April 2023 Recap

Where I Ate and Drank in April

• Wilde’s Lounge at L’Hôtel. This is one of my very favorite bars in Paris. It’s comfortable, cozy and chic but not intimidating. And the cocktails are delicious.
• Carboni’s. I wanted to love Carboni’s but didn’t. I liked it, but I’m not sure if I liked it enough to go back. The food is good and clearly homemade, but the portions are small and it’s expensive for what you get. And the service wasn’t great. Both Romain and I left our lunch still hungry. We shared the crispy potato with anchovies, crème fraîche and chives, I had the insta-famous cacio e pepe, and Romain had the pasta amatriciana.
• Les Antiquaires. Of course. I will say, if you plan on coming here other than for a coffee or breakfast before 11 am you need to make a reservation. It’s crazy, but lately there has been a line wrapped around the corner with people waiting to get in – and even at odd times when it’s usually not busy in Paris.
• La Paillote de Carolles. A little “restaurant” on the beach. We usually like to go and have a drink and Boomer absolutely goes to town running around in and digging in the sand.
• Akabeko. This is a meal that we haven’t stopped talking about. Akabeko is French-Japanese fusion and our experience was truly wonderful. It’s a tasting menu, but they can accommodate different food preferences and nothing was too “out there” or just foam (my pet peeve).
• Le Voltaire. Still my top Paris pick. It’s a splurge but it’s worth it every single time. If you go be sure to mention that you know me! My favorite Voltaire of April was on April 22nd when we celebrated Boomer’s one year Paris anniversary. He celebrated with way too much steak – François even brought out a plate with steak and a candle for him. Spoiled doesn’t even begin to describe Boomer.
• Le Passage. A good little café. We had the celeri remoulade, croque madame (tartines), and aligot. Not a place I’d go out of my way to eat at, but if you’re in the neighborhood it’s a nice option.
• Semilla. I used to go to Semilla regularly and hadn’t been in a while for whatever reason. I was curious to try and see if it was as good as I remembered, and I’m happy to report that it was even better. To start, the service was beyond outstanding. There was a pretty even mix of tourists and locals when we were there and they treated everyone perfectly. Romain and I shared an order of Gougères while we waited for the others to arrive and they truly hit the spot. I was feeling pasta that night, so I had a petit pois, mint, and homemade ricotta ravioli to en entrée and then all four of us had the same delicious Morille mushroom pasta for our plat. We were perfectly full so skipped dessert but I will try to save room next time.

• Le Petit Vendôme is another never not on the list spot. It stayed chilly throughout April, so Romain and I kept ordering the onion soup to start. I’ve mentioned it before, but they make the soup using the leftover juices from pot au feu and this truly takes the soup to the absolute next level. I like to order my sandwich at the same time as the soup and let the butter and cheese come to room temperature…truly a chef’s kiss.
• After Le Petit Vendôme is Le Comptoir for a madeleine. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but you should never order a dipped madeleine (chocolate, pistachio…sometimes they have other seasonal flavors) and always stick with the glazed madeleine (caramel, raspberry, lemon, etc.). The dipped madeleines are dry 100% of the time. The glazed madeleines are perfection 100% of the time. Romain always gets a pain au chocolat.
• Brasserie Les Deux Palais. We just stopped in for a coffee this time, but this is a good restaurant/café to have on your list near Notre Dame etc. The food is good and we’ve eaten there a few times. I like the Caesar salad with a side of fries.
• PNY. PNY – Paris New York – is probably one of the original burger restaurants in Paris. Through mid-June, they have a Juicy Lucy special and I absolutely had to try it. It didn’t disappoint. If you ever get a burger craving in Paris (which is nothing to be ashamed about), PNY is one of my go-to spots.
• Pierre Hermé. I used to tell people Pierre Hermé was wayyyyyy better than Ladurée, but honestly now I’m not sure I would say that anymore. I just had a macaron, but it was really dry and not at all good.
• Papilles. Coffee/brunch spot in the 9th. I had a RDV at the préfecture satellite office in the 9th so I stopped in for lunch before. I had their version of a Bánh mì made with a baguette from Mamiche and I legitimately haven’t stopped thinking about it. Romain has some sort of mental block about the concept of brunch in general, so I haven’t gotten him to go and try, but one day I will trick him into going.
• Boulangerie Julien. This is a great boulangerie not far for Les Halles. It’s where Le Petit Vendôme gets their baguettes for their sandwiches and everything is homemade. Definitely a good stop in central Paris.
• Le Saint-Germain at Hôtel Luetia. After a Sunday morning workout that absolutely destroyed us (at Midtown in case you’re wondering – we go to Barry’s regularly and Midtown makes Barry’s seem easy) we needed a burger. Romain picked Le Saint-Germain, which is more of a gourmet but delicious burger (the fries are also incredible). I love the light and bright room with the colorful ceiling. They have plenty of other things on the menu, but all four of us went to Midtown and all four of us ordered burgers.
• Christophe Michalak. I can say with absolute confidence that these are my favorite pastries in Paris. They’re expensive but once you try them you’ll get it.

Where I Shopped in April

• Marché de Jullouville. While in Normandy we enjoyed white asparagus, strawberries, and of course plenty of fresh seafood.
• Action. The French version of the dollar store. It’s always something Romain wants to do when we go to Normandy…no comment!
• A vide grenier on Rue de Grenelle. Vide Greniers are the equivalent of garage sales and are where you find the best prices, but also where you have to look through the most “junk.” However, if you ever see a vide grenier in a fancy Parisian arrondissement you might just be in luck. We walked away with individual Le Creuset cocottes for 2€ each and an escargot service for 4€. Romain was a big fan of the homemade quiches – two for 3€. This is the website I check to find vide greniers and brocantes throughout France.
• Porte de Vanves Flea Market. This is my favorite flea market in Paris – I said it. It’s south of Paris and much smaller than the larger Puces de Saint Ouen. It feels more like a treasure hunt and I usually find something I can’t live without. The prices are generally better as the stands aren’t permanent, but you’ll find the same vendors week after week. One of my favorites is an antique and vintage jewelry dealer (jp.kochjewelry on Instagram – he’s private so message him and tell him you know pariswithlanden). Romain designed my wedding band to match one of his pieces (that was perfect, but yellow gold). This time I tried on a stunning diamond tennis bracelet for fun. He really has gorgeous pieces and the prices are incredible.
• Marché aux Fleurs. It was time to refresh the window boxes so we went to the Marché aux Fleurs on Île de la Cité. If Romain could’ve put me on a leash I think he would have. A lot of people want to visit this market when in Paris – I’d say it’s pretty to walk through, but most of the flowers and plants are meant to be planted, so if you’re shopping for cut flowers it’s best to just go to a flower shop or food market, which usually will have at least one flower stand.
• Alpha Dogs House. Our sweet friends got Boomer a grooming gift card for his Paris anniversary at Alpha. This store has really great and unique dog (and cat) accessories, plus plenty of Paris-themed toys, outfits etc. If you’re an animal lover this is a great place to pop in and pick up a souvenir. It’s just across from the Louvre.

What I Did in April

• Went to Normandy for the Easter long weekend. It was absolutely heaven.
• Visited the gardens of Musée Christian Dior. They recently opened a new tea room (that we tried in May) that overlooks the water. I promise it feels more like the South of France than Normandy on a sunny day.
• Waited in a line for two hours for a baguette that was terrible. A note to anyone – if you find yourself in a small town in France on Easter Sunday, do not wait to buy the baguette until after the church service ends. Go first thing in the morning.

A big merci for being a member! If there’s ever anything you’d like to see more of, don’t hesitate to let me know!