I went through a phase (one that still comes and goes) where I would make quite often homemade sushi. It is always so refreshing and gosh, so simple to make.
To get the goods, I pop around rue Sainte Anne with the gal that got me addicted to homemade sushi, miss Valerie. Rue Saint Anne, well known for the plethora of delicious Asian cuisine restaurants of all price ranges, also houses a few Asian supermarkets that are filled with surprises to fill up your sushi and get creative with noodles.
A real hearty and savory breakfast in Paris is hard to find. Mostly because this is usually associated with brunch (aka overpriced fixed menus that are only served on weekends). Breakfast is an important meal of the day, and sometimes a tartine with jam or yogurt just won’t cut it.
Luckily, Frenchie To Go opens early on weekdays, so a savory breakfast is possible BEFORE work… How great is that? They’ve got a bacon sandwich, which has quite a bit of bacon, I’m not going to lie, but you can add cheddar and an egg if you’d like for a couple of bucks and it becomes the perfectly complete breakfast sandwich. Plus, Frenchie To Go, a hotspot near Sentier that is packed during lunch, is never packed before work (at least when I’ve been), it’s basically perfection. The only downside about going in the morning is not being able to get one of their beers, as they’ve got quite a fine list! Other breakfast options: homemade granola, bacon scones, pastries.
With a little cuppa and one of these bad boys, we started our day with a bang. The donuts sure were tempting.
Frenchie To-Go
9, rue du Nil, 75002
Métro: Sentier (3)
This week was the first Yelp Paris Elite soirée of the year. Boy to I love these fellow Yelpers. To kick the year off right, we came together at Lockwood, one of Paris’s newest hotspots, and quite honestly, the spaciest that I’ve ever seen. With familiar faces, finger food and carefully crafted cocktails, we celebrated Yelpness and the start of a new year, one that I am pretty sure will be good…
As for Lockwood, stop by for a coffee in the early morning or afternoon, a brunch to cure your hangover, an aperitivo after work or a late night cocktail. Part of what’s so fantastic about it is that they’ve got every time of the day covered for you to enjoy.
Lockwood
73 Rue d’Aboukir, 75002
Tél:
Métro: Sentier (3)
Coffee dates are one of my favorite things. It’s part of what helps shake up a weekend… when afternoon strolls between cafés are an option. Not to mention the fact that the café scene is taking Paris by storm. Lovely places have opened up in the past months, so there is always a new place to discover and sip a brew, or a favorite place to pop into to see familiar faces.
Café Madam
150 Rue Saint-Denis, 75002
Tél:
Métro: Réaumur Sébastopol (3/4)
Belmont
86 Rue Réaumur, 75002
Tél:
Métro: Réaumur Sébastopol (3/4)
53 Avenue Trudaine, 75009
Tél:
Métro: Anvers (2)
40, rue Chapon, 75003
Tél:
Métro: Arts & Metiers (3) & Rambuteau (11)
I often get asked for suggestions of where to stay in Paris by readers or by friends of friends. It’s a difficult question to answer as Paris has been my home for the past half dozen years, and I never really vacationed here. However, one tip I always share is to rent an apartment instead of staying in a hotel. Hotels can be lovely, but part of Paris’s charm is experiencing it like a local does. When you rent a little apartment you can have your little kitchen and such and actually feel like a Parisian.
Habitat Parisien offers a variety of different apartments across the city of lights. A few weeks back, Louis and I packed up our weekend bags and spent a few days “away”, in their Monsigny apartment, located in the heart of the 2nd arrondissement.
I’m quite fond of this area because it is so central, situated perfectly between boutiques on the Grands Boulevards, the Opéra, the Palais Royale and not to mention next to one of my favorite streets, rue Sainte Anne. It is an area where most things are walking distance, which is my favorite way to see the city.
This weekend away in the 2nd turned into a Parisian adventure filled with jaw dropping sights and homemade sushi with friends thanks to the neighborhood’s Japanese ambiance.
The Monsigny apartment can comfortably sleep four people, two in a double bed in the mezzanine, and two in the pull-out couch if need be. It would be perfect for a group of four friends, or a family with two kids. The weekend we stayed there was particularly chilly, but the beautiful and spacious patio must be dreamy as can be in the summertime… the perfect place to enjoy a pain au chocolat in the morning.
The apartment, that is located on the ground floor, has such a cozy feeling with its big beige stone walls and large windows opening to the private patio. It’s simple and charming, all you could ever need for your stay in Paris. The little kitchen is equipped with everything you could need to cook a bit, and the bathroom features the highlight in my eyes: a bathtub.
STROLL SUGGESTIONS:
→ Walk up and down rue Saint Anne. If you like Japanese food, stop by Higuma for lunch.
→ Stumble into Ace or K Mart on rue Saint Anne for groceries to make your own Japanese feast back at the apartment.
→ Go down by the Palais Royale, and wander through the gardens and passages couverts. Pop in Serge Lutens and smell their incredible perfumes.
→ Stop for a coffee at Le Nemours in between the Louvre and Palais Royale for a café crème and people watching on the terrace.
→ Take in the view of the Opéra Garnier from afar, walking closer and closer up Avenue de l’Opéra.
→ Wander to the top of Printemps for a breathtaking view of Paris. On your way up stop at Ladurée for a macaroon to munch on while up top.
→ Pop in the Galeries Lafayette to see the stained glass dome. They’ve got a balcony, too.
