Category Archives: Bistrots

Digital French Covid Vaccination Certificates with Scannable QR Codes – Now Available for Tourists, Sept 24, 2021

After several false starts, we are happy to share good news for those of you traveling to France who have been worried about not having a scannable Covid vaccination certificate. You can now easily convert your US-issued printed CDC certificates into a version that contains a scannable QR code in digital format. This means you […]

Resuming Tours in France, August 1, 2021

Being a company that provides private tours in France to English-speaking visitors, it happened that, until this last week, the last tour that we had performed was in early March, 2020. That was a Classic Paris Luxury Tour of Champagne, and we would never have imagined then that we would not be performing another tour […]

Dining in Champagne

One of the most popular wine-related tours in France that we perform is our Classic Paris Luxury Tour of Champagne, https://www.parisluxurytours.com/champagne-tours-france/. Because of it, we pass whole days in Reims and Epernay quite regularly, and for our clients we routinely recommend dining establishments that provide excellent French cuisine. Fine wine in Champagne and refined French […]

Select Paris Perches

The skyline of Paris viewed from a height is distinct, with a display of continuity through most of the city, and an unobstructed view of its many unique buildings, which stand out. Seeing its skyline is one of its most agreeable perspectives, so here are a few perches from which you can enjoy the view. […]

The First Restaurants

Prior to the French Revolution, if you lived in Europe and wanted a meal away from home, you sought what was available at a local inn. There you could participate in what was called the table d’hôte, the owner’s table. If he was having chicken, that was what you ate, whether you liked chicken or […]

An institution of its own: the Auberge du Terroir in Servon

Auberge du Terroir, 3 Place Saint Martin, 50170 SERVON. Phone: 0(0 33) 2 33 60 17 92 There are many fine restaurants in France, as everybody knows. It is one of the highlight places for gastronomy worldwide. Some might argue that the best places are the most luxurious ones, and that often is true. But […]

Restaurant Les Fougeres

Tucked away in a quiet street (10, rue Villebois Mareuil) in the 17th district of Paris, just north of the avenue des Ternes, you will be delighted to find a haven of refined cuisine, warm hospitality and tranquility. Chef Stephane Duchiron’s approach to classic French cuisine draws on the marriage of complex flavors and textures, […]

Sa Qua Na restaurant, Honfleur

I had long heard praise of the culinary talent of chef Alexandre Bourdas, owner of the Michelin twin-starred restaurant Sa Qua Na in Honfleur (and what he calls his canteen/inn, the Pascade, in Paris). Several of my attempts to dine at Sa Qua Na fell victim to his success: fully booked. At last I succeeded […]

L’Arôme, Paris

Despite its warm colors, I will not say that I find its modern décor (à la Jacques Garcia) particularly inviting, and I was not happy being relegated downstairs in the basement (the result of our late booking), but I am happy to say that the welcome, service, cuisine and the wine cellar at this 8th […]

Tipping in France

Whether you are in a bar, cafe, brasserie, bistro, or restaurant, all establishments that serve drinks or food in France are required, by law, to include in the price of each item that is listed in their menu 15% of the price that is intended to remunerate the people who provide the service. There are […]