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Paris, France – Reflections

by Tina

As almost every person’s dream is to visit to Paris, France and I’ve finally went there last week. It’s almost everything I dreamed of: amazing food, friendly Parisians (99% of the time), and the beautiful, Old World charm from its buildings.

I planned this vacation seriously about three months ago, asking a few people I know personally, scoured through guide books, and made new connections along the way as I asked people around in the Internet (Thank you, France Chowhound who was the biggest help on food suggestions.)

Over time, my final restaurant itinerary is based on a mix of low to fine dining and the cuisines are a wide range of French cooking (from bistro to fine, modern French) and one Spanish restaurant, getting a little bit of everything that Paris has to offer.


The Eiffel at night
The Eiffel Tower at Night

Of all the people I’ve contacted, virtually or in person, I have to thank La Maison du Chocolat for letting me into their pristine factory in Nanterre and arranged to meet their Creative Director, Gilles Marchal for making my first Parisian expedition extra amazing. I will certainly explain and write about this particular experience in due time.

Cool building
A building I liked on Boulevard Raspail

If you’re inclined to know where I ate, here’s my list:

Restaurants:

Patisseries, boulangeries, etc.:

Over time, this page will have have hyperlinks to the appropriate place and review or you can click the “Food Abroad” tab to find it if I have put up a post.

In all, my vacation to Paris was great. The restaurant service of all the places I went to were friendly. You don’t necessarily have to speak fluent French as long as you’re polite and dressed well (just make sure you make an effort to say bonjour or bonsoir when you enter a store or restaurant for courtesy). The little damper was the so-called “national museum strike” that I encountered on the day I wanted to go museum-hopping but it was resolved the next day. Thank goodness.

As every enjoyable vacation we all go through, it feels short. At least it gives me a reason (or many) to come back to Paris.

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Tina

I shoot, eat, and drink. My full time job is a hospital administrator. Moonlighting as a freelance photographer and food and travel writer.

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