Note! As I am gluten-intolerant and can have small bits of gluten, these restaurants might not be fit for those who are celiac. Always make sure to call ahead or inform yourself when going to any restaurant that does not advertise with a celiac safe kitchen.
On our three-week roadtrip through France and Spain this summer, Paris was our first stop. Although we had to be in the Dordogne by Saturday, we made the most of our 36 hours in Paris! On Thursday morning, we left Amsterdam at six AM for what would be a six-hour drive to Paris. Once we arrived, we parked the car in a pre-booked garage on the outskirts of the city, and went to my friend Laurence’s apartment, which she was kind enough to let us stay at for two nights. Her apartment is right in the city center, which made it easy for us to see all the sights in the little time we had!
Lunch at Chez Janou
As we arrived around lunchtime, our priority was to find a nice spot for lunch. Having had little sleep, we wanted to skip the crowds and go to the neighborhoods where locals go out to eat. Wessel did a little research and told me the Bastille was very trendy right now. Before we set foot in the neighborhood though, we spotted a restaurant that checked all the boxes: it had adorable outdoor seating, the inside was just as authentic, we heard mostly French-speaking people, and it was buzzing.
Chez Janou is located on the corner of the Rue Roger Verlomme and the Rue des Toumelles, with no other restaurant in sight. As it was so busy, we were initially seated at the bar for some drinks, until a table opened up. We ordered a pichet of wine for about eighteen euros, and watched the waiters hustle about. The bar was filled with their eighty or more types of pastis, a traditional French digestif. I am not a big fan of anise, but if you are, pastis is for you!
Once we were seated, we ordered the daily menu, which was a two course meal for eighteen euros (dirt cheap if you ask me!). For every dish there were two options, so Wessel and I both chose the other one so we could try everything. The appetizers were a duck confit salad, and an eggplant carpaccio, both delicious! As a main course, we ordered salmon and some type of meat of which I unfortunately forgot what it was, but fortunately still have the pictures.
For desert we did not plan on ordering anything, but once we saw the big bowl of chocolate mousse going around, we had to try it! They brought us a plate and two spoons, and filled the plate with three humongous scoops of mousse. With my cappuccino after, and Wessel with his pastis, we were both very happy after that! So, if you are in Paris, please give Chez Janou a try. It is absolutely delicious with a great atmosphere, and the prices are friendly too, which is not that easy to find in Paris as I have heard.
Taking a Stroll Along the Seine
As we had so much food, and had been sitting in the car all day, we decided it was time for some exercise. We like to explore cities by foot as much as possible, so we walked towards the Seine to find broad boulevards for pedestrians and cyclists: perfect for our afternoon. Although the smell of the Seine in summer is not the best, lots of people were running, cycling, or doing other sports besides the water. Some groups of friends were enjoying a bottle of wine at one of the many picnic tables, while families picnicked. We decided to do the same the next day!
But first we crossed the bridge and walked all the way towards the Eiffel Tower, which was about four kilometers. Once we got there, we finally found the crowds we had been trying hard to avoid. Still, it was a perfect spot to sit down, take our shoes off and watch this world famous landmark from a distance.
After that walk, we were very tired however, and decided to go to Laurence’s apartment to watch How I Met Your Mother for a while, before going out for a light dinner. Once we got there by bus and metro, we ate the leftovers from our drive that morning, and fell asleep around nine PM. You could argue we could have pushed ourselves to go out, but I had a very exciting task planned the next morning at eight thirty…
Copains, a Gluten-Free Bakery
The next morning, we set an alarm at eight, so I could be at the first customer at the gluten-free bakery Copains once they opened. Knowing the lines in front of my favorite gluten-free bakery in Amsterdam, I was afraid of what I might encounter. Luckily, there was only one person waiting when I got there! I had been looking forward to eating a croissant and a pain-au-chocolat for a while now, and once I entered the bakery, I felt like I went to heaven.
