May 2012
3 posts
3 tags
Le Dauphin: the King’s firstborn
They say that France is a republic, but in Paris, many answer to a King by the name of Iñaki Aizpitarte. After the success of Le Chateaubriand (cf. 7/3/12), its offspring Le Dauphin is his new too-cool-to-be-true wine bar and restaurant. Located next door to its regal predecessor in the 11e, the decor is dominated by majestic white Carrara marble. With a fit out consisting of a few floor to...
6 tags
Le Point Ephemere: Here to Stay?
They say all good things must come to an end. Le Point Ephémère, part bar/restaurant, part cultural super center in the bobolicious 10e, was conceived to respect this rule. But everyone who’s anyone knows rules are meant to be broken, and so it is that eight years on, Le Point Ephémère is still kicking it. Housed in an impressive brick and concrete dock style building covered in graffiti, Le...
3 tags
Coutume Cafe is the Bee’s Knees
If you’re confused by the title, don’t get your knickers in a knot. You’re about to learn a couple of expressions from our friends down under. Finally, Parisians are being introduced to coffee: Aussie style. The hip Coutume Café is shaking up the Paris coffee scene from an otherwise uneventful corner of the 7e. The boys behind the café, a Frenchman trained in Melbourne and an Australian, may as...
April 2012
2 posts
6 tags
Le Bal Cafe: Little Britain
Britain, Britain, Britain, they may have invented the cat but we have Le Bal Café, a café/restaurant tucked away in a suprisingly charming alley off the Avenue de Clichy in the 18e. Recognisbly anglo-saxon, Le Bal Café’s cool colours, modern design and menu that screams Pom is a genuine voyage to the land of hope and glory. If scones and capuccinos don’t butter your toast, you may be...
3 tags
Back to the Future Chez Jeannette
It’s a good thing a leopard cannot change its spots, or we may never have lived to see Chez Jeannette. This ever so trendy bar/cafe in the animated rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis in the 10e, looks like it hasn’t changed a thing since 1950, despite its recent renovation. Modernity’s loss is our gain: [zinc bar + red satin lampshades + neon signs] x frayed, yellowing walls = a room full of...
March 2012
2 posts
5 tags
Le Floreal: Cocktails and Dreams
This funky, hard to miss corner café, bar and bistro, not far from some Goncourt heavyweights in the 10e, is the latest venture from the team behind the hipster Chez Jeannette. The décor is a mix of 60’s retro, classic French bistro and the best of the 1980’s. The generous terrace is luring with its bright colour blocks and classic wicker furniture. Inside, it’s Formica tables, leather...
3 tags
Le Chateaubriand: how fine it is to know a thing...
If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, le Chateaubriand is breaking hearts all over Paris. We had Great Expectations from this néo-bistro found in an unpretentious avenue in the 11e, whose name simultaneously depicts the father of Romanticism and a rather dandy bit of beef. I could tell you that the time-warp décor, so à la mode with its zinc bar, mosaic floors, dim lights and dark...
February 2012
4 posts
6 tags
Apocalypse Bobo at Mama Shelter
If Mama won’t come to bobo, then bobo must go to Mama. Mama Shelter: the funky hotel, bar and restaurant in the OMG-its-gritty-and-so-far-away-how-ever-will-we-manage-to-get-there-did-I-just-see-a-Porsche-pull-up? 20e. Mama Shelter is a bustling, quirky, rough and tough hub for the fashion conscious, designed by Philippe Starck. Four spaces to enjoy on the ground floor: a no reservations...
5 tags
Hotel Amour: l’amour dure toujours
Beigbeder might think that love lasts 3 years, but at Hotel Amour, it lasts at least 6, or one hour, depending on how you like to look at things. Opened in 2006, this boutique designer hotel in the 9e is still one of the places to be in Paris. Embracing its past life as a brothel, and reminding us that notwithstanding its hipster location we’re still in Pigalle, it’s one of the few hotels...
4 tags
Buena onda at Candelaria
Meet Candelaria, the taqueria in the upper Marais that is bringing authentic tortillas to the discerning Parisian bobo. There’s an air of exclusivity at this tiny establishment, housing a small communal table, narrow counter and genuine Mexican accents. The décor is minimalist, some might even call it sterile, but all that glitters is not gold - the proof is in the quesadilla. As if that...
3 tags
Au Passage is not De Passage
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. A notion dear to the crew behind the Caves and Pères Populaires (in the 17e and 20e respectively), successfully applied to their business model. Their latest venture, Au Passage, is built upon the tradition of its predecessors. A canteen/bar where shabby is synonymous with chic and the hobos have turned into bobos, tucked away in a narrow alley in the 11e that...
January 2012
6 posts
3 tags
Le Carillon: be there with bells on
Le Carillon is an old school café and bar in the 10e, without the bells and whistles (pun intended) of some of its Canal Saint Martin neighbours. The authentic, no frills approach of Le Carillon is exactly what drives Parisians there, and the reason why some have made it their local HQ. A popular bobo hangout, there’s not enough room to swing a cat on a Saturday night, but who swings a cat...
