Paris Eats

Eating in France is serious. If navigated correctly, it can reach beyond the plate into richer memories, inspired creativity and greater understanding of the world. When the French eat they take their time and above all they share their passion for flavors, quality, technique and tradition.  These are some of my favorite spots in an ever evolving guide to Paris.

Practical information for eating in Paris 

The French like to eat at two times in the day and not in-between. This was something that took me a long time to get used to coming from New York and having access to everything 24/7. Lunch is typically served between 12pm – 2:30pm and dinner between 7pm – 9pm. Some places are open later but don’t expect to have much luck if you like to dine at 10:30pm or a late lunch around 3. Of course there are exceptions but in general as a rule of thumb plan to eat at 1pm and 8pm.

Reservations

Another important tip, you must make reservations. Most places in Paris are quite small and as a culture they only order the amount of food they will serve so they like to know how many seatings they have. I have a few places on my list that are more casual that do not require a reservation, otherwise, plan ahead. The websites are always clear on their policy if reservations are needed or not.

Tipping

Additionally, you do not have to tip in France unless, of course, the service was wonderful and you want to give a gesture of appreciation. If you do tip, do not add it to the credit card, leave it in cash on the table. I found this blog post about tipping very useful. And for god’s sake, do not rush through your meal. The French will spend a good few hours over dinner and wine. Enjoy it, savor it. Your waiter is not being rude for not asking you if you need anything or rushing out your dishes, the French let you be and your meal blossoms before you in due time. Your waiter will also not rush you out, so feel free to to enjoy your dining experience and once you are ready to leave flag down your waiter and ask for the check, “l’addition, S’il vous plaît”. Lastly, in Paris, everyone speaks english so don’t be scared, though as custom you should always greet everyone when you walk in with a “Bonjour” and you can never use “merci” enough.

My favorite restaurants in Paris

Le Chateaubriand~ Perhaps this is my number one restaurant in Paris. This is where I dined on my birthday last night. A tasting menu of natural wines and improvisational cooking that tickles your brain all while being set in a warm, unpretentious old French space

Le Clarence ~ I went here for my birthday last year, it is incredibly beautiful and romantic. Set in an old mansion, the lamb was perhaps the best I have ever had. 

Fragments~ My favorite coffee spot, great breakfast foods, PERFECT cappuccino, cozy. It’s quite small so don’t be afraid if you have to wait a bit for a table, I’ve never had to wait longer than 5mins… or just don’t try to do here during fashion week when all the New Yorkers are in town. It’s my favorite place to spend a rainy afternoon reading. 

Candelaria~If I’m in Paris, I’m stopping by here for lunch to get my major taco fix! It’s the only place in France to get a “real” taco IMO. It’s a speakeasy type situation, you can either eat at the super casual taco counter or make your way past the kitchen through a door which leads to a pretty little bar / dining room. I only go for lunch when it’s chill but if you’re young it’s a great night spot where the backroom is for drinking and hanging out with the cool kids. 

Dersou~ One of my favorite modern eats of Paris, it offers only a tasting menu with cocktail pairing of asian fusion world cuisine. It’s the perfect date spot you’re a foodie. 

Double Dragon~ Absolutely LOVE this place! We ordered almost everything on the menu and it was all to die for, especially the crispy fried chicken which will haunt my dreams until the next trip to Paris. Huge benefit to this spot, they do not take reservations (something the French are annoyingly strict about) so you can just show up when you feel the need for really, really, REALLY good asian food. 

Les Chouettes~ Really beautiful interior, perfect place to have dinner when you want something nicer but not “fancy”. Wonderful fish dishes, sophisticated all around. 

Treize~ BISCUITS. Literally Charleston, southern American biscuits in the heart of France. I love their “not fried chicken” and bloody mary. The woman who started it is from Charleston and is always there to greet you from behind the kitchen with a warm “HEY Y’ALL”. But seriously, the hot out of the oven biscuits are life.

