Where to eat? What to eat? Always constant questions when in Paris as Paris is famed for its food and drink. The Marais has more than its fair share of fabulous places, including one of the best restaurants in Paris. Here is a short list of some of our favourites, but there are many more in the area. Explore.

Patisseries & boulangeries | Chocolatiers | Cafés & salons de thé | Crêperies | Bistros | Brasseries | Restaurants | Vegetarian | Crème de la crème | Wine & alcohol shops | Ice cream

Patisseries & boulangeries

Oh dear. This is dangerous. On rue Rambuteau you have some of the best in Paris, all a few seconds away from the apartment. This is really dangerous.

Pain de Sucre, rue Rambuteau An exceptional patisserie that is a favourite with Parisians who come from all over the city to buy special pastries. And you can see why because Pain du Sucre produce inventive cakes that go far beyond the usual, like their remarkable wild strawberry tart, topped with the most impossibly tiny succulent wild strawberries with a base of sharp rhubarb cream, or for or a chocolaty treat, try their raspberry chocolate cake. Owned by Didier Marthray who worked for the 3 Michelin star chef Pierre Gagnaire before creating this wonderful shop. There is nothing like this back home, unless you live in Paris that is!

Boulangeries and patisserie Huré, rue Rambuteau. Right across the road from the apartment this is a truly wonderful patisserie and boulangerie. Benoît and Stéphanie Huré offer prize-winning croissants, fabulous crusty baguettes, their own macaroons, and a wonderful selection of savory breads, (like red pepper and feta, a salty ham called lardon or blue cheese) with large slices of gooey tarts, like rhubarb and pistachio. This is the place to dash out for your morning baguette or croissant, if your lucky it will be still warm from the oven.

Francois Pralus, rue Rambuteau Francois Pralus was a fabulous pastry cook even by Paris standards. In 1955 he obtained the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, then became Chairman of the Pastry Cook’s Union, then member of the Culinary Academy of France, Chevalier of Arts, Sciences and Letters and finally was given the great honour of the French Order of National Merit. He was creator of La Praluline (above), a rich brioche flavored with pieces of pralines made from Valencia almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts coated in rose sugar and then cracked. A unique flavor and texture that makes this an addictive delight. They also do a chocolate version and produce a wonderful range of chocolates.

Berko, rue Rambuteau This American-style French bakery offers cupcakes in all shapes, sizes, flavors and colors including their mini cupcakes so you can try more than one flavor. If you are a cup cake fanatic, get there early as it can get busy.

Chocolatiers

There must be something about Le Marais and good chocolate as there a quite a few shops in the area. If you love chocolate, try and visit them all as each have a slightly different specialty.

Just around the corner is Jadis et Gourmande, they specialise in chocolate letters so you can make your own message. They also make handbags, kitchen utensils, crayons and as well as chocolate-covered speculoos, chocolate-dipped candied orange slices and chocolate-covered almonds.

Cacao et Chocolat, The shop is just on rue Vieille du Temple and offers you hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon, ginger or cayenne pepper, plus some of the best tasting truffles and macaroons around. Perfect for a personal indulgence or a fabulous gift. Exemplary.

François Pralus, rue Rambuteau is seconds away, this is an amazing shop that uses distinctive packaging for its chocolate (see above). It also sells La Praluline (see entry above). The quality he sells is best exemplified in the words of François himself "You can talk about cocoa vintages just as you can for great wines. The Venezuela grade-up has a slight smoky taste, the Trinitario grade-up is woody, powerful and slightly sharp. Madagascar cocoa is fine and acidic and tastes of red fruit ..." Go in just to smell the chocolate fountain!

Cafés: salons de thé & coffee

Cafés serve coffee, tea (sometimes not up to English standards though!) and hot chocolate and usually foods that are easy to prepare, such as croque monsieur, sandwiches and salads.

Cacao et Chocolat for the best local hot chocolate.

Terres De Café, rue Rambuteau. Tiny little shop with two tables outside, it is the best local spot for your morning addiction. A large selection of coffees from organic plantations & Harney & Sons teas. No food.

Crêperies

Crep Story is very close, basically at the foot of the building, and it is one of the best in the area. Try their Crêpe Complete gallette (egg, cheese and ham). They also sell a traditional dry Normandy cider. Delicious.

Bistros

Smaller local restaurants, fairly casual and usually owner run. Usually, they have an interesting wine list.

