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HomeTown Paris blog offers you a selection of articles devoted to the destination Paris, its news, culture, activities and of course, its people
Five barges where to have a drink at night in Paris
Five barges where to have a drink at night in Paris Paris is a party! ... Yes, but you have toured all the rooftops of the capital. It's time to come and refresh your ideas at the edge of the water! Strolling along the Seine is one of Parisians favorite sports. Since the banks of the Seine have been open to pedestrians, this hobby that lends itself perfectly to long summer evenings, has become more enjoyable than ever. The 10 hectares of the Rives de Seine Park have seen many bars along the Parisian quays where you can enjoy a drink, terraces where you can dine, barges where to dance, floating dancefloors where to party. Trendy places or bucolic refreshments, the Parisian barges now offer a wide choice to satisfy all tastes: here is our "Top 5", and it is closer to the river that it happens. Chill with a view at Rosa Bonheur The Rosa Bonheur sur Seine is the third establishment in a group of other places popular with the inhabitants of the French capital. At the foot of the gilding Pont Alexandre III since 2014, the Rosa Bonheur is already a classic Parisian evenings. In the heart of a site where Paris is imperial, opulent, the friendly barge adorned with flamingos offers a haven of relaxation to strollers along the Seine. In the respect of the frame, classified with the World inheritance of UNESCO, one sips a rosé while tasting tapas or famous pizzas with the fire of wood, one profits from its dance floor to the rhythm of the waves on the occasion of a ball, or we wiggle to the sound of a pop-rock concert, between two foosball games. Stick to the ropes, the sunset is to fall backwards, and it is known (plan not to be alone ...). Rosa Bonheur Sur Seine - Port of the Invalides, 75007 Paris Opening hours : Barge: Sunday from 11:30 to 22:30; Monday and Tuesday from noon to 10.30 pm; Wednesday from noon to 0H30; Thursday to Saturday: noon to 1:30 Terrace: Every day from noon to midnight (depending on the weather) Pizza: Wednesday to Sunday lunch and dinner Seaside atmosphere at the Mackerel Cast off ! Another bank, another atmosphere, floating bar-restaurant Les Maquereaux has reopened its terrace on May 1, to carry us in a maritime atmosphere until October. Overlooking Ile Saint Louis, a musical atmosphere provided by the house with invited DJs every week, the high tables and sofas of the Maquereaux offer their guests a subtle mix of modernity and good-natured authenticity. You can savor fresh oysters from Brittany, shellfish or smoked fish from the Ile d'Yeu: in a word, spend an evening on this beautiful barge under the plane trees, it's a bit going on vacation. After tasting the seafood, tasting the cocktails, it is possible to enjoy the boat until the end of the night as the houseboat becomes a club, making the dancers sail until 2am. Les Maquereaux - Quai de l'hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 17h to 2h; Saturday from 12h30 to 2h; Sunday from 12h30 to 21h Large culture mix at the Petit Bain Let’s cheat a little, including among our favorites a boat that cannot really be called "barge" ... but worth the detour to bask on the Seine without tanning at wild. Designed by the Encore Heureux architects' collective, moored in an urban environment, the Petit Bain barge is defined as a "floating cultural facility". An entire program for this small ship (which had never sailed), born in 2011 from an initiative of the creators of the association La Guinguette Pirate. The association is one of the first cultural actors who took possession of the banks of the Seine in 1995, rehabilitating heritage boats in concert halls (the Pirate Guinguette and the Batofar). The Petit Bain retains the original idea of bringing together the social, the cultural, the economic ... and the pleasure of enjoying the banks of the river. This place is, so to speak, an off-road space where you can enjoy a good meal or a drink at the foot of the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, listen to music, admire an exhibition. True cultural center of the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris, the Petit Bain can accommodate 450 people for concerts of emerging artists, and has a restaurant with 70 seats where to discover its seasonal cuisine with varied influences. Other charming assets of this welcoming place: the rooftop terrace and the aquatic garden offer an ideal setting to enjoy the Parisian summer under the colorful lanterns. The Petit Bain - 7 Port de la Gare, 75013 Paris Opening hours: Tuesday and Wednesday from 18h to midnight; Thursday to Saturday from 16h to 2h; Sunday from 4pm to midnight. Everyone says « I love you » aboard Marcounet Back on the right bank of