Paris

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Europe Paris Travel Travel Guide

Paris Travel Guide

When I think of Paris I think of flaky, buttery pastries and beautifully crafted patisserie, wine bars where you can order the house wine and know it’ll be delicious, drinking as you sit out on the pavement people watching. Famous historic sights to see, beautiful architecture, excellent cheese and even better bread.

I’ll be honest, the City of Lights was a grower for me. Not that I didn’t like it, but it took me a while to love it (my fourth trip in fact!) Places like Florence and Venice were an instantaneous love affair for me, but Paris took a while. Maybe because it’s big and I favour smaller cities, or perhaps a classic case of slow burn. But after five trips and a day trip at Christmas planned, it really has a hold over me. Paris really is always a good idea.

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Europe Food From Travels Paris

Le Bon Bock 

After a long weekend in Paris in which most of our money was spent within the first 24 hours drinking our way from café to café in Saint Germain, Sunday evening rolls around and we’re at a loss as to where to eat cheaply. Most restaurants in Paris are closed on Sundays, leaving any recommendation I’ve been given in advance sadly by the way side. I want steak and we need it on a budget.

I have visions of stumbling into some amazing bistro in Montmartre and happening on the best food of my life, so we head up to watch the sun go down from Le Sacre Couer before dinner and walk down the steps to find our perfect meal. Needless to say, nearly everywhere was closed and everywhere else was empty and, well, looked uninviting at best. Twenty minutes of traipsing around and we’re nowhere nearer to steak frites. We head back up toward Le Sacre Coeur, and near the bottom of the hill find Le Bon Bock tucked into the wall.

Suddenly I feel like Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris, thrown back in time to another era as I peak through the door of Le Bon Bock. The restaurant is narrow and has only a handful of tables, tall ceilings (apparently well over 4 metres tall) and wooden panelling. But the thing that really draws you in is the lady wandering the short length of the restaurant singing opera. At first I couldn’t work out whether this was an impromptu novelty from a customer, but it turns out this is standard procedure at Le Bon Bock. She was wonderful, singing French classics with a large smile on her face. What a brilliant addition to our evening.

Speaking of French classics, Le Bon Bock delivered a traditional menu in excellent home cooked style. The French onion soup with melted cheesy croutons on top (€6.80) was beautifully flavoured, and I’m assured the goats cheese with honey and apple starter (€9.80) was also a winner. Duck confit (€16.80) went down a storm and my steak cravings were satisfied well, complimented by lovely roast potatoes and well seasoned greens (€25.50). Le Bon Bock offers a generous 3 course set dinner which includes most of the a la carte menu for only €25pp too, which is a big draw in an expensive city.

It turns out that Le Bon Bock is actually the oldest restaurant in Montmatre, dating from 1879, and supposedly a frequent haunt for long evenings drinking absinthe amongst the likes of Picasso and Toulouse Lautrec. Whether that’s true or not, who really knows, but this hidden gem in the north of the city certainly feels like somewhere they would hang out. A unique and charming find.

2 Rue Dancourt, 75018 Paris, France
+33 1 46 06 43 45

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Europe Food From Travels London New York Paris

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

Merveilleux:  a cake made of two light meringues sandwiched together with whipped cream, then smothered in more whipped cream and covered in chocolate shavings. Sold yet? Yeah, thought as much. Or you could just refer to them as ‘meringue cream…things’ like me (my French is basic at best).

I would go so far as to say that these ‘meringue cream things’ from Aux Merveilleux de Fred are my favourite patisserie in the whole world. They are just…well, it kind of feels like eating light pillows of cream whilst meringue dissolves in your mouth with a bit of crunch and a bit of chocolate, and come on, it really doesn’t get much better than that.

Whenever I’m in Paris I drag whoever I’m with on a mission to the nearest shop I can find, promptly order at least four mini merveilleux to take away and shove in my mouth at periods varying between ‘immediately’ and ‘the next morning for breakfast’. Truth is, these are best eaten on the day. The shop make them constantly throughout opening hours and it’s all open so you can see them gathering up thousands of chocolate shavings lightly onto the cakes, from tiny bite sized ones to cakes to share, anywhere for between 4 and 24 people. Admittedly, sharing would be a tough ask.

My personal favourites are The Incroyable – meringue, speculoos biscuit and whipped cream covered in shaved white chocolate; and The Merveilleux – meringue and chocolate whipped cream with dark chocolate shavings all over. Also available as minis are the coffee flavour, cherry, caramel and my third runner up, The Magnifique – meringue and praline whipped cream covered in almond chips and caramelized hazelnuts.

If this all doesn’t sound good enough, just wait – Aux Merveilleux de Fred doesn’t just live in Paris, but in Belgium, Geneva, New York and London, too. Now if anyone wants to win me over, they only need pop over to the Old Brompton Road. No excuses, really.

Various locations: Paris (multiple), London, New York, Brussels, Knokke, Geneva

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