Tuesday: June 8
Cafes / Restaurants / Cabarets
A little break from the sites to introduce you to a few of the cafes and restaurants in Paris. Many of those below are very famous because of their history or age. Some, like Glacier Berthillon, just because of their product. And a few just because I like them. There are no Michelen star restaurants mentioned here although there are a few here; but I thought you should only be introduced to those that you could actually afford to visit (or should I say I could afford to visit). So, below see some of the places I really like and an explanation of why I like it. Warning....this is fattening!
Glacier Berthillon
This Ice cream parlor is a Paris institution. Located on the Isle de Cite, many cafes and shops sell it's ice cream. But there is nothing like going to the original for a special treat. All natural, no preservatives, and minimal sugar. Many many flavors and all wonderful. The service is ???? at best, and the queue is long even on cold days; but the ice cream is worth it.
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Ladurée
Ladurée is a luxury cakes and pastries brand based in Paris, France. It is known
as the inventor of the double-decker macaron, fifteen thousand of which are sold
every day.
Louis-Ernest Ladurée, a miller, founded the bakery on the
Rue Royale, Paris in 1862. During the Paris Commune uprising of 1871 the bakery
was burnt down. A pastry shop was built at the same location and Jules Chéret
was entrusted with the interior decoration. The chubby cherubs dressed as pastry
cooks, painted by him on the ceiling, form the company's emblem. The interior of
the premises were painted in the same celadon colour as the façade. Ladurée's
rise to fame came in 1930 when his grandson, Pierre Desfontaines, had the
original idea of the double-decker, sticking two macaron shells together with a
creamy ganache as filling.
Queen Catherine de' Medici had brought the macaron
to France from Italy in the 16th century, and the recipe for the biscuit had
hardly varied over the years, but the amounts of the ingredients used and the
appearance of the end product were up to the individual bakers.
Desfontaines also opened a tearoom at the pastry shop. In those days ladies were
not admitted to cafés, which were the exclusive domain of men. This was a big
success with ladies, who enjoyed meeting in the freedom of the tearoom rather
than their homes.
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Café de la Paix
Café de la Paix is a famous café in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It
was designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of Paris Opéra (located across
the plaza). Legend has it that if one sits at the café, one is bound to run into
a friend or acquaintance as the bar is so well-known and popular.
The Café de la Paix opened June 30, 1862 to serve a hotel of the same name,
which later was renamed to Grand Hotel. It serviced visitors of Expo exhibition
in 1867. Its proximity to the Palais Garnier attracted many famous clients,
including Jules Massenet, Émile Zola, and Guy de Maupassant. The Café is also
the setting for the poem "The Absinthe Drinker" by the Canadian poet, Robert
Service.
During the Belle Époque, visitors to the Café included Sergei Diaghilev, and the
Prince of Wales and future King of the United Kingdom, Edward VII. A radio
studio was later installed in the Café, which broadcast the program "This is
Paris" to the United States.
On August 22, 1975, the Café was declared a historic site by the French
government.
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Buddha Bar
Dining at Buddha-Bar means removing yourself from the frenzy of urban life and
plunging into a rejuvenating bath. As soon as you’ve entered this remarkable
place with its monumental proportions, you’ll be enthralled by the charm of its
soothing, exotic atmosphere.
The bar mezzanine, enlaced by 18th century style wrought-iron balustrades, looks
out over the dining area where the gigantic Buddha – the bar’s namesake - sits
serenely enthroned.
The amber-coloured lighting, rich mahogany furniture, Chinese and Japanese art
objects, Khmer statues, decorated wood panels, lush reds and gold, luxurious
fabrics and Portuguese mosaics all come together to create an opulent and
refined décor.
In Buddha-Bar wonderland, your taste buds travel to distant lands and
inventiveness nests in your plate. The chef creates an edible masterpiece that
skilfully combines exotic delicacies with high-end cuisine.
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Crazy Horse (cabaret)
Le Crazy Horse Saloon or Le Crazy Horse de Paris is a Parisian cabaret known for
its stage shows performed by nude female dancers and for the diverse range of
magic and variety 'turns' between each nude show.. Its owners have helped to
create related shows in other cities, and unrelated businesses have used the
phrase "Crazy Horse" in their names.
The Paris Crazy Horse occupies former wine cellars (12 in all - knocked
together) of an impressive Haussmanian building at 12 Avenue George V (from King
George V, in French "George Cinq").
Alain Bernardin opened it in 1951 and personally operated it for decades until
his death by suicide in 1994. Many of the original waiters (their names stitched
in large letters onto the back of their waistcoats) were also substantial
shareholders in the original company.
The dancers are deliberately chosen to be indistinguishable on stage in height
and in breast size and shape. As of 2008, the enterprise remains a family
business, now in the hands of Bernardin's three now very grown-up children.
