Coq-tail Hour

A few years back, one thing was seriously missing in Paris - proper cocktail bars. Well, you probably could have gone to the Ritz, but buying a Dior dress just not to feel stupid going there was not an option for me. And of course, you could go for a mojito-without-taste to most of the bars in Paris. But there was no place with fancy barmen whipping incredible cocktails dating back to the 1920s or 30s, creating their own inventions or something custom made to the client's taste and all of this for an affordable price (i.e. not over 20euros per drink). 

I wasn't probably the only one who thought there were not enought cocktail bars in Paris, because these past two years, the Parisian cocktail bar scene became much more relevant.

The other night with friends, we returned to a place called "Le Coq" near Republique. We've already been a few months ago when the place opened and we liked it a lot. That's a reason for coming back, I'd say. 

The seats are cosy and modulable according to the size of your party. Very unparisian, since you actually can't mistake your unknown neighbour's glass for your own and you don't have to share their private conversation. It's a bit noisy but the cocktails are delicious (and seriously strong) and the atmosphere is nice. Le Coq-tail hour!

American Wine Tasting

Wine tasting is an activity I find quite pleasant, anytime. And this time it went along with a really tasty dinner. It also was a gift my husband received, which made the experience even nicer. You eat great food, you taste nice wines and at the end, you don't have to pay... Thanks guys!

This particular wine tasting dinner took part in a place called Ô Chateau, in the very centre of Paris, very close to Les Halles, that part that Zola used to call "le Ventre de Paris" ("the Belly of Paris"). It was French wine and French food but it had one specificity. It took place in english. Which was fine with us, we understand english, you know. It just meant that we were the only non-Americans in the room. And all the other guests were quite excited about our chance to live in this amazing city. I should have probably put this as a quote.

We were quite happy we decided to dress up. Americans always dress up for dinner and this one was definitely not an exception. French people don't do that at all. Unless maybe when invited for a dinner at the Ritz or somewhere. That's one thing I really don't get here in France, people's ability to wear jeans everywhere, even to the Opera...

Everyone in the room was very friendly and had excellent art of conversation. No one was left out of the discussions. That would probably never have happened with French people, either. Because nobody would have thought about presenting himself in the first place (me included, I have to admit). It was a nice change and a very pleasant evening.

But back to the dinner. We had champagne for apéritif, a very nice Blanc de Blanc. Then, with entrée we had a light Sancerre. With the main course (a very tender pavé de Salers), the sommelier went for Haut-Médoc (Bordeaux). We were very lucky on that one. They used to do the wine tasting with the 2008 vintage but ran out of it about a week before we came over for dinner. Which meant we had the 2009 vintage (the best year for red Bordeaux wines in the past decade along with 2005). This one was my favourite. The Malbec from Cahors we had with dessert was not bad either, though.

For a "wine tasting" it was more of a real dinner with a lot of good wine. No spitting, no small amounts. Real big glasses of all of them. At the end, I had to refuse the sommelier's offer to pour me another glass of my favourite wine of the evening, because I still had two unfinished glasses in front of me (none of them contained water...).

What an evening!

8 Tips for a Summer in Paris

Whether you're just visiting (or planning to visit) or living in Paris, here are my TOP 8 things to do in the city during the hot summer months:

