paris at xmas
Dec 5th, 2007, 07:16 PM
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paris at xmas
we are a family of 4 (2 teens) spending 1 week over xmas in paris (staying at an apt in the 7th)
any suggestions for how to spend xms day as so many things are closed?
what should we do about restaurants xmas eve and xmas day?
thaks
any suggestions for how to spend xms day as so many things are closed?
what should we do about restaurants xmas eve and xmas day?
thaks
Dec 6th, 2007, 03:46 PM
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The opera and ballet (at both Garnier and Bastille) perform the whole week, including the 24th and 25th. http://www.operadeparis.fr/Calendrier/
Dec 7th, 2007, 05:57 AM
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We spent Christmas Week in Paris a few years ago and found it hard to find a place for dinner on Christmas Day outside of the very costly hotels.
A few cafes and bistros opened late in the day on Christmas Day.
Shopping on the 26th was very similar to that in States; i.e crowded with bargain hunters and returners. Most attractions kept Sunday hours on that day.
Dinner on Christmas Eve is hard to come by, as this seemed to be the major celebration of the holiday, more so than on Christmas Day. We were at a hotel with a concierge who took pity on the ignorant and got us a nice booking on the Ile St. Louis. If I were to do this again, I would be on the internet and finding a congenial spot that would confirm bookings by email.
A few cafes and bistros opened late in the day on Christmas Day.
Shopping on the 26th was very similar to that in States; i.e crowded with bargain hunters and returners. Most attractions kept Sunday hours on that day.
Dinner on Christmas Eve is hard to come by, as this seemed to be the major celebration of the holiday, more so than on Christmas Day. We were at a hotel with a concierge who took pity on the ignorant and got us a nice booking on the Ile St. Louis. If I were to do this again, I would be on the internet and finding a congenial spot that would confirm bookings by email.
Dec 7th, 2007, 05:32 PM
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My response is in general to 4bams and specifically to Jeff 801. I, too, plan to be in Paris during Christmas and am interested in the same subjects as you. Addressing the question of restaurants to Jeff80, how would you go about your Internet search? There are thousands of restaurants in Paris and I'm having difficulties determining which are open, especially on Christmas Day. Two restaurants have come to my attention and I believe that they may be possibilities, but I do not know if they are really open on December 25: Au Pied de Cochon, near Les Halles, and Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyon. [By the way, Sylvia Poggioli, a correspondent for NPR, has a piece in the November 30, 2007, Web site about Le Train Bleu.] I suppose that the best course would be to e-mail them. I hope that I have a fall-back, in that I am staying at a very nice hotel. Surely, it is serving meals on the 24th and 25th. ZZ
Dec 7th, 2007, 09:18 PM
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As a teenager, my father and I spent Christmas in Paris and we enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner at one of the (two?) restaurants in the Eiffel Tower. While I don't particularly remember the meal, the view and company was something to cherish for a lifetime.
Dec 8th, 2007, 06:18 AM
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I think the Eiffel Tower is open on Christmas Day, other than that, I might just enjoy walking around, taking it easy, stopping in a cafe you may find open, things like that. There are concerts on Christmas Day in some churches (generally late afternoon to early evening) and I would do that myself. Just get a weekly entertainment guide at a news kiosk once you get to Paris, you'll find enough to do, I'm sure (eg, Pariscope). I know I've seen concerts on that date in prior years. If you don't like classical music (which is usually what they are, but might be sacred), that might not be for you.
I know Alcazar in St Germain is open for Xmas eve and day dinner. It's not cheap, of course, a lot of places that are open are going to have special menus and it will cost more than usual, and you may have to pay in advance or something. Sort of like NY's eve but not quite as bad. A lot of restaurants won't take reservations by email, if you are really serious about a place, I would call (or maybe your hotel could be helping you on that). Alcazar's menu is 90 euro per person www.alcazar.fr but it sounds nice, as there is music, also.
Here is another one with a Xmas eve menu at 75 euro per person, in the 1st arr. It looks nice, but I have no experience with it or Alcazar's in terms of quality.
http://www.marc-mitonne.com
The do have an email address (click on menu Reveillon de Noel at the left).
