Eat, France, Paris, Travel

Chartier

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On my way to Hotel Panache I noticed, as Spencer would say, a “gaggle” of people lined up in front of a pretty building. My first thought – there must be a show going on! I kept walking.

The following night as I was on my way to the hotel, my cab driver (all in French) explained to me how I was staying right by one of the best restaurants in Paris. From what I could understand he said that this place served classic French food and was very well priced. I was a bit shocked I’d never heard of it given I’m constantly on the hunt for a classic duck meal. Not only do I love French food, but I LOVE a bargain so I decided to try it!

Right after work I walked the two blocks to Chartier with my coworker Claudia to find out what all the buzz was about.

In 1896 brothers Frédéric and Camille Chartier opened Bouillon Chartier with a simple concept behind it: Reasonably priced food with great customer service.

The restaurant is generally at capacity for dinnertime so we arrived early to avoid crowds. To get to the restaurant you have to walk through a beautiful corridor and towards the back of the building to reach the entrance.

Once you’re inside the restaurant it feels like you’ve walked right into the Belle Epoch. The globe chandeliers, multiple mirrors, and arched windows make it oh so French.

Ordering is easy as the waiter comes by and jots down your order on the disposable tablecloth.

I chose duck and escargot, because you can’t get more classic, right? The duck was delicious. The skin was crispy but the meat was still tender and soft. The potatoes were cooked to perfection.

The escargot were prepared a la bourguignonne which means they are drowned in a sauce made from butter, shallot, garlic paste and parsley. If you’ve never had escargot before they are a lot nicer than you’d think. Sure it may sound gross to eat snails, but if prepared well they can be incredible.

I was insanely satisfied with my food choices. The bill came to a little under 20€ for my meal which was exactly what my cab driver said I would get – delicious food for a good price!

xoxop

Le Bouillon Chartier
7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
+33 1 47 70 86 29

Hours:
Open 365 days a year 11:30 am to 12:00 am

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Eat, France, Paris, Shop

Barthélemy

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This is the look of someone who just (accidentally) spent 70€ on cheese…

I stumbled upon this magical place a few years back after visiting Le Bon Marche. A cheese shop? Well of course I was going to walk in. Now every time I come to Paris I stop by and stock up on way too much cheese. This time I over did it, I think.

Barthélemy is owned by Mme Nicole Barthélemy who stocks this place with the most amazing and smelliest cheeses known to the world. She has been in the business for over 40 years and although it’s unclear when the cheese shop opened its reputation speaks for itself having supplied cheese to France’s Prime Ministers. The staff speaks only French but they are incredibly accommodating and always help me build the best cheese board. We point, taste and nod a lot.

They will always let you try before buying and if you’re lucky they may have some ready to try pieces in small tin bowls.

Look at those pretty orange colored babies!

Even the floors are pretty…

This is the type of cheese guillotine everyone needs in their home…

Along with cheese Barthélemy is stocked with yogurt, milk, eggs, crackers, pickled vegetables and of course wine! I picked up a bottle of Sancerre for just 13€ and it was amazing.

Please notice the huge Gorgonzola wooden box at the bottom right corner of the above picture…

Like everything in Paris, this shop is gorgeous and filled with the things that make me want to desperately live there. For now, I’ll settle with twice a year visits and being able to build a massive cheese plate when I come home.

Pro tip: if you want to bring some cheese home they will vacuum seal everything so it’ll keep in your luggage and your clothes won’t reek of cheese. Unless you want your clothes to smell heavenly…

Want to learn to cut cheese The French Way? Check out French Cheese Etiquette on my friend Charli’s blog Am I French Yet?

Sweater: H&M
Jacket: COACH Men’s
Pants: BDG
Shoes: Vans

xoxop

Barthélemy
51 rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
+31 01 42 22 82 24

Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 8:30 am to 1:00 pm & 3:30 pm to 7:15 pm
Friday – Saturday 8:30 am to 1:00 pm & 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Closed Sunday & Monday

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France, Paris, Sleep, Travel

Hotel Panache

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When traveling to Paris I generally stay at some larger chain hotels and my opinions of them often vary. After my last unpleasant visit to a large chain hotel I listened to my colleague, Fanny, and followed her to smaller hotel with more character.

Located in the 9th arrondissement, Hotel Panache is one of the the most beautifully designed hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Upon entering you can immediately see how every nook and cranny was taken into consideration when designing this lovely spot. One of the most striking things are the mosaic floors, white marble counter, rust accents and clean lines that decorate the lobby.