historical Paris, at the foot of the Pont Marie, between the Town Hall and the Île Saint Louis. Built in 1925, the houseboat Marcounet immerses its guests in the Paris by night of Woody Allen or Hollywood movies of the 50s. Indeed everything is there: the Seine and its islands, the ball of red, the concerts of bop or blues. A little wine bar, a little jazz club, not bad bobo, the perfect cocktail of the Parisian place where it is good to play with the image of Epinal of the French capital. When its beautiful terrace, which can accommodate up to 190 people, is complete, the Marcounet "overflows" and floods the wharves of wooden pallets transformed into tables. The more muted atmosphere of the bridge reserved for concerts contrasts with the festive outbursts of the summer aperitif that then settles on the pavement of Paris. Outside as in, the spirit is warm, we feel at home quickly ... to the point of returning for Sunday brunch, why not? Marcounet barge - Port des Célestins, at the foot of Pont Marie, 75004 Paris Opening hours: From 10am to midnight Capture the soul of Paris with La Balle au Bond Have a drink in Paris admiring the sunset facing the Louvre, what does the people want? This is what the barge of La Balle au Bond offers, near the legendary Pont des Arts. As at the Petit Bain, the public come to relax in the evening on the banks of the Seine can vary the pleasures by enjoying the rich programming of the place in concerts, exhibitions, or other literary meetings. As for the culinary festivities, one can taste from its large terrace in the open air or its interior living room, a fusion and seasonal cuisine entirely composed of fresh products. Particularly well located, the large white boat can radiate on some of the most emblematic districts of Paris: the Tuileries, the Louvre Museum, the Latin Quarter, or a little further Notre Dame de Paris. The Ball at the Bond - Port des Saints-Pères (opposite 3 Malaquais wharf), 75006 Paris Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:30 to 19:00
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Five barges where to have a drink at night in Paris
See the paintings of the Impressionists in Paris
The Impressionists have marked the history of art, not only in France, but around the world. At the end of the 19th century, many young painters were tired of the boring classicism of teaching at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and invented a new way of looking. Inspired by the latest scientific developments, especially in optics, they want to recreate the effects of light, the shimmer of water, the diffraction of sunlight, the way the leaves of a tree produce a speckled shadow, so characteristic. To represent reality as our reason conceives it seems to them to be of little interest. What they want is the immediacy of the visual sensation, the way the luminous reflections touch the eye. Similar to the digital pixels, the color spots that the impressionists have on their canvases reconstitute an image in a way even closer to reality. Touch by touch, emerges an impression closer to our experience, that of a bright afternoon when dazzled by the shimmering water, when the dark shadow that the leaves of trees make on the floor shows us unexpected tones, blue or green. A greenish reflection on the cheek of a girl?! Scandal! And yet, it is the reality of our visual perception. The painting that Claude Monet calls "Impression: Rising Sun" gives the movement its official name. After being repeatedly refused at the Salon Officiel, the Impressionists will eventually win. The public does not fool in front of what it takes for laziness or dilettantism: the colored spots thrown on the canvas in haste, the paintings made in a few hours in the open air, as long as the light is beautiful, instead of being conceived, realized and finished in the studio, the themes drawn from everyday life and not from ancient mythology, everything is new and rout of spectators who had been accustomed to more classicism. Today, the impressionists hold their revenge: admired throughout the world, their paintings adorn the least of memories, coffee mugs, t-shirts, fridge magnets and keychains. Yet far from the adulterated reproductions, one can admire in Paris many paintings of this movement which revolutionized the history of art. Let's take a tour of the three main museums that house today the masterpieces of Impressionism in Paris. See the paintings of the Impressionists in Paris: Le Musée d'Orsay The museum occupies a choice place, on the banks of the Seine, in the former Orsay train station, a magnificent building built for the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1900. It brings together an impressive collection, paintings of course, photography, sculpture, decorative arts, graphic arts ... It is in Orsay that we find many famous paintings of Impressionism, such as the floor scrapers, Gustave Caillebotte, The Card Players of Paul Cézanne, The Willows at the Water's Edge by Camille Corot, as well as several Courbet and Degas, to name but a few. Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles is also there, as well as La Méridienne and the Church of Auvers sur Oise. In other words, the museum is a must for anyone who loves paintings, including paintings of the second half of the 19th century, in France and Europe. It is better to take your time, and have breaks in the cafe or museum shop. A thorough visit can easily fill the day! Musée d'Orsay - opens every day except Monday from 9:30 to 18h, Thursday until 21:45 - 1, rue de la Legion d'Honneur, 75007 - metro 12 Solferino, RER C Musée d'Orsay - entrance 12 € Reduced price 9 € - attention, keep your ticket: it entitles you to the reduced rate within eight days of the visit to the museum Gustave Moreau, the Palais Garnier and the museum Jean-Jacques Henner. See Monet’s Water Lilies in Paris: Le Musée de l'Orangerie One comes to the Orangery first to see the centerpiece: the gigantic fresco of Claude Monet's water lilies. For more than thirty years, Claude Monet tirelessly painted reflections of the water lily pond in his Giverny property. The result is more than 250 paintings, of which the monumental frescoes of the Orangery Museum which are the most famous. Spread over two oval rooms lit by a glass roof, they represent the pond through the day and the four seasons. They offer a moment of meditation and unparalleled beauty. The museum also houses a rich collection from the late 19th and early 20th century: Cézanne, Gauguin, Marie Laurencin, Matisse, Modigliani, Chaim Soutine and Picasso live side by side. Temporary exhibitions Water Lilies: American Abstraction and the Last Monet Until August 20, 2018 This exceptional exhibition presents a large canvas of Water Lilies exhibited in New York in 1955 and the creations of the New York abstract school, including works by Pollock and Rothko. The Cruel Tales of Paula Rego From October 17, 2018 to January 14, 2019 Paula Rego left her native Portugal as a teenager to move to London. At the Slade School of Arts, she meets Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach and David Hockney. In uncompromising paintings, she depicts squeaky and cruel scenes that evoke power struggles and the feminine condition. Musée de l'Orangerie - open every day except Tuesday from 9h to 18h - Tuileries Garden, 75001 - metro 1, 8 or 12 Concorde - entrance 9 €, reduced price 6,50 € - possibility to buy a cut the line ticked -file online, print at home. See other Impressionist paintings in Paris: Le Musée Marmottan-Monet The Musée d'Orsay may receive the lion's share of the visits, but the Marmottan-Monet museum has a very rich collection of impressionist art, built up little by little, with illustrious donations: the "doctor's daughter" "Impressionists", Georges de Bellio, and the second son of Claude Monet, bequeathed the collections of their fathers, and this base has been enriched over the years. The museum is also home to some of the most beautiful ancient illuminations, the Georges Wildenstein collection, as well as the collection of paintings and objects from the First Empire that belonged to the museum's founder, Paul Marmottan (who, by the way, hated the Impressionists, apparently...). Temporary exhibitions To discover the temporary exhibitions of the Marmottan Museum, visit the website, on the pages "Exhibition in progress" and "Exhibition to come" Corot, the painter and his models Until July 8, 201 The famous landscapes of Camille Corot reminds us that he was also a great portraitist. In his paintings, he represents fashionable characters or modest anonymous, with always a lot of modernity. This exhibition brings together about sixty paintings from public and private collections from all over Europe (Zurich, Lyon, Madrid ...) and the United States (Washington, New York). Private Collections - Masterpieces from Private Collections of Fauvism Impressionism From September 13, 2018 to February 10, 2019 This exceptional exhibition will bring together about sixty works usually invisible to the public, lent by private collectors. This is a rare opportunity to see for the first-time paintings by the greatest names in Impressionism and Fauvism, such as Monet, Degas, Caillebotte, Renoir, Rodin, Camille Claudel, Seurat, Signac, Emile Bernard, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Redon, Vuillard, Bonnard, Derain, Vlaminck or Matisse. Musée Marmottan-Monet (notice of the museum to download) - open every day except Monday from 10h to 18h, Thursday until 21h - 2, rue Louis Boilly, 75016 - metro 9 La Muette, RER C Boulainvilliers - entrance 11 €, reduced price € 7.50
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See the paintings of the Impressionists in Paris
Visit Versailles differently: the treasure hunt!
