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Le Baron Rouge in Paris: A casual well known wine bar around town.
If you want to mingle with a laid-back crowd—a mixture of blue and white-collar workers, young and old people, fashionable and less fashionable creatures, weirdos and mainstream Parisians—head for Le Baron Rouge. You can’t miss this place, there’s always a huge crowd spilling onto the street in the early evening (apéro time) or on Sunday mornings—there’s nothing like a glass of wine and a plate of charcuterie or a platter of oysters to start the day! The wines are very affordable and the plates of cheeses and charcuterie are generous and delicious. Sometimes the quality of a wine will be directly reflected in its price, but 3€ wasted on piquette (that’s French for cheap wine) is forgivable. It is Paris after all, and it’s hard to find such low prices in popular wine bars. It is also hard to find a table unless you come for a drink outside of drinking hours, so don’t expect to be comfortably seated. And if the only room you find to sip your wine is on the street then be ready to partake in some secondhand cigarette smoke while sharing the sidewalk with interesting looking people… Once I saw an older woman standing out there dressed up in a white leotard exhibiting a very nice body for her age and a pretty indecent camel toe. This alone was worth a stop.
Le Baron Rouge
1 Rue Théophile Roussel
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.43.14.32
Metro: Ledru-Rollin
Tu-Sat: 10am-2pm / 5pm-10pm
Sun: 10am-4pm
Closed on Monday
Le Square Trousseau: A perfect terrasse in Paris open all day for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If you saw the movie “Paris, je t’aime” then you have seen the inside of this lovely turn of the century café-restaurant located right across the street from the pretty square Trousseau—a perfect view from the heated terrasse. My favorite time to hang out at Le Square Trousseau is during off-hours when there is always a free table on the terrasse (and not too many smokers around) and for l’apéro or breakfast. They serve good coffee and some of the best croissants and pain au chocolats (voted best in Paris) that come from the very popular bakery next door, Blé Sucré.
The restaurant fills up pretty quickly for lunch and dinner so I would recommend making a reservation. If you want to try a dish that makes this restaurant more than worth going back to, try the seven-hour lamb. Oh, and the hamburger looks delicious. Le Square Trousseau restaurant can also accommodate private parties up to 18 people in the restaurant’s adjacent private dining-room. The food is good, the staff is great, the place is very charming, the atmosphere is peaceful, there’s free Wi-Fi and magazines, Le Square Trousseau is always open—it’s a great address.
Le square Trousseau
1 Rue Antoine Vollon
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.43.06.00
Metro: Ledru-Rollin
Open 7/7
M-Sun: 8am-2pm (lunch/dinner menu from 12pm until 12am non-stop)
Sur Les Quais in Paris: Gourmet tapenades, olive oils and specialty products.
Sur Les Quais is located in the covered market Marché Beauvau in Paris’ 12th arrondissement (it is adjacent to the marché d’Aligre farmers’ market.) It sells quality regional products such as Spanish chorizo, lomo, jamón serrano, salchichon or the gourmet Ortiz canned tuna; Mediterranean first cold press olive oils (you can fill up your own bottle); mustards, spices, pain d’épices, artisan ice-creams… But what keeps me going to Sur Les Quais are the excellent tapenades, especially the green ones (€2,75/100g): lemon tapenade, basil tapenade, cilantro tapenade…
When shopping at Sur Les Quais do not miss the Graineterie du Marché, the great chocolate store Goût, Thé et Chocolat or my favorite wine shop in the Aligre neighborhood: Les Crus du Soleil.
Sur Les Quais
Marché Couvert Beauvau
Place d’Aligre
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.43.03.16
Metro: Ledru-Rollin, Faidherbe-Chaligny
Tu-F: 9.30am-1pm / 4.30pm-7.30pm (only from 9.30am-1pm on Thursday)
Sat: 9.30am-1.30pm / 4pm-7.30pm
Sun: 9.30am-2pm
Closed on Monday and Thursday afternoon.
Goût, Thé et… Chocolat: A fine selection of award winning artisans’ chocolates on Rue d’Aligre.
**UPDATE: Goût, Thé et… Chocolat is closed. It will re-open later at a different location. As for the shop it is taken over by a jovial man from the Pyrenées who will also sell chocolates.
*UPDATE: Goût, Thé et… Chocolat no longer sells Fabrice Gillotte’s chocolates. You can find his chocolates at:
Mococha
89 rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
At Goût, Thé et… Chocolat on rue d’Aligre you’ll find a careful selection of chocolates, dark and milk pralinés or ganache made by France’s finest artisans. The chocolates that are for sale in this tiny shop are by a select few such as Rémi Henry or Hubert Masse to name a few.
