Paris - traditional food

[CamberwellOz]

I'm off to Paris in a couple of weeks and I would really love some traditional food. I have been before and found it quite hard to get off the beaten track and find some local restaurants. Any ideas?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Last time I was in Pigalle, most places served horse.

[CamberwellOz]

I could do that.... I like trying different food. Was not a fan of frog's legs or snails last time but that could have been the restaurant.

[Siduhe]

We've just got back from Paris and went to a couple of good local bistros (admittedly, they are two a penny in France) - not sure if their food is particularly "traditional" but we enjoyed it very much.

Chez Janou in the Marais district - http://chezjanou.com/ - is certainly traditional in the sense that serves huge amounts of Pastis and has jugs of water all over the bar for the same. And the chocolate mousse (which came in a big bowl that you helped yourself to a serving from) looked amazing.

L?Ardoise - http://lardoise-paris.com/ near the Place Concore which has a three course menu for 33 euros

Somewhere we didn't try but was recommended to us (by the same friend who recommended Chez Janou), was Robert et Louise, at 64 Rue Veille du Temple. Meat lovers only need apply.

[DaveR]

Believe it or not the Bistro Nord, directly opposite the Gare du Nord, is excellent. It's owned by a guy from Alsace (who also owns Bistro Flo, which is near Republique somewhere). I have eaten there loads of times, but that's partly because I love choucroute and theirs is top.

I would also recommend Chez Paul on Rue de Charonne, near Bastille, and this street and Rue de Lappe nearby have lost of nice restaurants and bars. Also Rue Oberkampf

Finally, traditional in the same way that curry is traditionally English, North African food at L'homme Bleu, Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud - try and get a table in the cellar.

[CamberwellOz]

Thanks for all these. You are making excited already.... in an eating food way. ::o

[Siduhe]

If you want to push the boat a bit (but not silly food/prices) then Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole is defintely worth a look. Very close to Notre Dame at 24, Rue Chanoinesse. I think they even serve escargot. Vast majority of the food is from organic farms in Aveyron (sp?) connected to Yvette (one of the owners). The building is one of the oldest in Paris as well (1515 or something like that).

http://www.auvieuxparis.fr/

[CamberwellOz]

Siduhe - that looks amazing. I am going there for sure.

[dulwichmum]

Darling CamberwellOz,

Be sure to bring a stock of quilted toilet tissue. These people are close to barbarians. Their toilet paper is a complete assault on the senses... They should be ashamed of themselves.

Steak tartare is horrid beyond compare.

Have I ever mentioned how the doors of their toilet cubicles start at least a foot away from the floor, and have an inch of a "viewing window" all around each door!!! Their toilet paper is nothing better than pink tracing paper, and the horror begins as you join your first class carriage at St Pancras...OHMYGOD!

[snorky]

the common og garden Frenchies seem to exist on Poulet frite /Steak Frites from what I have seen

[spadetownboy]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> Last time I was in Pigalle, most places served

> horse.

dont, last time i had horse, i got the trots

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Better that, STB, than bog spavin.

[CamberwellOz]

Dulwichmum - reminds me of the first time I travelled to France. I got stuck in a self cleaning toilet and had to hang onto to the door as the bottom filled up with water and ..... well unspeakables. I was screaming and my mate on the other side couldn't help me because she was buckled up on the ground laughing at me.

I can't remember what the toilet paper felt like - I just remember it lapping at my ankles.

[Siduhe]

I still struggle with the single urinal right next to the only cubicle configuration, which is so common in France. Often only fenced off by a string of hanging beads or a slatted door with lots of gaps in it.

Wouldn't be so bad, but the gentlemen using it always seem to stand at a jaunty angle to the wall (no pun intended). There are some things I just don't to see (which probably means I am uptight and British).

[spadetownboy]

its the bloody hole in the floor ones that get me. after a dodgy chicken burger in the buzz lightyear restaurant in disneyland paris a few years ago, traipsing around the city that night i was none too impressed with the quality of the establishments i had to visit every 30 mins.

anyway as regards food, in paris the world is your oyster literally, i quite like the old seafood platters one gets served and as has previously been mentioned steak-frites is a fairly decent combo, but probably the best way to experience parisien cuisine is to avoid the main tourist areas and as far as is possible in paris get off the beaten track, the area around the canal st martin and la villette are not on the main tourist trail but are close enough ie just off the place de la republic to be easily assessible and when last there 1 yr ago they had a plethora of little cafe and bistro type establishments in which we ate very well, each one picked by using the old adage "if the locals eat there........." however the best thing to do is pick a place you like the look of, dont go in with overly high expectations and you will usually find you will come away pleasantly surprised.

[dulwichmum]

Sweet CamberwellOz!

OHMYGOD! What an outragous tale. I can smell the scene you describe from my front room in West Dulwich - I only hope that I can manage to sleep tonight. I am also pleased to see that lovely Siduhe confirms my complaint, and Spadetownboy - well we always agree on simply everthing.

I was under the impression that EC membership had caused so many countries to regulate many "factors," - ie: what can be described as Parmesan cheese, or Parma ham for example. I think that it is about time that the damn EC did something useful, and insisted upon minimum European standards in the water closet. The French should no longer be permitted to describe their conveniences as... er... convenient. They should be forced to fit appropriately fitting doors to all toilet cubicles, they must rid themselves of flies (really now, even in the finest of establishments - they should be ashamed of themselves) and good quality toilet tissue should be available to all. As for those random toilets that are still to be found that are nothing more than a hole in the floor (OHMYGOD!).

[David Mc]

Try:

http://www.timeout.com/paris/restaurants_bars/

or

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/4619.html

[RosieH]

CamberwellOz, when are you off? I have a TimeOut guide to eating and drinking in Paris that you'd be very welcome to borrow (if you don't have enough ideas already from this post). There's an amazing old school restaurant that I went to where the food is delicious and the menu limited to about 3 dishes, tres authentique, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it right now, which is utterly unhelpful

[CamberwellOz]

We are all off at the start of August. A big foodie spectacular. Thanks for the off RosieH but I think the forum gave me loads of ideas but if you do rememeber the name of that restaurant, I'd love to hear about it.

[candj]

Dear C.O.

Rue Cler in the 7th is a nice little market street with veggie and fruit stalls, cheesemonger, bakery, butcher, etc. There's a cafe called the Cafe De Marche on the corner of Rue Cler and Rue du Champs de Mar that does specials based on the local market. Very nice and the house red is always good. Also a tiny booth next to the cafe makes the typical crepes with nutella and is always a treat at any time of the day. There are other cafes and wine bars on the street, as well as a post office, chemist, and bank which is most handy. The nearest metro is Ecole Militaire. Bon voyage.

[Siduhe]

CamberwellOz Wrote:

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> We are all off at the start of August. A big

> foodie spectacular.

You may want to check in advance which restaurants are open in the first two weeks of August. Lots of the older, traditional restaurants still close down for at least the first two weeks. That said, it's a lot less common than it used to be and should be easy to find some good places to eat.

On the plus side, you will be there during Paris-Plage, which is a lot of fun:

http://goparis.about.com/od/picturesofparis/ig/Paris-Beach-in-Pictures/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2006/jul/23/restandrelaxation.paris.france