all exclusively made with raw milk. Each cheese is unique, cured and matured under the supervision of maîtres affineurs (masters in cheese ripening), and aged or prepared in curing cellars. You’ll find Androuet’s shops in all Parisian tourist guides, and I was told that their clientèle comes from all over the world – from the US to Japan.
Cheese is best accompanied with bread and wine, and Androuet specializes in the best. They provide a wide range of wines, from red Sancerre to Chateau Neuf du Pape, and work with two Parisian bakeries to supply you with some very decent bread to go with your cheese.
So you can get your cheese, your wine and your bread all in one fell swoop, as well as excellent advice on all three free of charge. The staff speaks English, and a variety of other languages, so communication shouldn’t be much of a problem… failing that, animated gesticulations punctuated by the odd use of random foreign words have always worked wonders for me abroad…
For those who want to take some of this priceless loot back home, Androuet provides air-tight and vacuum-sealed packages.
For Americans, you can check the US Customs & Border Protection website for the latest on food importing rules at help.cbp.gov, or the US Department of Agriculture’s website (www.usda.gov). At the moment, they confirm that cured cheeses (i.e. hard cheeses like parmesan and cheddar) are generally admissible if imported for personal use, although this is subject to change depending on disease outbreaks. Keep in mind that you should declare them. Ask for advice from Androuet’s staff – they’ll be in the know about this.
A buffet-size assortment goes from 35 to 70 euros, and they do themed gourmet gift baskets, boxes and chests too. They even cater for private or business cheese-themed buffets with the whole nine yards: fresh and dried fruit, Poilane or Poujauran breads (see below), wine, candles, floral decorations etc.
Androuet in Paris (normal working hours Tuesday to Saturday, and they all close at 7:30 pm):
37, rue de Verneuil – 75007 Paris
Metro: Rue du Bac, Solférino (line 12).
134, rue Mouffetard – 75005 Paris
Metro: Censier Daubenton (line 7).
1, rue Bois le Vent – 75016 Paris
Metro: La Muette (line 9), Passy (line 6).
17, rue des Belles-Feuilles – 75016 Paris
Metro: Victor Hugo (line 2), Trocadéro (lines 6, 9).
Every Paris travel guide seems to have something to add to the already voluminous information available on such well-known spots as the Louvre and Orsay museums, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower.
Yet what about discovering the quaint neighborhoods of the 19th century Paris? Or taking pictures of the inn built for the paupers by Nicholas Flamel in the 15th century (yes, that’s the same Nicholas Flamel written about in Harry Potter)?
In my reckoning, there’s a truly interesting way of discovering Paris, and that’s to take the less traveled path. The one I take with my friends when we visit the French capital.
So, let’s assume you are as eager as we are to learn something new about Paris, and let’s take a peek at just two of its less-well-known jewels. The next time you take the trip to Paris, you’ll be the one leading the way!
The Lutece Arena, a return into time
Before Paris became Paris, the city was the capital of the territory occupied by the Parisii, the Gallic tribe after which Paris will take its name in the 4th century A.D. There is some controversy about the original Celtic name of the city, but when the Romans invaded it in 52 B.C. under Emperor Julius Caesar, they called it Lutecia (or Lutetia).
In the 2nd century A.D., the Romans built in its middle an amphitheater of about 25,000 square feet, which could hold about 16,000 spectators. During the next century, gladiator fights and other less palatable games (e.g. offering early Christians for lunch to beasts of prey) were held for the benefit of the local Roman population.
With the fall of the Roman Empire, such games became much less popular, and as Christianity became the State religion, man-eating events ceased to be held altogether.
The arena was demolished during the barbarian invasions of 280 A.D., and the site later became a cemetery. In the late 12th century, the ruins were buried under a large rampart built to defend Paris. They remained forgotten until 1869 when they were unearthed to the greatest surprise of all historians.
At the time, the City Council decided Paris did not have the funds necessary to excavate and preserve the antique discovery, and the development project which had dug out the ruins was green-lighted.
Later on, in 1883, the site was repurchased and rehabilitated under the guidance of French novelist Victor Hugo (author of ‘Les Miserables’). A further rehabilitation project began in 1916 which unearthed the site completely. Vicious attempts at taking over the site and destroying it by unashamed, greedy, low-life real-estate developers were thwarted by the local dwellers in 1980.
How do you get to see this beautiful place which, to this day, still remains ’stealthy’?
Orient yourself on a map, take the subway to the ‘Monge’ station, and walk to No. 47 Rue Monge. Enter the hallway, walk along the corridor and there you are! Right on the sandy ground of the arena where ghosts of ferocious lions still roam in search for a human prey!