La Mary Celeste~ I’ve actually only been here a few times for cocktails but it’s a pretty little candle lit bar. I hear the food is good. 

East Mamma~ Italian, very hip, designed decor, a place you would expect to find in New York. I wasn’t blow away by the food but it’s a fun experience. It is part of Big Mamma’s group which has a handful of cute places all over Paris each with their own vibes. 

Septime~ Ugh, I haven’t actually been here yet but I know so many people who have gone and loved it and it is the #1 recommended place to eat in Paris. It’s been, for me at least, impossible to get a reservation because I don’t plan my trips three months in advance. They got the sustainable restaurant award and came in #35 of the 50 best restaurants. They also have a wine bar, Septime La Cave, and a seafood spot, Clamato.

L’Aprege~ Really one of the most special restaurants in the world, the kind of meal you don’t forget. Watch Chef’s Table on Alain Passard then you will understand why. Also, I still love my dress from that night

Clown Bar~ Great natural wine menu, small but adventurous seasonal menu makes this a spot for the foodies and young chef’s of Paris. It’s next to the old circus and supposedly was were the clowns hung out to drink back in the day. I don’t know about that but I do know the old, painted clown bar and mirrors are magical. 

La Buvette~ The kind of natural wine bar and small plates the foodies of Paris eat at and my friend Caroline‘s favorite spot. 

Verjus~ Perhaps one of my favorite date spots in Paris. Fresh, smart, seasonal food, cozy simple setting. 

Ellsworth~You go for the fried chicken

Carbon~ New spot in Paris opened by a woman from Argentina, this is all about wood fired cooking in a really beautiful distressed French bistro setting. 

Le Servan~ Foodie spot! Inventive seasonal menu, modern and cool, Americans in the know and cool young French chefs love this spot. *closed on weekends (isn’t that amazing?)* 

Kinugawa~ SUSHI!!! This is my new favorite go-to sushi spot, I wish I could eat the entire menu. Must have reservations. 

Balagan~Also new to the scene, Israeli cuisine in a sleek, modern, cool setting. I loved all the starters. 

Miss Bánh mì~ My favorite lunch spot! Very quick and casual and sooooo delicious. 

Derriere~ cool atmosphere. I like to eat in the courtyard when the weather is nice. 

Hotel Costes~ Really beautiful, balances old world glamour with modern cool. Has a wonderful dining courtyard in the center of the restaurant. Food is excellent but the best aspect to this place is that that serve mid-day and late at night when everything else is closed. It’s great for people watching, very chic, hip, fashion crowd. 

Ralph’s~ In the Ralph Lauren mansion, this place is so beautiful. I love it in the summer to eat outside in the courtyard listening to old jazz, very romantic. 

Le Grand Véfour~ Perhaps the most recommended Paris restaurant for special occasions and it’s easy to see why from the historic and beautiful setting to the very best of Parisian table service. The food was some of the most proper, exquisite food I have ever eaten. 

Le Timbre~ Very beautiful, fresh, modern French food in a cozy unpretentious setting. 

Hotel Amour Restaurant~ I love this place for brunch! Seriously the best bread and butter in all of Paris IMO.

Le Dome du Marais~ Pretty. 

Cafe Marly~ I like to eat on the terrace here for lunch and enjoy the view of the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. They do a lot of turnover because of the location so don’t expect attentive or friendly service but they get the job done and the views are wonderful. 

Relay of the Entrecote~ These are all over Paris and it’s the same experience no matter which one you go to and they only serve one thing, steak and fries, and it’s perfect. My dream is to be able to make their steak sauce! No reservations, you just line up outside, the line moves quickly. 

114 Faubourg~ Your typical fancy Michelin Star place but I still dream about the salad I had here. 

Buvette~ Cute little spot 

Les Fines Gueules~ I have been going to this romantic little spot for years. Seasonal chalkboard menu, amazing wine cave, perfect spot for dinner during the week. 

Monsieur Bleu~Very sophisticated chic spot with an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower. A see-and-be-seen spot, lots of politicians, fashion people, and French celebrities here. 

