Excellent new Paris bistro

A foodie friend in Paris confirmed recent buzz about Septime, a new and already beloved bistro in the 11th, 80 rue de Charonne. Septime is in an interesting, gentrifying corner of the 11th, where lower rents attract talented chefs and creative shops. Bertrand Grébaut is the chef at Septime. You may remember his cooking at L'Agapé. Septime is located in a nicely renovated, loft-like setting and there is a small garden area for good-weather outdoor meals. The style is cuisine du marché and menus change frequently. Lunch menus in the low and mid twenty euro range, dinner runs more a la carte.

I plan to enjoy Septime personally when I am back in Paris in October!

Coffee and Cake in Paris, New York Style...

A New York Coffee Shop In Paris!

Just in case you are homesick for coffee cake and coffee “New Yorkaise” when visiting Paris you can stop in at ‘Le Coffee Shop Merce and the Muse’ located at 1 rue Charles Francois Dupuis in the 3rd arrondissement (near Republique). The American owner has modeled his shop on classic Greenwich Village coffee shops. If one more croissant is just too much to contemplate, hard as that is to fathom, keep this one in mind. Just one more good stop to keep in mind when exploring the ‘upper Marais’.

A Good Lunch in Paris!

A good lunch in Paris that won't break the bank? Eminently possible. Head to Mon Vieil Ami on the lovely Ile St. Louis for their daily plat du jour. The tab is an unbeatable 13 euros for their perfect winter-weather-warming fricassee de legumes & blanquette de veau, which is only served on Thursdays. Other plats du jour for the same price include Pot a Feu, seafood risotto, and Parmentier with wild boar. This is a wonderful venue for dinner too. Lots of good veggies and delicious Alsatian influenced meat and fish dishes.

Mon Viel Ami. 69 rue Saint Louis en I'lle, 4th arr. ( on the Ile St. Louis)
Metro: Pont Marie Open Wed. to Sunday- 12-2PM for lunch, 6:30-11PM for dinner Tel. 01 40 46 01 35 http://www.mon-vieil-ami.com