Everything I’ve eaten in Paris: September Edition
I’ve been living in Pairs for just about a month now and it has been one of, if not the best, experiences of my life. This past month I’ve been getting to know the city through food and with that, experiencing the melting pot of culinary cultures that Paris has to offer. What I’ve learned is that French waiters really are not that nice, most corner bistros you see on busy streets really aren’t good, and if you look hard enough, you’ll find that there are so many amazing places that are relatively budget-friendly. In this first edition of “the blog” I’m going to share my favorite bites of September, what I ordered, how I found them, and just some overall advice/opinions on how to tackle eating in a city as big and intimidating as Paris. The goal is to add and update this list after October, November, and December and hopefully add a few surprise restaurants from my travels elsewhere!
Cafes and Breakfast
If there’s one thing that Paris does well, it’s their little coffee shops. So many people here are passionate about coffee and cafe culture and it shows in the quality of the coffee and the beautiful spaces it’s served in.
I just so happened to find this place in my school’s student handbook on their list of cafes that allow computers. If you didn’t already know, most Parisian cafes are not like American ones where you’re allowed to open your laptop and do work. It’s been harder than I thought adjusting to Paris’s slower pace of life especially when it comes to dining out and enjoying your meal. Cafe Berry was on the list of “workable cafes” and I could not be more happy that I went to try it because I’ve been 4 times now. It’s on a quiet side street in the 3rd arrondissement and the inside is really cozy with exposed brick and stone walls. My favorite part is their covered outdoor seating because you can sit underneath it when it’s raining to view one of Paris’ charming back streets.
What I got:
the granola- Greek yogurt topped with their homemade granola loaded with hazelnuts, figs and blackberries, strawberry jam, and some sort of tart and sweet cooked plum.
cappuccino
fresh OJ
*since I’m so obsessed with their yogurt bowl I’ve yet to try anything else but I promised myself that next time I’m getting their breakfast sandwich because it looks amazing and I’ll be back to report on it next month
Passager Cafe: 107 Av. Ledru Rollin, 75011 Paris
I think I found Passager Cafe on either TikTok or the Beli app and I couldn’t be happier that I did. Keep this place in mind if you’re craving something reminiscent of an American breakfast set in an industrial-vibe French cafe. Their menu is like an up-scale American diner with a delicious coffee bar and it’s my favorite place to get brunch.
What I got:
banana caramel french toast- I guess it makes sense why this French toast was so good, hence the name. It’s cut thick and is perfectly soft and fluffy without being too mushy- ditch the maple syrup because the banana caramel topping is to die for
Nutella French toast- you can never go wrong with Nutella
banana pecan pancakes- I’d skip these, the French toasts were much better
BB1- a breakfast sandwich with egg, bacon, cheddar, and cream cheese on the freshest roll ever. The roll was as soft as a pillow and had a subtle chew to it, like a BEC from your local deli x100.
iced chai- so good. it tastes like cinnamon toast crunch milk
fresh OJ
*the downside is that you can’t work on your computer here and is pretty busy for brunch
Residence Kann: 8 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris
Set right near Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement is Residence Kann which is one of my recently discovered favorites that I found just by walking past it. Besides having an excellent yogurt bowl (my go-to order at any coffee shop) coffee and fresh juice they have an amazing co-working space in the back which makes it perfect for me to work and enjoy my breakfast in a beautiful space. The cafe is owned by a Scandinavian furniture brand, Kann Design, so the cafe features all their furniture and is really cool inside
What I got:
the granola bowl- greek yogurt topped with their homemade granola, sliced figs, and a minty berry puree
carrot-orange-apple-ginger juice- perfect to fight the illness I came back from Munich with
a cappuccino
Honorable Mentions:
Falafel
One of my favorite neighborhoods so far in Paris is The Marais. If you come for a trip you can spend a whole day of shopping, gallery hopping, exploring museums, and most importantly, eating the best Israeli food you’ll ever try without going to Isreal. The falafel is crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and fresh from the frier. The falafel alone is to die for, but for me, it’s the sides that steal the show. Most places include roasted eggplant, jammy sweet roasted peppers, cucumber tomato salad, and white and red cabbage slaw drizzled with tahini and hummus and served with piping hot pita bread. You seriously cannot beat the level of freshness and flavor at these spots
Las du Falaffles happens to be the first thing I ate after touching down in Pairs in August. I’ve heard people raving about this spot on TikTok and Instagram so I knew it was worth trying. It was a heavenly experience. The best part about it is that the wraps are super portable so it’s really easy to walk around with it and taking it down to the Seine to eat it is a fun activity. It was a great first bite for the trip
What I got:
the falafel pita
the lamb shwarma pita
*long, intimidating line but it moves pretty quickly
Only a few stores down is King Falaffle Palace, the less busy version of Las du Falaffle. If you’re in a rush and want something almost as good, or you’ve already tried Las Du, King Falaffle Palace is a great second choice
What I got:
the half chicken shawarma half falafel plate
*I love how you can sit down in this restaurant and order food at the table since it’s less busy. The plates are so good and great for sharing
French Restaurants
To be completely honest, I haven’t been to as many French restaurants as I thought I would have by now. I’m not sure if it’s because the first 2 weeks I was here there was a massive heat wave which made French onion soup and beef bourguignon sound unappealing, but I’m hoping that when it fully cools down, I’ll be craving the decadent French flavors.
