Love Can Be a Hotel

In Paris, love can be anything. It can even be a hotel. 

If I am not mistaken, Hotel Amour, situated not far from Pigalle, was the first hotel in Paris where the clients could get a room at an hour rate. This dates back to the 19th century but if you're ever in need of a room after a particularly romantic and sexy brunch in their restaurant, it still offers day use. 

I never went upstairs in the hotel so can't tell you much about the rooms themselves but you can check them out on Hotel Amour's website. They do seem pretty sexy (and some even scary) to me.

Nevertheless, we went only for tea. They have a fairly nice selection of teas (Mariage frères) and herbal infusions at acceptable prices (for Paris...) which is always good news for people allergic to coffee (aka me).

We also went for breakfast/brunch once and it was very tasty. I am told their lunch menus on week days are good as well. The only negative thing is the service. They are SO slow. If you're in a hurry, this will drive you crazy. If you're there to spend a lazy morning/afternoon, then it should be fine. And of course, they forget the milk one orders with tea, but that is not exceptional here. In Paris, I only get milk when asking for it again when they bring the tea. Well, I am in Paris, not London.

We sat down in the luscious green terrace/garden. I guess it's even nicer in summer when the doors and windows are wide open, but it has its charm when rain falls on the verriere and the sky begins to darken. It's Hotel Love, after all.

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!

Bare Shoulders and the Green Heart of Paris

There is always something happening in Paris, or many things at the same time. This year is André le Nôtre's 400th death anniversary and landscape and gardens are naturally the theme of many events. Right now, there is a "garden" in front the Hôtel de Ville - with real grass and flowers (and bees on the flowers!), an orchard, some herbs and trees, lounge chairs to take a break and take in the sight and smells of this place. 

But then, there is something new in Paris and it's a public space and it's great and supposed to be permanent! It is "Les berges". This part of the Banks of the Seine (which by the way are on the World Heritage List) used to be an average urban highway. Smelly cars used to drive close to the water, between the Musée d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower every day excepted for Sundays. This is history. From now on, this part of the Banks (almost 3km long), very close to the water, is car-free and people friendly. You can sit on a bench by the water, eat, play badminton, go to a skatepark, boulder, do push-ups, go to a zumba class, run with a trainer, run a 100m (there are four pink tracks!), have a nap, take a pilates class, spend your time drawing on an enormous chalkboard, have a glass of wine... (and so much more), watch bees fly around and boats go around and be in a nice place in the heart of a big city. THANK YOU PARIS.

All of this makes for a really nice walk especially on a sunny day, the first day of 2013 I managed to wear a strapless dress and needed a hat not to get sick from the sun. Finally.

Outfit

Hat - Agnès b.
Cardigan - a basic one from Zara

Dress - from a little no-name shop in Paris

Shoes - Birkenstock, perfect for my not so happy feet and hips

Bag - Le Pliage, Longchamp

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.

Eat Well, Eat Local, Eat With A Wiew

Hi guys,

Sorry for being such a bad blogger for the past few days. I was away with work and didn't have not time nor means to keep you posted. But this past working week left me with something to write about - food!

I am not home yet so can't really tell how much weight I put on, but I can tell you we ate very well. And mostly locally produced food. This post is about the lunches we took in the "Bistrots de Pays".

This is a French concept and the department where it's the most developed (34 Bistrots!) is Pyrénées Orientales (you guessed, that's where I was). Bistrots de pays are restaurants in small villages cooking good, mostly locally produced food. But they are much more - some of them serve as shops, some as galleries or concert halls, some of them sell bread, or newspapers and some even work as poste offices. Most of them mix several of these functions. They are those places that make the little mountain villages alive. The concept is great, the food was too!

I am not going to list all we ate but just to give you an idea:

• sweet onion and local blue cheese pie with salad
• tagine d'agneau (the lamb came from one of the village farmers)
• sprig rolls with smoked trouts from the mountain springs
• homemade ice cream (pistachio and cardamom, wow!)
• and the veal! The best veal steak I have ever eaten (in rosemary-honey sauce).

I tried Le Café de la Farga,  El Taller (more of a gastronomic restaurant) and La Trobada. If you can, go give them a try. 

I am not even mentioning what a view some of them have!

Ducksoup, London

On Saturday, we had a quick lunch in Soho with a Czech friend currently studying at Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design (how cool is that!!??!!) When I saw the ad for this school in French Vogue, I thought it looked pretty cool and pretty difficult to get in. Very proud I know someone who goes there!

We went to Ducksoup on Dean Street. Initially, we thought we were going to a Vietnamese restaurant, since we followed a sign in the street that went along the lines of "fresh Vietnamese food". Upon getting in, sitting down, seeing the hip crowd there (one actress), the cool and simple design of the place, the handwritten menus and the gramophone playing beautiful jazz, we understood quite quickly, we were probably next door from the Vietnamese place.

The handwritten menu. New every day.

Delish artichokes.

Even sun showed its face.

What a great mistake we made! Stepan had a "Wet garlic" and we (the girls), had fresh baby artichokes with pecorino and delicious olive oil (+ a glass of wine). The food was very nice. The service was a bit slow, but willing to help and gave us good advice on the menu.

Londoners, don't hesitate to go there for fresh, tasty and healthy Italian/French style snacks.

Si.

There is one slight problem with most Parisian cafés. Those teeny tiny tables are so crammed together, you feel like eating or having a glass with strangers most of the time, sharing your personal space and intimate conversations. That's exactly the moment when speaking a different language than people around you is a huge advantage. English usually doesn't do the trick but Czech does. And that's probably the only moment the ability to speak Czech can be useful in Paris.

The café's space problem is not pleasant inside, but it is nothing compared to the terraces when the nice weather comes back to town. EVERYBODY wants his own spot in the sun. We are no exception.

The "speak Czech" part fortunately works outside as nicely as inside.

Since everybody wants to sip their drinks outside, with beautiful weather comes the problem of finding a spot on a terrace. It's no exception to queue a bit.

There is this one place that is different. Well, you usually queue a few minutes as well. Sometimes even waiting doesn't help. That's how great and different this place is. It's the Swedish Institute's (Si.) café. In winter, it's one small room with steam covered windows, cosy tables, hot chocolate and great homemade cakes an sandwiches.

The inside.

In summer, that little "winter" room is still there, plus you have tables in the courtyard, a Parisian palace courtyard.

Not an ordinary courtyard.

You can have a refreshing cup of a cranberry drink or lemonade, a slice of caramel covered cake or if you're more hungry, a bowl of soup or a sandwich witch delicious salmon. And you can actually do all that sitting at a regular size table, which also means chatting with friends without having twenty strangers listening to you conversation. Thank you, Swedish Institute.

This little piece of our joie de vivre lies just around the corner from one of the busiest streets in Paris on Sundays, in the Marais. Go and give it a try if you're around. But I've warned you, you might have to leave disappointed if you're not willing to wait for a table.

And of course, there is much more to the Svenska Institutet than just a mundane café: exhibitions, festivals, classes, concerts... The last big event we went to a few months back was a foodie festival. Four big chefs from the Swedish culinary landscape came to the Si.'s garden and you could taste their twist on Swedish specialities. Very tasty. Go give the Si. a try.