Postcard from Paris
My best recommendations for your next trip (or just a vicarious thrill)
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We just got back late last night from a pretty long trip (almost two weeks!) to London and Paris. We bookended our trip to Paris with London, because we got much better airfares in and out of London than Paris. We finally had the chance to take the Eurostar from London to Paris, which was so easy. On the way back to London we decided to fly because it seemed cheaper, but by the time we paid for Ubers, it wasn’t by much—plus we had to spend a lot more time traveling because of how early we had to be at the airport. If we ever do this particular itinerary again, we will definitely do the train both ways. It’s so convenient, fast, scenic, and comfortable! Oh well, live and learn!
Below are some of the best places we ate in Paris. I had a few tips for London too, but it’s too much to fit into this newsletter! Steve is in charge of researching art and I handle the food, naturally. I am not going to list every single place we ate, but just the highlights. One thing I’ve learned after years of planning meals in Paris is to keep geography in mind. There are a million (slight exaggeration) good restaurants in Paris, and some are not necessarily worth crossing town or taking two metros or a long Uber ride for. After a long day of walking and a museum or two, it’s nice to take a pit stop at home before dinner, so I tried to plan accordingly.
I like planning and booking ahead so we have ourselves covered, but sometimes we change plans too. There was a restaurant I really wanted to visit, Soces, which we booked for our last night, but we were so weary, a bit overfed, and needed to pack, so we cooked a light meal at home instead. It will be at the top of the list for next time. The nice thing about staying in an apartment is the ability to throw together a meal at home, and enjoy leisurely breakfasts as well.
One thing that stood out on this trip was how many people we met while dining. In most restaurants in Paris the tables are pushed very close together, which encourages intimacy. We chatted with our neighbors at numerous restaurants, often in French, or a combination of French and English. It really added to the conviviality that was on display in most places.
Wishing everyone a great Thanksgiving, wherever you may be!
These recommendations really run the gamut from low to high, from counter sandwiches to La Tour d’Argent. In no particular order…
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