In front of the Gare de l’Est where the TGV whisks you off to Strasbourg or Munich, there is a restaurant called Batifol. It is a manifesto of what we all consider to be the essence of a Parisian bistro. Its name is taken from the French word “batifoler” meaning ‘to frolic’. A further source of the name is that of the famous bistro dating back to the avantgarde period of the mid 20’s frequented by the Dadaists, where nonsense and incongruity reigned. The Batifol 2019 is built around this nostalgia for a golden age of Parisian bistros, both in…
Author: paris-bistro
The geography of Burgundy looks like a vertical rectangular. At the North, the famous wines of Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune together with their prestigious appellations. At the South, a more popular image, with easier drinking wines. Gilles Breuil, a southerner, proud of his region has named both his restaurant enterprises, “Bourgogne Sud”. His goal is to deliver a more simple, affordable and convivial message and style of eating although from this highly rich gourmet region of France. He has the know-how. A long experience in the brasseries of Paris as well as the knowledge of where…
Place du Châtelet, the heart of Paris, stands an historic café bearing the name of the greatest tragedienne of the French theater. Sarah Bernhardt was an actress adored during the time of great cultural exuberance known as the Belle Epoque bridging the 19 & 20th centuries. A theatre decorated in the style of the fin de siècle was dedicated to her and it is within its confines that the beautiful café also bearing her name is located. A place most elegant and chic, but equally popular. The Sarah Bernhardt cafe is a feast for the eyes as it evokes the…
From the south of the Loire to the Pyrenees, the south west of France is geographic aera with imprecises borders. From Clermont-Ferrand to Birarritz via Carcassonne and Bordeaux, is the rugby country. Yet, it is also a state of mind, marked by a culture of conviviality and sharing. This attribute is found most visibly in its gastronomy, so in Paris the Chez Papa restaurants allow you to savour the cuisine and experience this state of mind. Unusually for Paris bistros, meals are served throughout the day and the waitstaff are exceptionally friendly and helpful. Because Papa, ‘Dad’, is a famous…
Located in the heart of Beaujolais, often called “the most sensual vineyard” because of its pretty mountains that evoke the curves of female body, the domain of Manoir du Carra extends over more than 37 hectares of parcels. From Saint Etienne la Varenne to Bois d’Oingt … Domaine Manoir du Carra is a family estate which is run today by Frédéric and Damien, members of the fifth generation of the Sambardier family. From 4 hectares in 1962, the surface of the estate has now grown to over 37 hectares from the best limestone clay plots from south Beaujolais to the…
L’Atlantique is a large “Brasserie” located almost in front of the Montparnasse Tower. It is a warm and modern café where everything recalls the Ocean. On walls, lies paintings of regattas and tall ships. But there are also models of beautiful yachts. This is a good place to have a drink, a cokctails or a famous whisky. But it is also especially for the cooking that we must go to the Atlantic Café. Michael, the Chef has been working here for 20 years, he is native from the Atlantic side. With its staff of ten people he prepares dozens of…
Just steps away from Place de l’Etoile and the most beautiful avenue in the world, Chez André, in the heart of what’s known as the “Golden Triangle”, is where business, luxury, fashion and the press all meet. It was opened in 1936 and has kept the same feel it had back then. The zinc bar and the bistro tables bring to mind the 1930s. As far as the menu goes, the dishes we know so well have been updated to yield a high-class yet traditional and refined cuisine. Some exemples : Traditional-style calf’s kidney cassolette, Chef’s Bouillabaisse, Coq au vin with fresh…
Just near Bastille and Place des Vosges, l’Arsenal is a bistro that sends you in the past, in the 1960s. Its decoration, its ambiance, its lights, all is retro. The boss, Jean-Paul Azemar is a real ” bougnat”. Like thousands of others of his countrymen, he came from Aveyron (Auvergne) to find happiness in the Paris bistros. In twenty years, he is in his second bistro. It is a little chauvinistic, but it’s a joke. He wears the foular of men of Aubrac. And it highlights the country’s products. The wine produced ont the banks of Lot River ant the…
Le Bonaparte is one of the finest cafes of Saint-Germain des Prés. Its terrace offers breathtaking views of the abbey church. And above all it is quiet place in the center of this tiny village of Paris, which was the center of thought. For the French, there is a big difference between Bonaparte and Napoleon. The first is a symbol of the Republic of courage and daring, the campaigns of Italy and Egypt, while the second evokes for many people, the tyranny and mass graves of the great battles. For decades, the Bonaparte café has attracted the students of Fine…
When you go up to Montmartre, you can not miss this old house of the “village”. It is built on the corner of rue des Saules, which leads to the vineyard of Montmartre, rue Norvins, the oldest street of Montmartre, and rue Saint Rustique, the highest street of Paris. “A la bonne franquette” is a French expression which emphasizes the simplicity and the convenience of a meal at home. This expression corresponds perfectly to this old flagship restaurant of the “Butte Montmartre”. This famous house in the village of Montmartre is headed by a man, Patrick Fracheboud, who has as…