#deliciousadventures

I have just returned from Paris with a few extra kilos and and a new roll here and there. All very well deserved I have to admit as I ate my way with little gasps through Paris.

Its been my first trip to the city of lights and with only 3 days off I wanted to make the most of it all, which meant not missing a meal, a snack or an impromptu treat. Having recently moved to London to be a little closer to the hum of Europe, my first long weekend was booked in my first weeks arrival. For a glutton from way back There was no other choice but Paris.

Although 3 days was just a tease, and I am far from discovering the many possibilities I wanted to share some of my adventures, top picks and great meals.

I stayed in Marais, which I found very central, hip and colorful. This is the rainbow district of Paris hanse the shopping and the food is loud fun and anything but boring. Streets were filled with vibrant aromas from the many bistros, boulangeries and florists that line the streets. The aromas transported me to a state of bliss even before i took my first bite. Our place was right next to hotel de ville metro, on rue temple, from there we could walk to Notredame, Louvre and many other attractions. I highly recommend the area if you like a really vibrant vibe.

My first top picks:

To do: I love doing something active during my trips so that i break up the non stop eating . We decided on a bike tour of Paris with a great company called Bike About Tours. It gave us a great overview of the city, some really interesting fun know how about the city covering everything from architecture, history, street art and the Parisian culture. The trip lasted about 4 hours with a half hour break to grab some food. For 30 euros it really was mo well spent. You don’t cover a lot of km, as you stop and around the central paris areas. A beginner can do it easily .

To eat:

le chateaubriand : Chef Inaki Aizpitarte’s creates a new set menu each night that comprises of around 7 dishes. It’s a blend of the French and international flavours, in a bistro setting. Dish combos are usually bold but well balanced. I had this place recommended from a few people hanse it was my top must do for this trip. It also sits in the top 10 best restaurants in the sanpellegrino list.

We couldn’t get a table for the first seating as its booked out weeks in advance but the second setting at 9.30 doesn’t take any bookings so you can rock up about 9pm, if you are lucky you can have a drink at the bar if not you might have to line up depends on the crowds. We arrived at 9.10 and were seated about 10 pm.

The set menu is 60 euro which I thought was fantastic value. Matching wines another 60 . Quick overview of what we ate ….small deep fried shrimp with raspberry dust, gazpacho ceviche, tocino de cielo (caramelized egg yolk on a sweet biscuit) bone marrow broth, calamari braised with mustard seeds, Benito tuna. The service is fun and fast. With all speaking great English allowing you to know what each dish is made up from.