4 tags
Grazie: Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano?
They say when in Paris, do as the Parisians do. But what happens when the Parisians would rather do like somebody else? Well, Grazie. If Naples and Tribeca were two people (or restaurants capable of reproduction), Grazie would be their illegitimate love child. There’s nothing much French about this hybrid pizzeria/cocktail bar, except its location in the Marais. Grazie is a magnet for cool...
6 tags
Hotel Particulier: Particularly Good
Ding Dong! The witch is dead. But magic, thankfully, is not. And it can be found here, at the exclusive Hotel Particulier. Hidden in the picture perfect Montmartre, you’d be forgiven for consulting Google maps several times to find your way. Seek out the Witch’s Rock – this is a passage, not a potion – and follow it down to the black iron gates. Once inside, a lush, secret garden (landscaped by...
2 tags
Filez chez Philou
Lesson number 1: must not confuse Philou with filou. One is short for Philippe, and in the present case, refers to Philippe Damas and his restaurant a hop, skip and a jump away from the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10e. The other, an adjective to describe a not very nice person. Despite the identical pronunciation, they have nothing in common, for Philou is a simple, honest kind of place. The...
3 tags
Less is More Aux Deux Amis
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and this has never been more true than Aux Deux Amis in the 11e. This retro bar and bistro, with its blinding neon lights, wooden panel walls and minimalist decor, may leave you completely indifferent should you walk past at the wrong time. But there is more than meets the eye Aux Deux Amis. This tiny place is so popular in the evening,...
7 tags
La belle vie at La Bellevilloise
He who said the best things come in small packages obviously has never been to La Bellevilloise. Slightly off the beaten track in the 20e, La Bellevilloise was the first Parisian co-op, founded in 1877 to give the working class access to political education and culture. Today, it’s a multi-purpose space hosting concerts, theatre performances and festivals, as well as art exhibitions and...
December 2011
7 posts
4 tags
All Roads Lead to La Fidelite
Name the top 5 branchouille restaurants in Paris, go… Ok, no need to make Rob Gordon lists to know that La Fidélité, in the buzzing 10e, is a favourite of the Parisian bobo crowd. The neon sign and proximity to the Gare de l’Est could be somewhat misleading, but once through the heavy curtains concealing La Fidélité from the outside world, you will find an unusually spacious,...
5 tags
Nice Derriere
Mirror, mirror on the wall, which room’s the coolest of them all? You will wish you had your own magical mirror when asked to choose where to sit at this very original, apartment-style restaurant. Located derrière the 404 (a chic Moroccan eatery by the same owners) in the Marais, the formula is simple – a fun time in a trendy setting. Each room has a different feel and boasts loads of cheeky,...
3 tags
Hotel du Nord: all the atmosphere without the film...
Made famous in the 1930’s by Marcel Carné’s film of the same name, l’Hotel du Nord is in the trendy Xe, facing the Canal Saint Martin. If you’re looking for mementos, you’ll find plenty of Arletty. But unlike the movie, there’s nothing fatalistic about this place. The mosaic floors and white tiled walls of the zinc bar morph into a restaurant brimming with books, candles and hanging...
4 tags
Winter Boboland at Cafe Charbon
They say good things come to those who wait. But it seems there is such a thing as waiting too long, to go to Café Charbon that is. This famous belle-époque establishment in the XIe is a bobo institution. The perfect mix of Paris old and new: red leather booths, frescos and tiled floors meet tolix chairs, metal kegs and cocktails. Brunch is a treat – copious and tasty, at 18 euros per person the...
3 tags
Don't be a Schmuck
Bonjour left bankers, this is a call to action. A sexy establishment opened its pretty little doors in Odeon, and you’d be a Schmuck not to go there. The handsome team behind the original cocktail club in the VIIIe has struck again, this time with the more accessible restaurant version. Expect baroque decadence – chandeliers, vintage wall mirrors, Louis XV style sofas and chairs. Be prepared to...
3 tags
M is for Marcel
I spy with my little eye something beginning with M: Marcel, the cosy new york loft style restaurant on the chic Avenue Junot in the XVIIIe. The look is minimalist but très tendance – industrial pendant lights, metal tables, vintage wooden chairs your mother remembers from her school days in the 1960’s – and the food is best described as “world”. Marcel attracts a local bobo crowd, making it an...
Who am I? That's a secret I will never tell...
Recently, I discovered an American teen TV series called Gossip Girl (I know, I am a little behind on the uptake), which revolves around the lives of privileged kids on the upper east side of Manhattan, NYC and witty one liners from the show’s narrator. It wasn’t long before I was hooked – the outfits, the parties, the beautiful people (Ed Westwick, if you’re reading this, you now know how to...