Have more fun than ever
in Paris by reading
Paris Notes
in Paris by reading
Paris Notes
|
|
Have more fun than ever in Paris by reading Paris Notes |
|
|
Editor: Mark Eversman / Paris Notes, 2008 © All Rights Reserved / Publishing since 1992 |
Promenades Gourmandes is an entirely customized program offering hands-on classes, which always start with an open-air market tour. We then come back to my own kitchen to prepare a very full menu. And those willing to take the post lunch walking tour explore with me the best shops and suppliers. Ten years ago I decided to move from a successful career in fashion to my other lifelong passion, food (and cooking it). My family and friends encouraged me. I came up with the idea of combining two of my talents: cooking and speaking very fluent English. To this day, I do not know how this came to my mind, at a time when cooking classes were not yet trendy. My first approach was to “teach foreigners my grandmother’s cuisine, the only way to cook.” And I can still see the face of Robin and Mary when a calf’s leg or a rabbit was waiting for them on the cutting board. But soon I learned better: no organ meats, unless specifically requested, and no Easter bunny. My cooking style has evolved immensely, as has French cuisine in the last few years. Tasty, “rich as necessary,” contemporary without excess and successfully repeated when back home. Products are the key, and I am dedicated to finding the best. During the classes, I explain ingredients and techniques in depth. With a great network of food experts, I keep up on the latest events, techniques and news. I belong to a number of associations, and attend seminars, conferences and food festivals. French food is alive and very well. Last but not least, being French born and raised, with a now very experienced understanding of visitors’ expectations, I dare say I have an advantage, which my many returning students seem to appreciate. Some have become real friends and I am very proud of that. We definitely have fun together.
If you’re passionate about French food but can’t find the time to thoroughly research restaurants and food shops before you come to Paris, Edible Paris is for you. As a Paris restaurant critic for the past ten years, I’ve edited five editions of the Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking guide as well as writing the restaurant column for Paris Notes since 1999 and updating Fodor’s Paris dining chapter each year. I’m also crazy about markets and food shops and never tire of conducting comparative tastings of the best croissants, pâtés, baguettes or chocolates (well, someone has to do it). Three years ago, I decided to put this knowledge to use with a custom-designed itinerary service, Edible Paris. Food-minded visitors to Paris get in touch with me through my website. I then send a questionnaire to help establish their tastes. This allows me to put together a written itinerary for one, two or three days that perfectly suits their needs—food needs that is, since I have a one-track mind! Each itinerary comes with maps to locate each place mentioned, and restaurant reservations for lunch and dinner on request. Most of the people who contact me have been to Paris before -- some of them even know it well—but this city holds no end of edible treasures for those curious enough to seek them out. Nothing makes me happier than repeat customers, and I’m proud to say that I’ve now had many.
Context Paris was started by me and Lani Bevacqua. We're a young American couple who landed in Europe penniless and pregnant after an 18-month, 9,200-mile sailing voyage from New York. During our adventure we learned one very important lesson: What turns a good trip into a life changing experience is stumbling upon someone who really knows the place you’re visiting, someone who knows the people, the institutions, and how to get things done, and who can get you access to things that armchair travelers only dream about. Context was born with this in mind. We have brought together an amazing group of Paris-based scholars, writers, architects, and other professionals to organize and lead "walking seminars" of the city and its museums. We limit our groups to six people maximum, and so our events have an intimate, conversational feel. There's no flag-following or scripted spiels. Instead, our events are like going back to college for a couple of hours with a really good professor -- in fact, many of our docents teach in university programs here. We run a regular schedule of small-group walks and organize private things for families or people with special interests. We also organize the Out of Context series of on-site lectures and special site visits, which includes such events as a regular salon in a Montmartre living room where one of our docents presents their current work alongside art hung by a practicing artist; a dinner party with a well-known food writer; and an early morning excursion out to the Rungis market, the stomach of Paris. See you in Paris!
Chic Shopping Paris offers guided shopping tours in Paris, given by native Parisians and designed to help you navigate the boutiques in the City of Light. The concept came from a conversation with a well-traveled friend—we were discussing how we would love to send our husbands on bike tours around town while we went out shopping! I’ve always been a natural-born shopper, and as I prowled the streets of Paris for the best shops, I realized that it was a great idea to share my favorites with others. Chic Shopping Paris has been featured in numerous guidebooks, in the NY Times, and on the Travel Channel, among others. Our shopping tours, given by expert bilingual guides, help you to maximize your shopping time in Paris. Put away your maps and your guide books, and let our friendly faces take you to some of Paris’ best shops, in charming off the beaten path streets. You can choose from tours with specific themes (such as “Made in France,” “Tres Tasty,” or “Arts & Antiques”) or custom-designed tours for shopping for special items such as a wedding dress or just a new Parisian look! Our tours are limited to 5 people maximum, in order to give you plenty of personal attention, and we specialize in shopping only—we have our fingers on the pulse of shopping in Paris, and want to share that with you. Check out our website for the full list of possibilities and our blog for the latest on shopping in Paris. We’ve had clients come on our tours on their first visit to Paris and on their 25th, and each time, Chic Shopping Paris hopes to help you all bring home “Paris in your bag.”