Although the check after this meal was alarmingly high, it was worth it. Le Petit Luletia is such a solid spot for great French food and was highly recommended to me. The restaurant has a fancy vibe and unless you’re walking in on a weeknight right as they open (what I did) you’ll most likely need a reservation to get a table.
What I got:
escargot- They were garlicky and buttery and to anyone who’s scared of trying them- if you like the taste of garlic butter and don’t mind clams or mussels you’ll be totally fine.
the whole artichoke with vinaigrette- a really simple dish if you’re an artichoke lover
the octopus with seasonal vegetables- perfectly cooked and served with seasonal vegetables that get confited in the olive oil from the pan. They turned soft and jammy and it was one of my favorite octopus dishes that I’ve ever tried.
miso salmon- although I wish it was cooked for a little longer, the sauce was incredible and my favorite touch was that they served it with a side of pickled ginger which paired so nicely with the sweet miso sauce.
chocolate profiteroles- Le Petit Luetias profiteroles are made with homemade vanilla ice cream and topped with some type of almond granola/brittle situation. They were divine and it’s such a treat when the waiter or waitress pours the chocolate sauce on in front of you table side.
Cinq-Mars is my most recently found place on the list and I could not recommend it enough. What I love so much about it is that the menu is classic French food but the restaurant and the food have a contemporary feel which is so nice. Eating in classic French bistros can be tough due to how packed and noisy the restaurants are and how sometimes it can feel like the food isn’t super fresh (in my opinion). The overall vibe is simple but very well done and I’m looking forward to going back
What I got:
the assortment of wild mushrooms- super garlicky but very good
escargot- the best I’ve had so far
cucumber goat cheese salad- really fresh and simply dressed cucumbers with a big block of goat cheese
sea bass with ratatouille- very light and fresh, the ratatouille is delicious
steak with peppercorn sauce and potato gratin- one of my favorite dishes I’ve had in Paris so far. the steak is so tender and the peppercorn sauce is so creamy and very peppery. the gratin is very decadent but goes perfectly with the steak
creme brule- a french classic
chocolate mousse- my favorite chocolate mousse, the texture is almost like marshmallow fluff
strawberries and cream- super simple but so good
Honorable Mentions:
Asian food
To my surprise, the cuisine I’ve been eating the most is all different types of Asian food. From Chinese to Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese I’ve had it all.
If you love extremely simple sushi then you’ll love DokiDoki. I found it through a recommendation list that was given to me and it’s some of the best sushi that I’ve ever had, and most importantly I love the concept of their restaurant. You pencil in your order on a card and the sushi chef is right in front of you making your hand rolls. You get served each roll (still warm from the rice) one by one which is really nice because you get the savor what you have in front of you and the seaweed wrap stays crispy.
What I got:
cucumber salad- the cucumbers are sliced super thin and drizzled with a delicious sauce, cucumber salad is always a go-to appetizer of mine
salmon sashimi- so fresh
salmon roll, crispy salmon roll, spicy tuna roll, toro roll
*they have a location near the Louvre and it’s not insanely expensive. definitely get the crispy salmon roll
Before coming to Paris I wasn’t a huge ramen person. It just was never a go-to meal for me. But since coming to Kodawari, I’m now obsessed. I found it on the Beli app and went here on a cool and rainy day, and to say that this ramen healed me is an understatement. The interior is tight and packed but in the best way, it really feels like you stepped out of Paris and into Japan, they even play busy street noise as music in the background. They make their noodles on site, and their broth is made with chicken from a local french farm. They’re committed to using the highest quality ingredients in their ramen, which shows.