Using the name "Le Crazy Horse de Paris" for the original, "Le Crazy Horse de
Singapore" for a similar but now-defunct show in that city, and Crazy Horse
Paris for one in Las Vegas (formerly La Femme) at the MGM Grand.
Along with its dancers, the Crazy Horse has also been a popular venue for many
other artists, including magicians, jugglers, and mimes. Bernardin explained
that he loved magic because it corresponded with his vision: "[Magic] is a
dream. There is no show that is more dreamlike than a magic show. And what we do
with the girls is magic, too, because they aren't as beautiful as you see them
onstage. It's the magic of lights and costumes. These are my dreams and
fascinations that I put onstage."
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Le Lido de Paris
Le Lido de Paris is without a doubt one of the most famous cabarets in the
world, which is positioned on one of the most beautiful avenues in the world,
and it is most recognised for the gorgeous Bluebell Girls.
But the Lido has always been a venue for the finest shows with famous names that
include Shirley Macleine, Laurel and Hardy and Elton John to name but a few who
have performed at the Lido.
The Lido would not be as it is today if it had not been for the vision of the
Clerico brothers, Joseph and Louis who acquired the Lido, Plage de Paris in
1946. They transformed it into a
luxury setting and their vision of a cabaret with dinner show was soon being
copied worldwide.
Born Margaret Kelly in Ireland, Miss Bluebell joined the Lido in 1948 and the
talented and renowned Bluebell Girls are at the heart of the cabaret's reviews
even today.
It was in the year 1946 that Joseph and Louis Clerico took over a venue that had
been fashionable in the 1920's with decor that was inspired by the Lido beach in
Venice. They transformed this venue
into a one-of a kind cabaret with the help of Pierre-Louis Guerin, Rene Frady
and Miss Bluebell where they invented the dinner show format.
Due to its continued success through the years the Lido needed to expand and in
1977 the cabaret moved to the Normandie Building, but making sure that they were
still situated on the famous Avenue de Champs Elysees.
It was the Italian architects Giorgio Vecchia and Franco Bartoccini who
transformed the 6,000 square metre space into a panoramic room that would offer
an uninterrupted view of the shows, and perfect visibility from all of the 1,150
seats available in the Lido.
The new Lido venue opened its doors in the March of 1977 and the theatre was
designed without having any beams, to ensure the uninterrupted view and for this
feat to happen, there is a 45 metre long pre-stressed concrete beam that
provides the necessary load bearing support.
Also there is a giant elevator that allows the orchestra section, where 300
guests dine, to sink 80 centimetres into the floor to further improve
visibility.
It was at this time that Christian Clerico succeeded his father Joseph as
manager of France's largest entertainment company.
Today, Carl Clerico, grandson of Joseph and Frank Clerico, son of Louis
run the Lido, which is still kept as a family business.
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Le Grand Colbert
Le Grand Colbert, taken from the name of Louis XIV’s famous
minister, a well versed man on French cuisine in which some dishes still refer
to his celebrity, is situated in the heart of the 2nd district in
Partis.
At the beginning of its construction in 1637 by Guillaume de
Serrant (using plans by Le Vau) the building was a town house. It was sold to
Jean-Baptisite Colbert in 1665 then to Philippe d’Orleans in 1719.
In 1806 he was busy trying to raise money for the treasury
until the building’s sale in 1825. The town house was torn down to make room for
the building we see today as well as the opening of the Galerie Colbert in 1825.
The Galerie Colbert at this time was a competitor to its neighbor, La Galerie
Vivienne.
In the same vicinity several fashion and perfume stores as
well as reading rooms opened up. It was under the reign of Louis-Philippe that a
new store opened it’s doors under the name, Au Grand Colbert.
The name was kept until 1900 when it waqs turned into a
restaurant. It was up until it’s closing a few years ago, one of the “hot
spots”, the best deal in Paris. Under the influence of the National Library, the
owner, all of the original details we renovated in 1985 at the same time as the
Galerie Colbert.
You can find in the large room an architedctural volume which
is quite impressive, walls as high as 6 meters, relics, in particular, sculpted
pilasters and their consoles. You can also admire paintings in a Pompeian style
of which there are very few examples in Paris. The mosaique floor, exactly like
the one in the Galerie Vivienne, is worth admiring.
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Le Bucheron
Nothing special here relative to history; but this Italian trattoria serves delicious pasta. A small place near Saint-Paul, it is just packed at meal time with lines of people waiting to get in. It is reasonably priced. A funny annecdote, the equivalend of the kitchen is an area in the dining area at the end of the bar. Two Sri Lankan cooks busilly prepare the food - the sauce for each pasta dish is freshly made. These guys work hard but they are happy; singing their Sri Lankan songs as they go about their work. It's funny and fun....and the meal is delicious. Not history, just good food.