In search of a true French experience? For sure, a mythic car like the 2CV is the right way to discover Paris differently. Paris Authentic provides private tours in 2CVs, with French knowledgeable drivers who will take you to the famous sites of the City of Light. They are always keen on telling you numerous anecdotes about Paris, and chatting with you about France or any topic you are interested in. Is there anything more authentic than a 2CV ride? We see everyday and every night how our guests enjoy those moments of simple authenticity à la Française. This is definitely what we can call the French Touch. Thanks to the convertible top roof of the cars, it is always a pleasure for passengers to stand up on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées and take wonderful photos of the Arc de Triomphe, to the utter amazement of the passengers of the other cars. A ride by 2CV makes inevitably feel special. In order to meet our clients' demands, our 2CVs have been completely renovated and therefore, their inner comfort has become remarkable, as well as the service that is of high quality. Obviously, our company provides a private tour service with pick up and drop off at any Parisian hotel: guests are free to choose the hour of the departure and the time of their tour. For an authentic French Experience, try the 2CV.
Fat Tire Bike Tours is a company specializing in English-speaking Paris. We understand it can be daunting to be in a foreign country where you do not speak the language, and your sense of direction disappeared somewhere over the Atlantic. This is where we come in -- bienvenue à Paris. I founded Fat Tire Bike Tours in 1999 after I began working here, fresh out of college. I was in the corporate world, well entrenched in the daily grind of a boring job. I knew there had to be more to the City of Light than the confines of my cubicle. And so it began. Our repertoire of bike tours ranges from the grandeur of Versailles to the gardens of Monet, or simply around Paris by day or night, all on well-maintained, very comfortable road bikes—with fat tires, of course. On a bike, the city unfolds before your eyes and you see things you could never see sitting in a bus wearing a pair of headphones. We not only offer a wide array of tours, we have a visitor’s center located seven minutes from the Eiffel Tower. Our office is open seven days a week. Our friendly, professional staff strives at all times to exceed our clients' expectations. There is no request too small, or too big. If we are able to help you, we will do our best to make sure that you get the most out of your stay in Paris. When I started Fat Tire Bike Tours I had one goal in mind: to make anyone who wanted to come to the City of Light love it as much as I do. As I take my company into its ninth year, having lead over 150,000 bikers through the streets of Paris, I can say with all sincerity that I have succeeded. We look forward to showing you Paris on two wheels, you'll experience the city in a very special way.
On Rue Tatin in Paris is, quite simply, a warm, friendly celebration of food, cooking, laughing, sharing time around the table It is an outgrowth of my popular cooking school in Normandy, which I began six years ago. Then as now, my desire is to get you into the French culture and the kitchen, loving it all as you go. As in all my classes, I focus on technique and ease—I really want you to improve, expand, learn something new and have fun doing it! For the morning class, we all visit a farmer’s market together to learn about choosing ingredients and to get close to some real producers. We equip ourselves with the season’s finest ingredients then return to a gloriously light and airy cooking studio in the heart of St-Germain-des-Prés to turn them into a luscious meal. Everyone gets involved as we create an unforgettable meal. I guarantee you’ll emerge from a class with me imbued with a new sense of your culinary prowess, your ability to recognize what is seasonal, fresh, and delicious, your ease at fitting into a congenial group of like-minded people. Come, join me for a morning, an evening, or both!
I was stopped three years ago by tourists while driving my own blue Citroën 2CV in Paris and it just clicked. My concept was to take visitors around Paris in the mythic 2CV—a vehicle belovedly entrenched in French culture. Venice has the gondola, New York has the taxi and, now, Paris has the 2CV. I launched my company 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie (4 Wheels Under 1 Umbrella) with one car, and now we are able to welcome groups of up to 60 people with a fleet of 20 cars. Thanks to its convertible soft top roof, the Citroën 2CV offers a gorgeous panoramic view of Paris. We invite you to discover the wonders of Paris in this unique way, sitting in the back of a retro-style and cosy “duck,” driven by a courteous and knowledgeable driver. You can take one of our pre-set tours (for instance, Eternal Paris, Secret Paris, Paris Gardens, Da Vinci Code Paris or Versailles), or you can do an “à la carte” tour and set your own itinerary. We can also arrange tours for special occasions, such as bachelor(ette) parties, weddings or intimate family outings. Just leave it us and we’ll put together an unforgettable experience for you. Here’s what some of our clients have written: “Paris is breath-taking and what better way to see it than in a 2CV. A fantastic time and a friendly informative driver. Thank you. Don’t come to Paris without doing this tour. It’s a must”; “Definitely the highlight of the day.”; “It was the best way to see Paris, we couldn’t have spent a better afternoon touring this wonderful city.” Don’t hesitate to call or email us—my team of drivers will be very pleased to welcome you to Paris aboard one of our 2CV.
