“In France, we love food and we enjoy food; food is pleasure.” - Mireille Guiliano

During our European vacation, food was something that was very important for us to experience during our stay. We definitely wanted to eat at some amazing places. Before our trip we reviewed several places to dine in Paris, which made our restaurant experiences so fantastic.

Our waiters and waitresses were all so kind, and made it their duty to help us through any questions with the menu. Also, many restaurants had English versions of their menu - which was super helpful! Everything we ordered always came out hot and fresh.

Below, I’m sharing where, and what we enjoyed at each place our group visited in Paris, France!

O'Chateau

Remember our amazing Champagne tour? Well, our tour guide was from O’Chateau! This spot is rated as one of the best wine bars in Paris, and they have a equally wonderful restaurant. After, our all day tour to Champagne, my best friend Alisha, recommended we dine at O’Chateau upon our return. Per the usual, my bestie made an excellent choice, and our meal was really amazing! The menu is quite small - but they have great options, and the Croque Monsieur entree was my absolute favorite during our stay in France.

Mastino

This quaint little restaurant is in the Montmartre neighborhood, and down the street from where we stayed in Paris. I loved the vibe of this restaurant, and how you can watch the chef make pizzas from scratch. Also, if you are travelling with kids - this place was a super popular spot for families. Their wine list was really good, and there were amazing options - especially their house selection.

Pro Tip: Ask about the house wine selection, many restaurants have smaller local producers that have greats wines!

Angelina

The legendary Angelina Paris was such a treat to visit and dine in. Our four person group did have to wait 30-45 minutes in line to get in, but it was totally worth it. This spot is very very popular - it is well known for its desserts and warm beverages, such as teas, hot chocolate, and coffee, but their extensive food menu was so so good! Every dish was yummy from G’s burger, my salad, our friend’s chicken risotto, and breakfast croissant - the wait was worth it for sure.

Pro Tip: Visit during off peak times, traditional meal time slots are when the restaurants are crowded the most! Also, the larger your group - the longer the wait.

Smoked salmon caesar salad with avocado, grapefruit, ripe vine tomatoes, crositni, with garlic and herb spread

Burger with tomato, cheese and pickled red onions

A cup of the iconic Angelina hot chocolate to go - L 'African

Laudrée

This spot was always packed with guests wanting to try their delicious macarons! We loved their pastries, and their exterior and decor was beautiful. You’ll be able to find this boutique pastry shop in many locations throughout Paris - even the Louvre!

Pro Tip: This popular chain has amazing desserts, but make it your duty and visit some of the local bakeries around Paris to give them a try!

The entrance to Laudrée inside the Louvre

La Maison de l'Aubrac

This little spot stole my heart, and was probably one of my favorite meals in Paris. Their pan seared scallop entree was so delicious, and the caviar on top was the perfect addition to the dish. l'Aubrac specializes in dry aged steaks, and was one of the few spots that practiced the technique with their beef. The restaurant was nice and quaint. Also, our server was so kind in helping us make the perfect wine pairing with our meal as well.

Pro Tip: Ask the server the recommended wine pairing with your dish - you’ll be surprised and happy with their selection.

Dry aged steak entree, with roasted garlic, and housemade sauce

Pan seared scallops, lime, caviar, in a bath of creamy beurre blanc sauce

Boulangerie

This neighborhood bakery was so cute, and they were pumping out fresh pastries and bread all day long. Their freshly baked croissants were the best and I may or may not have had a few during our stay in Montmartre.

Pro Tip: Smaller bakeries typically only take credit cards when you purchase a minimum of anywhere between 5-10 euros. It was really essential for us to have some euros on us when visiting the local shops/bakeries.

The cutest little pastry shop near our hotel

Pink Mamma

Upon my arrival to Paris, Pink Mamma came highly recommended. Our group lucked up and got a table right away at the peak dinner time slot. The hostess was super kind, and seated us almost immediately. Needless to say this restaurant is super popular - a multi-level, three story restaurant, and every seat was filled in the dining and bar areas.

The vibe was eclectic and unique, our server was the sweetest. This restaurant was incredibly packed, we did have to wait quite a bit for service. Through a few hiccups with entree issues, our server worked through getting a member in our group a new dish pretty quickly. Aside, from the entree issue, the real star was the dessert - everyone loved their gelato!

Pro Tip: Book reservations to popular restaurants ahead of time, otherwise be prepared to wait or get turned away at the door.

The cutest napkins at each place setting

Cinco Jotas

The Galleries Lafayette is legendary, and the Home & Gourmet shop is so cool. There is an entire floor dedicated to the most diverse market. You’ll find pastries, desserts, ham, spices, pizza - you name it, they have it. My best friend and I dined at Cinco Jotas, a spot that specializes in carving ham, and also serves up seafood. I went with their calamari - it was so delicious, and the house made tartar sauce was so good.

The coolest restaurant setup at Galeries Lafayette

Calamari Rings + House Made Tartar Sauce

Ristorante al Caratello

Our first night in Paris, our hotel highly recommended this restaurant, and made reservations for us. Ristorante al Caratello was a quick walk from our hotel, and was so convenient. This spot is literally so small, and they crammed in as many tables as they possibly could in their establishment. Caratello was bursting at the seams with diners, and as soon as we got our food we saw why - it was amazing. Our server was so sweet, and walked us through their menu. Also, they provided great wine recommendations to pair with our dinner. It was really nice being an authentic French restaurant, and was the perfect place to start our week long Paris trip.

Pro Tip: Ask your hotel ambassador what the best local restaurants are in your neighborhood!