Claus Paris~ It’s kind of the “it” breakfast place in Paris, at least the cool Americans think so. 

Du Pain et Des Idées~ a truly traditional Paris bakery that is magnifique! Real foodies talk about this place as if it is holy. 

La Gambette à Pain~ Considered one of the best bakeries in Paris, worth the journey for to taste authentic French breads made from organic ancient grains. This article explains it all. 

Auberge Bressane~ Two things, cream chicken and soufflé. 

Frenchie~ Everybody loves Frenchie. I’ve actually never been but I want to go but everyone loves it so I feel good about that. 

Le Dauphin~ Great wine bar and tapas, very foodie culture, can get really crowded late at night. 

Le Ruisseau~ I love to come here late at night, a very hole in the wall burger joint that is to die for. You can also order to go if there is a line.

Cafe Charlot~ Cute bistro, hip fashion crowd. 

Tomo~ Great Japanese bakery, wonderful Matcha as well. 

Scaramouche~ Icecream from Provence! 

Jacques Genin~ Wonderful, special chocolates made in house from the highest quality ingredients. 

For drinks only:

Bar Hemingway~ For history alone you have to do this at least once in Paris. Cocktails come with a rose in your glass and it’s just all so glamorous. 

Caveau de la Huchette ~ Amazing jazz club in a cave, perfect place to listen to live music, sip a martini and watch great dancers sway to the tunes. This was the place featured in La-La-Land.

Ballroom du Beef Club~ Underground speakeasy, the unmarked entrance is next door (to the left) of Beef Club. You go in, you go down the stairs and into a very 1920s candle lit champagne and cocktail lounge

Little Red Door~ Cute, cozy little cocktail spot with really interesting house drinks. 

Hoppy Corner~ New to Paris, great craft brew selection 

Cafe de Flore~ I’m putting this in the drinks section because I’ve done both eating and drinking here and I found the food abysmal I guess because it’s so overwhelmed with a high turnover of tourists they don’t have to try? … I think the champagne is over priced and the service is abrasive. However, I do think it is a wonderful spot to have afternoon tea if you can score a spot outside or in the window because the people-watching is fabulous and the Instagram with the Cafe de Flore logo is timeless. 

Coutume Coffee~ A nice sized coffee shop for Paris with really great cappuccinos and a real breakfast / lunch menu! 

Angelina~ Another insanely tourist spot but it has to be said, their hot chocolate is the best in the world and everyone should experience it at least once. Tip, I prefer the one at Versailles. 

L’Etoile d’Or– Supposed to be the best candy store / chocolate shop in Paris! 

Recommended places from people I trust I have not tried yet but are on my list:

Vivant (reservation) or Deivant (bar without reservation) // Petrelle // Astrance // Comice // Clover // Merci-Merci // Au Passage // The Bocca della Verita // Bistrot les Papilles // Chez La Vieille // DAROCO // Lou Lou // Papillon // Jules Verne // QUINSOU // MELT // Guy Savoy // The Grand Restaurant Jean-Francois Piege // La Scene // Mustache // Hero // Cafe Oberkampf // Cantine California //  Sushi B // JIN sushi // Yam T’cha // Okuda // Cafe de la Nouvelle Mairie// Le Verre Volé // L’etiquette // Elmer // Pontochoux // Robert et Louise // Bouillon Chartier // L’Avant Comptoir // TOMY&Co // Lasserre // La Bourse la Vie // Le Gabriel // Rech // Lapérouse // Fichon // Blé Surcé // Rose Bakery // Cibus  // Le Grand Colbert // Poliane (bakery) // Fish la Boissonerie// Wild & the Moon // Chez Omar // Ferdi // Les Enfants du Marche // Le Rigmarole

Did I miss something? I’d love your recommendations in the comments on this post

Paris in the Winter

 

As the skies wept, I walked and walked…

whisperings from the streets of Paris talk. 

Through the viewfinder framed a city of soul

a place of wonder, a world to behold.

