Paris, France

Eating out in Paris, France

Phenomenal food is France's gift to the world, and they take it very seriously. With eating well being a national pastime, every cook from the market food stalls to master chefs in the finest Parisian restaurants puts his greatest skills to work on even the most basic slice of quiche. Rest assured, you don't have to spend extravagantly to eat well. The cuisine is highly varied, representing not only every world ethnicity, but even variations with each cuisine. French food itself can be refined and artistic or hearty and rustic fare. Almost all restaurants offer 2 types of meals à la carte, with an extensive and usually expensive choice for each course; and le menu, which is a set meal at a fixed price with dishes selected from the full à la carte menu. Wherever you go, whatever you eat, make a point of trying as many sauces as possible - they are a French specialty and a great source of pride!.

Gourmet

Alain Ducasse is France's first 6-Michelin-star chef, and he flirts with culinary perfection at his posh, art-nouveau townhouse restaurant. His unparalleled French haute cuisine and the service draw rave reviews from top critics. 16th arrondissement.

Highly Recommended

Jules Verne is the famous restaurant located on the 2nd story of the Eiffel Tower where the resident master chef enthralls diners with creative cuisine that is as unforgettable as the splendid bird's-eye view of Paris. Insist on a window table! 7th arrondissement.

Local Flair

Street Markets are one of the most authentic pleasures of Paris, dating back to the Middle Ages. Narrow and lined with high, old houses, the crowded market streets pour forth a picturesque assortment of open air food stores, restaurants, and morning animation. Here you can buy meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, pastries, and many delicious prepared dishes at reasonable prices. Try rue Mouffetard near the Panthéon, the rue Montorgueil near the Les Halles metro station, and the rue de Buci in the Saint-Germain des Près district.

Romantic

The Beauvilliers is said by its patrons to be the ideal place to take the woman (or man) of your dreams. It is a flower-bedecked restaurant that they call "a delight for the eyes and palate"that set the tone for a special night. Montmartre, 18th arrondissement.

Going party in Paris, France

Night owls find their heaven in Paris, not only because the city is beautifully illuminated and inordinately safe, but because there is even more to do at night than during the day. Lively and versatile as you would expect, Paris retains its tradition of cabarets and can-can girls, with big, glitzy shows making their favored home in the Moulin Rouge, immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec. The Marais and Bastille house endless clusters of the hippest clubs and bars, while echoes of postwar Paris filter out of jazz clubs on the Left Bank. And, of course, arguably the greatest performing arts in the world are found in Paris!.

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées

This art deco theater attracts the haute couture gang, hosting both national and international orchestras, as well as opera and ballet. It's the sort of theatre the Duke and Duchess of Windsor would have attended, perhaps for a performance of the Vienna Philharmonic. 8th arrondissement.

Harry's Bar

This favorite of expatriates and Parisians alike is the former haunt of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gloria Swanson, and Noel Coward. Legend holds that a bartender here invented the Bloody Mary to cure Hemingway of his hangovers. 2nd arrondissement.

Le Palace

Managed by Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, this club is a favorite of the fashion and "be seen" crowd. It's a large place, but there are many cozy nooks for conversation and retreat. 9th arrondissement.

La Guinguette Pirate

This music hall is a beautiful Chinese barge moored alongside the quay in front of the Bibliothèque Nationale. It hosts funk, reggae, rock, and folk concerts. 13th arrondissement.

Opéra Bastille

The controversial building has been called "a beached whale," opened in 1989 as part of the Revolution's bicentennial celebrations. It presents operatic and symphonic works in the largest hall in France. It also houses 2 additional smaller halls for chamber music. 11th arrondissement.

Le Petit Journal

A small, smoky bar long frequented by Left Bank students, with good - mainly French - traditional and mainstream jazz. 5th arrondissement.

Common events in Paris, France

International Ready-to-Wear Fashion Shows

Hundreds of designers, from the legends to virtual unknowns, unveil their creations - for better or for worse - intending to set the style for the upcoming season. Parc des Expositions, January.

Special Exhibitions and Concerts

These events perk up the city during this grayest of months with a splash of theatrical and musical performances. They spring up at diverse sights including the Salle Pleyel and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in the 8th arrondissement, as well as the Maison Radio-France in the 16th arrondissement. February.

VE Day

Celebrated with verve and gratitude, hailing the capitulation of the Nazis in May 1945. The 3-day celebration highlight is a parade along the Champs-Elysées, with additional ceremonies in Reims. Pro-American sentiments in Paris are at their peak during these festivities. Vive la France! May.

Fête de la Musique

This city-wide celebration does away (for a day) with the noise pollution laws of Paris. Spontaneous music (or just noise) streams from every direction, whether it's a street violinist skillfully finessing his bow or a jubilant reveler banging a stick on a rock. There is, of course, much beautiful and fun music represented from Spanish guitar, to Italian opera and Caribbean steel-drum in virtually every open space of the city, and performing arts houses host sensational concerts. June.

Bastille Day

The birthday of the democratic France. The city ignites with fireworks, street fairs, music, pageants, and feasts beginning in the Champs-Elysées and ending in Montmartre. Don a beret, buy a bottle of wine, bustle around the city, and if you can't sing along to the Marseillaise, at least join in with a good shot at humming it! July 14.

Paris Quartier d'Été

A 4-week series of pop orchestral concerts in a village green setting. The concerts are rather grand in scope and style, featuring performances by the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France, and the Baroque Orchestra of the European Union. Beyond the central events there are plays, jazz concerts, and parades for children in the Tuileries Gardens. July to August.

Tour de France

Europe's most famous, highly contested, and copiously televised bicycle race. Dauntless cyclists trace the 6 sides of the French hexagon, as well as taking tours deep into the Massif Central and across the French-speaking regions of the Swiss Alps. July.

Festival d'Automne

Welcomes Parisians returning from their yearly holidays with a festival of diverse art, ballet, theater, and modern music performances. Exhibitions are held in galleries, churches, concert halls, auditoriums, and parks throughout the city. September.

Fête de St-Sylvestre

Most raucously celebrated in the Latin Quarter around the Sorbonne, though the whole city explodes in whoopla at midnight, when strangers kiss each other and the boulevards St-Michel and Champs-Elysées are flooded with partiers. New Year's Eve.