1. Eat Ice Cream - the best one is at Berthillon, on the Ile Saint-Louis. Do you prefer your classics like vanilla, chocolate or pistachio or would you go for the amazing forest strawberries or salty caramel? Not your cup of tea? Go for the Earl Grey flavour, then. There are cocktail and summer inspired ice creams, too - Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri (with real rhum).
2. Make your Own Ice Cream - you can also make it (if you have a freezer and a blender). Ice cream is great, everybody agrees on that. But eating too much ice cream might be not as great for your bikini body. Here we have to thank Rosie from The Londoner, again, for her amazingly simple, healthy and delicious recipe for a dairy free (means no cream) gelato. I did it twice in a week when I discovered it. Yum. Eat as much as you like!
3. Have an Apéro - Parisians "stuck" in Paris (= those who are at work and envy those who are on holidays at the moment) tend to make the evenings as holidayish as possible. Going out for an apéro right out of work is a nice way to do it. Sit in a bar or café, in the evening sun (or hiding from it when it's too hot), sip a rosé, a beer, a summer cocktail or an ice tea (made from real tea and ice), chat with you friends or your other half and order some apéro food (tapas or a planche).
4. Les Berges - I already wrote about the new Berges here. An ideal spot for an apéro. En attendant Rosa might be the place to go to.
5. Picnics - if you can, grab your picnic basket and your plaid, your dinner (probably a refreshing cucumber salad you just made) and your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/friends/book/iPad (pick the one you want, you can combine them, no worries) and head out to a park or on the quays. Sit there, eat, chat and marvel at the beauty of Paris when the sun sets above the Seine.
6. Play tennis - there are few cheaper and easier spo(r)ts than tennis (courts) in Paris. The city owns numerous courts around Paris, you can book most of them online and it will cost you only 7€50 per hour (4€50 if you are under 26). If you're lucky, you might even get a spot in Jardin du Luxembourg... You can also do Swedish Gym, Zumba, Yoga etc. outside and for free. Just put your request in the good old Google.
7. Paris Plage - stick your feet in hot sand, take a dance class, play pétanque, go buy yourself a drink or an ice cream wearing just your swimwear in the heart of a big city, take three friends and have yourself a merry beach volleyball match, chill out. It's Paris Plage again!
8. Festival Cinéma Clair de Lune - 9:30 PM, in a park somewhere in Paris, fancy watching a movie? Just sit and watch, its for free. Programme here.

Or combine all of the above.

Oh, and RELAX, take it easy...

Any other tips?

Love Is In The Air

I don't know about you, but I love weddings. Those happy moments and memories you'll remember forever (or at least for some time). Last weekend, we went to Poznan to make some new happy memories and be part of the D day of our amazing friends. We thought it would be a beautiful and nice wedding but it just completely exceeded our expectations.

Stary Rynek, Poznan

I cried a bit during the ceremony in the beatiful Poznan Cathedral, even if I could't understand half the things the priest was saying. The young couple was just so beautiful, I was in awe.

At dinner, we were all to find our seat according to nametags. These were the sweetest wedding nametags I have ever seen in real life. When I was a little girl, there were three sweets I very much liked to eat but was unable to finish. Therefore, my parents, quite understandably, never wanted to buy them to me (it was always such a waste...). The three sweets were Almond Magnum Ice Cream, Pink Cotton Candy and Huge Flat Lollipops. Just like the ones we got as nametags at the wedding! I am still afraid I won't be able to eat the whole thing, so I take pleasure in looking at it for the moment.

Wedding outfit

Dress: H&M, two or three years ago

Shoes: Dessine-moi un soulier, gift from friends

Clutch: Christian Louboutin (part of a bigger bag)

Lipstick: YSL Rouge Pur Couture, n13 Le Orange

We ate well (best wedding food we've ever tasted, I'd say), had great fun with friends we haven't seen in a long time, danced a lot, cried a bit (again), met new people, spoke several languages, sang a song in Polish, danced cancan when the band played "Jóžin z bažin" (where did that one come from ?!?), marveled at the newlyweds, revered in their happiness and love and were astonished by the posing skills of the beautiful bride. Oh, and we drank vodka, of course. When the sun got up, we went to sleep. What a great day. 

It was a beautiful day with beautiful people.

In the morning, on our way back to the hotel.

Congratulations to the newlyweds again! Love you guys.

Travelling outfit

Shirt: Zara A/W12

Trousers: Lacoste Live S/S12

Shoes: Fees de Bengale

Bag: Le Pliage, Longchamp

Glasses: Paul Smith

Berlin airport.

Could we have more such weekends, please? Thank you!

Delicious Trip to Cambodia

In Paris, people queue. For everything, not only at the post office like elsewhere. You queue to get your baguette on Saturday morning, you queue to get into an exhibition and you often queue to get a table at a café or restaurant. 

Our last queuing happened to be for a table. And even though the wait was long, it was worth it. Initially, we were supposed to have dinner with friends but as it turned out, our friends had the date wrong and had other plans for the night. Since we were there and I was very hungry, we decided to give the restaurant a try anyway. S. knew the place already since he went there for lunch a few times.  He told me it was nice. I read reviews online and they said it was a nice place with real authentic food. Well, this was largely underestimated. 

