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Café des Musées for me is a quintessence of a perfect French brasseire – with rough décor, unpretentious atmosphere, menu changing according to the season and a great chief. I am sure you would pass it by without noticing (as I have many times before!) but this truly Parisian place offers the best food at Marais at very affordable prices.
Usually, I don’t want much more from life than spending a nice sunny weekend in Paris.
Below an ideal weekend in my favourite city.
Saturday
I would start with a little breakfast at Merci-Merci (open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 till 20:00)– a new concept store located at Boulevard Beamarche 111, close to the Saint-Sébastien – Froissart metro station.
Time for more little pleasures in Paris.
It is very difficult to escape from the crowds of tourists in the centre of the city, even quieter months of autumn are busy nowadays. I remember, years ago, when I first discovered Marais it was a forgotten district with few cool men walking their little dogs, Jews in traditional clothes and random tourists lost somewhere between Notre Dame and Bastille.
Place des Vosges, my favourite square in Paris, used to be almost empty and now it’s hard to find a place to sit on the grass even!
At least Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine still seems to be passed over by tourists. This small square between Rue de Jarente and Rue d’Ormesson with few cute bistros is popular among locals who come here for their lunches. I ofetn choose Au Bistrot de la Place (at sa Terrasse)– with only a couple of tables inside and few more outside, simple food and fantastic view over the lazy city.
Another similar spot is hidden at the back of Saint-Gervais Saint-Protais church. The photo which we use as a header of Food and the City blog was taken there in a café called L’ Ebouillante. It reminds me a bit of Kolory in Krakow – the same bohemian atmosphere, old posters on the walls (I even found few posters about Polish exhibitions there) and similar laid back people… No wonder it is Marta’s favourite café in Paris.
I recommend it especially for a Sunday lunch (assuming that of course you are going to have a big dinner in the evening) outside or inside on a colder day.
For a walk try the main street of Île Saint-Louise – the smaller of the two natural Seine islands. The further you stroll away from the bridge connecting it with Île de la Cité (the bigger island) the quieter it gets.
Île Saint-Louise played in important role in the history of Poland, maybe this is why I like going there so much. Polish immigrants met in Hotel Lambert to support each other and preserve and promote Polish culture during XIX century.
Maria Skłodowska-Curie lived at 36, quai de Béthune and she could see the university, where she worked, from her windows.
On the other side of the river, we love a Guy Savoy’s restaurant called Atelier Maitre Albert (it made to Monika’s top 5 restaurants list). This is a modern approach to traditional French roast – with elegant décor, open kitchen to enjoy the view (and smell) of your chicken being grilled and perfect location far from the tourist crowds.
The restaurant is open for lunch on Mondays and this is what won us over the first time we came here as most of good places in Paris are close down that time.
Jacques Cagna’s La Rotisserie d’en face (2 Rue Christine) is the only place I know which could compete with Guy Savoy’s roast. This is a traditional and smart bistro with perfect service and food you will talk about for ages!
If you are looking for something more casual try places in La cour du Commerce Saint-André, a hidden part of rue Saint-Andre des Arts with nice bistros, a pub, and the oldest restaurant of Paris.
I have to admit that even now, after visiting the place many times, I still get lost and miss the entrance located somewhere between a Spanish tapas bar and an Irish pub. Not very encouraging at first, I know, but you will definitely love it.
Le 24 (59/61, Rue Saint-Andre des Arts) is a restaurant, a bar and an epicerie. They claim to serve Sunday brunch between 11:30 and 16:00 but I have never seen them open during that time yet ;) A perfect place for an afternoon drink with friends, a small lunch or sharing a cheese board with someone special.
For a dessert try Le Jacobine (59/61, Rue Saint-Andre des Arts, just opposite to Le 24). I am sure you will not hesitate much after seeing the cakes on their window displays. I often come here for lunch after shopping in a near-by Polish bookshop in Boulevard Saint-Germains.
Le Procope (13 rue de l’Ancienne Comédie), whose back exits are located in Le cour du Commerce Saint-André, is supposed to be the oldest café in Paris and one of the oldest in the world. Today it is more a restaurant though, trying to define its role somewhere between a French institution and a tourist attraction.
It has hosted many notable guests including Rousseau, Diderot, Voltaire, George Sand to name only a view (you can find their portraits or autographs on the walls) and was used as a meeting point of the most influential figures during the French Revolution.
What could be more French than a piece of steak served with frites and a glass of red wine for lunch?
Le Relais de l’Entracote (20, rue Saint-Benoit) is the original of steak bistros located across the world now (I have recommended it to you in London post as well).
The concept is very simple – steak and fries and you will be asked only three questions (so it’s good to master the answers in French before):
- How would you like your steak? (‘medium to well done’ is not an option in Paris and you may be ignored if you say well done too)
- What do you want for drink?
- And do you want any dessert?
Probably the only place in Paris where you can see people standing in a line as they don’t take bookings there.