The Ciel de Paris at the top of Montparnasse Tower has a Xmas eve dinner at 100 euro, and that includes some music, also. I think they allow email reservations. www.cieldeparis.com
These are not cheap, but for a special dinner on that holiday, it would be worth the splurge to me. I imagine Le Train Bleu isn't going to be cheap, either. They do seem to have email reservations, but don't mention being open on Christmas or the eve.
For searching, I'd suggest doing a google search with these words:
paris menu reveillon noel
They call the special eves reveillon (both for Christmas and New Years, so that's why you should stick in noel). As an alternate, use the word carte instead of menu.
There are actually some museums that are open on Christmas Day in Paris -- I've read that the Pompidou center will be open, and the Jacquemart Andre, for two. That is probably not the best day to go, as if only a few are open, they could be packed.
If you haven't viewed it, the Paris Tourist Info website has tons of good information, and should be checked. They always list what museums and monuments are open on holidays. Here is another website that lists all kinds of info about Christmas
http://www.parisgratuit.com/
For example, it has a section on illuminations, the museums that are open, the markets, etc.
I know Alcazar in St Germain is open for Xmas eve and day dinner. It's not cheap, of course, a lot of places that are open are going to have special menus and it will cost more than usual, and you may have to pay in advance or something. Sort of like NY's eve but not quite as bad. A lot of restaurants won't take reservations by email, if you are really serious about a place, I would call (or maybe your hotel could be helping you on that). Alcazar's menu is 90 euro per person www.alcazar.fr but it sounds nice, as there is music, also.
Here is another one with a Xmas eve menu at 75 euro per person, in the 1st arr. It looks nice, but I have no experience with it or Alcazar's in terms of quality.
http://www.marc-mitonne.com
The do have an email address (click on menu Reveillon de Noel at the left).
The Ciel de Paris at the top of Montparnasse Tower has a Xmas eve dinner at 100 euro, and that includes some music, also. I think they allow email reservations. www.cieldeparis.com
These are not cheap, but for a special dinner on that holiday, it would be worth the splurge to me. I imagine Le Train Bleu isn't going to be cheap, either. They do seem to have email reservations, but don't mention being open on Christmas or the eve.
For searching, I'd suggest doing a google search with these words:
paris menu reveillon noel
They call the special eves reveillon (both for Christmas and New Years, so that's why you should stick in noel). As an alternate, use the word carte instead of menu.
There are actually some museums that are open on Christmas Day in Paris -- I've read that the Pompidou center will be open, and the Jacquemart Andre, for two. That is probably not the best day to go, as if only a few are open, they could be packed.
If you haven't viewed it, the Paris Tourist Info website has tons of good information, and should be checked. They always list what museums and monuments are open on holidays. Here is another website that lists all kinds of info about Christmas
http://www.parisgratuit.com/
For example, it has a section on illuminations, the museums that are open, the markets, etc.
Dec 8th, 2007, 07:47 AM
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Two museums usually open on Christmas, the Pompidou Center and the Museum of Natural History, will be closed this year because their usual closing day is Tuesday.
It looks as though the Paris Zoo at the Bois de Vincennes will be open, in addition to all the good ideas you received from Christina and the other posters.
CW
It looks as though the Paris Zoo at the Bois de Vincennes will be open, in addition to all the good ideas you received from Christina and the other posters.
CW
Dec 8th, 2007, 11:16 AM
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Zambezi, I think Le Train Bleu is a better choice for Christmas Dinner. It is larger and has, if memory serves, a more flexible carte than Au Pied du Chochon. I suspect they have a web site. There are many web sites that can link to restaurants and you may need to make some choices as to arrondisement and type to narrow it down.
My favorites include Paris Notes and France Today. The Passport Newsletter has a list of restaurants by arrondisement, but I am not certain if you can access that without joining.
BTW, the Opera Bastille is doing Tannhueser for its holiday selection. I don't know what is on at the Opera Garnier.
If you have an historical interest, there is a very well reviewed Benjamin Franklin exhibit at the Caranavelet until the end of March.
While we found taxi's rare on Christmas Day, the metro ran a full schedule and we had no trouble getting around, once we figured out which Metro exit to us.
