Paris Trip Report - Eat, Drink and Be Merry
 

November 2007 was a great month for me. I spent a week in Paris with my BFF from college, Samantha. We live across the country from each other, and meet up in Paris once a year to catch up on "girl talk". The motto of this trip was "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, for Tomorrow our Dollar will be Worth Even Less" :)

A few weeks later, I would return to Paris with my two little boys, because my husband, the World Traveler (WT), was working in Europe over Thanksgiving. So, I was going to have "my cake and eat it too" - a decadent time indulging in eating great food, drinking champagne and window shopping, then hanging out with my kids and living like a local in Paris. Since I believe that a trip to Paris without visiting the famous museums and churches is sacrilegious, Samantha was psyched because it means that I won't be dragging her into visiting the Louvre or Orsay for the 100th time. I can do all the "culture" stuff with my kids, and focus on partying with her.

My report is a series of anecdotes about my travels. The first two sections talk about how I got to Paris. The third section, with more to come, describes great places to eat, drink and be merry.

Chapter 1: The Mystery of 21J

My husband basically travels full-time for work, with the majority of the travel being international. Truthfully, I'm not very fond of the arrangement. Its hard with him being gone most of the time. However, I do love the perks. When you spend two days a week on a plane, the airlines shower you with free upgrades and FF miles. So when I travel I always fly first or business class. Except this trip. I was booked in coach.

I was cool sitting in coach, but when I got to the gate, I was surrounded by a mixed group of party-goers. I first noticed this group in the bar while I was waiting to board. They were drinking martinis, dressed to the nines and having a blast. It was like a scene out of "Sex in the City." Since I spend most of my time working on a computer, then playing games with a 5 and 6 year old, the scene reminded me of my carefree, happy hour lifestyle before kids. Sigh..

One of the tall blondes sauntered up to the gate in her four inch heels, and came back giggling to her group, "We're in Business Class. Score." She high-fives her group. Her friend, a statuesque Naomi Campbell look alike says, "I'm going to try it, too". Minutes later she returns. "We're in Business, too. I hope they have enough champagne for all of us."

What's with this. When I fly business its usually boring with a capital B. All old men traveling for business. And, no one partying it up. This group reminds me of the glory days of travel, when flying was actually fun. As one never to pass up a chance to party, I call WT on my cell phone. "All these chicks next to me are getting upgraded to business. Can I get upgraded too?"

"Yes," WT says, "I can't do it for you from here. You can use your miles. But, I wouldn't do it. You're sitting in "21J". I'd rather sit in 21J than business. Its the best seat on the plane."

"Better than business"

"Better than business."

"But, you get free drinks in business."

"I gave you five free drink coupons. Isn't that enough for you? Trust me. Stick with 21J".

Trust me. How come every time someone says "Trust Me" I expect the absolute worst. The sixth member of the "party" party walks back from the desk announcing that she and her boyfriend also got upgraded. Their screams of glee got to me. That's it. I'm sitting in business, too.

I walk up to the desk. "Can I help you?", asks the fresh faced attendant.

"Is it possible for me to upgrade to business class?" She click clacks her keyboard.

"Yes. We can put you in sit 6A and ..."

She wrinkles up her nose and scrunches her face. Oh no. This doesn't look good.

She leans forward to me like she wants to tell me a secret. "Miss, I really not supposed to do this, but you realize that you are in seat 21J."

"Yes."

"21J is the best seat on the plane. When I fly, I'd rather sit in 21J than business class."

"Its that good?" I ask.

"Yes, its a great seat. I'm only mentioning it because you using miles to upgrade and ..." I must have not look convinced because she starts to back track, "but, business class is also superb. You'll get a better meal, It's up to you..." She trails off.

What is it with this seat in coach? I'm now curious to see what all the raves are about. "Ok. I'll keep 21J". The attendant beams. She flashes me a huge, perfect smile and says, "Great. And, you have 21J on the return trip also. Lucky you."

I board the plane, looking at the seat numbers above my head. I almost walk past 21J. I didn't notice that this was an actual row. Its a huge gap, with two seats. My jaw hangs open. This seat seriously has the most leg room I've ever seen on a plane in my life. I dump my 22 inch suitcase under the seat in front of me, and sit down. My feet do not stretch to touch it. I lean down farther and stretch. My legs still don't reach the sit in front of me. I finally slide down so far that my head is on the bottom of the seat, and I am laying flat, and my feet still don't reach the seat in front of me. I'm short, but this is ridiculous. I have as much room as typically four seats in coach. Awesome.