Right next door to the reception you can find their restaurant which serves breakfast from 7:30 am to 10:00 am and will cost you about 9€ to 18€.

I landed pretty early in Paris so of course I hoped my room would be ready. It wasn’t but that was absolutely no issue. I asked if there was another room available for immediate check in and they were able to quickly accommodate me for a small fee. I somehow landed with a lovely Junior Suite.

Upon entering I was transported. The room was decorated with geometric shapes which play well with the shape of the building. Above the bed you can find gorgeous touches such as brass bar fixtures with bulbs at each end. Next to the bed a Bakelite black telephone and ceramic light switches on the walls.

The reading nook with the view of the street is what really made it for me. This accompanied by the spacious desk were a nice touch to the already large room.

The first thing I want to do after getting off a plane is take bath so I really look forward to this part of my room. Luckily, the bathroom was a dream stocked with Bonne Nouvelle  products – a new Parisian line of body care products designed specially for hotels. I also realized that I forgot to pack toothpaste so they sent me up some Marvis Mint. The tile work in the bathroom had a simple feel with a large tub (my favorite part) and dual vanity.

I was happy to learn that Hotel Panache is concerned with the environment and has implemented the re-use of towels as to avoid washing after one use.

Overall I think this hotel is wonderful and I’d love to visit again! If you’re going to Paris it’s the perfect amount of charm in a great location.

xoxop

Hotel Panache
1, rue Geoffroy-Marie, 75009 Paris
+33 1 47 70 85 87

Contact: hotel@hotelpanache.com

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France, Paris, Travel

My Favorite Place To Watch The Eiffel Tower

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There are so many great places to get a good look at one of the most gorgeous things in Paris: The Eiffel Tower. However, my all time favorite spot to see the light show that takes place from sunset to 1:00 am every hour on the hour is at Les Ombres restaurant. It’s not only a great spot at night but also during the day.

 

This last time in Paris I went to Les Ombres for brunch and it did not disappoint! Les Ombres is located just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower and is a great place to get a private view of the tower without the crowds.

 

The dining room is like a large green house which allows for amazing views of not just the Eiffel Tower, but the entire city as well.

 

The restaurant offers à la carte items or a table d’hôte menu which is very common in Europe. I generally chose the table d’hôte as I like to taste as much food as possible (i.e. I’m a fattie).

 

Of course after eating all this amazing food (only half of those dishes were mine!) it’s nice to take a walk to the actual Eiffel Tower which is just a short 10 minute walk away. Once there you can sit on the lawn or walk around to see it from many angles.

Dress: Lulu*s
Jacket: COACH (available in stores)
Shoes: Zara (Similar here)
Socks: Uniqlo
Bag: The Stowe

 

Les Ombres
27 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris
+33 01 47 53 68 00

Open:
Monday – Sunday : 12–2:15PM & 7–10:15PM

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France, Paris, Shop, Style, Travel

Colette

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Paris has always held a special place in my heart. The first time I ever visited this gorgeous city was with my friend Bridget when we studied abroad in Spain.

I remember it being exactly what I thought it would be: the most romantic place on earth. Was it the buildings? The people? The food? The fashion? Everything?

When I landed my first job in textiles I never imagined part of my job (“job”) would be to visit Paris twice a year to attend a textile show and then do some competitive shopping. What does competitive shopping mean? It means my favorite thing in the world – going into different shops and see what the competition is up to. What fabrics are they using? What techniques are out there?

The first place I always stop at is Colette. A true Parisian institution. Colette opened in 1997 but in July of this year we all woke up to the news: Colette would close its doors in December of 2017. Of course with that in mind I made a stop at my beloved little shop.

The whole upstairs usually would house looks from Gucci, Balenciaga, Simone Rocha, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Coach and Sacai to name a few.  As of late the boutique has been been taken over by different designers – most recently Sacai. Of course the conceptual layout was impeccable.

I was so lucky to see Colette one last time. If you’re there before end of December make sure to stop by.

Dress: WhoWhatWear for Target
Coat: Pilcro & The Letterpress
Shoes: Loeffler Randall
Bag: The Stowe

xoxop

Colette
213 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
+33 01 55 35 33 90

Open:
Monday – Saturday: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
*closes permanently on December 20th

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