Post by Laidback on Mar 9, 2008 20:50:30 GMT -5
Les Invalides
« Thread Started on Feb 18, 2008, 6:44pm »
To make this new category, that Truffaut thoughtfully created, more comprehensible, I am going to attempt to copy and paste the thread I started under Paris Quartiers here. Mistakes more than likely will be made, so bear with me.
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The Invalides neighborhood, as well as the 7th arrondissement in general, gets tagged as an old, fuddy-duddy, wealthy residential area and much of that is true. However it is blessed with more wide open, beautiful green space than any other area; the Esplanade running between Mansards gold domed chapel and the magnificent Alexandre the 3rd bridge; the wide avenues such as Breteuil, Bourdonnais, Bosquet and obviously the Champ de Mars. There are advantages to having a quartier with the old, moneyed residents...they demand quality which accounts for the Ave. Saxe market on Thursday and Saturday morning being one of the finest in Paris.
This also accounts for the fact that there are more Michelin red guide Bibb Gourmand restaurants (good quality to value rapport) in the 7th than the 4th, 5th, and 6th combined. If money is no object there is Arpege, Le Divellec and Jules Verne, but this is not what we are talking about, but rather Le P'tit Troquet
Le Florimond, L'Ami Jean, Affriolé, Le Troquet, Thoumieux, et al.
I enjoy the crush and buzz of the Latin Quarter and have stayed there, but I prefer to leave the late night revelers and come home to a calm, secure area for a good nights sleep. There are glorious apartment buildings in the area between Ave de la Bourdonnais and the Champ de Mars. Princess Caroline has one on the west side of Bourdonnais near the intersection of rue Montessuy that you can recognize by its ornate gilded iron work grill bearing the Monaco coat of arms.
Through the years I have stayed in 3 hotels and 6 apartments in this neighborhood. My favorites were some beauties owned by a classy(read EXPENSIVE) company called Paris Perfect. They became too rich for my retired blood for long stays but they are superb. Here is the exterior of one which wraps around 3 sides of the building at the Rapp/Bourdonnais intersection.
It is on the 6th floor with a balcony all around and 7 French doors giving the following view depending on the time of day:
Probably my favorite street in the quartier is St. Dominique with it's plethora of boulangeries, boucheries, patisseries. If you haven't tried a tarte Tatin and pain au chocolat at Jean Millet you should. I dislike it when someone ceremoniously decrees that this or that is "the best in Paris" unless they have been to everything in Paris, but Poujauran/Secco, Millet and Cantin are near the top for boulangerie, patisserie and fromagerie. They are all on, or steps from St. Dominique.
I travel from any arrondissement to eat at Christian Constant's little culinary kingdom along the street. I first went to Le Violon d'Ingres the month that it opened and have followed it through its' 3 rebirths. Chef was kind enough to give a couple of private courses in his kitchen at the old Violon dÍngres, which for a foodie was nirvana. Here he is explaining lamb preparation
and then assembling the ingredients for a dessert
His cassoulet Montauban style is as good as I need, presented here by a young Alexandre who is now the maitre d.
and here are Coquille St. Jacques which could convert a vegan
I have so much more to relate about this quartier but let me stop now and wait for critique.
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Work is the curse of the drinking classes...Wilde
« Thread Started on Feb 18, 2008, 6:44pm »
To make this new category, that Truffaut thoughtfully created, more comprehensible, I am going to attempt to copy and paste the thread I started under Paris Quartiers here. Mistakes more than likely will be made, so bear with me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Invalides neighborhood, as well as the 7th arrondissement in general, gets tagged as an old, fuddy-duddy, wealthy residential area and much of that is true. However it is blessed with more wide open, beautiful green space than any other area; the Esplanade running between Mansards gold domed chapel and the magnificent Alexandre the 3rd bridge; the wide avenues such as Breteuil, Bourdonnais, Bosquet and obviously the Champ de Mars. There are advantages to having a quartier with the old, moneyed residents...they demand quality which accounts for the Ave. Saxe market on Thursday and Saturday morning being one of the finest in Paris.
This also accounts for the fact that there are more Michelin red guide Bibb Gourmand restaurants (good quality to value rapport) in the 7th than the 4th, 5th, and 6th combined. If money is no object there is Arpege, Le Divellec and Jules Verne, but this is not what we are talking about, but rather Le P'tit Troquet
Le Florimond, L'Ami Jean, Affriolé, Le Troquet, Thoumieux, et al.
I enjoy the crush and buzz of the Latin Quarter and have stayed there, but I prefer to leave the late night revelers and come home to a calm, secure area for a good nights sleep. There are glorious apartment buildings in the area between Ave de la Bourdonnais and the Champ de Mars. Princess Caroline has one on the west side of Bourdonnais near the intersection of rue Montessuy that you can recognize by its ornate gilded iron work grill bearing the Monaco coat of arms.
Through the years I have stayed in 3 hotels and 6 apartments in this neighborhood. My favorites were some beauties owned by a classy(read EXPENSIVE) company called Paris Perfect. They became too rich for my retired blood for long stays but they are superb. Here is the exterior of one which wraps around 3 sides of the building at the Rapp/Bourdonnais intersection.
It is on the 6th floor with a balcony all around and 7 French doors giving the following view depending on the time of day:
Probably my favorite street in the quartier is St. Dominique with it's plethora of boulangeries, boucheries, patisseries. If you haven't tried a tarte Tatin and pain au chocolat at Jean Millet you should. I dislike it when someone ceremoniously decrees that this or that is "the best in Paris" unless they have been to everything in Paris, but Poujauran/Secco, Millet and Cantin are near the top for boulangerie, patisserie and fromagerie. They are all on, or steps from St. Dominique.
I travel from any arrondissement to eat at Christian Constant's little culinary kingdom along the street. I first went to Le Violon d'Ingres the month that it opened and have followed it through its' 3 rebirths. Chef was kind enough to give a couple of private courses in his kitchen at the old Violon dÍngres, which for a foodie was nirvana. Here he is explaining lamb preparation
and then assembling the ingredients for a dessert
His cassoulet Montauban style is as good as I need, presented here by a young Alexandre who is now the maitre d.
and here are Coquille St. Jacques which could convert a vegan
I have so much more to relate about this quartier but let me stop now and wait for critique.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Work is the curse of the drinking classes...Wilde
Let the riot begin! LOL - 
hahahha