Dining out in Paris?

Here are some recommendations from our NY Mama, Ami Cadugan

My “making reservations” skills have been finely honed over the years (it’s an art and a science). It all began with the Zagat Guide in NYC, the bible of restaurant ratings. When our cousin had a wedding shower and asked for everyone to write down the recipes of their favourite meals that they like to make on a little note card, I wrote

“I make a mean reservation!”

and handed her a Zagat guide. Didn’t go down too well with her fiancé!

While everyone knows that Paris is one of the top foodie destinations in the world and while NYC will always be my #1 for pretty much everything, Paris has already taken a little piece of my heart. The quality and variety of foods available, in marchés (outdoor markets) restaurants and food stores is impressive but it ain’t gonna tie me to my kitchen. No way! The restaurants are just too good.

During the school week, I competently “prepare food” for everyone. Although, absolutely no one considers what I do in the kitchen to be cooking. My kids even ask if it’s going to be another “Picard aka frozen food” night! But, all bets are off on the weekend and since Paris is the place for dining out, that’s when I make everyone’s favorite thing of all….Reservations!

Now, I use a variety of apps for both reviews and reservations (hence the art and science comment above). Favourites are Yelp!, La Fourchette (like Open Table) and Trip Advisor, with a little ‘Vivino’ action thrown in for wine. But the granddaddy of them all ‘cue heavenly music’ is Michelin which rates the best of the best of the best! If a restaurant even has one Michelin star, you can bet it’s going to be one of the best meals of your life. If it has 2 or 3 stars, not only will it blow your mind, but your wallet might just explode at the end of the multi-course meal! Insider tip for Michelin (shhh, don’t tell!) – they have something called “Bib Gourmand” where you can search for a 3 course meal for 35€ – a bargain for “fine dining” by anyone’s standards. You may have to go a bit off the beaten path to find these “dining deals”, but it’s worth it!

Head to http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Restaurants , select Paris then filter by Bib Gourmand to find the best offers in town.

Ami’s Unsolicited Faves:

  1. Pierre Sang: Ass-kickin’ French Korean fusion. http://www.pierresangboyer.com/EN/

    pierresang

    Pierre Sang

  2. Pramil: Homey Seasonal French http://www.pramil.fr/
  3. L’Auberge des Deux Ponts: Burnin’ Down the House with the crème brûlèe! One man does it ALL in this hole-in-the wall gem! Review
  4. Pottoka: Paris’s PERFECT egg! (L’œuf parfait) http://www.pottoka.fr/
  5. La Crêperie de Josselin/LePetite Josselin: Sister restaurants that serve Crêpes, crêpes and more crêpes. Bring cash! Read Review
  6. L’As Du Fallafel: Your “ace in the hole” for fallafel in The Marais! http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-as-du-fallafel-paris
  7. PNY (Paris NY): Burgers.Fries.Shakes.Beer…Heaven!   http://www.pny-hamburgers.fr/
  8. Les Chemise: To-Die-For Chateaubriand! http://www.lechemise.fr/
  9. Neo-Bento: Vegetarians rejoice! Super-fresh, Japanese-style bento platters. http://www.neobento.com/
  10. Croccante: Down-home Sicilian. Basil grows in the kitchen. Nuff said! Read review
  11. Cobéa

    Cobéa

    Cobéa: The Ultimate Date Night with Michelin Star status. http://cobea.fr/en/

Feel free to reach out on Twitter @amitakesonparis if you need further dining recommendations, as I continue to eat my way through Paris. 400+ Check-ins on Yelp!…and counting!

And, if you think my “cooking” skills are impressive, stay tuned for my next piece – it’s all about my mis-adventures in “baking”!

Check out some other great dining haunts written here on the blog including Paul Bert, Les Enfants a Perdu, Fish and more here in the MLP food category

Thanks Ami for this fun post and great recommendations. If you enjoyed Ami’s piece then please like the post and follow her on Twitter. You can also subscribe to MLP and get the posts from all our Mamas, straight to your inbox. Please take a moment to follow Mama Loves Paris on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest and become part of our community. Thanks for supporting Mama Loves Paris – Escapism for you and the kids in Paris.

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