As I settle in, content that I am going to be able to rest and relax on the long flight, an older gentleman calls to his wife. "Honey, write this number down. 21J. This is the seat we have to get on our next flight. You won't believe the room."

I arrange my free drink coupons, smile, and silently tell myself that I need to work on "trust".

Chapter 2: The Most Expensive Cab Ride of My Life

My flight lands at the ungodly hour of 5:15AM. The plan is that I meet Samantha at her gate. Her flight arrives at 7:15. Then, we'll take the train into Paris. I breeze through customs, then take the train (a big improvement over the old buses) from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 to meet Samantha. I arrive in Terminal 2. I guess I expected there to be a big screen listing arrivals and gates. Big mistake. Terminal 2 contains gates A - F. These gates are spread very far apart. It seems like miles apart. Which gate could Continental be coming into? B sounds familiar. I hike there, following the signs and dragging my suitcase behind me.

Two hours and what seems like 26 miles of walking later, I'm still trying to find Samantha's gate. The signs are all off, the info desks are closed, and CDG is deserted. I pick up the CDG directory which contains lists of all the fast food places, but no mention of what gates International flights use. I trash it. Finally, I notice an Air France information desk. I stand in line, then explain in my broken French that I am not an Air France traveler, but could they please take pity on me and tell me how to find out what gate Continental airlines uses. The attendant points me in the right direction. Exhausted, I trudge over to the gate, as Samantha exits.

"Sweetie. I'm here." She gives me a big hug, then a discerning look. "Are you OK? Your face is all gray. Which way to the train?"

"About five miles that way," I sulk.

She raises her eyebrows, and gives me a long look. "Let's take a cab."

"Are you sure? It's rush hour. The fare should be 32 euros, but we may hit some traffic so it will be more than that."

"That's OK. Let's go." Samantha whisks out the door with me lagging behind with my suitcase that now feels like a lead weight.

We grab a cab, and begin doing the "chit chat". Blah, blah, blah as the cab zooms into Paris. We exit the highway, and begin driving along the Seine. The sunrise bouncing off the river was mesmerizing. I am really in Paris. I relax in my seat, and smile. We are minutes away from our apartment and the beginning of our fabulous Paris vacation.

Then we stop. And sit. We've hit traffic. No big deal, we're almost there.

Forty-five minutes later, we are still sitting. The radio is blaring the country classic, " Achy Breaky Heart".

"Don't break my heart,...my achy breacky heart". Surreal. Never thought I'd hear this tune in Paris. I notice that the cab driver is banging his hands on the steering wheel, but in frustration, not to the beat of the song. I notice that the meter is advancing at an alarming pace. In Paris, you pay by mileage and time. I sit hypnotized as the meter advances, .10 euros at a time. .10, .20, .30, .40....

At seventy euros, I begin hatching an escape plan. We'll grab our bags, look at the map, and walk to the nearest metro station. We can't be that far from Bastille. The only problem is our bags are in the trunk. And the cab is totally wedged in three lanes of traffic. Between the three lanes of cars are lines of scooters and motorcycles that drive where they please zooming in and out of traffic. I look out the window to my left and see a man on a scooter reading the newspaper. When the scooters aren't moving you know that you are in trouble.

The meter keeps running as we sit still. I tell myself that when it hits 100 euros, we are out of here. Even if I have to ram my door into the scooter next to the car to make my escape.

At eighty euros, we finally break free, Arriving at the apartment with a whopping eighty-nine euro cab fare. I pay and Samantha remarks, "Do you realize that we paid one hundred and fifty dollars for a cab ride? I am never taking a cab in Paris again."

Two weeks later, WT arrives in Paris for work. Takes a cab from CDG to the same area in rush hour. His fare is 32 euros.

Chapter 3: Tea for Two

Samantha and my goal for this trip is to discover amazing cafes, bars and restaurants. We always seem to hang out at the same places. I, especially, like to visit the places in the Marais where I lived over and over again. I realized that on this trip I needed to expand my horizons. Here's two places to check out for tea.

La Fourmi Ailée

If you're in the Latin Quarter, and need a break from the crowds, this tea salon is the place for you. The brilliant blue exterior stands out and beckons you inside.

When I entered La Fourmi AilÈe, I literally gasped. The smell of spices was overwhelming. It reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen when she baked home made apple pie. Delicious!

"Samantha, what is that smell? Is that apple pie?"

"I think its just the tea."