Benoit, Rue St Martin: Not really a 'typical' Bistro, about ten minutes walk away from the apartment, is this a one Michelin starred old-style but chic Paris Bistro. Without changing the vintage 1912 setting, it is now run by one of the best chefs in the country: Alain Ducasse. Must have dish? The profiteroles avec sauce chocolate chaud.

Brasseries

Usually larger than a Bistro, originally Brasserie meant brewery. Now they serve other alcoholic drinks as well as beer, and traditional French food.

Comptoir des Archives is a great local neighborhood brasserie. It's on a somewhat bustly southwest corner by The Archives. The sun washes over the outdoor seating, which offer you some of the best people watching around. In the summer they open the doors and a warm breeze refreshes, plus they have newspapers and an excellent well priced breakfast menu. They open quite early too. Best dish: macaroni et truffles or duck confit with fabulous roast potatoes! No website but it is easy to find, just walk down rue Rambuteau to the corner of rue des Archives. Tel: 0142721356

Two minutes from the apartment is the Bouledogue (the Bulldog). It is both a cafe and a brasserie. Open everyday from 9.30, this is a culinary rendezvous for lovers of art, books and culture. Lively and animated, and in the tradition of great Parisian brasseries, the Bouledogue offers a classic menu. It can get noisy, but has a great atmosphere.

A short walk away is an historic restaurant, a testament to pre-war Paris. L'Ami Louis was one of Paris's most famous brasseries in the 1930s, serving, as it still does today, traditional foie gras and roast chicken in its old fashioned shabby "brown gravy" decor. In more recent years, thanks to regular visits from celebrities and politicians (like Bill Clinton and Woody Allen), L'Ami Louis has become fashionable again. Plenty criticise its high prices (the most expensive but fabulous wood-fired roast chicken in Paris!) and the type of clientele it tends to attract, but plenty of people also applaud the quality of the food. Over 850 wines on offer, mainly a eulogy to claret. Featured in many articles, here is one to help you make up your mind if it is worth the hassel of trying to get a table: Vanity Fair. It is at 32 rue du Vertbois. Reservations are hard to come by, so book in advance and reconfirm 10 days before: Phone 0148877748.

Restaurants

Too many to choose from really, but here are some we return to time after time.

In a tiny street, Rue Geoffroy L'Angevin, is L'Ange 20. Unpretentious and charming, it only holds about 20 people so you have to book, and it is intimate with an open kitchen. Thierry the chef cares deeply about his food and offers an interesting daily menu that is very reasonably priced. So close you can pop round the corner to book your table.

Just down the road, in wonderful building dating from 1777, Le Dome du Marais has, as you might think, a wonderful glass Dome! This is quite a formal, elegant restaurant, the prix-fixe is a bargain. They also do a good brunch at the weekends.

About a minute from the apartment there is Le Hanger restaurant that serves consistently interesting and delicious food, impeccably cooked and presented, and at a reasonable price. It is tucked down a quiet little alley way on the way to the Anne Frank gardens. Wonderful for lunch, you can sit outside if fine. A hidden gem, highly recommended. No dedicated web site, but you can find it here: 12 imp Berthaud, 75003 Paris. Phone : 0142745544

Vegetarian

Le Potager du Marais. Being a vegetarian or vegan in Paris can be difficult as there are not that many restaurants for you, but we happen to have an excellent one right on rue Rambuteau. This delightful organic vegetarian restaurant, also offering vegan dishes, presents fresh and delicious foods like curry falafel served on spinach and tofu style bourguinon, and for your sweet tooth sticky lemon bars, fluffy carrot cake and blueberry bundt. No web site that works, but it is at 22 rue Rambuteau. Tel: 0157408757.

Crème de la crème

L'Ambroisie, Place de Vosges: Paris has many good restaurants, but The Marais has one of the best. Bernard and Mathieu Pacaud's L'Ambroisie is Haute Cuisine at a Michelin 3-star level, classical, sophisticated and seasonal. In an elegant building dating from the early seventeenth century, it has been beautifully restored to its former glory. An amazing menu for when you really have something to really celebrate, with creative, seasonal dishes like:
Brioche mousseline au caviar golden, œuf à la coque et sabayon au citron; Salade de homard, haricots verts et pêche blanche, vinaigrette à la verveine; Foie gras de canard landais au cinq poivres, cerises noires en bonbons acidulés.
Noix de ris de veau braisée à la “financière”, cannelloni de ricotta à la sauge; Melba de lobe de foie de canard au pain d’épices, navets primeurs étuvés à la menthe; Cominée de pigeon rôti, aubergine confite aux grués de cacao.
Tarte fine sablée au cacao, crème glacée à la vanille Bourbon; Boule nacrée aux cerises noires, émulsion neigeuse à la pistache; Colonnades “ivoire” aux framboises, crème légère aux zestes de citron vert .