What I got:
kimchi buta mayo don- their homemade kimchi, grilled pata negra pork on rice, with Japanese mayonnaise
kurugoma ramen- Chicken Broth from Luteau Farm, their homemade secret sauce with black sesame, garlic and ginger, Iberian pork chashu pata negra cebo de campo- this was INSANE.
Hands down the most incredible dim sum I’ve ever had in my life. This place caught my eye when I was walking from Cafe Berry due to the woman standing in the window hand-shaping dumplings at the front of the restaurant. I immediately knew that I had to go there. When I finally got around to it I was dumbfounded by how good they were and I cannot wait to go back and order even more from the menu because they have so many options. Besides it being ridiculously good, it is also cheap and high quality. One of my favorite parts is that the tables are stocked with every sauce you could imagine and their chili oil is so good
What I got:
cucumber salad
12 pork and chive mini pan-fried dumplings- they give you a fired or steamed option
6 shrimp and pork pot stickers
I’ve never been to an udon-specific noodle place before and Sanukiya completely blew my mind. I knew it was going to be good when I saw it was fully packed with a mid-sized line out the door- I was able to sneak past since I went alone- and like most of the Asian places on this list, it was super traditional and highly executed. There are so many different types of udon you can get and I can’t wait to go back and bring more people so I can try more
What I got:
karaage- the Best Karaage I’ve ever had- if you don't know what karaage is it is Japanese fried chicken and it’s super juicy and crispy and is marinated in garlic ginger and soy
the seaweed salad- I ordered this just to get some greens in and I was blown away by the sesame vinaigrette that came with it and how refreshing the salad was
the beef and onion hot udon- the broth was so flavorful, the beef was super thin and tender, and the onions added a perfect bite to cut through the richness of the broth. the udon is so insanely fresh
Honorable Mentions:
Bakeries and Dessert
Had to save the best for last…
La Maison d’Isabelle: 47ter Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris
They won Paris’ best croissant in 2018.
What I got:
butter croissant- so buttery and flakey
baguette- they gave them to me straight out of the oven
cinnamon roll- not that good
Boulangerie de Quatier Mamiche: 32 Rue du Château d'Eau, 75010 Paris
I found them on Instagram before I came to Paris and after one look at their Instagram feed, you’ll be convinced to go. One of their locations in the 10th near Canal Saint Martin which is a perfect place to sit with your treat
What I got:
the vanilla custard and Nutella-filled donuts
Grom: multiple locations
You can find a Grom in the most popular places in Paris and it’s my favorite chain gelato shop
What I got:
yogurt gelato- I know it sounds weird but if you love tart frozen yogurt then you’ll love yogurt gelato
chocolate hazelnut- my favorite to mix yogurt with
Crêperie des Arts: 27 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006 Paris
The cutest and best crepe window in the 6th
What I got:
strawberry and Nutella crepe- a classic combo
strawberry jam crepe- if you ever get sick of Nutella and need something “lighter” I love this. It’s like a breakfast and dessert combo
Mallorca
So far my only other rec for food outside of Paris
I haven’t been that impressed by the places I’ve been eating at on my chaotic weekend trips but, this one taco spot in Mallorca hit the the spot since I’ve been severely deprived of Mexican food
What I got:
guac- came with the best roasted pineapple sauce
ducks carnitas, baja fish, crispy chicken, and al pastor- the best al pastor I’ve ever had
Tips
download the Beli App (and follow @kimfarkas)
I spend more time on here than Instagram and TikTok
other than ranking the places I eat, I use it to find and bookmark places I want to go to and find places to try using the automated recommendations
I also have found popular Beli users in Paris and have followed them to get more friend recommendations from locals
if i’m walking around and see a place that looks good I bookmark it on Beli so I don’t forget about it
Beli is usable in most big cities so apply it to wherever you’re traveling
if you can’t get a reservation go to a restaurant when they open
if you’re alone or was 2-3 people, I’d say 9/10 times you can get a spot at open
most places in Pairs open at 7 pm!
I already have so many exciting plans for October and I can’t wait to share them! Thanks for reading :)