If you’re ever thinking about visiting Paris in October…do it! The weather is generally mild, the leaves are starting to change and the fall light is incredible. The first half of October was absolutely crazy, crazy busy (you can read about why here), so we were thrilled to head to the US for a couple weeks of relaxing at the end of the month. The October 2023 recap features exactly where I ate and drank, shopped, and what I did during the month in Paris.
Where I Ate and Drank in October
- Le Saint Germain. I haven’t gone as often as I used to because honestly they changed their coffee and I don’t love it, but it’s still one of the best cafés for just sitting and watching the day go by.
- Le Plomb du Cantal. I’ve wanted to try the aligot (cheesy garlic mashed potatoes) here forever and it was finally cold-ish enough to go. I had the stuffed cabbage with aligot and Romain had a sausage with truffade (another form of cheesy potatoes). Both of our potatoes were served directly from copper pots which made it fun, but honestly both needed to be a little hotter. I will definitely go back especially now that it’s actually cold.
- Café Marly. It’s touristy and I paid a lot more for a club sandwich than I’d like to admit, but how can you top the location inside the Louvre? We also had great service and they were really sweet to Boomer.
- Les Antiquaires. One of my favorite spots for coffee.
- Immersion Vendôme. Brunch is having a moment in Paris and the line at Immersion is always long. We went during the week so it wasn’t as long, but be careful going on a weekend! I had a toast with scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms and halloumi that was really good.
- Cédric Grolet at Le Meurice. We happened to walk by and there wasn’t a line so of course had to stop inside. I had the almond pastry – I honestly can’t remember the description but it was worth the 18€.
- Popeyes. Yes, that Popeyes. Romain wanted to try it and they now have two locations in Paris so we figured there wouldn’t be a line. I can’t tell you how the restaurants work in the US, but in Paris we ordered and then found a table and they brought the food to us. It was really good and honestly I’ll probably go back – it was a nice taste of home.
- Clove Bakery. I had a red velvet cupcake and immediately decided that I want a red velvet cake from here for my birthday. Romain also decided he wants a brownie cake, which I guess means a sheet of brownies?
- Pho 18. Very good and authentic Vietnamese food. We went twice and both times we had bo buns and nems. If you don’t time it right you have to wait in a line so it’s something to think about.
- Thierry Marx Bakery. With the move I got in a really bad habit of picking up lunch every day instead of making it…and it’s a habit I haven’t quite kicked yet…but anyways. Thierry Marx Bakery is one of my go to spots. I love the ceasar salad, bread makis, sandwiches, quiches…pretty much everything. It’s a good place to keep in mind if you need a quick and casual lunch or want to buy food for the airplane etc.
- Le Voltaire. We had our “night before the move” dinner here. Pretty much any special event in our lives is marked by a meal at Le Voltaire. We love it so much. Since we had such a mild fall weather wise tomatoes were still in season and I had a tomato salad with burrata and my favorite steak with mustard sauce. We finished the meal with profiteroles because how can you not?
- Café Gabrielle. We popped in on a whim after puppy yoga. I had a chocolat chaud with whipped cream that was kind of surprisingly divine.
- Chez Aline. I’ve wanted to try the sandwich here for a while. It was really good – I especially liked the really thin almost shaved ham, but my favorite sandwich is still at Le Petit Vendôme.
Where I Shopped in October
- A vide grenier on Boulevard Raspail. Vide grenier translates to emptying the attic and those “attics” are in the 7th arrondissement they tend to be filled with interesting items. This particular edition happens at least twice a year if not more often. There are always flyers in the streets in the weeks leading up to it. I bought something for my dad for Christmas that I’m really excited about. There were lots of other items that I almost bought, but since we hadn’t moved yet I wanted to wait.
- The Porte de Vanves flea market. It’s one of my favorite things to do on the weekend, and while Romain won’t admit it I think it’s one of his favorites too.
- Pane Vivo. A really good tiny Italian bread shop on Rue du Bac (they also have other locations). All of their breads are delicious.
- Leboncoin and Selency for the apartment. Both are kind of like virtual brocantes, and if you know what to search for you can find some amazing treasures.
- La Grande Pharmacie du Bac. My favorite pharmacy. They stock great brands, are really nice and helpful, and it’s not crowded. While I love the prices at CityPharma it’s become way too crowded for me and just isn’t a pleasant experience.
What I Did in October
- Started getting organized for our move. I’m an expert in avoiding cleaning out cabinets and closets but once it’s actually done it feels so great. After I finished some of the cabinets in the living room Romain said we had so much space that we didn’t need to actually move…ha!
- We moved! This was the big activity for October. It turned out to be quite the undertaking, especially in the third trimester, but I’m so glad everything all worked out.
- Went to Puppy Yoga. They had golden retriever puppies so we couldn’t resist.
- Got my hair cut and colored by Lucas di Oslo. I started seeing Lucas before the wedding and now don’t trust anyone else with my blonde, period. He’s so sweet, fun, and speaks English.
