Hello,

My wife and I want to do at least one romantic picnic in Paris and we would like tips on where to buy food, cheese and wine with reasonable price.
Suggestions?

Any tips about french groceries and must-taste/not-miss appetizers?

Where are you staying?

There are just a million street markets in the city where you can just walkby and pickup the goods for a picnic.

I love a nice picnic on one of the bridges, on the banks of the Seine, the luxumbourg garden, behind Notre Dame, Beauville Park, Park Monceau (sp)in the 17th....the list goes on.

Not to miss: any cheese store, just point and try it, it's all good, any bakery, all the different breads are wonderful. The bakeries also usually have wonderful pre made sandwiches, soda and a desert for not much money and always delish and easy for a quick picnic, just poke your head in. My favorites are their chicken sandwiches, don't know how they all make this so well, tomatoe egg and cheese and my second fav.

Have a fun picnic

Thank you, Susanna!

We will be at the Hotel Prince Monceau in the 17th, near the Parc Monceau.

You can try the cheeses before buy them?

You couldn't do better than to go to Davoli on rue Cler..a famous, wonderful deli, like no other deli's..pick up everything and go to the Parc du Champ de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower...This is a favorite for many....

Enjloy...

> You can try the cheeses before buy them?

You can often but no guarantee. You have to ask and see.

Thanks gracejoan!
I would love to go up there (just saw their site) but it seems they will be closed 'till 26th august. My trip is from 10 to 19...

Thanks anyway!

If you are near Parc Monceau, I assume you are going there, so going all the way across town to buy food seems pointless to me. I like Parc Monceau a lot better than Champ de Mars, anyway. A whole lot better. There are grocery stores all over, you'll easily see them.

Aside from that, there are plenty of good market streets all over Paris, and many closer to where you are than rue Cler. Rue Poncelet is open every day but Monday in the 17th, it's a market street, just above ave des Ternes (near Ternes metro).

I wholeheartedly agree with Christina. Rue Poncelet has everything and more! Parc Monceau is wonderful! You will be better off staying in that locale.

On my recent trip to Paris, we spent time every day at the Champs de Mars. One day it was with our breakfast, a couple of times for lunch, another in the evening with a bottle of champagne. I had wanted to visit Paris for so long, I just loved relaxing and looking at the tower!

I brought a small tote bag with me so we could fill it up with things from the markets for our picnics. It worked out really well and took up virtually no space in my luggage.

Yes, you can try the cheeses, just don't go when it's really busy, tell them if you like strong or mild. There are many tiny goats milk cheeses that are wonderful that you will not be able to try so just buy one. The cheeses are quite inexpensive compared to the US. The grocery stores also have a good selection of cheeses, I'm always surprised.

A taste: un gout, svp

Sorry about Davoli not being open for you..forgot, it is August and you do need to check to see who is off on vacation!

Enjoy.....

Joan

Hi FF,

Unless you are a connoisseur of French food (in which case you would know where to shop), even the MonoPrix will be a delight.

Ask your hotel for recommendations.

If you're lucky, they might arrange for a picnic basket for you.

If you are in the 17th and will go to Parc Monceau, then the you can visit the market street rue des Levis, also flanked by a Monoprix. It is just north of the Villiers metro stop.

Details:
http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/wh...issement-rue-/

> A taste: un gout, svp

Not sure about above. I would ask " Puis-je goûter? " or if it's too long for you then "goûter ?" with perhaps a hand gesture. They would understan.

susanna is right - the goat's cheese is fabulous! Spread some on a baguette - wonderful! The Pont Des Artes is a fun place on Thursday night. Don't get there too early though, nothing seems to happen until about 8pm.

I would certainly see no reason to make a major shopping expedition either when so many good products are at hand on even the simplest market streets. Rue de Levis, which Travenut mentioned, does indeed seem to me to be the best place to go shopping before a picnic at Parc Monceau.

Then again, a picnic can also be a good excuse to go across town and discover wonderful parks that you would probably never discover otherwise. Both the Buttes Chaumont and the Parc de Belleville have excellent views overlooking Paris from their heights, and it is completely authorized to sprawl out on the grass there if you want to.

The Parc de la Villette is also spectacular albeit flat and it's a great place to finish off a tour of the Canal Saint Martin, either on foot or by boat.

If, on the other hand, your idea of a picnic is to snack on a park bench, just about any park or square will do.

Thank you very much! All of you.

I wrote down all your tips and hope my hotel borrow me a picnic basket!

Au revoir,
Francis