Degas

Any rants or raves about any of the books found below? Pretty good reviews at amazon.com Was only looking to buy one and maybe get the others from the library. Concerned about too much overlap. Is the Well's book out-dated?

Other recomendations are welcomed.


Eating & Drinking in Paris

Herbach & Dillion, 2001, 1st Ed
1892975475

The Historic Resturants of Paris: A Guide to Century-old Cafes, Bistros and Gourmet Food Shops

Ellen williams, May 2001
1892145030


Food Lovers Guide to Paris

Patricia Wells, Jul, 1999, 4th Ed
0761114793

elaine

If you're going to buy one, my recommendation is the Zagat restaurant guide for Paris. Updated annually.
Ratings based on customer comments, organized in alpha order, but with indexes under neighborhoods, special features, open on Sundays, etc.

Gretchen

I love Patricia Wells' book. It has an excellent food glossary, lists all the markets, has a section on cheese shops, and restaurants of all levels. Plus recipes.

Scarlett

Bonjour Degas,
I really like Patricia Wells' book.
When do you go to Paris, is it soon?

djkbooks

To me a good restaurant guide is well worth the price.

I'm not a huge fan of Patricia Wells, and her latest edition is now WAY out of date (there were places that had closed listed when it was published, but that happend).

Some of my favorites are "Bistros of Paris" by the Hamburgers, The Routard Guide, and the Bistro pamplets published by a couple named Seass (who've had foie gras all over Paris as a first course everywhere they go if available).

If you want Historic Restaurants of Paris, I'll send you mine. It was okay, but not great.

Degas

Scarlett, I wanted to go this fall but it may have to be in the spring.

I dug up my rusty money box near the well last week and there were not many gold coins left. Looks like I will have to dust off my old suits, lose thirty pounds, add a few more lies to my resume and seek gainful employment again.

Are wide lapels in or out now? How about flared trouser legs? Buy thin ties or wide ties or just stick with my red, white and blue bow ties?

Scarlett

Degas Honey,
I think the red white and blue bow tie would make a statement.

Nikki

Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking.

oakglen

Hi Degas, we have bought them all, some many times. Restaurant turnover has been brutal in the last few years; any book not dated 2002 (meaning it was written in 2001) or better is hopelessly out of date. This year we took our PDA, Zagat and Michelin guide rouge. We only actually used our PDA with selected reviews from this, bparis and Chowhound sites. JP

Degas

Thanks everyone - I may just get the books via the library loan system and check them out before forking over the cash.

Concerned now about outdated info, but not sure where to draw the line. Some of the real old ones must be doing something right to stay in business.

Guess the the more important question is which ones should I stay away from -you know how I like a real friendly staff and large portions of good grits.

Budman

On our last trip to Paris, I ordered the Hamburger's book Bistros of Paris, Gustafson's Cheap Eats, and Pat Wells Food Lover's Guide. Didn't use any of them, winged it, and had a great time.

We stayed at an apartment, and one evening just went to the market for chicken on the spit, cooked potatoes, cheese, bagette, olives, etc. Never had a bad meal. We did try to find out who had the best creme brulee.

Christina

I'm not a big gourmet at all and don't make a lot of special plans or arrangements for dinner, so that's my qualifier. However, I always like to check out reviews or recommendations for modest places near where I'm staying.

I like the Patricia Wells book very much because it isn't just a restaurant guide, it gives some recipes, describes dining vocabulary and menu customs, etc. My copy is perhaps even older than the 99 version (maybe not) and I have never encountered a place or store in it that was out-of-business. So, of course that can happen with any guidebook, but I didn't even encounter that let alone have it be a problem. Most guidebooks name places (or try to) that are high quality and have often been around for many years--of course, if you look in a section or for the latest trendy places, that would not be true, of course. However, if you look for traditional French cafes and bistros, I would not expect it to be a big problem if the book is a couple years old. I like her book for the bakeries, cheese shops, chocolate shops, etc.--she has chapters on all kinds of specialty shops which I have never seen elsehwere, as well as a section on kitchen and tableware shops.

I think the Hamburger book is good for its niche and size, and I have also used and liked Gustafson's Cheap Eats and places mentioned in the Access Paris guidebook.

Another book I like, although this also is mainly a recipe book (but I was searching for the perfect profiterole recipe) is the Paris Cafe Cookbook by Dan Young. Not only does it give 1-2 classic recipes from the better cafes, but describes the cafes pretty well, in all areas. Because it is specialized, it lists a lot of the better cafes.

I think the Zagats is good for finding places, also, and I used to use it when it was free online.

StCirq

Degas: May I suggest that you allow a certain element of spontaneity to creep into these phenomenally detail-oriented Paris excursions you are planning, and just follow your nose for at least some of your meals?
As you undoubtedly know, Paris has thousands of restaurants where you will probably eat very, very well. Unless you are planning to hit the big Michelin-starred places, with few exceptions you don't need reservations, at least not until you get there. If you adopt the same approach to finding restaurants as you have to planning your itineraries, one is inevitably going to compromise the other. You won't be able to be exactly where you want to be for lunch at noon on Tuesday!
Since you are clearly going to cover pretty much tout Paris on foot and public transportation, on at least a few occasions just use your senses to help you get a good meal. Use the books to select a few special places to have a leisurely dinner after those long days of pounding the pavement.
Also, the Figaroscope, which most hotels have at the front desk, always has a great selection of restaurants that changes weekly. I always pick up a (free) copy and get ideas for new places to try fro mit.

Degas

Thanks for all the great advice.

I always plan some spontaneity in my trips. I know. I know. That's hard to believe with my quest for details and directions. But I often go hard one day and roam aimlessly the next or be structured in the morning and drift in the afternoon. And I might use only half those structured walks on one trip and do the rest the next time.

My gameplan for the restaurants is to have a summary of good places for each major area (1st - 9th) and pick out one out when its time to eat. I doubt I'll line them up ahead of time and make a special effort to go halfway across town just to try a place out.

I usually am too tired at the end of the day to stray too far from the hotel unless the desserts are extra special! And you really have to leave some room for finding "great little places" that might not be on anybody's recommendation list except your own.

jsmith

There is nothing like planning spontaneity. Is subdued ranting and coherent raving to follow?

Degas

jsmith, your brief verbal drive-by left me unsure if you were making a joke or trying to sling an arrow in my direction. Is something eating at you?

Scarlett

Perhaps it was just a spontaneous verbal ejection?

cigalechanta

The last Patricia Well's book was 1999 so of course some have closed. She has the new one in the works.

Degas

Scarlett, I'm going to watch the Sound of Music prior to each trip so I can learn to throw caution to the wind and wander aimlessly in the dark, narrow, twisting streets until I am far, far away from the crowds and typical tourist haunts and have the pleasure of being mugged in a nasty, but very unique part of town.

StCirq

Degas: In Paris, one throws "cochon" to the wind!

I actually have a marvelous, framed Parisian postcard depicting the throwing of the cochon to the wind - one of my all-time favorite souvenirs.