- Went back to the US for the second half of October, which was wonderful! It was our last trip before the baby arrives and we had a great time at my cousin’s wedding, catching up with friends and family, and just relaxing and enjoying not doing much. We returned to Paris in early November so I’ll pick up the recaps there!
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!
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Where I Ate and Drank in October
- Le Saint Germain. I haven’t gone as often as I used to because honestly they changed their coffee and I don’t love it, but it’s still one of the best cafés for just sitting and watching the day go by.
- Le Plomb du Cantal. I’ve wanted to try the aligot (cheesy garlic mashed potatoes) here forever and it was finally cold-ish enough to go. I had the stuffed cabbage with aligot and Romain had a sausage with truffade (another form of cheesy potatoes). Both of our potatoes were served directly from copper pots which made it fun, but honestly both needed to be a little hotter. I will definitely go back especially now that it’s actually cold.
- Café Marly. It’s touristy and I paid a lot more for a club sandwich than I’d like to admit, but how can you top the location inside the Louvre? We also had great service and they were really sweet to Boomer.
- Les Antiquaires. One of my favorite spots for coffee.
- Immersion Vendôme. Brunch is having a moment in Paris and the line at Immersion is always long. We went during the week so it wasn’t as long, but be careful going on a weekend! I had a toast with scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms and halloumi that was really good.
- Cédric Grolet at Le Meurice. We happened to walk by and there wasn’t a line so of course had to stop inside. I had the almond pastry – I honestly can’t remember the description but it was worth the 18€.
- Popeyes. Yes, that Popeyes. Romain wanted to try it and they now have two locations in Paris so we figured there wouldn’t be a line. I can’t tell you how the restaurants work in the US, but in Paris we ordered and then found a table and they brought the food to us. It was really good and honestly I’ll probably go back – it was a nice taste of home.
- Clove Bakery. I had a red velvet cupcake and immediately decided that I want a red velvet cake from here for my birthday. Romain also decided he wants a brownie cake, which I guess means a sheet of brownies?
- Pho 18. Very good and authentic Vietnamese food. We went twice and both times we had bo buns and nems. If you don’t time it right you have to wait in a line so it’s something to think about.
- Thierry Marx Bakery. With the move I got in a really bad habit of picking up lunch every day instead of making it…and it’s a habit I haven’t quite kicked yet…but anyways. Thierry Marx Bakery is one of my go to spots. I love the ceasar salad, bread makis, sandwiches, quiches…pretty much everything. It’s a good place to keep in mind if you need a quick and casual lunch or want to buy food for the airplane etc.
- Le Voltaire. We had our “night before the move” dinner here. Pretty much any special event in our lives is marked by a meal at Le Voltaire. We love it so much. Since we had such a mild fall weather wise tomatoes were still in season and I had a tomato salad with burrata and my favorite steak with mustard sauce. We finished the meal with profiteroles because how can you not?
- Café Gabrielle. We popped in on a whim after puppy yoga. I had a chocolat chaud with whipped cream that was kind of surprisingly divine.
- Chez Aline. I’ve wanted to try the sandwich here for a while. It was really good – I especially liked the really thin almost shaved ham, but my favorite sandwich is still at Le Petit Vendôme.
Where I Shopped in October
- A vide grenier on Boulevard Raspail. Vide grenier translates to emptying the attic and those “attics” are in the 7th arrondissement they tend to be filled with interesting items. This particular edition happens at least twice a year if not more often. There are always flyers in the streets in the weeks leading up to it. I bought something for my dad for Christmas that I’m really excited about. There were lots of other items that I almost bought, but since we hadn’t moved yet I wanted to wait.
- The Porte de Vanves flea market. It’s one of my favorite things to do on the weekend, and while Romain won’t admit it I think it’s one of his favorites too.
- Pane Vivo. A really good tiny Italian bread shop on Rue du Bac (they also have other locations). All of their breads are delicious.
- Leboncoin and Selency for the apartment. Both are kind of like virtual brocantes, and if you know what to search for you can find some amazing treasures.
- La Grande Pharmacie du Bac. My favorite pharmacy. They stock great brands, are really nice and helpful, and it’s not crowded. While I love the prices at CityPharma it’s become way too crowded for me and just isn’t a pleasant experience.
What I Did in October
- Started getting organized for our move. I’m an expert in avoiding cleaning out cabinets and closets but once it’s actually done it feels so great. After I finished some of the cabinets in the living room Romain said we had so much space that we didn’t need to actually move…ha!
- We moved! This was the big activity for October. It turned out to be quite the undertaking, especially in the third trimester, but I’m so glad everything all worked out.
- Went to Puppy Yoga. They had golden retriever puppies so we couldn’t resist.
- Got my hair cut and colored by Lucas di Oslo. I started seeing Lucas before the wedding and now don’t trust anyone else with my blonde, period. He’s so sweet, fun, and speaks English.
- Went back to the US for the second half of October, which was wonderful! It was our last trip before the baby arrives and we had a great time at my cousin’s wedding, catching up with friends and family, and just relaxing and enjoying not doing much. We returned to Paris in early November so I’ll pick up the recaps there!
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!
