Author: paris-bistro

Aligot is a specialty offered by many cafés and brasseries in Paris. Aligot comes from the Aubrac region, a gigantic plateau in the south of Auvergne, where many Parisian bistro owners historically come from. It’s mashed potatoes mixed with melted cheese, “tome” from Aubrac region of the Aveyron. You have to work it and stretch it before serving it. It In recent years, there have even been competitions à Montmartre for example, for the person who can make the longest aligot thread without breaking it. But aligot is more than a dish, it is a historical heritage and the gastronomic…

Here’s a photo worthy of Instagram. Worthy of an #emilyinparis, ( the famous Netflix serie). A young girl with a beret on her head against the backdrop of the front of a brasserie adorned with huge clusters of wisteria and cherry blossoms! A cliché soon to be relegated to oblivion? On February 9, the Paris Council voted unanimously in favor of a charter to regulate these floral arrangements above Paris cafes. The objective being to verify compliance with the town planning code on a case-by-case basis. It must be said that these floral decorations have experienced unprecedented popularity among cafe…

After a 13-year hiatus, the waiters’ race is back in Paris. It should be held on March 24, around the Town Hall through the Marais district over two kilometers. The winner will be the one who sets the best time and keeps his tray intact, consisting of a glass of water, a coffee and a croissant. The Café Waiters Race is a very old tradition in Paris that has existed since the 1920s. Before the boys ran 8 km, they were real athletes. The waiters’ race is closely linked to the café and bistro culture of Paris. It appeared during…

With this 5th edition, is Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris (sic!) approaching maturity? In 2023, 36,334 visitors went there. This year, the objective is set at 40,000. As for the exhibitors, there will be more than 4000 (compared to 3400 last year). We are still far from the 5,700 exhibitors (2022 figure) at the ProWein in Düsseldorf which will be held at the beginning of March. Without falling into primary chauvinism, we still find it difficult to swallow that the first world wine fair is being held among our German friends – beer lovers – instead of the City of…

On Wednesday, November 30, the French baguette entered the intangible heritage of humanity by Unesco. With the beret on the head and the liter of wine, the baguette was for a long time a symbol of the French. Every day 12 million French people go to their bakery. This recognition of the baguette had been heavily promoted for the past 5 years by the bakers’ union. The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, on a state visit to the USA, spoke of this victory as a recognition of the French way of life. The UNESCO application file explains that 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…

With more than a century of history, les Noces de Jeanette is not a simple restaurant but an institution. Inside, the décor evokes the story of the Opéra Comique. Originally known as Poccardi, the restaurant then took the name of ‘Les Noces de Jeannette’ [‘Jeannette’s Wedding’] after a one-act opéra comique by Victor Massé, which premiered in 1853. The opera was performed as a curtain raiser 1400 times in the Salle Favart, just across the road. With its five rooms, Les Noces de Jeannette can host business lunches, romantic meals for two or family dinners, as well as private, family…

In front of the Montparnasse Tower, a Bouillon Chartier replaced the old 1900 Montparnasse restaurant. It is not a creation but a renaissance of the address, 116 years after its first inauguration by Edouard Chartier. On his benches, Modigliani must have certainly drink absinthes… It is a miracle that this restaurant is so well preserved. It belongs to the category of Bouillons. They are not bistros but popular Parisian restaurants originally intended for employees and renowned for their very good value for money. The first was created in 1860 by Alexandre Duval, where only broths were served. Thus, those nostalgic…

Vladimir Putin has just authorized an amendment to the liquor law which reserves the exclusive use of the term “champagne” to Russian producers. French Champagne producers will be able to keep the word Champagne in Latin but therefore have to change the labels to Cyrillic for the appellation “bubbly wines” when importing to Russia. The Russian president is following in the footsteps of Stalin, because it was indeed, under “the Father of Nations”, as Stalin was nicknamed, that the Soviet champagne Sovetskoye champanskoye was launched. The sparkling wine technique produced in the former USSR was developed in 1928, created from aligoté…