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Bouillon Chartier
Classified historic building in 1989, the restaurant has already
known two centuries and is well prepared to get through this brand
new one. It is both a prestigious actor of the restaurant business
and a privileged witness of Parisian life. In this wonderful place,
favourable for sweet nostalgy, fifty billions bellies (I think they
exaggerate, but it is a big number) have been satisfied since its
creation. So the description below that would like to satisfy your
curiosity will of course not replace a nice visit 7th, rue du
faubourg Montmartre, in the ninth district, the best place to feel
Paris.
It seems that you enter to work at Chartier as if you
intend to enter in religion.
This principle is tacitly admited as
only four different owners have ruled the place since its creation.
As well the crew "makes" the place, daily honouring their engagement
dressed in their traditional room clothes, le rondin (a black
waistcoat with many pockets) and the long white apron.
Above
all, and since the very first meal served, the same simple and
beautiful ambition is guiding the owners. At the turn of the 19th
century, the idea was to serve for a very small price a real hot
meal to the blue collar and the people of the neighbourhood: the
wellknown "bouillon", a mixture of meat and vegetables. Today, only
the diversity of the clients and the menu have changed. No silk, no
cristal, no silverware, but the soul and the authenticity of a
unique and timeless place.
You come in through a nice wooden
entrance in this place that has "no history with History" quoting
the arts person and owner Daniel Lemaire. Vast and clear, the room
has glass ceilings and mouldings. Tall mirrors accentuate the
perspective, a stair climbs you up to another room where you might
find a free place left to sit. Little wooden chairs surrounding
tables firmly anchored on the ground with their cast-iron feet.
Glossed copper and wood everywhere warm the clients.
And what
about these famous wooden racks with numbered drawers laid out along
the room? These symbols of Chartier, as old as the restaurant
itself, when every customer had its own napkin and could store it
in.
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Brasserie Lipp
The Brasserie Lipp is a piece of French history. It's a mythical address amongst
Parisiens likewise tourists. It tells the story of a Twentieth Century Parisien
when Saint-Germain des Prés was at the centre of the world in ideas and
politics.
Even integrated in a large group, Lipp is still today a symbol of the Parisien
brasserie. The French still go there by way of pilgrimage certain to catch sight
of a minister or a star. How many governments have been made and unmade at
Lipp's.
Lipp wouldn't have the same glorious destiny without the
personalities of Marcellin and Roger Cazes, the owners for 50 years. Imagine
that during these years, people stood waiting at lunch and dinner for the owner
could seat them.
Like other of their compatriates (Wepler or Zeyer), Léonard Lipp couldn't stand
to live under the Kaiser after the French-Prussian war of 1870 and the loss of
the Alsace-Lorraine. Therefore he emigrated to Paris and created in 1880 at 151
boulevard Saint-Germain, the brasserie des Bords du Rhin, named thus by
nostalgia of his birthplace. Sauerkraut and beer on the menu. For 25 years Mr
Lipp had time to give a reputation to his brasserie.
In 1918, when Marcellin Cazes took over the business, we no longer call it the "Bords
du Rhin" but the "Brasserie Lipp".
At Lipp's, his wife took care of the cooking. The house is known for it's good
sauerkraut and other Alsacian dishes. No question of changing a formula that
works. Marcelllin, started work on the atmosphere. He rigourously selected the
staff and especially the customers. Obviously, the district helped a lot. So the
nearby theatre group of Vieux-Colombier regularly came to Lipp's every evening
with the famous French actor Louis Jouvet. In 1925, Marcellin double the surface
of the place. This wasn't too much for the expanding clientele of the place.
During the occupation, Lipp could have been visited by SS officers, members of
the French gestapo, or rich dealers after the plunderings of jewish property.
But no, Cazes seved beer to writers who refused to collaborate. The day of
Liberation of Paris Cazes paid for champagne for his customers. Several days
later, a war correpondant of the US army enjoys himself in the brasserie. It's
Ernest Hemingway who has his glass of cognac filled by a very happy Marcellin
Cazes.
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L'As du Fallafel
While the neighborhood is historic, I don't think L'As de Fallafel is. In fact, it may be relatively recent, maybe the last 25 years or so. But the food, well nothing short of great. It is advertised as having the best fallafel in the world - yes world - and the New York Times said it is at least the best in Europe and they haven't found better in the Middle East. We went there because of this claim and can attest that the food is indeed good, the price reasonable, and the crowd enormous.
Look no further than the fantastic falafel stands on the pedestrian Rue de Rosiers for some of the cheapest and tastiest meals in Paris. L'As (the Ace) is widely considered the best of the bunch, which accounts for the lunchtime line that extends into the street. A falafel sandwich costs EUR 5 to go, EUR 7 in the dining room, and comes heaped with grilled eggplant, cabbage, hummus, tahini, and hot sauce. The shawarma (grilled, skewered meat) sandwich, made with chicken or lamb, is also one of the finest in town. Though takeout is popular, it can be more fun (and not as messy) to eat off a plastic plate in one of the two frenzied dining rooms.
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