There are also other sweet things such as artisanal ice-creams and sorbets by Mr Phoenix who only sells to reputable restaurants, macarons, tuiles au chocolat, dragées, hot cocoa, artisan jams, cheesecake… If they are selling the dark chocolate-covered hazelnuts with cocoa powder on top when you stop by, try them!
If you are looking for high end chocolates in the 12th arrondissement, this is the place to go to.
In the same neighborhood, check out Les Crus du Soleil for great wines at an unbeatable price, Sur Les Quais for some delectable tapenades or La Graineterie du Marché for a one-of-a-kind picturesque dry goods store.
Goût, Thé et… Chocolat
13 Rue d’Aligre
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.40.34.45
Metro: Ledru-Rollin, Faidherbe-Chaligny
Tu-F: 9.30am-1.30pm / 3pm-8pm (4pm-7.30pm in August)
Sat: 9am-8pm
Sun: 9am-2pm
Closed on Monday
Farmers’ markets in Paris: 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th arrondissements.
There is at least one farmer’s market in each of Paris’ arrondissements. Following is the list of all of them, by arrondissement, from the 1st to the 20th, with their location (see map) and hours. They vary in size and quality, some specialize in organic foods (Marché Brancusi 14th arr., Marché Raspail 6th arr., Marché des Batignolles 17th arr.) while others offer a variety of cooked foods (Marché Baudoyer 4th arr.) and/or ethnic dishes (Marché des Enfants Rouges 3rd arr.)
Paris’ farmers’ markets: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th arrondissements.
Paris’ farmers’ markets: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th arrondissements.
11th arrondissement
Marché Belleville
Boulevard de Belleville
75011 Paris
Metro: Belleville
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
Marché Charonne
Boulevard de Charonne (between Rue de Charonne and Rue Alexandre Dumas)
75011 Paris
Metro: Alexandre Dumas
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Bastille
Boulevard Richard Lenoir (between Rue Amelot and Rue Saint-Sabin)
75011 Paris
Metro: Bastille
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Père-Lachaise
Boulevard de Ménilmontant (between Rue Panoyaux and Rue des Cendriers)
75011 paris
Metro: Ménilmontant
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
Marché Popincourt
Boulevard Richard Lenoir (between Rue Oberkampf and Rue J-P Timbaud)
75011 Paris
Metro: Oberkampf
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
12th arrondissement
Marché Couvert Beauvau
Place d’Aligre
75012 Paris
Metro: Ledru-Rollin
Tu-Sat: 9am-1pm / 3.30pm-7.30pm
Sun: 9am-1.30pm
Marché Aligre
Rue d’Aligre
75012 Paris
Metro: Ledru-Rollin, Faidherbe-Chaligny
Tu-Sun: 9am-1.30pm
Marché Cours de Vincennes
Cours de Vincennes (between Boulevard de Picpus and Rue du Dr Arnold Netter)
75012 Paris
Metro: Nation
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Bercy
Place Lachambeaudie (between 14 Place Lachambeaudie and 11 Rue Baron-le-Roy)
75012 Paris
Metro: Cour Saint-Emilion
W: 3pm-8pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Daumesnil
Boulevard de Reuilly (between Rue de Charenton and Place Félix Eboué)
75012 Paris
Metro: Daumesnil, Dugommier
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
Marché Ledru-Rollin
Avenue Ledru-Rollin (between Rue de Lyon and Rue de Bercy)
75012 Paris
Metro: Gare de Lyon, Quai de la Rapée
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Poniatowski
Boulevard Poniatowski (between Avenue Daumesnil and Rue de Picpus)
75012 Paris
Metro: Porte Dorée
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Saint-Eloi
36-38 Rue de Reuilly
75012 Paris
Metro: Reuilly-Diderot
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
13th arrondissement
Marché Alésia
Boulevard Auguste Blanqui
75013 Paris
Metro: Glacière
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Auguste Blanqui
Boulevard Blanqui (between Place d’Italie and Rue Barrault)
75013 Paris
Metro: Corvisart, Place d’Italie
Tu,F: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Bobillot
Rue Bobillot (between Place Rungis and Rue de la Colonie)
75013 Paris
Metro: Tolbiac
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
Marché Maison Blanche
Avenue d’Italie (between 110 and 162 Avenue d’Italie)
75013 Paris
Metro: Maison Blanche
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Salpêtrière
Boulevard de l’Hôpital (along the Square Marie Curie)
75013 Paris
Metro: Saint-Marcel
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