Rouge Bis

Rouge Bis was literally the coolest bar in our neighborhood - and it is right across the street from the iconic Moulin Rouge.. Our group made multiple visits to this bar during our stay. Also, our bartender and the entire staff were nothing short of amazing. The bar selection was great, and they had everything from champagne to beer. Also, the music was so good, and the bartender even played songs/artists that we loved and wanted to hear. This place was so much fun, and their staff truly made us feel right at home - major props to the manager/bartender who made our nights so much fun.

Peppermint shots on the house from our bartender

I hope you enjoyed my recap of all the places we dined and drank during our stay in Paris!

XO, Analise

"Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it." - Madame de Pompadour

During the holiday season, G and I decided to go to Paris with my best friend Alisha, and her husband James. While planning our vacation, we all decided that visiting Champagne for a day would be an amazing opportunity! Who would’ve thought that during our week long stay in France, that going to Champagne would end up being our favorite activity, and highlight of the entire trip?!

We had the best 12 hours in Champagne - the countryside was absolutely stunning, and so relaxing. Also, the drive out to Champagne was not far at all from Paris, it was about 1 hour and 30 minutes via car. Alisha and I booked our tour through O’Chateau - the service, and our tour guide, Charlotte were nothing short of fabulous. To start our day, we met at the wine bar where we were served coffee and fresh croissants. Then our tour guide shuttled our small intimate group of 8, and drove us to Champagne for the day.

From there, we were on our way to spend the day in the city, visiting a total of three Champagne houses. Each Champagne house was unique, and had its own special quality. I cannot wait to share our day in the city with you all.

Taittinger

Taittanger is a legendary Champagne house, and is widely popular. The estate is stunning, and has so much history. At the beginning of the tour, the staff plays a short video explaining the history and brand of Taittanger which was really nice to review. Afterwards, the guide gives a tour of the Champagne cellar and cave which is absolutely breathtaking. The decorative doors, immense bottles of champagne, and the endless amounts of riddling racks make this cave so neat.

Our guide at Taittanger ushered a group of about 30+ individuals. The group in the cellar was very large, which really took away from the intimacy of the tour. It would have been nice to have a smaller group to really take our time in the cellar.

Once the tour was completed, we were taken to the tasting room on the main level. A standard ticket only includes one glass of their iconic Brut Reserve Champagne. If you would like to try additional champagnes, guests are required to purchase each sampling ticket separately. This was a huge bummer as other Champagne houses offer more than just one sample in their tastings.

In all, our visit to Taittanger was unique mainly in the lavish estate, fantastic cellar, and beautifully decorated tasting room.

Entering through the gates of Taittinger

The gorgeous line up of champagne in the wine tasting room.

Riddling racks for the champagne bottles

Our tour guide giving an amazing review of the champagne’s history at Taittinger

Champagne Vincent Brochet

Dare I say that Vincent Brochet was my absolute favorite house? This visit made my day! Our 8 person group were the only visitors during our stop, which really made the tour special and private. The current winemaker, Gaspard, Vincent’s son, gave us a personal tour in the cellar. We were able to get a sneak peek in his labelling process for his brand new champagne. Also, we were able to hear his family’s story on how they started their house. It was such a cool experience getting to see the authenticity and inside peek on how they produce and create their delicious champagnes.

Having this private experience, and being able to relax on the property was such a nice opportunity. Also, our tour guide, Charlotte, from O’Chateau has a wonderful relationship with the smaller champagne houses, specifically the Brochet family. She was able to give us a lot of historical knowledge and provide us some amazing information on the estate and champagnes.

Gaspard Brochet holding his new champagne, which we were able to try!

Perfectly sabred champagne bottle by our tour guide Charlotte

Our lunch setup for the day at Champagne Vincent Brochet

G and I enjoying the views and lunch at Champagne Vincent Brochet

During our stay on the estate, we were served a three course meal curated and prepared by Brochet’s private chef. The meal was absolutely delicious, and each dish was paired with a different glass of champagne. I was blown away with the food and champagne pairing for out meal - everything was perfect. Our food was spectacular, and easily one of the best meals I had during our stay in France - in short, our chef was amazing, and he perfectly capped off our stay at the estate.

Mushroom, ham, and sun-dried tomato quiche

Cast iron potatoes, wild mushrooms, and duck

Champagne style tiramisu with infused Ratafia

G and I with the winemaker Gaspard Brochet

G and I with the private chef at Champagne Vincent Brochet

Champagne Salmon

Like the Brochet house, Salmon is a small estate as well, and again our group was given a private tour. The original winemaker Michel greeted us, and gave us access to his cellar. We were able to tour at our leisure with our O’Chateau guide, Charlotte. Once we finished our tour, Michel and his grandson, Alexandre, the current winemaker greeted us in their tasting room.

We were given an overview of their history, legacy, and their beautify champagnes. They provided three champagnes for tasting, and all were absolutely delicious - the 100% Meunier Brut Reserve was a personal favorite of mine.

Salmon was our last stop, but it ended our day in Champagne beautifully. It was so nice to start out with a larger Champagne house, and to wrap it up with two smaller houses to cap off the tour.

The original wine marker Michel, his grandson Alexandre - the current wine maker, and our tour guide from O’Chateau Charlotte

The lineup of champagnes tasted during our stay at Salmon

Visiting Champagne was such a cool experience, and I would definitely go back in a heartbeat. I’m truly looking forward to visiting more wine countries in France in the future!

XO, Analise

Dining Out: The French Connection

Uncorked: Champagne, France

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