BTW,My GPS has a walking feature, and I would be interested if anyone has any experience using something like that in a European city. Even though I find getting lost a lot of fun in most cities, particularly Venice, it would be nice to be able to navigate quickly on a cold or wet afternoon.
My favorites include Paris Notes and France Today. The Passport Newsletter has a list of restaurants by arrondisement, but I am not certain if you can access that without joining.
BTW, the Opera Bastille is doing Tannhueser for its holiday selection. I don't know what is on at the Opera Garnier.
If you have an historical interest, there is a very well reviewed Benjamin Franklin exhibit at the Caranavelet until the end of March.
While we found taxi's rare on Christmas Day, the metro ran a full schedule and we had no trouble getting around, once we figured out which Metro exit to us.
BTW,My GPS has a walking feature, and I would be interested if anyone has any experience using something like that in a European city. Even though I find getting lost a lot of fun in most cities, particularly Venice, it would be nice to be able to navigate quickly on a cold or wet afternoon.
Dec 8th, 2007, 11:52 AM
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There's a compendium of posts about Paris restaurants at Christmas on eGullet's France forum (http://tinyurl.com/yndbso and click on the Eating, Shopping and Staying link). The latest post is from 2005, but it gives some idea of what types of places are open, and you can look for websites. I notice that Thoumieux on rue St-Dominique in the 7th is on the list of restaurants that are open Christmas Day. It's a classic brasserie, and we've enjoyed it as much for the atmosphere (the waiters are straight from central casting) and the people watching as for the food, which is good solid southwestern fare (they have an enormous and very tasty cassoulet). You can check out the menu on their website (www.thoumieux.com), which also has an online reservation form.
Dec 8th, 2007, 12:05 PM
#14
Hi, 4bams,
have I missed something? - you're in an apartment. you have a kitchen.
for the price of an over-priced dinner for one , you could have a feast. Champagne, foie gras, or oysters, a bird [I bet you could get a pre-cooked one] cheese, a posh pud. there are wonderful dellies which would make a suitable package up for you.
go for a post prandial stroll, get out the monopoly or scrabble, [or if luggage is full, a pack of cards] put on the telly [no queen's speech but I bet the french have something equally cheesy] and put your feet up.
just an idea,
regards, ann
have I missed something? - you're in an apartment. you have a kitchen.
for the price of an over-priced dinner for one , you could have a feast. Champagne, foie gras, or oysters, a bird [I bet you could get a pre-cooked one] cheese, a posh pud. there are wonderful dellies which would make a suitable package up for you.
go for a post prandial stroll, get out the monopoly or scrabble, [or if luggage is full, a pack of cards] put on the telly [no queen's speech but I bet the french have something equally cheesy] and put your feet up.
just an idea,
regards, ann
Dec 9th, 2007, 01:28 PM
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I agree if you are there on Sunday find a market and get some food to cook in. Or find a market street and buy some prepared food on the 24th. Or go to Picard's and get some frozen selections. It's very good and fun to pick and choose from the selection. They even have trays of hors d'oerves!
Dec 10th, 2007, 09:42 AM
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I saw lots of restaurants open for dinner on Christmas Day (in the 17th eme). Christmas Eve things close early. We ate at an Asian restaurant near our hotel.
On Christmas Day, the bus tours were running, we went up the Eiffel and we came upon a flea market to the west side of town.
On Christmas Day, the bus tours were running, we went up the Eiffel and we came upon a flea market to the west side of town.
Dec 10th, 2007, 06:49 PM
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thanks for all the good advice- I thinkd we will eat in on xmas day with yummy takeout- I can't see anywhere that the rodin museum is closed on the 25th, and maybe we will do a walking tour of an are and go up the eiffel tower. perhaps if there is time we can check out one of the churches too- seems that there is lots to do even though it is a holiday!
Dec 11th, 2007, 05:57 AM
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Check out the Virgin Megastore to see what concerts are going on Christmas Day. I was there in 2000 and we went to a concert at the church on Ile St. Louis. It was a Russian Choral group and they were fantastic. It was at 5PM Christmas Day night and we bought the tickets earlier in the week at the Virgin store. We just happened to wander in there and saw the notices.