Marché Vincent Auriol
Boulevard Vincent Auriol (between 64 Boulevard Vincent Auriol and Rue Jeanne d’Arc)
75013 Paris
Metro: Chevaleret
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Jeanne d’Arc
Place Jeanne d’Arc
75013 Paris
Metro: Nationale
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Paris Rive Gauche
Rue Jean Anouilh and Rue Neuve Tolbiac
75013 Paris
Metro: Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
F: 12pm-8.45pm
14th arrondissement
Marché Brune
Boulevard Brune (between 71 Boulevard Brune and Impasse Vandal)
75014 Paris
Metro: Porte de Vanves
Th: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Edgar Quinet
Boulevard Edgar Quinet (between 36 Boulevard Edgar Quinet and Rue du Départ)
75014 Paris
Metro: Edgar Quinet
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Villemain
Avenue Villemain
75014 Paris
Metro: Plaisance
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Mouton Duvernet
Place Jacques Demy
75014 Paris
Metro: Mouton-Duvernet
Tu, F: 7am-2.30pm
Marché Spécialisé Biologique Brancusi Organic farmers’ market
Place Constantin Brancusi
75014 Paris
Metro: Gaité
Sat: 9am-3pm
15th arrondissement
Marché Cervantes
Place du Marché Cervantes (Between Rue Bargue and Rue de la Procession)
75015 Paris
Metro: Volontaires
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Convention
Rue Convention (between Rue Alain Chartier and Rue de l’Abbé Groult)
75015 Paris
Metro: Convention
Tu,Th: 7am-2.30
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Grenelle
Boulevard de Grenelle (between Rue Lourmel and Rue du Commerce)
75015 Paris
Metro: La Motte-Piquet Grenelle
W: 7am-2.30
Sun: 7am-3pm
Marché Lecourbe
Rue Lecourbe (between Rue Vasco de Gama and Rue Leblanc)
75015 Paris
Metro: Balard, Lourmel
W: 7am-2.30
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Lefebvre
Boulevard Lefebvre (between Rue Olivier de Serres and Rue de Dantzig)
75015 Paris
Metro: Porte de Versailles
W: 7am-2.30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm
Marché Saint-Charles
Rue St-Charles (between Rue de Javel and Rue du Général Estienne)
75015 Paris
Metro: Javel-André Citroën
Paris’ farmers’ markets: 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th arrondissements.
La Graineterie du Marché in Paris: A picturesque seed store.
Located on the famous Place d’Aligre, famous for its 6-day/week farmers’ market, La Graineterie du Marché in Paris is a specialty store that opened in 1895. It’s one of my favorite boutiques in the city because it makes me feel like I’m in the countryside, and reminds me of summer vacations at my grandparents’ in a small village in the west of France. When you walk in La Graineterie du Marché it seems as if you were entering a different time—it has the look and feel of a postwar shop with an Almodovar movie color scheme. Today the shop still sells a small selection of seeds (they can be found in the back room along with terracotta pots, glass jars and metal scoops) and some aromatic plants but mainly what you’ll find there are grains, specialty flours, spices, pasta, dried fruits, teas, a great selection of artisan jams and some old school candies such as the Pierrot Gourmand lollipop and the Carambar.
La Graineterie du Marché
8 Place d’Aligre
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.43.22.64
Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny, Ledru-Rollin
Tu-Sun: 9am-1pm / 4pm-7pm
Closed on Monday
Paris’ Viaduc des Arts and its Promenade Plantée: a former railroad turned into a green suspended walkway.
As my belle-mère would say: “Why a duck?” Because if you like to walk (or run for those who like to jog) Paris is made for you, and one of the best walks is the path you stroll along the old train track, in the 12th arrondissement, the viaduc des arts. Opened in 1993, it’s a 3-mile long path of gardens, trellises and benches that start 22-feet high above street level and end in forest-like tunnel trenches. The Promenade Plantée, also known as La Coulée Verte, offers a great view of Paris’ 12th arrondissement, it’s buildings and parcs; don’t miss the police station along the way with its series of statues, the “slaves” inspired by Michelangelo’s.
La Promenade Plantée
75012 Paris
From the beginning of the Avenue Deaumesnil (metro Bastille or Gare-de-Lyon) to the end of Rue du Sahel (at Boulevard Soult, between Porte de Vincennes and Porte Dorée), with stairs all along the way.
7/7
M-F: 8am-sunset
Sat-Sun: 9am-sunset