We sat in the large, yellow booths and ordered from the menu that looks like a newspaper under twinkling Christmas lights and a cloud painted ceiling. Bookcases lined the walls and the room was lit with lanterns. Unlike many Paris cafes, the booths were large with breathing room. Students from the nearby Sorbonne were stretched out with papers and books on the tables, studying. This place is too cute and cozy. The tea list is extensive and reasonably priced. The upstairs contains a glass-ceilinged atrium. Perfect for lounging on a sunny day.

We each ordered a cheese plate for 5 euros and tea for 4.5 euros. Well worth it.

Hotel Plaza Athénée

We revisited Avenue Montaigne, designers row, where the couture houses, such as Chanel, Gucci, Dior are located. I hadn't been here for years. I like looking at couture as much as the next girl, but there is no way I am buying it. Not with the dismal dollar sinking daily against the euro. Samantha tries on some Jimmy Choo shoes and decides to pass. We stroll along, licking the windows, and try to walk around the masses of tour groups, craning their necks into stores, while the guide shouts, "move along, move along". Bizarre. A shopping tour with no time to shop.

After navigating around one large group, we are blocked in front of the Hotel Plaza AthÈnÈe. I gasp. I forgot just how stunning the outside of this hotel is with the red roses cascading outside of the elegant window boxes on the outside. I look at Samantha, and our eyes meet. We strut into the hotel like we belong there. The six doorman shooting the breeze jump to attention, holding doors open for us, and inquiring about our day. I love five star hotels.

Since the bar is not open yet, we sit in the Galerie des Gobelins lounge overlooking the courtyard. We luxuriate in the plush arm chairs in surroundings fit for a king...or queen. Suddenly, two of the wait staff zoom over to our table. Oh no. What major faux pas did we do? Instead, they picked up my beat up, black leather tote bag off of the floor and placed it on an elegant, gray leather ottoman. "Wow", I think, "Pretty classy".

Samantha orders a pitcher of tea, which is presented in a complete silver tea service for 9 euros. A large intricately carved silver teapot, and tiny silver accessories that I've never seen before. I order the specialty of the house. A Rose Royale cocktail made of champagne with a touch of fresh squeezed raspberries. Perfection. Pricey (27 euros), but worth it.

A waiter is pushing a silver sterling tray around containing petite fours that you can select from. On the menu, the price is 12 euros for eight. You could have tea here and a snack for around 20 euros. Not bad for a break in such a striking setting. Its like having tea at Versailles.

And, the people watching here is fantastic, If you are male. I noticed about a dozen tall, thin women in the Paris uniform of black boots, black tights, short skirts with legs longer than may entire body. Most of the women were in twos and looked strikingly alike. Definitely models. Also, sisters? On a closer look, one of the set was much older than the other. Mother, daughter runway model convention? Who knows?

Samantha does not meet her goal of drinking the entire pot of tea before we leave. Instead, we wonder over to the bar, but its closed for a private party. Bummer. I always get a kick of looking at the computerized menu that shows pictures of what the drinks look like, and ordering the famous jello shots. One of the few places in the world where you can "eat-a drink-that-looks-like-a-work-of-art".

When we get outside after basking for a few hours in true elegance, I turn to Samantha.

"Wasn't it cool the way they whisked my bag on top of that ottoman? I wonder why they did that."

Samantha smirks, "Honey, did you notice that lady sitting beside us? She was carrying a Hermes Birken. Do you think you are going to put your $10,000 purse on the floor?"

Good point.

For pictures, links and addresses, visit my web site <a href = "http://www.http://www.parisescapes.c...quot;>Paris Escapes Travel Tales </a>

Hi ParisEscapes, please keep going, this is a wonderful read. I'm so going to have tea at La Fourmi Ailée
when we are in Paris in June.

ParisEscapes:

Great style of writing. Did I miss it - what airline is seat 21J on?

Looking forward to more.

Sandy

Great report, can't wait for more! Since we aren't going to France this year I am scouring the board for any trip reports so I can live vicariously. Thanks for the help.

I ran across your trip report while quickly scanning the Europe forum before work and was engrossed before I knew what hit me. I'm saving it to read later. Love your writing style!

Great report PE,

Ooh la la, this is just what I need. A friend and I have just decided to spend a few days in Paris in March, and this is inspirational.

And oh yes, airline and plane type please.

21J is one of my favorite seats, too. I had it booked for an upcoming flight home from Frankfurt...until they changed the aircraft :(

Enjoying your report this morning as I procrastinate with all my work!

I love your writing style, please tell us more. :)

Can't wait to read the rest of it!