Now I've eaten there, I completely understand why people are willing to wait so long or a table in this particular Cambodian restaurant... It completely fell in the "oh so delicious" category. Oh yes, it was so good I had a gourmet déjà vu. Several years back, (10?!?) I met a young ethnologist in Prague. He was specialising in SouthEast Asia and in need of books from France. I brought the books to Prague and got invited for a dinner in a Laotian restaurant. That was the first time I ever ate sticky rice. That was the time I fell in love with coconut milk and peanuts in my plate. 

Yesterday I had a navin (cocunut milk with prawns and pork) and after the first mouthful, I was not the grumpy hungry person anymore, I was happy. Stepan had a "picnic from Angkor" and seemed quite happy too. 

If you like Cambodian food and aren't afraid of waiting, I can only recommend Le Petit Cambodge, close to Canal Saint Martin. 

Outfit

Shoes: H&M with orthopedic soles

Jeans: Vero Moda

Wrap: Uniqlo, an old one

Top: a super old one, it used to be my grandfather's!

Bag: Longchamp

PS.: This is the first ever post completely written and published from my phone, sorry if it's not aligned as it should be...

The Cake(s), the Liquid Grenades and the Party

I realised recently I haven't thrown a birthday party for myself since my 21st birthday. Which, I must sadly admit, was 6 years ago. Let's throw a party, then.

Red green and white theme.

The original idea (and hope) was to do it outside, like a big evening picnic in a park. End of June, why not. Well, not because of the cold and the rain. The weather looked more like March than June this weekend. 1st day of summer, huh... Home party then. In the end, I was happy we did it at home, because of the amount of food we cooked and baked. I don't think it would have been possible to carry it all to the park.

And there was more...

We had

• four layers Red Velvet Cake (Mangolia Bakery in NYC recipe), mmmh so sweet, cookbook here
• Lemon Drizzle Cake (The Londoner), best lemon cake ever, recipe here
• crunchy Bacon&Comté Potato Cake inspired by the Bacon&Cheese Potato Muffins from the Diary of Dita P. cookbook (sorry, only in Czech)
• Garlic and Chives Spread with radishes and italian breadsticks (bought those, both the radishes and the breadsticks but the chives were homegrown)
• Red Hot Chilli Peppers with melting cheese from Dita P. as well. It's supposed to be an "After Sex" recipe, but suits a birthday party quite as well. You just need to like spicy stuff (and be careful not to put your hands in your eyes when preparing it).
• to drink, along with a few beers and some wine, we had Basil Lemonade Grenades, thank you The Londoner for another simple yet delicious recipe! (I did simple Basil Lemonade, too)
• and amazing Chocolate & Berries muffins from Jana, thanks!

My Red Velvet.

Muffins that became a cake.

Basil Lemonade Grenades = Basil Lemonade + Vodka.

Tip: If you have a small flat and especially if your living room is smaller than your bedroom, it's a good idea to use all the space you have (and people can sit on the bed = much more seating space). The problem we had is that during all other parties we did at home, people didn't want to go to the bedroom and the living room got really crammed. If you want to have people everywhere, put most of your food and drinks in the bedroom. It works.

Birthday girl.

It was a very nice party. I had great fun and people looked to have fun too. My friends know me too well, I got different flowers, nice tea with a cup, voucher for shoes and a lipstick... I drank the tea for breakfast on Sunday, wore the lipstick on Monday and now it's Tuesday and the shoes are on my feet. I guess the shoes will have their own post but for now, just a few pictures.

Thanks guys! My new Dessine-moi un soulier shoes.

Wore the lipstick right away to work on monday.

Cake Anyone?

All this cold weather and rain makes me wish I was at Chester's by the River again... Sitting in a heated room with the rain pouring outside and with a cup of hot chocolate and a big fat slice of one their amazing cakes.

 

Chester's is one of those great places where food is great, serving staff nice and the decor is just right. + it's in the Lake District (major plus, you got it). 

It's in Skelwith Bridge, about 10min drive west from Ambleside. 

I am not going to forget soon those cakes displayed on the counter. I hope to be able to bake such nice looking and good tasting cakes one day. And have a glass cake-stand to display them on...

If you need some nice stationery, or plates and Cumbria crystal glasses, or gift-wrap paper or silly games for children, it's all right there, in the shop.