Michelin or Eater?
You be the guide: Paris
By Barbara Schmidt, studiobstyle
Pork Gyoza, l'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, photo Barbara Schmidt studiobstyle.com
No one can cover it all. Even if you try to stay in one neighborhood, there are so many great places to eat in Paris the list is never-ending. So here’s what we do - we refer to a few guides and use the hotels as reference points. We like to walk to our meals if possible, but a quick metro or taxi ride is fine, too.
One of our favorite food guides is Eater.com. Over and over again, across the U.S. and in Europe, we’ve had great luck with this online guide. Michelin is also good, and we found one of our favorite restaurants this trip through that guide as well.
Traveler Tip: make sure to check what year the guide is from so the information is current. Look at reviews from nytimes, theguardian and any bloggers you follow as well.
Our criteria are based on the chef or locally-owned, independent places. That single element seems to satisfy our expectations. We like to be surprised and we love to support small businesses. That said, we don’t always go to small restaurants. Sometimes it’s nice to know exactly what you are getting into, and there were a few of those meals on this trip as well.
Twice Bitten
Many times in the past when I visited Paris I’d grab a crepe from a street vendor. This time we took a cue from Eater.com, and I visited Creperie Breizh Cafe in Le Marais while my husband was gone on business. As I was alone waiting in line to get in--yes, it’s that popular--I quickly read about the chef and their restaurants in both Paris and Japan.
Their cider and buckwheat galettes are a regional burst of flavor from Brittany. Suddenly, I was plucked out to fill in the communal table in the second restaurant space next door. The style mash here is a perfectly focused Japanese interior with a lusciously flavored local farm to table food.
While my traditional Breton buckwheat crepe was outstanding, the company at the big table couldn’t have been better. Speaking to ex-pats about how they came to Paris was so insightful and inspirational. In fact, this experience was so wonderful, I brought my husband back the next weekend to savor a scallop, leek, and creme fraiche crepe. Highly recommend.
Oysters and Rosé at Cafe de la Paix, Paris; photo: Barbara Schmidt, studiobstyle.com
A little NY in Paris
The night after I finished shooting my project I had to run to the FedEx office. There’s only one near where we were staying located on the edge of the 8th and 9th arrondissement. Just around the corner is the famous Cafe de la Paix in the Intercontinental Hotel. It’s been there since 1862, and I’d dined here before with friends decades ago. I was tired and just wanted to have a good meal.
The service cannot be beaten, and if you want to feel the buzz at the end of a workday, stop by here where locals conduct business meetings and share a quick bite. In fact, I’m sure a magazine editor sat down next to me for a couple of calls and a diet coke. It’s busy and somewhat touristy, but the food is excellent. I had a half dozen oysters and superb French onion soup. Highly recommend.
Pot Au Feu stuffed Beet Root Ravioli, Pirouette Paris, Photo Credit: Barbara Schmidt, studiobstyle.com
First Best Bite Together
It was late, and my husband had just flown in from Ukraine, so we were past our normal dining hour, but not wanting to miss a Parisian meal, we walked over to a place I’d found in our neighborhood. I’d walked by Pirouette on the edge of a square near Les Halles in the 1st arrondissement. After a little research, it seemed a good choice for our next meal.
This is a more casual restaurant with a good wine list and menu options in either two, three or six courses. Ingredients are local, seasonal, and organically grown from various regions in France. I remember the first bite of the beetroot Pot au Feu ravioli and we both thought this is the best meal yet. Layered flavors included horseradish and Combava (Kaffir lime). Highly recommend and a good value.
Shrimp wrapped in Crunchy Vermicelli L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Saint Germain Paris; Photo Credit Barbara Schmidt, studiobstyle.com
Quintessential Paris
Since the 1960s Joel Robuchon has been one, if not the most, decorated chef in history. His Atelier Robuchon was a concept restaurant in 2003 that became a world force now with 14 locations around the world.
We had always wanted to dine at the original Atelier in Paris. Luckily there was an opening for an early seating one night we were free. The restaurant is designed so that patrons sit at a bar facing the open kitchen. Of course, we had Mr. Robuchon’s famous creamy potatoes, but that’s not what I’ll remember most. I’ll remember the shrimp dish with crispy vermicelli and the bone marrow toast with black truffle. Expensive but worth the splurge and the lesson in culinary history.
Wine cellar and cafe Le Pinardier Paris; Photo credit: Barbara Schmidt, studiobstyle.com
Best Wine
It was lunchtime, and we needed to stop for a bit and rest. We’d been walking around for a few hours and happened on Le Pinardiers. If you want to choose a new wine or learn a little about a certain wine region stop here.
The proprietor was very knowledgeable and unpretentious. He helped us choose a wine from the Corbières appellation in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. Our red was decanted for us as we shared a house-made charcuterie platter. We learned that this rich blend is 50% Syrah, 40% Carignan, 10% Mourvedre. Located in Le Marais, 3rd arrondissement, it is central to a lot of shopping and historical venues. Must Stop for that bottle of wine you bring home.
Traveler tip: The Marche des Enfants Rouges is just around the corner from Le Pinardiers. It’s the oldest food market in Paris with vendors serving just made dishes from around the world. Try the Moroccan merguez - so good!
Crunchy Egg Yolk with Leaks and Haddock, Baieta Restaurant Paris; Photo Credit: Barbara Schmidt, studiobstyle.com
Our Last Meal
My husband found Baieta located in the 5th arrondissement--or the Latin Quarter--in an Eater.com list. We were very intrigued by chef and co-founder Julia Sedefdijan’s rise to acclaim as the youngest French Michelin starred chef. At 21-years-old she was starred as the chef of Fables de la Fontaine several years ago. Now she is starred again by Michelin for Baieta’s Mediterranean cuisine.
We ordered the seven-course tasting menu and wine pairings. I had a seat where I could see Chef Sedefdijan expediting every single dish as it came out that Friday night. She is known for her crispy egg yolk dish with leeks and haddock pictured here. The yolk is encrusted in a breadcrumb sphere that cracks open to spill into the rest of the dish for a warm creamy bowl of goodness. Recommended and Good Value.
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