Wine & alcohol shops

Vert d'Absinthe: This specialist little shop in the Marais was the first anywhere dedicated to absinthe. They sell the traditional absinthe spoons (above) which make unusual presents. Popular in the late 1800′s, absinthe was originally produced in 1792 as a medical tonic that 'cured' everything, but it was banned by the French government in 1915. The drink is also called the Fee Verte or green fairy. It is an almost mythical drink which featured heavily in the film Moulin Rouge, where its essence was made visible as a Fee Verte played by Kylie Minogue. This wicked green drink, the famous tipple of Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Alistair Crowley, Toulouse Lautrec and many others famous for their decadence, is once again available in its true form. Allegedly, absinthe drove its drinkers crazy, such as Van Gogh, who is supposed to have cut off his ear in absinthe induced delirium. Fee Verte has an anise-flavor, is derived from herbs and has a very high proof. In the traditional French style you louch the drink by pouring water over a sugar cube into a fancy glass, placing the sugar on a special slotted absinthe spoon. The drink goes cloudy. Drink if you dare!

On rue des Archives you have a lovely wine shop called Cave Bossetti. Philippe and Stéphane, two 'bishops' of wine, will be pleased to help you with your wine selection.

BHV La Cave is a small shop that is part of the large Bazaar de l'Hotel de Ville family. An excellent cave offering wine tastings and a selection of French and international vintages, as well as accessories.

Ice cream: The best, only minutes away

Many consider Berthillon to be the best ice cream of Paris and maybe the whole of France. It is visited by Parisian and French tourist alike, but also aficionados from all over the world drawn by its reputation. With its primary store on the Île Saint-Louis, it is owned and operated by the Chauvin family, descendants of the eponymous Monsieur Berthillon, who opened the first store in 1954. Berthillon's fame and flavour derives from its large range of ice cream and sorbet and its use of natural ingredients, so no chemical preservatives, artificial sweeteners or stabilizers. Made from natural flavourings, milk, sugar, cream and eggs, there are about sixty different flavors produced throughout the year. From the unusual Praliné au citron et coriandre to the amazing Marron Glacé and the exquisite Chocolat noir, you owe it to yourself to go and buy a cone then wander through the tiny streets of Île Saint-Louis in ice cream induced bliss gazing at the Seine.

Less well known, but just round the corner, we have an even more historic French ice cream company, Raimo, which started in 1947. Using their own facilities, they make fruit-based ice creams in summer: peach, nectarine and melon, and you must try their dark chocolate sorbet, all the chocolate taste with only half the guilt!

They serve the usual sugar cones and paper cups, but they also make these delightful little cocktail selections (above), perfect for that after dinner party treat, as well as magnificent ice cream "Bombes" or dômes glacés, one of their specialties for 65 years. Other flavours include lait d'armande, nougat, and an amazing citron basilic sorbet. You just have to try!

Pozzetto, most people feel, make the best gelato in Paris. And it seems they are right. Try the pistachio made from Sicilian Bronte pistachios (above), the amazing fresh pumpkin or the gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut) which has all the intensity of roasted Torinese hazelnuts. They have tables inside, so if the queue outside is a little long, go in and sit down to order portion of their creamy fior di latte gelato, then drown it in one of their fabulous espressos to turn it into a Caffé affogato. Maybe this is the perfect Parisian Breakfast for a hot day as it is only about 7 minutes walk from the apartment.

Pain de Sucre also serve their own ice cream. It is not a separate shop, but part of the patisserie window that opens. It is the closest to the apartment, but keep your eyes open because you could walk past without noticing. Delicious, wicked, and so close!

Patisseries & boulangeries | Chocolatiers | Cafés & salons de thé | Crêperies | Bistros | Brasseries | Restaurants | Vegetarian | Crème de la crème | Wine & alcohol shops | Ice cream

It is impossible to show you everything about this amazing area of Paris, Le Marais. We have chosen a few of our favorite things that are close to our luxury rental apartment. If you are interested in shopping look here. For eating and drinking here. For museums and art here. For history of the area here. Other attractions you can stroll to from the flat, including Notra Dame:
Within 15 minutes walk