I don’t mind answering ‘no’ to the 3rd question above. Pierre Hermé, my absolutely favourite patisserie chef, has his little shop (72 rue Bonaparte) 5 minutes walking from rue Saint-Benoit.
Everything there looks almost too good to eat. I usually buy my deux-mille-feuille (so much more than just a mille-fuille) and few macarons. It is difficult to resist the temptation of buying a piece of each pastry though.
I have to admit I eat my cakes just immediately I leave the shop – on a random bench outside Saint-Sulpice church :)
For nice walks in Saint-Germains I recommend little streets between Boulevard Saint-Germains and Rue des Saints-Peres. This is a really nice part of Paris, full of little shops, art galleries, bistros, cafés and posh Parisians walking their dogs and Luois Vitton bags…
I often visit a home interior store Flamant at 8 Place Furstenberg (a very nice square itself!).
And if you are keen on finding some good bargains check luxury second hand shops in rue Guisarde and its surroundings.
There is this funny time in Paris when it is too late for lunch and too early for dinner. As a tourist you don’t really know what to do… Check my photo story of quiet afternoons in Paris- It’s Oh So Quiet…
‘Little pleasures’
My philosophy of little pleasures means that I am always trying to find something I could enjoy even on a rainy dull Monday morning while I am on my way to work. It could be an espresso from my favourite café, eating chocolate or even reading a Polish magazine (a luxury for me since I live in London).
I find Paris the easies place to find all those little pleasures. If I could I would probably go there every weekend or just pop down in the afternoons to buy a baguette and a piece of poppy seed cake in my favourite boulangerie in Marais.
My biggest problem in Paris is that I just can’t find space in my tummy for all the meals I should be eating there. I have no idea how to fit in a proper breakfast (with croissants, fromage frais, orange juice, butter and baguettes), then lunch which I should be eating two hours later as they close the restaurants just after 14:30 and then of course dinner with at least 3 courses, cheese and a bottle of wine. Really hard job but I think I have mastered it quite well.
Plus I always have a detailed plan of what I want to do in Paris and where I want to eat weeks before I go. And I book in advance, just in case ;) And there is no way I could miss a single meal!
I would usually stay somewhere in Marais or St. Germain de Pres.
Hotels are not cheap in Paris, especially in the centre, but if you can afford it try Villa Mazarin just in the heart of Marais. The best thing about this place is that you can observe real Parisian life from your windows, which is especially exciting when you are there on a week day and can see all those people rushing to work, doing the shopping or just sitting in a nice café underneath you.
Another good option is Duo (11, Rue du Temple) or Hotel Beaumarchais (3, rue Oberkampf) which unfortunately, lost some of its charm after recent refurbishment but is still worth checking.
In St. Germain though I enjoyed staying at Crystal (24, Rue Saint-Benoît)– walking distance to most of my favourite restaurants in Paris ;)
First things first then – breakfast in Paris. As some of you may already know this is my favourite meal of the day and having it in Paris, in a little café overlooking a nice street would be everything I want from life in the morning.
My favourite spot is a Marais based little bistro called L’Etoile Manquante (34 rue Vieille-du-Temple). The staff here hardly speaks English and ignores you in a proper Parisian way. Our main problem is to ask for strawberry jam to go with our croissants or understanding their French while they speak to us looking at opposite direction.
To your surprise I find Parisians adorable and friendly. I guess it helps I don’t really understand what they are saying to me though ;) I just enjoy every aspect of my favourite city, including its inhabitants.
If you are on the other bank of the river try Le Bonaparte (42 rue Bonaparte). They add baguette with butter to their breakfast offer (plus it is easy to ‘steal’ strawberry jam pots from the tables nearby). The (usually) sunny view over a little square and its elegant passersby is for free.
Take it easy after breakfast now nut don’t forget that lunch time will start in about an hour (I assume you don’t wake up before 10:00 on your holidays) and you will need to order it by 14:30 in most places or wait hungry till dinner.
If it’s not too hot I don’t mind a little picnic on Paris’s most beautiful and the only walking bridge – Pont des Arts. You can buy sandwiches at Société de Boulangerie de Rennes (32 rue Vieille-du-Temple, just next to L’Etoile Manquante and from where they take their croissants as well).
For dessert I recommend a poppy seed cake from Korcarz (29 Rue des Rosiers). It is owned by a Jewish family (so they are closed on Saturdays) of Polish origin. They sell the best poppy seeds cakes I have ever eaten!
Lunch without wine in Paris is not acceptable and we were once told by people from a little wine shop in a market at Boulevard Saint-Germain (opposite to Maubert-Mutualite metro station, 47 ter) that apparently Haut Medoc fits best with sandwiches. If you want to add some cheese to your meal there is a good Fromagerie called Cremerie des Carmes next to it as well.
Now that you have everything you need there is nothing else to do but stroll slowly towards Pont des Arts to enjoy one of the most spectacular views of Paris.
