croissant from Eric Kayser boulangerie, 11eme
I know it sounds trite, but I love Paris. I’ve been enough times that I have habits I can’t break, and I’m still starry-eyed enough that I find something “new” to love every time.
Habits I was glad to indulge were croissants hot out of the oven at Eric Kayser and macarons at Pierre Herme. But the twist is that I went to quiet locations of both this time. Eric Kayser’s uncrowded 11th arrondissement location near the Nation metro was five minutes’ walk from our hotel, and Pierre Herme’s newest location on the Right Bank, close to the Tuileries, was queue-free when I dropped by on a Saturday afternoon. Score.
guestroom at Grand Hotel Francais, 11eme, Paris
Speaking of our hotel, I was a little skeptical of staying in the 11th, but the Grand Hotel Francais got rave reviews on TripAdvisor for being stylish, steps from metro stations, and a reasonable 130 euros a night. All true, and I give bonus points for being around the corner from food-haven rue Paul Bert; free wi-fi; an antiques market on Boulevard Voltaire (on which the hotel sits); and did I already mention Eric Kayser goodies were a five-minute walk away?
banh mi from Saigon Sandwich, 11eme, Paris
With Clotilde Dusoulier’s Edible Adventures in Paris book in hand, I visited for the first time the Chinatown around Belleville metro, also in the 11th. If you remember the Triplettes de Belleville, you’ll know the area is super hilly. Luckily, the Chinatown bit doesn’t require too much climbing to explore, and unable to decide between banh mi and pho, I chose both. Clotilde’s book recommends Saigon Sandwich, which truly is a hole in the wall. The place would be overwhelmed if more than two people showed up, which is endearing. I loved the crunch and tang of the classique‘s pickled crudite, and the Saigon Sandwich man knows how to balance his mayo and chilies, but honestly, the sandwich was a bit skimpy on slices of pork. Sure, it was only 1.80 euros, but I’m willing to pay more for a sandwich chock-full of the yummy fillings.
pho at Dong Huong Vietnamese restaurant, 11eme, Paris
No worries, though. Ten feet away from Saigon Sandwich is Dong Huong Vietnamese restaurant, also highlighted in Clotilde’s book. It’s a warren of a restaurant, and tables turn fast, so there was no problem getting a seat even on the wettest, coldest Saturday afternoon. In no time flat, Jon and I were face down in our bowls of beef pho. The broth was hot, rich and meaty – the kind of soup you slurp straight from the bowl. At about 7 euros a bowl, the pho’s no question a good value.
We of course didn’t leave Paris without first loading up on wines and snacks at la Grand Epicerie, but we also loved waking up earlyish the next morning to toodle around the 7th and 8th arrondissements using les velibs, and then meeting my haven’t-seen-him-in-ages Parisian friend, Jeremy, for lunch at Breizh Cafe in the Marais. Breizh was a tip from both David Lebovitz and Clotilde, so no surprise that the egg-ham-and-cheese-filled buckwheat crepes were simple, but tasty, as were the dessert crepes, which had that nice bit of caramelized sugar to them (as well as a boatload of butter).
Another perfect weekend in Paris. Now if only the Eurostar didn’t cost a small fortune, I’d be in Paris even more often.
Eric Kayser, 309, rue de Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 11th, 01 49 79 01 76; closest metro: Nation (1, 2, 6, 9, RER A); closed Sundays
Pierre Herme, 4, rue Cambon, 1st, 01 58 62 43 17; closest metro: Tuileries (1); closed Sundays and Mondays
Grand Hotel Francais, 223, boulevard Voltaire, 11th, 01 43 71 27 57; closest metro: rue des Boulets (9) or Nation
Saigon Sandwich, 8, rue de la Presentation, 11th; closest metro: Belleville (11); open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 10am-2pm
Dong Huong, 14, rue Louis Bonnet, 11th; closest metro: Belleville (11)
Breizh Cafe, 109, rue Vieille du Temple, 4th; closest metro: St. Paul (1); closed Monday and Tuesday
Oh… I want so badly to go back to Paris! When I was there several years ago I knew NOTHING. I lived on pain au chocolats for breakfast and baguettes for lunch. And god knows what for dinner. So I don’t count it… I need a proper trip there
Will be bookmarking your recs for future reference!