This is fabulous - it makes me want to get on a plan right now!

Tea at the Plaza Athenee is one of the best ways to enjoy inexpensive luxury in Paris. The tea itself is excellent (I always order Darjeeling Margaret's Hope), the setting is lush, the service extremely professional, the people watching fun.

OK, I have to ask. On what plane is 21J the seat to ask for?

Thanks

Oh wow, this is so great! I am doing last minute research for my trip in 2 weeks to Munich and Vienna but I can't stay away from Paris. More please! lynda

Fun and entertaining. Keep it coming.

Great trip report! Looking forward to more!

"Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, for Tomorrow our Dollar will be Worth Even Less" - My dear, I love your style!

Very much looking forward to more . . .

PE I too am really enjoying your report. I will be in Paris this March and I am for sure having tea at Hotel Atheena. I would love to stay there, but OH LA LA, the price of a room.

Can't wait for more.

Theresa in Detroit.

Great report, looking forward to the rest.

My wife and I sat in 21H&J both directions on our last trip. One direction we had an equipment swap, but at least we had it on our return.

United 777 XC or XI (not all UA 777s, though). The rows in front of 21H&J are crew rest seats, which is why there's so much room.

But the key is to check seatguru.com or seatexpert.com once you know what kind of plane you're on. You might be able to score great seats, but you'll at least (hopefully) be able to avoid the worst seats on the plane.

Don't know if these will still be desirable when UA finally gets around to reconfiguring the business and first class cabins on their 777s, but that may be a couple of years off.

Addendum: Actually, seatexpert shows that on the newly reconfigured UA international 777s, the desirable seats will be 24J&K, but some newly configured 777s won't have crew rest seats.

Love, love, LOVE your trip report. I especially love the mental pic of you sliding around every which way on your 21J seat. Thanks for the laugh! :))

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. The next chapter is coming soon.

Zooey 91 is right. Seat 21J is on some United 777's. Check seatguru to see if its available.

looking forward to the next installment!

Great report! Anticipating the next installment! :)

Chapter 4: Crazy for Costes Cafes and the Enormous Profiterole

The Costes brothers own a ton of cafes in Paris (really around 40) and one very "chi-chi" hotel, the Hotel Costes. Being an A-list celebrity and one of the beautiful people does not guarantee entrance to the Hotel Costes bar on a Saturday night. Its that exclusive. They are so exclusive that their web site has nothing on it - just the name of the hotel and a phone number for reservations. No, Samantha and I did not crash the gates there yet.... we always have next year. Instead, we hung out at two of my favorite Costes cafes in Paris, the Cafe Marly and the Cafe Beaubourg.

The Costes formula is simple - a wide variety of dishes with something for everyone, strikingly modern interiors, and wait staff that are as gorgeous as they are indifferent. Sounds overpriced and pretentious? Why do I like to hang out there? For the views of course, and I don't mean looking at the models moonlighting as waiters :)

Cafe Marly

After a long day of window shopping, Samantha and I jump on the Number 1 Metro line to return to our apartment. Since we are jet-lagged and not great at keeping time in the best of circumstances, it is rush hour. And, the metro is packed. We feel like sardines. I grab Samantha's coat and motion that I am getting off at Palais Royal. Samantha stumbles off behind me asking "Why are we getting off here?"

"Cafe Marly" , I smile.

"Great idea. Beats being crushed on the metro."

I love the Cafe Marly. It is actually housed in the Louvre. The tables on the Louvre's towering terrace are a stone's throw from the famous I.M. Pei pyramid. Sitting at the Cafe Marly, I like to look at the scale of the buildings, and try to imagine that at one time this was the royal residence. I've read that it would take you 24 hours to walk through every passageway/room in the Louvre - it is that huge.

My favorite time to visit the Cafe Marly is right before sunset. I watch the sun set behind the palace, with the light dancing off of the reflecting pools and gray stone of the surrounding buildings.

Just as the courtyard is enveloped in dusk, "poof", the golden lights of the pyramid come on. Stunning and an experience that I never get tired of.

Samantha and I stand on the terrace, doing the chit-chat, waiting to be seated at a table. We wait and wait while three waiters are enjoying their own chit-chat.

Finally, after much hand waving, we get their attention. The waiter is apologizing for the delay while I motion at the table I would like to sit at. My favorite spot is at the small tables at the edge of the stone balcony with an unobstructed view of the glowing pyramids.

Samantha sees where I am pointing. "No way. Its too cold there and there is no heaters. We'll sit back here, " She directs the waiter.

