Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Paging AnselmAdorne re: Petits Champs apt.

Hi elsiejune,

We were there again at Christmas and had the chance to explore the neighbourhood a bit more. Here are a few ideas and recommendations:

The apartment is only six or seven blocks from rue Montorgueil, a pedestrianized street full of delightful food shops. (Turn right when you go out the front door of the apartment and walk east through Place des Victoires; continue east along rue Etienne Marcel, then turn left up rue Montorgueil.) We found our best rotisserie chicken in one of the shops on the right hand side of Montorgueil; sorry, I can’t remember which one it was, though. There is also a shop about half way up Montorgueil, also on the right hand side, that sells products from Auvergne. Be sure to try their excellent pâtés and cheeses. The St-Nectaire and the Bleu d’Auvergne made the 13-minute walk worthwhile.

We tried many of the bakeries in the area, and kept coming back to the one directly across the street from the front door of the apartment. Beware, though, it’s closed on Sundays.

If you decide to do any cooking, there is the wonderful Coq St. Honoré on rue Gomboust, just on the other side of avenue de l’Opéra. (Turn left when you leave the apartment, cross avenue de l’Opéra, and veer slightly left.) They have every type of fowl imaginable, and all of it is excellent. We also tried the offerings from the butcher on the east side of rue du Marché St. Honoré (a short, narrow street running between Place du Marché St. Honoré and rue St. Honoré), and I’d recommend him without hesitation.

There is a small market in Place du Marché St. Honoré on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. We bought a few things there, such as olives and vegetables. We bought oysters there, too, just before Christmas, although there is a good-looking fish store on rue du Marché St. Honoré just beside the butcher.

A tabac … let’s see … there is one sort of kitty-corner to the apartment, at the corner of rue des Petits Champs and rue Méhul; there is also a small grocery store just east of the apartment going towards Place des Victoires, very handy if you realize at 9 pm that you really need a lemon or a bottle of scotch.

We bought freshly roasted coffee at the Brûlerie San-José at 30 rue des Petits Champs, that’s just to the right when you leave the apartment.

And finally, as we mentioned in the trip report, there is a Monoprix on avenue de l’Opéra, where you can buy most any provision you desire. It’s nowhere near as fun, though, as going to the specialty shops.

Restaurants: we generally plumbed the depths of the 11th, but we did try Willi’s Wine Bar at 13 rue des Petits Champs. This was, unfortunately, a good meal spoiled by a fellow diner who was loud and more than a little squiffy.

One other thing to mention: if you have a spare 20 minutes, explore the Passage Choiseul, just across the street from the apartment. It’s full of quirky shops. If you continue out through the far end, walk up rue Choiseul towards rue Quatre September; there’s a mercerie there that has every thread, button, and ribbon imaginable in a shop that looks like it hasn’t changed in more than a century.

Safe travels.

Anselm