Paris - La Marais - eating out
 

I will be staying in La Marais at rentparis.com apartment #2 (20 rue Chapon) in a few weeks and I am looking for dining out or entertainment guidance in the immediate area.

This is an interesting site for info on Le Marais

http://www.parismarais.com/

Advise you check the city bus routes 38, 47 and 75, the closest ones to your street. You are in luck as you will see.

http://www.citefutee.com/orienter/bus.php

Ma Bougogne, 19, Place des Vosges 75004 Paris (Metro Chemin vert).
Tel: 33 (0)1 42 78 44 64.

"On the beautiful Place des Vosges, you can have dinner outside under the arcades. A good restaurant with menus at around 31 €."

We had a delicious meal a few weeks ago at Baracane, near the Place des Vosges. The staff was very friendly too. A little further off, Astier is excellent also.

L Guirlande de Julie, also on the Place des Vosges, is a wonderful restaurant.

I stayed in that apartment last February for a week. We enjoyed meals at:

Ambassade d'Auvergne, which is only a couple of blocks away at 22, rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare. Tel: 01.42.72.31.22. Good regional food from the Auvergne.

Au Bascou, at 38, rue Reaumur. Tel: 01.42.72.69.25. Great atmosphere and interesting, delicious Basque food.

Le Pamphlet, at 38, rue Debelleyme. Tel: 01.42.72.39.24. This place was a great bargain with fabulous food from Southwestern France. It was a little bit farther to walk to than the other two places, but if I go back to Paris I'm going there again, no matter where I am staying.

There are lots of materials in the apartment with restaurant descriptions. I could have left my guide books at home, as there were several in the apartment.

A couple of blocks from the apartment, at 9 rue au Maire, there is a bar called l'Attirail which had music in the evenings that I kept wanting to try out but never got to. I saw several listings in Pariscope for interesting sounding evenings there.

If you go to the Ambassade d'Auvergne treat yourself to their aligote--a concoction of potatoes, garlic and cantal cheese that they mash and then whip in a large copper pot right in front of you. The mixture becomes elastic and I've seen them hold up the whisk to make "strings" over a yard long then plop it on your plate in a tasty puddle. Really one of the most fun and amazing dishes I've ever eaten. Try it if you can.

Ooo, this thread's a keeper for our next trip to Paris. I want to stay in the Marais or on the Ile again.

Nikki, Au Bascou was the BEST meal of our entire trip. I hope it doesn't get too well known and ruined (like Epi Dupin).

Nikki - thanks so much for the recommendations (thanks to all). I had seen your prior post and rented the apartment based on that and comments of others as well. Any hints? Is there a washer and dryer that is easy to use...that could cut down on my packing quite a bit - thanks in advance!!

There is a washer/dryer, not particularly easy to use, at least it wasn't for my husband, but with a phone call to Fabrice at Rentparis we managed to get it done. It's a single unit that washes and then dries. Takes quite a while, but theoretically you can leave for the day and come back to clean, dry laundry.

Other hints, I'm not sure, I see that you've read my trip report so you should be prepared for the somewhat odd impression we got upon entering the building for the first time. You enter through a large outside door and are then in a sort of indoor alley/courtyard with some apartments off of it on the ground floor, then take a winding staircase up to the apartment. The lights are all on timers and you have to remember to hit them on your way in and out through the hallways.

I see that you are considering the Boston GTG. If it happens and I can make the date, I may see you there. Let me know if you have any more questions.

I was in Paris with my friend at the beginning of October and stayed in the Marais and ate most of our meals there. We really enjoyed Baracane and the staff is indeed very friendly, but get a reservation. There's a new (I think) restaurant called Le 3 on rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie that seems to be very popular with the locals (need reservation) and the food was very good. Au Bourguignon du Marais (52 rue Francois Miron) is also very good.

For great Moroccan food, 404 (I forget what street it's on, but it's in the northern part of the Marais) is hard to beat.

For lunch, try the Mariage Freres.

For dinner, Ma Bourgogne is excellent.

Again - thanks to all - looks like I have excellent dining recommendations....I'll provide a trip report when I return mid-November

Hey Nikki - I am in the packing mode now....do you think I can pack less and assume I can figure out the washer/dryer...it sure would be easier to carry less and have room for my purchases....

Hi Seafox, If you can't figure out the washer/dryer, you can call for help as we did. I'd go for it, pack less but make sure you don't run out of clothes completely before you try the washer, assuming it might take you a little longer than you expect.

I'll be looking forward to hearing about your stay.

Brining this to the top (it was very helpfull last year)....looking for new ideas/finds for eating out during this years trip to Paris.

Our favorite restaurant in the Marais is Les Fous d'en Face
3, rue du Bourg-Tibourg75004 (off rue de Rivoli)
Metro stop: Hotel de Ville
open every day, all year
Phone: 01-48-87-03-75

We love their duck and rabbit dishes, and they always have a good idea for your wine. It's cosy and dark but really kind of artsy in a neighborhood sort of way.

Another vote for Baracane, and for making a reservation. We have eaten there on two trips, and we really enjoyed it both times. It is quite small and popular, though, so reservations are a very good idea.