Was the hotel room 130 euros per person or for a double?
Hey Charmaine – 130 euros was the per-room price for a double room. I’ve stayed in different places every time I’ve visited Paris, and this one is the only one worth returning to, I think. [Well, that's not totally true. In October 2006, I rented a Paris flat for a week, and *that* was definitely worth doing again.] The 11th around the hotel isn’t super-scenic, but it feels much more like a “normal” neighborhood than the 6th or 7th do. : ) And my first trip to Paris was much as you describe – I remember eating only baguettes and pain au chocolat three times a day (and it was marvelous). Definitely email me before you visit Paris!
oh the joys of a banh mi! why can’t we find any in London?!
Oh, I miss Paris too! I wish I could afford to make short hops there every couple of months! I haven’t yet tried Eric Kayser but I am totally in love with Pierre Herme’s macarons!
Hi,
I remember you and I would like to thank you for putting a nice review on our hotel, and I hope to see you again,
Regarding Kaiser you right it is a very nice Boulanger, and
I use to go there and buy FINANCIER A LA PISTACHE §§
Take care, hope that you have a better whether in London than in Paris because In Paris it is dark!
zyad
Jane, I’m totally with you! I found banh mi once on the menu at Pho in Clerkenwell, but it was so atrociously bad (think greasy, *fried* bean sprouts atop pork and *mayonnaise* in a limp baguette!) that I never want to set foot in Pho again.
Su-Lin, now that we’re macaron-baking experts, maybe we’ll give Pierre Herme a run for his money. Or maybe not.
Zyad, my pleasure. Jon and I enjoyed our stay at Grand Hotel Francais, and thanks for the pistachio financier rec. I’ll def try those next time I’m in Paris (which hopefully won’t be too many months away).
Oh, I’m so sad that my search for London/Bahn Mi found me: Pho in Clerkenwell & you. And now my hopes are dashed!
I am so missing NYC right now ..
(Love your site, btw. Yay for New Yorkers in London!)
LondonM – yes, definitely skip Pho. The banh mi there was a travesty. And there are so many cheaper and tasty Vietnamese places on Kingsland Road, so I figure why waste time with a Vietnamese-Lite place like Pho?
As for cheering for New Yorkers in London, I support the sentiment, but I wouldn’t claim to be one. Like lots of Americans who find their way to London, I’ve lived in New York (and was born in Brooklyn), but I grew up total bridge-and-tunnel, so I don’t think it’d be accurate to call myself a New Yorker.
Heh, I grew up in Connecticut. I’m just a poser
Thanks for letting me know about Kingsland Road, maybe this will be the impetus I need to finally take the bus up to Old Street. Are there Bahn Mis up there? Any one you recommend in particular?
I’m in Paris right now (got here yesterday, April 30). Since it’s Labour Day today…not sure what we’re doing or what is open. I’m following your recommendations on Paris restaurants…and those quintessential macarons…yum! There is a Lenotre in our hotel neighbourhood at the 7th eme. Will try to find Pierre Herme, though, of course!
Jen – looking forward to reading how your travels turn out (from your current post, it looks like you’re enjoying yourself).
[...] had a great experience at the Grand Hotel Francais the last time we were in Paris, Jon and I decided to return. Zyad, the hotel manager, remembered us, and upon hearing we were in [...]
[...] in love with neo-bistro Itineraires. Although the much-hyped Bistro Paul Bert was disappointing, we did find a gem of a hotel in the same neighborhood — the Grand Hotel Francais, where the irrepressible master hotelier, Syad, makes every stay a real pleasure. Missing the [...]