Versailles is one of the destinations not to be missed under any circumstances when visiting Paris. Voila, the castle is huge, beautiful, and its history may seem like too much ... but how to enjoy the visit without getting overwhelmed? For example, what would you say about going on a treasure hunt? Here are four representative objects of Versailles, with their history. Can you find them in the galleries of the castle? Visit Versailles: some practical tips Versailles is very, very, very popular with tourists ... It will take patience to queue at the ticket office, unless you buy your tickets online here. Remember, however, that you can rely on HomeTown to organize an excursion to Versailles with a guided tour. In this case, goodbye long queues! The Château itself is open every day except Mondays, from 9am to 6.30pm in high season. The Petit Trianon and the Galerie des Carrosses are open in the afternoon only, from noon to 5.30 pm. It is recommended to avoid Tuesdays and weekends when there is a crowd. You can also consult the calendar of the castle to see the forecast of affluence. You can go to Versailles by public transport, several solutions for this: Take the RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche Or take the Gare Montparnasse train to Versailles Chantiers Or take the Gare Saint-Lazare train to Versailles Rive Droite The RATP bus 171 departs from the Pont de Sèvres (terminus of metro line 9) and goes to the castle A forewarning, all of these options, except the bus, require to finish the journey on foot (between 10 to 20 minutes walk from the station). There is also a shuttle, Versailles Express, which goes directly to the Palace of Versailles. The shuttle departs from Quai Bourdonnais, near the Eiffel Tower. Once you have passed the golden gates of the Castle, here are the four objects to find! Portrait of Marie Leszczynska Less known than Marie Antoinette, Marie Leszczynska, the wife of Louis XV, had not less a remarkable destiny, and almost as tragic as that of Marie Antoinette ... In 1725, the weak health of Louis XV worries a lot: what will become of the crown of France if he dies without an heir? When he falls sick again, his entourage panics and looks for a wife of age to give him children. After complex court intrigue, it is Marie Leszczynska, Princess of Poland, who is chosen. She is seven years older than her future husband. This is a default choice: the princess was first eliminated from the ranking because her lineage was not prestigious enough, but it is finally chosen because it does not threaten any party at the court of Versailles. She has no support at court, where she finds herself isolated. She will give ten children to Louis XV, including eight girls; only one son survives. Very pious, rather shy, she finds it hard to find her place in Versailles because she lacks a lot of talent - she does not master French "lightness". To find this portrait, go to the Victoire apartment! This portrait really pleased the Queen, who had several copies made of it. She is modestly represented in city clothes, with nothing to show her status as queen. Pendulum of « Louis XIV » In 1706, the watchmaker Antoine Morand presents the king with an exceptional clock that he himself made. To please Louis XIV, Morand represented the king in panache: when the clock rings the hour, two putti strike the gilded metal, and the king appears, to be crowned by the goddess of Fame. The clock is mounted on a box of fine marquetry. Like many objects of the Palace of Versailles, the clock experienced many vicissitudes at the time of the Revolution. A revolutionary watchmaker removes the royal arms to replace them with Republican emblems and makes the clock the "Pendulum of Liberty". It was bought by Louis XVIII and returned to Versailles in 1819. Step 2 of the treasure hunt: you will find the clock in the Salon de Mercure. Do not miss the Astronomical Clock, a clockwork jewel with an exquisite precision. It is exposed in the cabinet of the Pendulum. Candelabrum « of the American Independence» This candlestick represents a trend firmly rooted in the courts of Europe at the time: objects that celebrate or commemorate a special occasion, with many symbols. For the third stage of the treasure hunt, you will find this candelabrum in the King's Inner Cabinet, its original location. The candlestick was created in 1784, to celebrate the victory of Yorktown (1781). We find the animals and elements that symbolize the various protagonists of the battle, delicately carved in bronze: leopards, roosters, mermaids and ships. The Siege of Yorktown is a turning point in the American War of Independence, which pitted the British armies against the American insurgent forces. These fought with the support and reinforcement of the French. While, on the American side, the Duke of Rochambeau and General Washington decide to march to New York, on the English side Lord Cornwallis leads his troops to refuel at Yorktown. Rochambeau decides to change strategy and march to Yorktown to fight Cornwallis, without informing Washington. The bet is risky, but the British soldiers are much less numerous, and weakened by malaria. With the reinforcement of the French fleet wetting in the Chesapeake Bay, the American victory is assured, and the English surrender on October 19, 1781. Marie-Antoinette's Armchair at the Petit Trianon One of the things that amazes the most when visiting Versailles is the furniture. Imitated around the world, admired, the furniture of 18th century Versailles never stops to influence fashion. This pretty armchair was commissioned by Marie Antoinette to furnish her bedroom, and you will find it at the Petit Trianon. Last step of the treasure hunt! It is part of a set decorated with ears of wheat, honeysuckle and jasmine that the queen ordered in 1787, just two years before the Revolution. It is possible that she did not enjoy it very long... The vegetal decoration corresponds well to the rural inspiration that Marie-Antoinette wanted to give to the Petit Trianon. This castle was her refuge when the atmosphere of Versailles, stiff and starched, became too stuffy. This is a space that Marie-Antoinette wanted to model according to her tastes: the refined simplicity is inspired by the fashion of the "Swiss chalet", which was raging at the time. Against the sophisticated sophistication of the Court and the corruption of big cities, many aristocrats aspired to a simple life - or at least a fashion that reminds them of what a simple life could be! Indeed, we should not push too much anyway: this "return to nature" is especially evident on furniture sets very refined and comfortable! Even if the Hameau de la Reine farm worked well as a farm, Marie-Antoinette was never really a shepherdess, except to dress up ... And to finish the visit: see Versailles differently Contemporary photographer and artist Jean-François Rauzier made a startling bet: take thousands of photos of Versailles - and sew them together to get dreamlike views of the palace. Infinite staircases, kaleidoscopic galleries, maze libraries ... The result is breathtaking. He dedicated to Versailles a magnificent book, Hyper Versailles (found here). In this video, the artist explains his technique as he applied it to the graceful lines of the staircase at the Hôtel de Ville in Versailles.
