Rating explained:
Liked it, but can skip next time ❤
Really liked it, will visit again if has time ❤❤
Loved it and will definitely visit again ❤❤❤
LE MARAIS (3rd/4th arrondissement)
My favorite day in Paris involved zero famous sites and plenty of food. We took the metro down to Le Marais near the centre of Paris for a full day of adventure on foot, and it was absolutely blissful. Le Marais was the prettiest neighborhoods I've been to in Paris and the perfect place to wonder. ❤❤❤
L'As du Fallafel
Definitely one of the best shawarmas I've had. Serving size is comparable to a "regular" or "medium" in North America. The chicken fallafel I got was €9 for take-out and €11 for eating in, a €2 premium for getting a seat and the privilege of using their washroom I guess.
The one thing that's different from the shawarma I'm used to is that here they put egg plants in your shawarma. It was a new taste for us but works really well with the sauces, and became a combination we missed. ❤❤❤
Princess Crepe
Not far from L'As du Fallafel, is a tiny hole-in-the-wall crepe store. Seemed to be run by a Japanese couple, this anime character filled store has THE best crepes I've ever had in my life. If my understanding of Japanese (crispier) crepes vs Parisian (softer) crepes is correct, then this store definitely serves Japanese crepes, and it is packed full of amazing treats that completely puts Harajuku crepes to shame.
The strawberry cheesecake with whip cream crepe I got was €5.3, and it came with an actual piece of cheesecake!! ❤❤❤
Pink Flamingo
Similar to Blaze pizza in Calgary, the pizzas at Pink Flamingo were freshly baked. Very tasty, and the chili olive oil on the table was amazing. Our dante pizza (just bazil, tomatoes, and mozza) was €10.50. We also got their house brand Pink Flamingo beer, which was right up our alley. ❤❤
Breizh Cafe
Though photogenic and pretty delicious, these expensive crepes are a bit over-hyped. We got a duck confit crepe for €14 and a chocolate pear one for €11. ❤
Le BHV Marais
A quaint department store on Rue de Rivoli right outside Hotel de Ville metro station that we ended up hanging out in for half a day. We bought a bunch of kitchen utensils and a few modern looking stationary items from here. There were also lots of sweets, teas, and reasonably priced housewares for homey folks like us. ❤❤❤
Pozzetto VS Berthillon
I'm not a gelato connoisseur, but Berthillon didn't taste much different from Pozzetto. So unless you are super picky with your frozen treats, I wouldn't go out of your way to get it.
Pozzetto on the other hand, is conveniently located by the hustle and bustle near L'As du Fallafel and Princess Crepe, and the multi-flavoured "flower" gelato is equally delicious, much bigger, and way too cute to pass on. ❤❤
OTHER AREAS
E. Dehillerin
A cool kitchenware / cooking tools store with a super friendly owner. If you're a food geek like us then this store will make your day. ❤
Le Grande Epicurie
A high-end supermarket with all kinds of food/ingredients. They have their own brand of food and their panna cotta is unbelievably delicious! ❤❤❤
Du Pain et des Idees
A neighborhood bakery with famous "pistachio escargots". It's good, but there are tons of amazing bakeries in Paris. We happened to live near by so we stopped by it during one of our walks, but if we didn't live close by I probably won't make a trip just to try their pastries. ❤
La Fromagerie Goncourt
A cute little cheese shop with super friendly English speaking staff. They first understood the types of cheeses we might like, then let us try a bunch of cheeses/jerky. There was no pressure to purchase anything, even though we bought a bunch of stuff. I highly recommend this place for all your cheesy needs. ❤❤
Republique
Very cool plaza with a ton of bars / brasseries around. We walked home from Le Marais that day and went through here around the time the sun had just started to set. Couldn't help but stayed and watched as skaters practiced their jumps and bars started filling up. It was quite magical. ❤❤
Arts et Metiers Metro Station (Line 11 platform)
This station was designed in a steampunk style with bronze sides and little submarine windows looking into various artwork. It transports you into a different world and is definitely worth the detour. ❤❤
EATING IN
One of our favorite things is to buy our own groceries and make our own meals. It's so much cheaper and just as delicious (sometimes even better!)
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| Breakfast! |
Baguette
I developed a serious addiction to baguettes after visiting Paris. This is something I never really ate before, but they are readily available at every corner and super cheap, so we ended up getting one at the end of each day and eat them for breakfast, snack, lunches to-go, and almost every other occasion as well.
Cheese
There are so many different cheeses, it would be a shame if you don't try a ton. Funny thing is, I can't touch dairy when I'm in Canada as my intolerance has become quite deadly over the years. But when I was in Paris (as well as when I'm in Japan) I have no problem eating them at all!
Panna Cotta
Speaking of deadly creamy things. These dessert cups are everywhere!! There are panna cottas, creme brulees, chocolate mousses, creme caramel...etc. and a whole fridge section worth of delicious face-stuffing-worthy treats. Our favorite were definitely the various panna cotta cups. We've tried one from every supermarket chain we've been to (Carrefour, Monoprix, Franprix...etc.). But the Le Grande Epicurie stood out among all of them. It was 96% cream and the perfect balance between sinful pleasure and whatever I don't care! Mm...I can still taste it.
We did, of course, visit a bunch of famous tourist sites as well:
- Louvre Museum
- Palace of Versailles
- Montmarte
- Arc de Triomphe
- Luxembourg Garden, and
- Eiffel Tower
Read more about them here!
