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Highlights
· New restaurant reviews for 2017
· More extensive photos of that shopping experience in Gallerie Vivienne
In this chapter, I include a few miscellaneous photos from various parts of the 2nd arrondissement.
Rue Reamur sports some stunning domes and cupolas on some quite ordinary buildings.
There are some more pictures of the Bourse and some more around Place des Petits Pères, including the frontage of Chez Georges, rated highly by Alexander Lobrano, but sadly not yet visited by me.
As for Gallerie Vivienne, you just have to pop in: here sumptuous architecture, delicate mosaics and grand statues have been wonderfully preserved, and the shops and restaurants are seriously chic and expensive. Jean-Paul Gaultier opened his first boutique here and it remains his flagship, and fashionistas will want to check out the cool designs of Didier Ludot in the fabric emporium Wolff & Descourtis. Les Caves Legrand (www.
caves-legrand.com) is arguably the best wine shop in Paris, Bistrot Vivienne (www.
bistrotvivienne.com) is good for either a drink or a meal, and A Priori Thé (www.
apriorithe.com) is an elegant rendezvous for afternoon tea.
If you want to know more about the fascinating history of this
shopping arcade, including one of its former inhabitants, the scandal-ridden founder of the state security police force, the Sûreté, and also private detective,
Eugène François Vidocq, visit this web-site:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galerie_Vivienne If you have a few minutes to pause, then no better place to take refuge is the pretty little, hidden away, Square Louvois and its 1830 fountain, intended to pay hommage to the four great rivers of France: the
Seine, the
Garonne, the
Loire, and the
Saône. For more photos and history, visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontaine_Louvois
Update for May 2017
If you’re racing around on the hoof, but need a quick bite, then call into Frenchie To Go, at 9, rue de Nil, just at the end of the what used to be the garment sector. It’s fast, furious, noisy and busy, but the pastrami on rye was huge succulent with meat bursting from every seam, and a side of red cabbage coleslaw put an unusual slant on it.
For more of a sit down lunch try Le Mesturet at 77, rue de Richelieu. On my May 2017 trip, I went for a very substantial and wholesome tranche of traditional paté, washed down with a glass of Quincy; then
Chez Georges
Place des Petits Pèresfollowed by brandade de morue (cod fish pie), a bit light on flavour perhaps, except for the garlic-soaked bread ears, helped down with a petit Chablis. I pondered over dessert, but in the end just couldn’t resist a wedge of gooey cheese cake, assisted by a glass of surprisingly thick, oily, light brown sauternes. At 31 Euros for 3 courses, these are very reasonable prices for such good cooking. Wine by the glass is mostly just 5 Euros, and by the bottle, it’s a very approachable, mostly regional wine list, with nothing much over 40, and plenty at 25 Euros.
If you still need feeding, then another offering generous portions is Aux Lyonnais at 32 rue St. Marc, an Alain Ducasse acquisition and makeover in 2002. This is a very traditional building and interior, dating from around 1890 with beautiful Art Nouveau tiles everywhere, and lots of Lyonnais memorabilia. He kept things pretty much the same, just spruced things up a little.
I was at early doors on my visit in early May 2017, at midday exactly, so I was in no rush and looking forward to a leisurely, indulgent meal. It was not busy, so that helped.
No sooner had I sat down, then the waiter brought me an intriguing amuse bouche made of cream cheese and olive oil, sprinkled with sorrel. Yummy start. Then following Alexander Lobrano’s recommendations from ‘Hungry for Paris’, I had chosen regional planche de charcuterie Lyonnaise. It was a work of art – with colour and structure as well as taste. For the main course I had chosen another regional speciality that I had never had before - quenelles de brochet à la Lyonnaise avec sauce de Nantua (pike fish dumplings in crayfish sauce). This was a most extraordinary dish served in an extremely hot Creusot-style oval pot. The sauce was simply gutsy and oozing with bits of crayfish; the dumplings I was less sure of; I think it was the texture I didn’t really warm to; the taste was quite subtle. Finally, having been in my seat for more than hour already and no particular place to rush off to, I decided on the ultimate indulgence - tarte et île flottante aux pralines roses. This is an Alain Ducasse speciality. I did not know it was possible to float so much stuff in custard!! The punch of the almonds was so
complimentary. I’ll let you Google the recipe, or follow this link:
http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/saveurs/recette/recette-de-tarte-et-ile-flottante-aux-pralines-roses-d-alain-ducasse_1559818.html
By the way, this was all washed down with a red 2010 Crozes Hermitage (fantastic with gutsy charcuterie), and a white 2015 Côtes du Rhône (smashing with both fish and dessert). Good years both.
End
Inevitably, I close with another photo of the town hall.
In the next chapter, we're on to the last arrondissement and the penultimate blog entry. But, it has some of the best of attractions - the Louvre, L’île de la Cité, Les Halles, place Vendôme and the Palais Royal.
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