September 2023 Recap

Where I Ate and Drank in September

• Café Kitsuné Palais Royal. The original Café Kitsuné is still my favorite, and I can rarely walk through the Jardin du Palais Royal without stopping. The Jardin du Palais Royal is also dog-friendly, so Boomer of course joined.
• Matsuhisa. Our first wedding anniversary (both for the civil ceremony and big religious wedding and party) fell over a weekend, so we decided to really live it up and celebrate all weekend. Our first stop was Matsuhisa. The atmosphere is really nice and while the food was good, (Matsuhisa is a chain with a very similar menu to Nobu) it’s better at other Nobus. We still had a great time and adored the sashimi pizza.
• Les Antiquaires. Always. In September I had lots of breakfasts as well as several lunches and dinners. Be sure to make a reservation for anything besides a morning coffee or breakfast.
• Le Rubis. I’ve wanted to eat at Le Rubis for probably 10 years but just never made it happen. We finally went for lunch and Romain announced that he enjoyed certain things more than he did at Le Petit Vendôme. I’m not ready to go that far quite yet, but it was delicious casual, classic French. I had a great frisée aux lardons “salad” to start and roasted chicken with homemade fries, mayo, and a little more salad for good measure.
• Café Isaka. September stayed pretty hot in Paris, but early September was especially warm. I saw something on Instagram about the fried ice cream at Café Isaka and needed to try. It was topped with popcorn and honestly gave me State Fair of Texas vibes. I’m not sure I’d go back but it was fun trying once.
• Somewhere I would go back frequently is Toit de la Tour, the new rooftop bar open at Tour d’Argent. You have to reserve in advance and get a two-hour time slot, which makes the experience intimate and not overcrowded or loud. The rooftop views of Paris are almost 360 degree and I loved being not too high up. When we went the only food option they had was little spreads with crackers essentially, so it’s really mostly about the drinks which were excellent and the service and experience exceptional.
• Le Grand Brunch at the Ritz Paris. I had to book this brunch three months in advance, on the day reservations opened. The price has increased since I initially booked it to 205€ per person, which is very expensive for a brunch, but for a special occasion it could be perfect. We sat outside in the garden which was absolutely lovely and I lost track of how many different trips we took through the buffet. There was a little bit of everything and the quality was of course great.
• Jones. I’d heard good things and was pretty underwhelmed. We were with a group of six people total and ordered everything on the menu to share. I honestly can’t remember what everything was, but I do remember that nothing was great. Maybe they were having an off night.
• LouLou. I went to LouLou three times in September. While the reservation can be a tough one to get, especially during Fashion Week, it’s not impossible if you know the tricks or use a concierge. The setting overlooking the Tuileries and Louvre is divine and I think the food is also very good. Plus it’s Boomer friendly. When the weather is nice it’s really hard to top a meal outside at LouLou.
• Le Voltaire. We had four fabulous dinners in September – it’s always my favorite place to bring family and friends visiting Paris. Reservations are really filling up quickly, I would now recommend booking three weeks to a month in advance unless you’re going for lunch.
• Chez Meunier. This was my go-to boulangerie in Neuilly. I was randomly in the mood for a wrap for lunch and picked up the chicken curry wrap. The pastries are better than the wraps/sandwiches.
• Jixiao’s Buns. It’s not as good as it used to be, but the buns are still good and so comforting on a cold day.
• Fou de Pâtisserie. We’re so addicted to Christophe Michalak that we hardly go here anymore, but we went recently to mix things up. It’s a good pastry shop in Saint Germain des Prés.
• Ladurée. The almond hazelnut croissant is sinfully good. It’s a new monthly indulgence that I absolutely cannot and will not resist.
• La Crêperie de Josselin. It’s becoming our Sunday go-to lunch spot. I like to get the Bertine with an œuf mirroir (a fried egg) on top instead of the scrambled egg inside.
• PNY. It’s been on my list of the best burgers in Paris for five years and is still at the top. My parents were rounding out a long Europe trip with a few nights in Paris and were just in the mood for a burger, and PNY is where we took them. I always order the Vintage Cheeseburger.
• Le Bar des Prés. A favorite sushi spot. We went with my parents and literally ordered about one of everything.
• Christophe Michalak. We no longer have to order when we walk in, we simply arrive and they know exactly what we want – a Mini Klassik for me and a Krumchy for Romain.
• Le Cocorico. I admittedly only went because Les Antiquaires was closed due to a leak, but it was a sweet little café and a nice place for a morning coffee.

Where I Shopped in September

• The pharmacy and I discovered my current favorite clean skincare brand La Rosée. I first bought chapstick, shortly after added the serum, then my godmother gifted me the the eye contour, then I bought the plumping face oil and the toothpaste. I’m legitimately obsessed with it all and brought my mom one of each of my favorites for her to try.
• A vide grenier which is kind of like a big garage sale in the 6th. I look at this website to see what’s going on each weekend.
• Foire de Chatou. Every March and September is the Foire de Chatou, an incredible antique fair with dealers from all over France. I love hunting for treasures and never leave empty handed. This edition I found a great tablecloth and set of napkins with my initials that I’ll use for the holidays and a set of dessert plates for Romain’s mom. Even though it absolutely poured rain the day we went it was so much fun.
• Vanves Flea Market. I go to Vanves almost every weekend. My biggest accomplishment in September was finding a lady who restored a set of knives I bought three years ago that would’ve otherwise been unusable.
• Abundantia. A great shop for vintage and antique dishes and anything really related to the art de la table on Rue de Beaune. I think the prices are generally very reasonable and they’re very nice.
• Galerie Michele Aragon. I love this shop and it’s filled with a great mix of new and vintage/antique products…but Michele herself is not the nicest person I’ve ever encountered. It was honestly a major turnoff, even though I adore the products.

What I Did in September

• Toured apartments as we continued searching for somewhere to hopefully move.
• Went on a private Seine River cruise aboard the Petrus. I always say yes to Seine River cruises, they are really so much fun and such a great way to see Paris. The Petrus was the perfect size for accommodating 10-15 people.
• Went back to Antibes. I will update my Antibes guide for members – we tried several new places and activities as well as revisited others which changed my opinion.

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!