I started Eye Prefer Paris tours as an extension of my popular Paris insider blog www.eyepreferparis.com. My Paris tours are based on out-of-the-way and offbeat places, many that I write about on the blog, which most visitors would not find on their own. After a teenage trip to Paris made me instantly want to move to here, I finally made my dream come true and settled in Paris in 2005. Since then, I have delighted in taking friends and colleagues on personal tours of fun and unusual places all round the city. My friends praised me for my uncanny ability to show them exactly the places they would like the most. After doing this for over a year, I decided to take the tours “public” and show other people these joys and jewels of Paris. As one person who took one of my tours kindly said: “Richard is the best friend you always wished you had in Paris.” My tours are informal and I treat people who take them like my friends. Some of the highlights include: An artisan’s atelier where jewelry is hand-made right in front of you, one of the best food markets in Paris, hidden in a courtyard, and the lavishly decorated domes of a mosque where you can sip Moroccan mint tea on the patio and take a relaxing steam in the authentic hammam. My tours are customized for each client and I send them a short questionnaire regarding their interests so I can plan the best tour possible. I invite you come taste, feel, smell and touch an unforgettable Paris with me on an Eye Prefer Paris tour.
Paris Muse is an educational service custom tailored for English-speakers who want to make the most of their museum visits in Paris. We offer intelligent, intimate art tours to groups of four or less. I started Paris Muse in 2002, soon after I moved to Paris for graduate school. Like many academics, I was teaching part-time; I began to notice that my university classes in the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay generated a wake of curious museum-goers who were tagging along. I never had any plans to make a business of it, but people really seemed to be looking for a meaningful alternative to being herded around in big, impersonal tour groups. That's how Paris Muse began! Since then, we’ve grown, but we’ve also kept to our roots as a small, high-end company catering to individuals in an age of packaged and over-processed travel. My partner Kristen Laakso and I work with a small team of engaging historians, teachers and writers. When you take a tour with us, you’re in the hands of a knowledgeable person who absolutely loves what they are doing, and who knows both the art and the museum inside and out. Our tours are small and interactive, so you can have a real conversation, based on your questions and observations. Whether it’s your first time to Paris or your fiftieth, whether you are looking for an introduction to the Louvre or a more in-depth look at the Musée Rodin, we have lots of different programs to suit your specific interests. I invite you to read about them at our website. You’ll also see something there that Kristen and I are most proud of, which is how many visitors use the phrase “highlight of our trip to Paris” to describe their time with Paris Muse.
O Château offers wine tastings for English speakers living in or visiting Paris. French wines are really good, but let's face it, they can be a bit intimidating. We offer relaxing, fun and convivial wine tasting sessions. I started O Château in 2004. I'm a real Parisian, born and raised here. After completing my business degree, I decided I really wanted to focus my life and my professional activities on wine. So, I passed my sommelier certification. Having been in the wine community for quite a while, I've always found most wine professionals a bit pretentious and frequently, well, boring—black currant this, my grandma's barn that, and so on. This made me decide to start O Château. I wanted to make wine tasting really fun, tasty and informative. Whether your knowledge of wine is very advanced or you're a total beginner, our tastings are for you. At a tasting with O Château, you'll find out how to read a French label, how to navigate a wine list, how to pair wine with your food, how to discern the merits of each French wine region, all while tasting a great variety of French wines, which all come from small French boutique wineries. All these wines are available for sale at the end of the tasting. You can also sign up to our Wine Club (coming soon), which will allow you to have delicious French wines delivered straight to your door at home. Our tastings are always small groups (less than 15 people) to keep the atmosphere intimate and warm. It is also a great way to meet people from all around the world. One last thing, the tastings are held at the Wine Loft, in central Paris, which is not only my company's global headquarters but also my home. I look forward to having you here. Santé.
Ten years ago I created French Links Tours to share my passion for the art, history and culture of France—Paris in particular. Today, our personalized private tours are tailor-made for just about anyone interested in Paris and other parts of France—whether you are a multigenerational family or someone with a physical disability. With French Links Tours you can meet a prize-winning chocolate maker who will demonstrate how he makes Eiffel Towers out of chocolate, or take a spine-tingling tour of the WW II Liberation sites in Paris. Or you can join us on our “Secrets of the Eiffel Tower” tour that allows you to learn about the inner workings of the Tower and visit parts of it normally closed to the public. You can have the same privilege when you visit the Opéra Bastille or the Opéra Comique. For those of you who want to learn more about the French "art de vivre," we can organize visits to the private workrooms of Louis Vuitton and Hermès, as well as to workshops where you will discover the art of "passementerie," hand-painted china or hand-beaten copper cookware. And for those shoppers who are looking for bargains on designer labels and more, we now offer exclusive discounts at select stores in Paris when you take one of our shopping tours. Lastly, if you want to cap off your trip with an unforgettable evening, we can also arrange dinners cooked by a private chef at your apartment, as well as private musical evenings with a wine tasting of select vintages. In short, our visitors’ dreams have become ours to fulfill.
