Fantastic escargot at Le Vin de Bellechasse.
Daisy, Emma and I spent a long weekend in Paris a few weeks ago. I thought I'd share some of our culinary adventures, a top-notch restaurant recommendation, and ask my readers a question about sardines.
We stumbled upon Le Vin de Bellechasse at 20 Rue de Bellechase, near the Musee d'Orsay, and were very happy we did.
Lovely grilled lamb chops at Le Vin de Bellechasse.
The house red at Le Vin de Bellechasse.
Steak tartare at Cafe Cassette, 73 rue de Rennes.
Help me with this one. At Cafe Cassette, I ordered sardines as a starter. I figured it would be grilled sardines, or perhaps fresh sardines with a little lemon and olive oil. Instead, a tin of Rodel sardines were brought to the table, with a serving of butter and a few toast points. The dish cost 14 euros (around $20). Am I missing something here? I must admit that I was quite shocked to pay 14 euros for a tin of sardines. They were good, but my tastebuds couldn't discern anything extraordinary about them.
Some friends of ours took us to La Casserole on Rue Mouffetard for raclette, something I'd never had before. Basically, each table has a number of burners, and you cook your own charcuterie and cheese on little frying pans. Steamed potatoes are also brought out to the table. It was great for the kids. The problem is that the restaurant becomes a sauna once it's full of patrons, what with all those little burners going full blast. It's also not very subtle cuisine, but a fun way to spend an evening, nevertheless.
La Casserole on Rue Mouffetard.
The amazing food markets on Rue Mouffetard.
The amazing food markets on Rue Mouffetard.
The amazing food markets on Rue Mouffetard.
The amazing food markets on Rue Mouffetard.
A plate of eggs and pommes frites? 10.50 euros, or about $14.50. Small beer? Oh, another 4.50 euro, or about $6.15. It will come as no surprise to learn that food in Paris is ridiculously expensive. Even a simple cappuccino is $6.
>>>"It will come as no surprise to learn that food in Paris is ridiculously expensive."
ReplyDeleteYes it is! This past April was my first trip there and it actually did come as a bit of a shock to me. I reckoned it'd be expensive, of course, but not THAT expensive. Still, we had a ball and would go back any time.
Four eggs? That's a lot of protein!
ReplyDeletePrices in Paris don't have to be "ridiculous," especially outside of Saint Germain. If you're from the US, don't forget that no one adds more than a few Euros to the cost for a tip - instead of 20% - and its really not so bad. Outside of St. Germain you can find really nice food for lower cost. A lot of restaurants offer a prix fix (entree, plat, dessert) for 29, 39, 49 Euros (excluding wine)
ReplyDeleteAlso, its now popular to rent vacation apartments - which I highly recommend - then you can go to the market, and cook some meals - save your money and splurge.
I think Rödel actually invented a process for canning fish, so they are famous. At a fancy supermarket, they're 5.50 Euros, and you can tell the difference from the 2.25 Euro tins.
Near St. G:
Itineraires on Petite Pontoise is contemporary, but excellent.
Have fun...