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Visit Versailles differently: the treasure hunt!
Croissants and pastries: the best bakeries in Paris
One of the great pleasures of a stay in Paris is to wander through the streets and spontaneously enter a small neighborhood bakery, attracted by the tantalizing smell of freshly baked bread, or the butter scent of the golden croissants, crispy on the outside and melting on the inside. Pastries and bakeries in Paris are perhaps the most visited monuments! Did you know that until 2014, it was the prefecture that decided which bakeries had the right to take vacations in July, and which others were allowed to close in August: no way to leave the French, and the Parisians furthermore, without their sacrosanct wand, under penalty of riots... What a pleasure to plant your teeth in the beautiful airy bread of a traditional baguette, or enjoy a simple but divine pastry - not to mention new fashion stores, whose minimalist look is inspired by art galleries: in these chic places, we appreciate refined delicacies as much with the eyes as with the taste buds! Let's go around some of the best pastries in Paris... The most Parisian: Boulangerie Alexine Let's start with a small neighborhood bakery, the kind of bakery that we discover when we do not expect it, at the corner of a street. In the old fashioned way, the Alexine bakery has neither Facebook page nor website, but its reputation was made without the help of social networks! Appreciated by lovers of good bread and good pastries, it is always full. To be discovered, to find the nostalgic pleasure of a Parisian bakery who contents in making excellent bread, and who finds its publicity in its location. Without worrying about blowing the trumpets of fame. Alexine bakery - 40 rue Lepic, 75018 - Abbesses metro station The most Rising Sun: Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki Who would have believed it ? A Japanese pastry chef seduced the French - and all the other aficionados who came to make their pilgrimage to the Parisian shops of Sadaharu Aoki. In these shops with a zen look, we come to admire beautiful candies and cakes. The chocolates nicknamed "Makeup" take the form of small sticks carefully arranged by colors. One would hardly dare to eat them and only admire, so much their alignment is pleasant. Cakes are not left out: some take a perfect rectangular shape to better show off their surprising colors. Matcha green tea is in the spotlight and lends its silky powdery texture to original creations. There is also another ingredient in the Far East pastry, the azuki bean, in cakes, tarts and mille-feuilles, which have nothing to envy to the French savoir-faire. Pastry Sadaharu Aoki - 35 rue de Vaugirard, 75006 - Metro Rennes or Saint-Placide - Other shops: 56 boulevard de Port-Royal, 75005; 25 rue Pérignon, 75015; 103 rue Saint Dominique, 75007 - closed Mondays and holidays, open Tuesday to Saturday from 11h to 19h and Sunday from 10h to 18h The most Norman: Aux péchés normands Pastries in France need butter. A lot, a lot and a lot of butter. Without it, no croissants, no brioches, no pleasure! A bakery and pastry under the sign of Normandy is auspicious... This traditional bakery in Paris will delight the nostalgic with its beautiful old-fashioned setting. We come to delight in mille-feuilles, pastries and fondant croissants (because of butter course!). We also stop at noon, for lunch on the run of a generous baguette sandwich, or a quiche (chicken, spinach-salmon), and there are of course breads that we nibble even without hunger, like the ficelle aux olives. Large selection of breads and pastries without gluten. Aux péchés normands - 9, rue du Faubourg du Temple, 75010 – Metro République - Open Monday to Friday from 6am to 8pm, closed on Saturday and Sunday. The most Breton: Maison Georges Larnicol It must be admitted, the Breton butter is well worth Norman butter ... The rivalry is secular and it is difficult to designate a winner! And if Norman butter makes very good croissants, it is a cake that only tolerates Breton butter: the kouign-amann. They are very lucky, those who do not yet know this delight, crisp on the outside and soft inside, because they will be able to taste it for the first time! Georges Larnicol has made it his specialty. In small format, renamed "kouignette", kouign-amann should soon dethrone the macaron as a pastry fashion. The kouignette is sweet or salty, in many flavors: orange, raspberry, pistachio or rum raisin - and salted butter caramel, of course. But the shop in the rue de Rivoli is also a gourmet paradise for its inexhaustible drawers filled with self-service chocolates. Not to mention the daring creations in chocolate, Egyptian sphinx, gothic church recreated even in its least gargoyles, or dragons more real than nature. Georges Larnicol House - 14 rue de Rivoli, 75004 - Saint Paul Metro - 132 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 - Metro Mabillon or Odeon - 7 rue de Steinkerque, 75018 - Metro Anvers or Abbesses The most meringue: Au merveilleux de Fred Here is another regional specialty: neither Breton nor Norman, the merveilleux is a pastry from the North of France and Flanders. It is a crunchy meringue coated with whipped cream and rolled in caramel chips, praline or chocolate. Impossible not to have your mouth watering...Frédéric Vaucamps has made the merveilleux his vocation, and he is intractable on its quality. In his pastry shop in Paris, there is also the delicious cramique, raisin brioche, also from Belgium and Flanders. Attention, the merveilleux is very popular: it is better to avoid going to this pastry in Paris on weekends, to avoid having to endure a long queues. Au merveilleux de Fred - 24 Rue du Pont Louis Philippe, 75004 - Metro Saint-Paul - Several other addresses in Paris, see website. The most Belle-Époque : Au Petit Versailles du Marais An excellent bakery in Paris, in a period setting: all our wishes are fulfilled! In the Marais, the bakery has existed since 1860. We do not know where to look: the stall is enticing, but the ceiling of time, with its paintings on glass tiles, is beautiful. At the head of this Petit Versailles: Christian Vabret, Best worker of France. The quality is there waiting, whether it's crispy baguettes whose crumbs are good for grilled wheat, or sublime pistachio croissants. At the Petit Versailles du Marais - 27 rue François Miron, 75004 - Metro Saint-Paul - open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 8pm, closed on Sundays.
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Croissants and pastries: the best bakeries in Paris
Where to brunch in Paris: the best brunch spots in the capital
Where to brunch in Paris? Sunday's mega-breakfast, Americas invention, has long since crossed the Atlantic and has settled well in the Parisian mores. Indeed, what's more pleasant, after a frantic week "of Parisian", that to sleep in and enjoy one of the best brunch in the capital? We take our time, sip a hot coffee, wake up our taste buds with a fresh orange juice squeezed... And we settle in American time, with the help of avocado toasts and eggs Benedict. We do not go back either to the mountains of bacon and the bowls without bottom of muesli, which one demolishes with appetite. And then the excuse is beautiful to drink a small cocktail, mimosa, bellini, even a glass of champagne. After all, it's Sunday, you have to live a little! Overview of five good addresses, acclaimed by Parisians, to brunch in Paris. Japanese style brunch: Kinugawa Japanese food for "breakfast"? Why not! If a traditional brunch contains a mandatory toast or smoked salmon muffin, you can expand the concept to include delicious slices of raw fish. On Sunday, Kinugawa Vendôme offers a brunch bento that will make your mouth water. The restaurant, skillfully decorated by the architects Gilles and Boissier, breathes a zen and sophisticated minimalism. The dark wood slatted walls are reminiscent of the shoji houses of Japan, and the blond wooden benches have a refined echo. We settle in this soothing setting to enjoy original dishes, carpaccio of Yellow Tail sauce yuzu, beef fillet with teriyaki sauce or grilled eel sushi. Kinugawa Vendôme - 9, rue du Mont Thabor, 75001 Paris - Tel. : 01 42 60 65 07 - Metro Tuileries - Brunch only on Sunday from noon to 2.30 pm, restaurant open every day from 12h to 14h30 and from 19h30 to 23h. Brunch gluten free: Bio Sphère Café For those who, death in their soul, thought they had to resolve to visit Paris without being able to bite into a baguette, or enjoy a croissant: Bio Sphere Coffee, absolutely, totally gluten-free, is