With precision I took what I came to see…

the gifts she has given to a girl like me.

I am the Victory, I am the love

I am all that Paris can be to someone. 

-Thoughts from a birthday in Paris

{Paris in the Fall: 2016 || 2015 || 2014 || 2013 || 2012}

Paris in the Fall

Another autumn has come and gone, another year of memories with fleeting snapshots from Paris to add to my archive. I love Paris in the fall, the dynamic sky, the ease of getting lost in the day just wondering and watching, and the romantic nights when she beings to sparkle like no other. With each passing year I always reset my eyes on this city of photographic love.

“There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.”

― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Autumn in Provence

Autumn_In_Provence_003

I like the soft and dreamy and romantic. Sometimes I make believe it, but always, I look for it in everyday life. A French afternoon dappled in light, a glowing wine glass. Smudgy and dreamy, never completely clear or harsh. The world is harsh enough, don’t you just want to live in a dream? I know I do…

When I set foot in Provence early last autumn I started myself on a new journey. Self discovery and reawakening my vision. I just wanted to experience something entirely new. I wanted to fulfill a dream to live in France. I wanted to find new challenges, new inspiration, a new way to see life. I’ve seen it through the eyes of the girl who grew up in Texas, then I saw it through the adult eyes of the woman who worked in New York. Much like the landscape outside my window, I let each chapter change me as the seasons change the vines and I hope, with spring’s new awakening, something even greater blooms.

Here are a collection of photographs from autumn in Provence~

Autumn_In_Provence_004 Autumn_In_Provence_005 Autumn_In_Provence_006 Autumn_In_Provence_008 Continue reading “Autumn in Provence”

Island Girl

Island_Girl_02

The beauty of Punta Cana was not limited to the just the resorts, but I found the island people of the Dominican Republic mirrored what nature had created. From their charming personality to beautiful warm skin color I found them intoxicating. A strange hybrid of latin culture mixing with European elegance, most of the people we met spoke multiple languages, lived abroad in Europe for a time and had a history of world experience. Being a photographer left alone on a island with her best friend (a stylist) and all these beautiful locals, we decided to focus our lens on Ana Nicole, another one of the Dominican Republic’s beautiful island girls, before she sets out to university in Holland… but for now, she’s just hanging out in Elle Sasson, letting the sun warm her skin, getting guys to open coconuts for us.

Island_Girl_03 Island_Girl_04 Island_Girl_05

Continue reading “Island Girl”

Kyle Ford

KyleFord_002

Every so often, you meet someone in a way that could only be described as serendipitous. Such was the case when we traveled to SCAD Lacoste and met photography professor Kyle Ford, a fine-art photographer who normally is based at the SCAD Hong Kong campus, but just so happened to be teaching the summer session photography classes at SCAD Lacoste.

As we know well, I love talking to other photographers…it’s always such a pleasure and honor to engage with people about their passions, especially when it’s in a field that I know and love myself.  So it wasn’t long before Kyle and I were planning a photo adventure in a Provençal vineyard and closing the night at a spectacular restaurant with our conversation about his path to photography, why he chooses film, and the research and thought behind the work he creates now…

KyleFord_004

What was your first photograph?

I was seven years old, and there was a competition I think my mother encouraged me to participate in. She was a painter, an artist, and perhaps she was hoping I would draw something or paint something, but I ended up photographing something. It was a tree. I photographed what I thought was a ghost, and I thought that was great as a seven-year-old…it was really my breath in front of the camera.

KyleFord_005 KyleFord_006 Continue reading “Kyle Ford”

John Hardy + Earth Day

I‘ve been thinking about Earth Day coming up tomorrow and how much more conscious we are of the globe now thanks to air travel, digital technology and the speed of communication. When I think about the Earth, certain words or earthly elements pop into my mind: Water, Plants, Animals, Wind, Earth, Sound, Gravity, Light, and Humanity. I wanted to put these earthly words into a visual photographic story while also telling the story of one of the most “GREEN” luxury brands and conscious companies out there.