"Come on Samantha. We need to see the pyramids." I whine, "It's not that cold. Just put your hat and gloves on".

"You're crazy. Its around 40 degrees out. I'm sitting under a heater." We sit at a table directly underneath a heater. "See this isn't that bad. You can still see the Pyramids. No one is sitting in front of us. " I notice that absolutely no one is sitting at the prime tables.

Chilled, I sink down into my warm, white, linen padded armchair and sigh. Since I've had kids, sitting on white anything when food is involved seems very decadent. I notice that I have a view of the pyramids, and Samantha is sitting across from me. This is not good.

"Samantha, you have to move."

She looks up from the menu.

"You can't see the pyramids. You're staring at a stone wall. Move over here so you can see the pyramids."

She looks at me like I am crazy. "I'm fine. I've seen the pyramids a hundred times. I just took a freaking movie of the pyramids." She waves her cell phone at me.

"But the view is the best part of this place. And, who knows we may never be here again." I pout dramatically.

"You are being ridiculous. You always act like this may be your last time here, but nothing can keep you away from Paris. " She drags her chair around the side of the table to humor me. I smile contentedly. When our champagne arrives, I toast to "carpe diem."

As we drink our glasses of Lanson champagne (11 euros), and split a large chicken satay appetizer (14 euros), I mention "Did you know that when I.M. Pei designed the pyramids that a new type of glass had to be developed. There was no existing glass in the world that had the strength, and clearness needed. And the glass couldn't be reflective, so that the pyramids are transparent against the other buildings. Isn't that amazing?"

She looks amused. She is used to me being an encyclopedia of esoteric facts about Paris. WT marvels that I can remember architectural details of monuments six thousand miles from my home (like there are 698 glass triangles in the pyramids - not 666 - that's an urban legend), but I can't remember our wedding anniversary. I know that its Feb. 13... I mean 11th, or maybe its the 12th. Its definitely in February though.

We turn our attention to trying to flag down a waiter to bring back my credit card that he disappeared with 30 minutes previously. I don't really mind the wait as long as I can look at the pyramids.

If you're more into sculpture than architecture, sit inside in the strikingly elegant, but modern, dining room.

Many tables overlook the Louvre's sculpture garden, filled with priceless artifacts from Grecian and Roman times. The menu is a mix of elegant French cuisine like grilled lamb tenderloin with haricot verts and truffle endive salad, and more normal fare like penne pasta and burgers with fries. If you're getting tired of French fare, Samantha swears that the Marly's hamburgers are the best she's had in Paris. The wine selection is good with wines starting at 7 euros a glass.

And, don't forget to peek into the elaborate stone and glass bathrooms upstairs. Even the bathrooms fit the "royal residence" theme.

For budget travelers, BYOB and sit in one of the many built-in stone benches on the ground level of the Louvre. You'll miss the cafe elegance, but the view is the same.

Address: 93 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 49 26 06 60

For great pictures of the Louve pyramids and Cafe Marly, links to menu and other facts, please visit my webpage at http://www.parisescapes.com/paris_tr...v07_chap4.html

Coming Soon Chapter 4 Continued: The Enormous Profiterole.

I am LOVING this report. Paris is my favorite place on earth, and your report is making me very "homesick". Although I've never lived in Paris, I can dream...

Parisescapes,

Love, Love, Love your trip report! How is it that I only caught your thread today? It seems like the same lame threads keep on getting upped, yet you have to dig around for gems like these!

I might have only flown once to Europe on a UA 777, but have never heard of 21J...makes me extremely jealous! The leg rooms seems huuuge, but was it a busy/noisy area due to it being near crew rest seats?

I'm a big tea drinker(never liked the taste of coffee), and I'm a bit bummed that I never heard of the two tea salons that you just mentioned...especially since we were just there in May :(

Was was the tea list at La Fourmi Ailée like? I'm guessing you can just walk in an order, no need for reservation?

Your tea at Hotel Plaza seems intriguing - no reservations required? Tea and treats for 20 euros seems like a bargain compared to the outrageous prices in London!

Loved your story about the taxi ride...at least it will be a ride you and your friend will never forget - nor will your pocketbooks!

Just clicked on your link at parisescapes...is this your website? I remember being directed here when researching our trip to Paris. I have to hunt around your site more, but I do remember that I loved some of your trips for shopping around Paris!

