Ah Paris! I always love going back to eat my way around the city, until I'm sick of croissants and cheese. Here are five spots from my last weekend in Paris that I highly recommend you visit next time you're in the city of love.
La Fine Mousse
Unlike Dublin, you can't find too many craft beer pubs in Paris so we were delighted to find this little gem not too far from our hotel. The decor is bare and simple and you'll find a mix of French people and English-speaking expats sipping craft beer from their fancy beer glasses. The beers are a bit pricey for the size (€4.50+ for a 250ml glass) but drinking alcohol in Paris is never cheap.
La Fine Mousse, 4 bis Avenue Jean Aicard, 75011 Paris, France
Passarito, Mon Amour
Being half Portuguese I was very happy to end up in this lovely little Portuguese wine bar, restaurant and grocery shop. They only opened two weeks before we went but I absolutely fell in love with the place. The decor was gorgeous with beautiful tiles on the floor and walls and the staff were very helpful and friendly. They had lots of little Portuguese tapas as well as some more substantial dishes in what was a nice neighbourhood atmosphere. Highly recommended!
Passarito Mon amour, 10 rue des Goncourts, 75011 Paris
Septime La Cave
If you can't get a table at the amazing Septime restaurant (which I reviewed previously) you can always go to their tiny wine bar located just around the corner. They don't take bookings and only have a few seats but it is a very cool place, filled with locals who come for good wine and a few nibbles. They have excellent tapas sized food, very simple but of very good quality. They know their wines (bien sûr) and can help you to choose.
Septime La Cave, 3 rue Basfroi, 75001 Paris
PNY
French people have been obsessed with burgers for the last few years and I must admit to having stopped at a burger joint late at night last time Mr. FFID and I were in Paris, just to soak up the drinks. PNY (Paris New York) is a hip burger restaurant. There is a choice of 5 burgers, I recommend the loaded fries (they're loaded with bacon and cheese) and of course as you're in France you can order a glass of wine. They have a few restaurants in the French capital but Oberkampf is a lively area with plenty of bars if you're looking a bit of a buzz.
PNY, 96 rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris
Ellsworth
For brunch and something a little different, book a table at Ellsworth, the sister restaurant of Verjus. It's not a touristy place but beware, it's filled with American expats, however the good thing is the staff speak English. You could actually feel like you are in Brooklyn but the menu of course features great French ingredients. The brunch menu consists of small plates to share and they come as they are prepared, not at the same time. The chilaquiles weren't that memorable but the pancakes with bacon jam and the buckwheat waffle with seared foie gras were excellent. We had three plates between the two of us and it was enough but it's not the kind of brunch that will leave you stuffed for the day, and it isn't cheap.
Ellsworth, 34 rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris
For more food tips have a look at my Paris Guide.
