Poppy in Paris: The Charms of French Culture
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Working as an au pair in Paris, Poppy Pearce explores the city in her free time. She documents her favorite finds – exhibitions, restaurants, boutiques, day trips – in an exclusive Bonjour Paris column. Find previous editions here.
When I envisioned moving to Paris, I pictured myself starting each morning with a croissant and coffee from my local boulangerie, and then lazing on the terraces of bars, laughing with friends until the call for final orders. I imagined myself idling away the hours reading my book on the grass of the city’s many parks, and then sauntering down the sun-kissed banks of the Seine. Always with a baguette in hand.
And now that it is summer, well, my vision has come to fruition.
Paris in summer allows you to experience the quintessential French culture. Al fresco dining, though an all-year-round feature in France, has truly sprung to life. Sitting at a terrasse au soleil, sipping a coffee, or enjoying a meal while watching the world go, by is a delightful experience.
The famous Jardin du Luxembourg, Tuileries Garden, and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont are filled with colorful flowers and lush greenery, and it’s a fantastic time to stroll through these gardens, relax, and enjoy the natural beauty. Across all of the parks, you will find groups of Parisians donning nothing more than their swimming costumes, bronzing their skin, and sharing a bottle of wine.
In French, to flâner is to stroll, and this art of walking aimlessly and lethargically is something that I have come to learn from my year here – much to the confusion of my natural marching stride. The Parisian pace of life in general feels slower compared to London, and it is something that I love.
So, equip yourself with your baguette, and leave your fast gait behind, as we discover my favorite finds across Paris this past month.
Jardin des Tuileries. Photo credit: Dennis Jarvis / Wikimedia Commons
Restaurant of the Month
Cèpe et Figue
56-61 Rue Du Commerce Saint-André, 6th
Metro: Odéon (Lines 4 and 10)
Last month was my birthday month, and as such, I’ve had the pleasure of eating at many fabulous restaurants. On the day of my birthday, my parents and I dined at a wonderful family-run bistro in Saint-Germain-des-Prés for our lunch, and it is this restaurant that stood out to me as my “Restaurant of the Month.”
If you’re looking for a quintessential Parisian bistro in which you are guaranteed to try the best of authentic French cuisine, Cèpe et Figue is the place.
The price of the menu, both à la carte and formula, was very reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in the area, with the quality of the food being uncompromised. In fact, the quality was so impressive that I would have gladly paid double.
We opted for the formule midi which is excellent value at two courses for €15, and three courses for €20. The delightfully selected menu makes the decision of what to order a very difficult one, but whatever you choose, it will be impossible to regret. I decided upon the ravioles de Royans with porcini mushroom cream and vegetable “chips,” followed by the seven-hour lamb with mashed potato and fresh herbs, and this meal still appears in my dreams.
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The atmosphere inside the restaurant is intimate yet laid-back, and the waiters are friendly.
Not only is the food, ambiance, and service superb, but the location is stupendous too. Walking towards the restaurant through the grand gateway at 130 Boulevard Saint-Germain leads you to a picturesque passage that is overflowing with history – the Cour du Commerce Saint-André. And it is at the end of this hidden passage that you find Cèpe et Figue.
Before Napoleon III ordered Baron Haussmann to modernize Paris, the streets of the city resembled what is found along Cour du Commerce Saint-André. All of the roads were once narrow and cobbled, with just enough room for a horse and cart to trot down. Though the modernization decision was made in the best interest of the city’s hygiene, traffic flow, and spaciousness, it is still special to uncover this remaining piece of medieval history.
After your meal, discover afoot the quaint charm of this timeless memorial to pre-18th century life. In doing so, you will be walking in the same footsteps, and on the same stones, as Parisians 300 years ago.
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Café of the Month
Rose Bakery Maison Balzac
47 Rue Raynouard, 16th
Metro: Passy (Line 6), and Avenue du Président Kennedy Maison de Radio France (RER C)
Honoré de Balzac was a celebrated French novelist and playwright who left a great impression on the world of literature after his literary series La Comédie Humaine. Between the years of 1840 and 1847, when Balzac was writing some of his finest novels, he lived in an apartment on Rue Raynouard in the 16th arrondissement. The gorgeous apartment occupied the top floor of the building and backed onto a bucolic garden with panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower.
The house, known as Maison Balzac, was acquired by the City of Paris in 1949 and is now one of Paris’ three literary museums. However, it is not the museum that I am writing about today – it is the cafe that occupies the unspoiled jardin.
The cafe is one of eight addresses by Rose Bakery – the chain loved by those who enjoy all things organic, homemade, and tasty. It rests in the corner of the garden, almost invisible due to its complete glass exterior which makes the most of the view for those sitting inside the venue. If not sitting inside, you are free to sit in the garden on any of the benches, chairs, or grassy spots.
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Lunch options include quiches, soups, salads, and savory cakes, and for a little sweet treat, I recommend their scones, cakes, and cookies. Their coffees are some of the best I have had in Paris, and there is even the possibility to take your laptop and work from there.
This magical cafe has the perfect recipe – a magical garden, with delicious food, refreshing drinks, and a soothing atmosphere.
After your visit to Rose Bakery, you can then get your fix on culture and visit the museum for free to learn more about the great Honoré de Balzac. Combining good food with literature and arts is the ultimate raison d’être.
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Exhibition of the Month
Elliott Erwitt: Une Rétrospective at Musée Maillol
59-61 Rue de Grenelle, 7th
Metro: Rue du Bac (Line 12)
Elliott Erwitt is one of the biggest names in photography. The 94-year-old is best known for his black-and-white shots that show the frolicsome of everyday life, and his socio-political portraits of notable figures such as Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe, and Barack Obama. Erwitt has a real talent for his discipline, and this exhibition conveys his ingenuity fabulously. This is an exhibition that combines humanity and humor with those raw and tender moments that don’t usually get caught on camera. The result is a rich collection of emotional images that leave you reveling in both the joys and the sorrows of the ordinary.