A guaranteed, amazing leap in the past, just short of 2,000 years ago!
The Botanical Gardens and their Alpine Garden
Now on to another amazing curiosity which is sure to tickle the interest of our plant-loving friends.
In 1640 A.D., under the reign of King Louis the 14th (the same king who presided over the development of the Versailles Palace), the Royal Garden of Medicinal Herbs opened its doors ‘to the general public and students’. The project had been green-lighted in 1626 by King Louis the 13th.
The Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Gardens), as it has been called since the French revolution, is actually a collection of individual gardens — each with a peculiar charm and specific plants. It houses several old structures, including the Botanical School and the Magny Mansion (built in 1650). The Botanical Gardens are a huge site with a total surface area of about 2,600,000 square feet.
Each of the individual gardens is unique and deserves your attention for each one is home to specific species of flowers, vegetables, trees, and medicinal plants. On the Botanical School’s plot alone some 4,500 plants are grown. The Rose Garden (La Roseraie) counts some 170 species of roses!
Amongst these beauties, the Alpine Garden stands out. Between the Otter Basin and the Cuvier alley (Cuvier was a famous French botanist), a 40,000 square foot parcel was delineated in 1931 for the growing of a diversity of mountain plant species.
Today, the gardeners of the Alpine Garden tend to the health of plants coming from places as diverse as the United States, China, Japan, the Balkans, Morocco, the Caucasian mountains, Spain, and the Himalaya Mountains! A total of some 2,000 species to look after.
Among the hallmarks of the Alpine Garden is its 18th century Pistachio tree. The Botanical Gardens house several historical trees: the oldest one was directly imported from the Eastern United States and planted here in 1636 (an acacia). Among other ancient trees, you can also admire a Lebanese cedar, which was brought back to France in 1734.
A visit to the Botanical Gardens and its Alpine Gardens is a whole afternoon affair. Ten minutes into the place and its quietness will make you oblivious of the hustle-bustle of the city. You will come out of your stroll absolutely ravished, marveling at the job the gardeners do to maintain this privileged environment in full bloom.
How do you access this temple of Mother Nature? Take the subway to the ‘Gare d’Austerlitz’ station. Walk to the Austerlitz Bridge (Pont d’Austerlitz) and you will find yourself on a semi-circular plaza (Place Valhubert). The entrance to the Botanical Gardens is here. It is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
And on Hemingway’s words, I leave you until Part II of this series of “Paris: New Itineraries for a Fresh View”.
” If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” — Ernest Hemingway
As the Senior Editor of a Paris guide, Phil Chavanne has helped many to enjoy their trip to Paris. You can share his thorough knowledge of the city at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News, a free guide with many advices, stories, and tips on Paris Hotels and Restaurants.
It’s been many years now since the Channel Tunnel was built, yet the novelty of driving to Europe hasn’t worn off for many of us. But not everyone wants to drive halfway across Britain to keep on driving in a different country, which is where car hire firms come in useful. This continues our guide to some of the more popular driving destinations throughout Europe.
France
France is heaven for the gourmet. The abundance of fine wine, diverse foodstuff and a picturesque setting to consume them in, few can resist the appeal of our nearest European neighbour. Car hire is an easy and economical way to get around, and most of the major companies have offices there. The capital, Paris, is best explored on foot or Metro, but the outlying region is great driving country. Be careful not to drink and drive, as touring through the French countryside you will be tempted, indeed encouraged, to stop off at the various vineyards and sample the sparkling brew. But don’t worry, many of these also offer lodgings for when you can’t resist any more.
Most of mainland France is ideal for cruising along and sampling various towns and local delicacies, but if you want something a little more adventurous, take the ferry across to Corsica. This is an island just of the mainland, and provides hair-raising drives along steep mountain sides flanked by sheer drops. Car rental is a must on Corsica as public transport is virtually non-existent.
Germany
Neighbouring Germany is a car enthusiast’s dream. The famous Autobahn has no speed restrictions, and the country boasts some of the safest roads in the world. Although public transport in Germany is good, cheap car hire is popular among tourists as the roads are so pleasant to drive on. A highly developed road network and most places easily accessible by car mean that much of Germany is open to the driver wishing to explore.
Germany seems to have something for everyone to enjoy. The magnificent architecture, the food, the Oktoberfest and the scenery make it a country not to be missed. To take full advantage of Germany, arrange to pick your hire car up in the north and make your way to the south. Most car hire firms will allow you to pick up and drop off in different locations. Winding your way through the German countryside will show you a side of it many non-driving tourists never get to see.