John Hardy, the sustainable luxury jewelry brand based in Bali, thinks about their approach and place in the world in a 360-degree way. For example, all the silver jewelry is made from reclaimed silver which can come from a variety of places, such as old jewelry, computers and refrigerators! They believe they can produce a luxury product that is in harmony with our environment; instead of pulling more out of the earth and continuing to strip our natural resources, they want to use what is already out there.

In Bali, the jewelry is handmade by local jewelry artisans, who have centuries of passed-down knowledge and expertise in craftsmanship. The company knows how important these people are and goes to great lengths to take care of them, providing organic meals for their artisans and a single mother initiative that allows women to work from home in order to care for their child. Together the designers and artisans collaborate to make what ultimately is the distinct look of John Hardy.

When I was interviewing them at their New York City offices about the company philosophy, the passion simply poured out of the team. The pieces I ended up shooting below are all from the Bamboo Collection – this is significant to point out, as these pieces are part of an initiative. For every piece purchased from this collection, one or more bamboo trees are planted with help for forest management and water preservation. This year to date, John Hardy has planted 900,000 bamboo seedlings, which is 6 times the size of Central Park. In honor of Earth Month in April, John Hardy will donate 20% of all Bamboo Collection sales made on JohnHardy.com to support Trees New York which goes to funding a project where the John Hardy team will plant evergreens in the middle of West Harlem with the idea of creating a canopy effect to help filter the air and, in winter, add color to our gray days.

We are all beginning to become conscious consumers. I talked about that a bit in my personal style post: supporting brands that give back. John Hardy is all about what they call “Sustainable Luxury” which breaks down to Culture, Community, Commerce and Care.

Care – Giving back and especially giving back to nature for a “greener every day“.
Culture – the John Hardy Family. Supporting the collaboration between designers and artisans and the preservation of the Balinese art forms and traditional french jewelry making processes.
Commerce – Creating a profit to sustain their initiatives and give back while connecting with consumers and educating them on what their products do beyond the monetary exchange.
Collaboration Taking care of their the employees either through organic meals, enabling single mothers to work, providing amazing health care to supporting the local orphanages and communities of Bali.

So here is to our Mother Earth and all the gifts she gives us. May we have, as John Hardy says, a Greener Every Day and be the example of a new kind of balance. While photographing the concepts of these earthly elements, I asked our model to come completely barefaced, non-styled hair and bare nails. I wanted this to be about natural beauty, the natural beauty of us… the natural beauty of earth ~

WATER

JohnHardy_EarthDay_002

Above Gold Knot Ring / Below Silver Link Necklace 

JohnHardy_EarthDay_003

Below Silver Rope Necklace 

JohnHardy_EarthDay_005

PLANTS

JohnHardy_EarthDay_007

 

Continue reading “John Hardy + Earth Day”

Beauty & Truth

In the ancient world, myths were used as a means to understand the inexplicable, as a way to make sense of the great wonders and mysteries of the earth and to give meaning to humanity. Inspired by the cycles of nature, the mythology of ancient Egypt still holds our imaginations in its sway today. Ancient Egyptians saw time in the present as a repetition of the linear events of their myths; to them, this mirroring served to renew ma’at (or mayet), the fundamental order of all existence.

Myths were a way of passing down behavioral expectations, codes of conduct, and moral obligation. They were reminders that the actions we take today create the context for tomorrow. Today’s decisions are the gifts and curses we bestow upon our descendants.

Ma’at was the Egyptian concept of truth, balance, and order. Ma’at was personified as the goddess of the stars; it was she who conducted cosmic harmony out of the chaos of creation, she who maintained the equilibrium of the universe ~ the setting of the sun, the rising of the tides. She was justice and she was reason.

Ma’at was the central principle of Egyptian cosmology and ethics, and so the primary duty of an Egyptian king was to be the champion of ma’at. All the daily rituals and sacrifices would be deemed meaningless unless the king and his people were living righteous, balanced lives. The word itself indicated ‘that which is real’, and so for the ancient Egyptians, ma’at came to imply anything that was true, genuine or harmonious.

