Paris in April
 

Hi All,

I am taking my wife for her 40th birthday to visit friends in London. What she doesn't know is that on April 10, we'll be leaving the little one with them and jetting to Paris for the night. She has been, but I have not. I'm not making this brief trip about me seeing the city, rather, having a memorable evening for the wife. My questions are:

Weather at this time of year.

A nice restaurant, maybe out of the way(hidden gem). I read some reviews about Les Ombres which seems spectacular, but a little pricey (this poor photographer has spent two months worth of bookings on the trip already).

A charming hotel. One night's stay, and I would imagine we'll just be sleeping there, not hanging around.

I'm sure the sheer extravigance of flying to Paris for dinner will go a long way, but I appreciate any suggestions...

Thanks!

Bill

My husband and I stayed here and really enjoyed it. It's the Hotel Saint Germain on rue de Bac.
http://www.paris-hotel-st-germain.com/

Also, you can check historical weather conditions on www.weather.com

Could you give a better idea of what you'd like to spend for your hotel and the special dinner for your wife?

I'll be in Paris in April too but unfortunately don't need a romantic restaurant this trip. ;)

I was thinking of 50-75 euros for each of us for dinner and up to 200 euros for a hotel. I hope thatisn't too limiting.

Thanks!

What a lovely idea :-) How about Le Violon d'Ingres?

http://www.leviolondingres.com/eng_menu.htm

and Hotel Relais du Bosquet where you can get a superior room for 180 euros. It's not far from Violon d'Ingres.

Sandy

Sorry, forgot the link to the Hotel Relais Bosquet:

http://www.hotelrelaisbosquetparis.com/

Sandy

I'll be staying at Hotel du Danube, recommended by people on this board in...hmm a week! :D 170 euros for a superior room.

http://charminghotelinparis.com/

I think my restaurant recs wouldn't be romantic enough for this occasion but I'm sure you'll find something stellar. Have a great trip.

Best thing about Paris is that regardless of the weather, it is PARIS! I walk miles in the rain there and wouldn't walk a block in the US.

Your wife should be so thrilled, that the weather won't matter. However, I wish you a lovely spring day.

The weather will be totally unpredictable in April. Expect anything from snow to unseasonably hot temperatures. Oh, and did I mention the rain?

Hi

My wife and I went to Paris in April last year and I have posted this trip report and pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . Maybe you can find some useful information there to start with :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Ditto-ing sandypaws' Relais Bosquet mention. Nice hotel, not fancy but had some classy touches. You might be the type who goes to a cafe for breakfast, but just FYI for convenience, the RB's breakfast was scrumptious and nicely served. Regrettably, I was not with my amour on my visit there, but it would have been more than acceptable for a little romantic interlude.

I was in Paris in April of 2004. It was chilly although trees were in blossom. There were a few minor snow flurries and some pretty darn cold rain. Get weather readings as close to departure as possible.

My husband and I just went back to Pomze last weekend and took my mother-in-law. We went there almost a year ago to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful, memorable meal. At the time, we concluded that it was the best meal we'd had since we moved to France in the summer of 2005. On our way back to Pomze last weekend, we concluded that, so far, it was still the best meal we'd had (in 20 months). And after our meal, we concluded that the second meal lived up to the first.

So, what is Pomze? It's actually an apple-themed restaurant, which is associated with an apple growers' cooperative. (I love apples, which is why I picked it for my birthday.) I was a little worried it would be kitschy, but it's not at all. The menu is inventive, without being gimmicky.

The restaurant is located in a converted Haussmanian apartment, about a 10 minute walk from the Grands Magasins. The decor inside is modern and understated, but it's consistent with the architecture of the building. The restaurant is up one floor, so you get a view through (apple) branches of the Paris street scene. It's relatively small (maybe 18 tables), so book a few days ahead.

Not only is the food good, it's reasonably priced for such an inventive meal made with quality ingredients. The prix fixe menu is 35 euros for 3 courses, and they offer a degustation of 3 (alcoholic) ciders, each matched to the dish you've ordered, for 12 euros. Last year, we ordered one 3-course menu, plus an appetizer and main course from the regular menu (those 2 courses were about 35 euros in total). It gave us more flexibility, and we shared dessert. The menu also suits fairly well vegetarians who eat fish. Check out www.pomze.com.

As for weather, it has been relatively warm in Paris up until a few days ago. In April, it likely will be between 12-16C. It might rain a little. (Generally, if it's anything other than bright blue sky as far as you can see, it will rain at least once during the day, but not for very long.)

I can't recommend a specific hotel, but can recommend generally the better quality Best Westerns in France. A number of them have quite a lot of character - the ones labelled Premier are 4* level in quality.

Have you already bought the plane tickets to Paris? Because, door-to-door, it's probably quicker to take the Eurostar train from London Waterloo under the Channel into Paris. Unfortunately, with such short notice, the Eurostar tickets may be more expensive than flying.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm very excited for the trip. She hates suprises (well, she claims she loves suprises as long as she knows about it in advance), but I think this will be OK by her. The Eurostar was MUCH more expensive than flying unfortunately. I got tix on British Airways for less than EasyJet by a few pounds. We'll be able to fly from Heathrow, which is relatively close to our London friends.

I really would like to try Les Ombres, but I'm intrigued by the other suggestions. I've got some homework to do. One question. I speak very little French. Will I have trouble making reservations?

Thanks again,

Bill

You probably would have gotten Eurostar tickets much cheaper than flying if you had known that it is MUCH cheaper to book a fake round trip than to book a one way ticket. At the moment (in France at least) there is a Eurostar promotion at 60€ for the round trip.

I spent 10 days in Paris in April last year - no rain, but it was cold....unexpectedly cause one expects it to be Spring and in the high 60's F. at least. No way. Most days it was in the 40's, low 50's

Bring warm sweaters, jackets, socks and even fashionable boots.

I know it's cliche, but have you considered eating at the Jules Verne restaurant up the Eiffel Tower? It's really expensive, but if you're only there for the night....

I also loved Le Grand Colbert and Le Caveax d'Ile St Louis (I think that's the name)

There are lovely hotels on the left bank. I agree with the writer who suggested the Best Westerns. It's the easiest way to go. The weather in April can be warm, cold, wet, dry. Check before you go, and then assume they are wrong.

I've stayed in a very cute little hotel called Hotel Terese on Rue Terese which I would recommend. Cost is about 190-200 Euros. Located close to Louvre, walking distance to lots.