Born in Paris in 1928 to Jewish-Russian parents, Erwitt was raised in France and Italy, before moving to the United States when he was 10. After studying photography and filmmaking at the New School for Social Research in New York, Erwitt was drafted into the army and sent to France and Germany, where he worked as a photographer’s assistant. After he was discharged from the army, he also met many famous photographers. Subsequently Robert Capa asked him to join the international photographic cooperative, Magnum Photos. It was at this point that Erwitt gained considerable fame..
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I have been to three exhibitions at Musée Maillol and each one masterfully captures the essence of the subject through its scenography and displays. Erwitt was especially fond of dogs, having written five books about them and photographed them on countless occasions. These likes, dislikes, and quirks are all discoverable over the hour or two that you will spend here.
Tickets are €16.50, or €14.50 for reduced fare. Within the price of the ticket, an audio guide is included which launches the visitor even further into the galaxy of Erwitt, and the museum’s permanent collection of Maillol’s own work is an additional bonus.
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Day Trip of the Month
Montigny-sur-Loing
Accessible via RER R from Gare du Lyon, destination Montargis.
One evening, by chance, I decided to look on Airbnb for cheap stays in Ile-de-France. My boyfriend was coming to Paris for the bank holiday weekend, and thanks to the glorious weather, I thought a night in the countryside would be a wonderful idea. I found an Airbnb in a town called Montigny-sur-Loing, that, on further research, seemed like the perfect location for a French staycation. At only £58 per night, I didn’t think twice and booked the studio apartment in a heartbeat.
Montigny-sur-Loing is tucked away to the south of the forest of Fontainebleau. As with its neighboring villages, the town’s beauty has attracted many artists and writers to take the 80-kilometer journey from Paris to gain inspiration from the nature and tranquility of the riverside village.
On arrival, our afternoon was spent lounging on the grassy banks of the river, reading our books, and soaking up the soporific May sun until it set behind the trees. Along the river lay grand villas with gardens stretching to the water’s edge, with local Montignons fishing from their jetties, hoping to catch a carp, a pike, or even a trout. There were also people rowing canoes and even swimming in the surprisingly clear waters of the river.
For our dinner, we ate the most delicious takeaway pizza from Pizza Storia, near the Airbnb. My Regina pizza was undoubtedly one of the greatest pizzas I have eaten outside of Italy, and we were both very impressed.
Within the village, there is also a tabac/bar/restaurant called Le Trèfle à cinq feuilles, a microbrewery, another pizza restaurant called Pizza Loreto, and a coffee shop at the station. For a satisfying afternoon treat after a walk along the river, there is a tearoom called Le Petit Cormier, which serves delicious ice creams and cakes. The café is also a boutique and gallery and is a cave of treasures.
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On Sunday morning we went to the town’s boulangerie for breakfast, where I ate the best tarte aux framboise of my life. My boyfriend opted for an apple tart which was equally moreish. After eating our breakfast, we headed towards the train station with the aim of being back in Paris for lunch. However, on arrival at the station, there was an expansive flea market that took over the station car park and neighboring roads. This brocante included dozens of stalls selling intriguing knick-knacks. Whilst exploring the masses of antiquities, a tempting smell of barbequed burgers reached my nose, and our plans for lunch in Paris went out the window.
Although we stayed a night in Montigny-sur-Loing, at only 50 minutes from Paris, this town is an excellent day trip and one that I will definitely take again.
Check train times here.
Hidden Gem of the Month
Le Village Saint-Paul
4th arrondissement
Entrances found on Rue Saint-Paul, Rue de l’Ave Maria, and Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul.
Metro: Saint-Paul (line 1)
On a free morning before work, I went for a stroll around Le Marais. After sunbathing in Place des Vosges, I walked through Place Saint-Catherine and down Rue Saint-Paul towards the river. It was while wandering down this road that I stumbled across a small archway off the street and saw through it what seemed to resemble a labyrinth of cobblestone streets. This concealed village, reminiscent of something you would find in the French countryside, was bathed in sun, and the babble of happy voices drew me in to explore.
The history of this village begins in the year 633 when the route was a common path taken by the nuns from Saint-Paul-des-Champs chapel to reach the new cemetery designed by Saint-Eloi on L’île de la Cité. To this day, the path remains pedestrianized, and if you take the route away from the river, you will be led to the impressive Saint-Paul of Saint-Louis church which is free to enter and offers a beautiful example of the Baroque architecture of its time.
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Today, this network of passages is home to more than 40 boutique stores, where you can find anything from antique furniture and rare books to clothing and accessories. It is also here that you will find the Musée de la Magie, Paris’ Museum of Magic (which was featured in a very amusing episode of Modern Family). After a browse of the intriguing shops, you will have earned a well-deserved pitstop for something to eat and drink, and the five restaurants within the maze provide quite the choice. Sit back, relax, and soak up the unique atmosphere of this hidden gem.
At a two-minute walk away from Rue de Rivoli and the Seine, it is hard to believe that you are in the center of Paris when in the serene Village Saint-Paul – which calls itself “the village inside the city”.
If you are still left wondering what to do this month, check out my article here.
Lead photo credit : The Parc des Buttes Chaumont, photo: Jean-Louis Vandevivère
More in Cèpe et Figue, Maison Balzac, Montigny-sur-Loing, Poppy in Paris, Rose Bakery, Village Saint Paul
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By Poppy Pearce