During my last trip to France, I had lunch at what is considered to be Europe’s largest restaurant. I haven’t made a decision yet on whether my dining experience was fabulous, great, good, or mediocre. Perhaps I should have eaten more. I can, however, share my restaurant review of La Felicità Paris: my meal and the venue.
Often visitors to Paris don’t venture beyond the top tourist areas of the Champs Elysee, Eiffel Tower, or Louvre Museum but they should. You’ve heard of Soho in New York City? Paris has NoMa—-north of the Marais. This is an area that has become increasingly popular with its trendy boutiques, restaurants, and growing number of artisan food shops. I was able to sample some great foods during the Localers Food Tour Near Canal Saint Martin that I was invited to take. In this post, I share some of my favorite stops along our route.
If you say, “Pont-l’Évêque” to cheese lovers, many will immediately think of the strong-scented (pungent), soft cheese that is often considered to be one of the 5 stinkiest kinds of cheese in France. It’s my all-time least favourite cheese. It smells really bad and fortunately, doesn’t taste that way. But good news! Pont-l’Évêque may no longer have a negative association to the stinky cheese. There’s a new tourist attraction in the village—a multi-sensory experience devoted to Calvados apple brandy, which has a much nicer smell.
When I first arrived in the seaside town of Etretat at my Airbnb, my hostess pointed out a hotel that had exceptional views of the cliffs and the village. She said having lunch or dinner, or even having a drink at the Hotel-Restaurant Dormy House (just around the corner from my house) would be worthwhile. As I wanted to have a meal with views of Etretat, this sounded like the place to go, especially at lunchtime when it would be a bit less expensive. Even though I did not have reservations, I got a table outside, overlooking the sea and town. Everything was perfect as it was a reasonably priced lunch with a view of Etretat.
Author and pastry chef David Lebovitz has written some excellent books about French food and his experiences living in France. One of his posts reviewed a Parisian restaurant located near the Gare de Lyon. It’s been open since 2001 and has a loyal following. I recently had the good fortune to have dinner at this classic French bistro called “A la Biche au Bois” (Deer in the woods). Here is my review.
For many years I had heard about some rather unique dinners that take place weekly or monthly in Paris but had never attended one. These social events are often held by expats and they bring together locals, visitors, and other expats over dinner, drinks, and conversation. The perfect opportunity arose when I recently travelled to Paris with my friend, Monica. One of my Paris contacts suggested we meet up with her and her friend at a dinner soirée just south of where we were staying. While I vaguely knew about soirées, the Paris dinner soirée at Jim Haynes has now become one of my favourite experiences in France….EVER!