Continue reading “Beauty & Truth”

The Love Affair

Leilani Bishop (17)

Leilani Bishop (16)

I have been thinking a lot about love affairs: my great love affair with photography, and how something that can bring you so much joy can cause so much pain. The thing about love affairs is that there is always a beginning and an end. Summer, for me, is the greatest love affair of all. The way its beauty and light hurt in your memory on cold winter days. How much you look forward to it when it blows in through the window and how sad it is when the light of day ends and golden leaves begin to fall. Summer is love. Summer was made for love.
Leilani Bishop knows the bittersweetness of summer. She makes perfume oils that entrap the florals that dance through the long, hot, sticky afternoons. The single note scents of a delicate flower that rub off on summer lovers and reminds them of you long after the last petal falls. Here Leilani plays our muse who is trapped forever in an impossible love affair as the end of summer prepares to turn the page into fall…

Starring Leilani Bishop and Zach Lynd, styled by Kelly Framel, hair and makeup by Ana Sicat. Shot in Amagansett, NY.

Leilani Bishop (15)

above: Candela Skirt, Todd Snyder Coat

below: Mara Hoffman Dress, Maggy Frances Coat, Birkenstock Sandals 

Leilani Bishop (14) Leilani Bishop (13) Leilani Bishop (12)

above: Mimi Plange Skirt, Todd Snyder Coat, Vintage Fedora 

Continue reading “The Love Affair”

A Great Adventure

Safari Londolzi (1)

I didn’t know what to expect when we set out for South Africa. To be honest, I was quite nervous and very skeptical of the romantic aspect that had been advertised; this was our honeymoon after all. I’ve never been that far from home and although I had been to northern Africa and the Middle East, this was a whole new world… the animal kingdom. My most recent experience with animals had been a trip to the Natural History Museum and zoos growing up. I didn’t realize how much I was missing when I let this be my only relationship to wildlife. What I had yet to learn was that safari and ultimately Africa would change my life.

The conversation about safari started a few months before our wedding. We didn’t know where to go and on one fateful night over dinner with friends, I asked what their best trips had been. One couple answered with all their passion and excitement “SAFARI“. I wanted to do something extraordinary, I wanted to go someplace far so that when we tell our kids, they will be inspired to discover the world too. We flew into Johannesburg and connected onto what was at the time the smallest plane I had ever experienced (until this harrowing flight), landing on a tiny strip in the middle of the African bush at Londolozi Game Reserve.  I was more nervous than excited (you might be too after the three shots and two medications you have to have before arriving) until I walked into the lodge, was handed a glass of champagne and looked out at the view in awe. I couldn’t guess what the next day, our first drive into the wild, would hold, but I knew at that moment I was living in a dream…

Safari Londolzi (12)

Safari Londolzi (14)

Safari Londolzi (11)

Safari Londolzi (2)

Continue reading “A Great Adventure”

NEW YORK.

I love New York. We all do. After Sandy hit I went for a walk to see the bruises it left on our city. It is not in my nature to photograph things in pain — this post is not about that. In our life here I always carry a simple film camera around with me as a way to capture the beauty of our city in small fleeting moments as I run to meetings or kill time on photo shoots. These are images from the past few months the way she was… the way she will be again.

Paris in the Fall

 Earlier this fall we arrived in Paris to speak about Cinemagraphs at FLOW, shoot for MTV House of Style, and attend Carine Roitfeld’s Le Bal, but before all the events and shoots we took a few days in Paris to live quietly, eat simply, and walk the streets with no purpose but to see through the eyes of a Parisian.

I think of these images as postcards brought back to be shared

From Me To You…

Kissing in Paris is a must, the sparkling Eiffel Tower always steals my heart, the first time I went to Paris it was just as magical, Paris & Polaroids just go hand in hand, I wish we had their cafe culture, and in my memories it looks something like this….

Continue reading “Paris in the Fall”