The bakery itself is gorgeous, with all of the pastries and bread displayed like pieces of jewelry. I was overwhelmed with all the options, knowing I could not try them all before we left the next day. So, I of course got a croissant, a pain-au-chocolat, a cinnamon bun, and a small baguette with ham, cheese and pickles. I could barely wait to eat it, but we decided to have coffee first, at a little café on the corner of the same street, called Le Bouquet des Archives. We ordered two cafés au lait, and Wessel ordered a croissant. The waiter was kind enough to let me eat my gluten-free pastries on the terrace, and dip them in my coffee, Paris-style.
Although the croissant was good, I unfortunately (although fortunately for me) have to say the croissants at my favorite bakery in Amsterdam are still the best one’s I have ever had: flaky an buttery, while these were a little dark and heavy. The pain-au-chocolat and cinnamon bun were like a dream, though! Read along for the rest of my bread review, during our Seine-ic picnic.
The Louvre and Montmartre
Upon recommendation of a kind couple we met the previous day at Chez Janou, we decided to visit the Louvre, as they told us the museum is free for people younger than 26. Because we could not buy tickets online anymore, we decided to give walking there a try. This ended up being a little naïve, as there was a line with a three hour wait already when the museum had just opened. Nevertheless, seeing the building and the pyramid-shaped entrance was impressive already! Also, as we were planning on visiting the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, we were not that disappointed.
So, instead of looking at art that morning, we took a bus to Montmartre, a neighborhood in Paris that used to be a little village located on a hill (before Paris was the size that it is today). Montmartre is known for its landmark the Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, and its adorable streets. We felt like we were in the South of France when we walked through those steep streets!
Because one coffee is not enough, we sat down for another café-au-lait after looking at the Sacre Coeur for a while (the view of Paris from there is very pretty, as is the church itself). Walking along the streets after the caffeine started to work, I decided this is where I would want to stay the next time we would go to Paris. After we got some nice cheeses from a local cheese shop, we felt right at home, but, unfortunately we left our bread at the apartment, meaning we had to go back earlier than we would want. We will be back!
Picnic along the Seine
After we got our lunch from the apartment, we sat down in comfortable beach chairs on the edge of the Seine, watching the people and boats go by. The sun was out, and two people were doing improvised modern dance close by. As for the baguette, it was good, especially the toppings. Again, the baguette at my favorite bakery is better in my humble opinion, but any fresh gluten-free bread makes me happy! This one was definitely a lot healthier than the white baguette I thought I would get once in Paris.
Together with the cheese we got and some juice we bought in the supermarket, we were stuffed, again. So, we once again walked around with no clear purpose but to buy a gift for Laurence. We went to the Bastille for real this time, as well as La Marais, and saw lots of adorable cafés, shops, and streets. Craving some drinks and snacks after three hours of walking, we went to the restaurant we wanted to have dinner at, to have some snacks before actually getting dinner. However, as the kitchen was not open yet, we had a glass of wine somewhere else, and went back to the apartment for a little while after that to finish the rest of our cheese, to leave again around eight PM.
Dinner at Le Temps des Cerises
Wessel’s mother had recommended Le Temps des Cerises to us even before we went to Paris, so we knew we had to go there. We also wanted to try escargots (snails) before we left the next day, and through some pre-dinner-research, I saw that they indeed served them! As we were there before in the afternoon, the waiter remembered us and made sure we got a table. However, as it is a very popular spot with both tourists and locals, I would recommend reserving a spot well in advance!
So, we ordered a pichet of wine again and decided to start with the escargots. They were phenomenal. As they are snails, you would expect them to be slimy, but these were served without their shell in a pesto-dill type-of-sauce. The taste was somewhere between fish and chicken, but very subtle, making them a perfect appetizer. Needless to say, we devoured them. Wessel ordered a tuna tartare while I was a little bit more hungry than that (as always), so I ordered the Iberico pork. I do not usually order pork, but this one was exceptionally good, and I savored every bite. Afterwards, we shared a café gourmand (I ate what did not contain gluten), and called it a night. The food was a little pricier than Chez Janou, but so worth it. In other words, you better try it out!
Final thoughts
And so, our time in Paris came to an end. We had great food, walked a lot, and saw most of the sights on these long walks. However, because of our limited time and little to no planning whatsoever, we could not do or see everything we wanted to. As Paris is so close to Amsterdam, this is pas de problème, as we will most definitely be back!