your savior. The hostess, Sylvie, is an inveterate perfectionist. Trained among the best (Ladurée and Angelina), she works his recipes for many months before adopting them in her coffee. Not being herself allergic to gluten, she keeps as a reference the taste of the best breads and pastries, which she then tries to recreate without gluten. Result, fluffy crumbs and golden croissants out as in. And we no longer feel like depriving ourselves! Beware, the coffee is small, the attention to quality is extreme, and the reputation of the place is solid: this is why it is essential to book for Sunday brunch. And brunch is the only time you can enjoy the croissants of Sylvie ... The brunch adopts a "fixed menu" formula with a salty plate, a sweet plate, a fruit juice and a hot drink. Bio Sphere Coffee, pastry without gluten - 47, rue de Laborde 75008 Paris - Tel.: 01 42 93 45 58 - Metro Saint-Augustin or Miromesnil - Brunch on Sundays from 11.30am to 3pm, by reservation only; the pastry-tea room is open Monday to Friday from 12h to 18h and Saturday from 12h to 22h - The service stops 1h before closing. Brunch the New York style: Joe Allen Since 1972, Joe Allen has worn the colors of New York brunch. He was one of the first to serve hamburgers to the French still little familiar with American cuisine. And he continues today. So naturally we take the way to Les Halles if you want to enjoy a traditional brunch, in the rules of the art. Eggs in all their forms, scrambled or Benedict, pastrami sandwiches, Label Rouge cheeseburger and traditional buttermilk pancakes, everyone is there. The New York Style Cheesecake is not strictly speaking in the brunch menu, but nothing forbids squinting over the dessert menu... Joe Allen - 30, rue Pierre Lescot 75001 Paris - Tel.: 01 42 36 70 13 - Metro Etienne Marcel - Brunch on Sunday from 11h to 16h and Saturday from noon to 16h - the restaurant is open from Monday to Wednesday from 12h to 0h30, Thursday to Saturday from 12h to 1h, and the Sunday from 11h to 0h30. Brunch at the Museum: Monsieur Bleu au Palais de Tokyo In the restaurant Monsieur Bleu of the Palais de Tokyo, mimosa, bloody mary, bellini and champagne lead the brunch menu. But the "healthy" juices are not left out: to get a good conscience, we also order a cocktail detox kale, celery, apple and lemon, or the classic: carrot-ginger.The rest of the brunch menu does not disappoint: you'll find everything that makes for a brunch worthy of the name, bacon cheeseburger, avocado toast and smoked salmon, pancakes, French t oast and Benedict eggs. We are reassured, it is not because we are in a museum of contemporary art (and which!) That we will be content with a few leaves of salad. But because we are in one of the high places of creation, we will not be limited to the classics either. Let yourself be tempted by a coconut cucumber passion seabream ceviche, or even a gratin of truffle pasta (lovers of American gastronomy will have recognized, under this assumed name, the famous mac and cheese). Monsieur Bleu, Palais de Tokyo - 20, New York Avenue 75116 Paris - Alma-Marceau Metro - Tel.: 01 47 20 90 47 - Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 12h to 16h; the restaurant is open 7 days a week, lunch service from 12h to 14h30 and evening from 19h to 23h. Brunch with a touch of Alsace: Café Mirabelle At Café Mirabelle, pastry chef Marion Goettlé officiates in a friendly and intimate setting: an old Parisian café that has refreshed its look. After spending time with some of Alsace's best starred restaurants, she now concocts divine treats - and an epic brunch. Judge a little: after a cocktail as an aperitif, the granola and the invigorating bettelmann with quetsches are followed by scrambled eggs with guanciale or smoked salmon, then a homemade pastry. Unless you really prefer a leg of lamb, or a chicken pie? And if the winter is cold, it will be good to enjoy its hearty brunch and warm up next to the fireplace... Café Mirabelle - 16, rue de la Vaquerie 75011 Paris - Metro Voltaire or Philippe Auguste - Tel.: 01 43 79 27 46 - Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11h to 16h; the tea room pastry shop is open from 8am to 6pm from Wednesday to Friday, and from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Where to brunch in Paris: the best brunch spots in the capital