What a fun read! Can't wait to read more. Merci, PE. ((#))

No, you don't need reservations for tea at the the PA's Galerie des Gobelins (I've never had them, and I wonder if they even take reservations for it...it's just a lobby salon). But if you plan to be there at a certain time, it wouldn't hurt to call.

Fun to be there late in the afternoon as everyone comes back from their day's sightseeing and/or shopping.

http://www.plaza-athenee-paris.com/r...a_galerie.html

Thanks everybody for reading and commenting on my Travel Tales from Paris. Since I've been getting such great feedback, I'll keep posting. Look for more next week.

Anna - Yes, Paris Escapes is my web site. I'm glad that you found it helpful on your trip to Paris last May. I hope that you can travel back soon. I lived briefly in Paris thinking that it would cure me of my "Paris bug" - you know the "grass is always greener" and "living somewhere and vacationing somewhere" are different. Nope, I am even more obsessed, and started my website to live vicariously in Paris every day and to help people have a great trip experience.

I started writing these tales when I was updating my website and was bored with writing in a dry, research oriented tone. I showed them to my husband and friends and they encouraged me to post them here and I'm glad that I did. Of course, my husband was a little concerned that I was letting out his "21J" secret :)

Seat 21J is on a United 777.The crew seats in front of 21J are for crews that are required to rest on long haul flights, so it is very quiet. I think this seat has so much legroom, so that you can't kick the seat in front of you and keep the crew awake.

I didn't have reservations at either of the tearooms. You can walk right in.

Here's the link to the menu at Fourmi Allee. I really love this place - it was like an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the Latin Quarter.

http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/parisr...MenuFourmi.php

Thanks again for the positive feedback. I'll be offline for the weekend, and post again next week.

Thanks Btilke and Paris escapes for the info on not needing reservations...even better! One can just waltz right in when you feel like it - although I'm guessing tea time is just for certain hours of the afternoon?

Paris escapes -

I'm so glad you decided to keep posting your trip report! I can't imagine what it would be like living in Paris, but I'm sure it was a dream come true! I looked at your walk around Ile Saint Louis - we just stayed on the Island, and I almost fell out of my chair laughing at your comment about the cheese shop! DS and I walked in, sooo happy that we could finally enter a french cheese shop, only to exit in about 30 seconds due to the smell. I'm extremely sensitive to smells(I can't even walk near the Lush soap stores) - do all the cheese shops smell the same way? I may just have to buy all my cheese at the open air markets :)

There were a few stores that you mentioned that I'm a bit bummed I didn't come across - if I could be so bold, I didn't notice Amorino on your list.

Can't wait for Monday(and we will be holding you to that!) for you to continue your trip report. I noticed on one of your older threads(maybe ending 2006) that you said you would put up a trip report for that trip, but I didn't see any. If you ever want to put up that trip report, I'm sure we would all love to hear about it!

At most places in Paris, tea isn't the tourist "event" that it is in London. Which means you're usually able to just walk in. The Mariages Freres spots might are among the few exceptions...they can get very crowded.

Another "cheap luxury" spot for tea or afternoon drinks is L'Esplanade over by Les Invalides on the Left Bank. Plush, comfy seats, good service. Serves a variety of Mariages Freres tea by the pot. But it's not a child friendly spot...I go there often by myself or with my husband. But I made the mistake of taking my brother-in-law, his wife and their toddler in there. The staff weren't thrilled. "Pas de poussettes!" they told me emphatically (no strollers). My 2 yo niece was well behaved (for her age, that is, meaning she was a cute, chirpy, tiny barbarian). But it was pretty clear we weren't being encouraged to linger. OTOH, when I was back there on my own in December 07, I had a warm welcome and spent a lovely hour just relaxing, enjoying the view, atmosphere, and a couple of glasses of champagne. Reservations definitely needed for meals, but not for afternoon drinks.
http://www.fra.cityvox.fr/bars-et-bo...035/PhotosLieu

Forgot to add, both spots are pretty good for celebrity spotting. At the PA's Galerie des Gobelin, every time I've been there I've been seated next to (or across from) famous American rap, hip hop, or R&B stars. At L'Esplanade, it's mostly French celebrities, particularly TV presenters.

Thanks so much for the info Btilke! Makes me a bit nervous now to go to PA's Galerie des Gobelin. I think if I actually ran across celebrities, I would be half trying to seem ambivelant and half staring at them with sideway glances :)

Thought it was funny the type of people you see there - it didn't really seem like a place you would find a bunch of rap/hip-hop people to be!

Topping in the hopes of Parisescapes putting in another segment for her trip!

ditto!