What to Eat in Paris – a summary of our favourite places to eat at in Paris, what to eat in Paris, and tips on getting the best food in Paris.
It’s insane to think that it’s already May. With summer coming up in such a short while, no doubt summer travel plans are being made. The Mr. and I have been planning our anniversary trip and we were reminiscing on the amazing honeymoon that we had in Paris. Out of all my vacations, Paris has been my favourite travel spot for the people, the ambience and their out of this world food! No one does food like Paris I’ve realised. I’ve been asked several times about our favourite meals in Paris and where we would recommend and so thought it would be great to write a post on what to eat in Paris – our favourite meals and our favourite places that we ate them. I loved that we were able to spend so much time freely roaming Paris which meant we definitely got a feel for the best places to eat.
Breakfasts/Pastries
Vandermeersch
Out of all the dessert/breakfast shops we visited, Vandermeersch beat every single one. It’s on the corner of Paris, in a corner store, but has incredible rave reviews. Upon entering we were showered in samples (yes please!) and left giddy with a slight sugar rush, holding our goodies in our hands like kids who had just visited a candy store. They are well known for their Kouglof – a small bundt-like yeasted cake that is slightly crusty on the outside and buttery and soft on the inside and coated in sugar – which became one of the my most unexpected loves for our trip. I can taste it again RIGHT now! Their quiches are also the best I had (I had many quiches in Paris). This bakery is completely worth the slight drive to get there.
Boulangerie Heurtier
This bakery (boulangerie) was about a 30 second slow walk from our hotel door. We had breakfast from here about 5 mornings because the breakfast dishes here were just absolutely delectable. I went for the traditional croissant most mornings, and switched it up with a quiche, chocolate croissant and a hot chocolate/coffee on other mornings. It was definitely a great spot for fresh bread too and nothing we had ever disappointed.
Laduree
Laduree was such a classic stop and it did not disappoint. We visited the Laduree at Versailles and I honestly felt as if I had walked into a dream shop. The macarons were to die for! This is a must visit as it captures the typical French classic and chic style that we know and love. I also got an adorable macaron keychain that reminds me of this charming spot.
Pierre Hermes
We also decided to visit Pierre Hermes for macarons too. I still think Laduree is my favourite but I definitely enjoyed these and the wide range of flavours available. We definitely went the tourist route for macarons but I couldn’t help it after hearing so much about these two beautiful spots.
La Maison du Chocolat
This was the BEST chocolate that I had while in Paris! It’s an insanely adorable store filled with more chocolate choices that you can even imagine. This is great for a gift to take back to friends also. I throughly enjoyed the multitude of choices here.
Cafe Saint Severin Saint Michel
The food at this cafe was absolutely delicious. I had a quiche dish and the Mr. had foie gras. I’ll admit that it isn’t as fabulous as the others listed above, but if you’re into people watching, this is the best people watching spot ever. We sat here for a few hours, sipping on hot chocolate then wine, chatting, and simply soaking in Paris. Definitely an unforgettable memory.
Lunch & Dinner
Le Colimaçon – MUST eat
Les Philosophes
We ate at Les about 4 times. Yes, we had the opportunity to go to a new place daily and kept coming back to Les Philosophes, and with great reason: it was fantastic. Our very first meal in Paris was here, recommended by our hotel owner as one of his favourite spots. I had a mushroom and arugula risotto in a sort of Parmesan sauce. One bite in and I stared right at the Mr., asking, “is this how ALL the food is going to taste?! We are never leaving!” I also enjoyed an amazing tomato mozzarella salad, a quiche dish, several desserts including a molten lava cupcake and several types of wine. Everywhere we went we asked the server to recommend a wine, which always resulted in an amazing selection.
Le Jaja
Jaja was another hotel owner recommendation. Now, the food was amazing, but the AMBIENCE is the real reason I would definitely go back. I was instantly transported to a movie, with an indoor/outdoor glass enclosed tree deck set up with live music playing. It was the epitome of French chic. I had a burrata, figs and mint dish and a grilled eggplant over couscous dish. I actually think that my love for eggplants started in Paris, and now I go through half a dozen every two weeks. Everything was well seasoned yet still incredibly fresh in flavour.
Le Jules Verne
Le Jules Verne was where we had our official honeymoon dinner. The ambience was unbeatable. If you want a meal with all the flare and jazz, this is it. Michelin star dishes, an incredible view of the city and endless possibilities oh plus a magic carpet ride – basically a Disney movie, right?
O Chateau Wine Tasting
I don’t think you should visit Paris and not do a wine tasting. This was one of our favourite excursions yet, and not only did we learn so much that we now apply every time we drink wine, we got to taste some incredible French cheese! This is a really fun, and usually quick excursion that you’ll be able to refer to for the rest of your life.
To wrap up, without a doubt, ensure you eat:
A Croissant
A Kouglof
A Macaron
French cheese
Wine, wine and more wine
5 Tips for finding amazing food in Paris:
Be adventurous. Try things that you may not think you’d like and you’ll be surprised!
Ask your hotel receptionist/owner for his/her recommendations. This is how we found quite a few of our favourite spots.
Don’t just go to the “popular tourist destinations”. Many of the corner shops/restaurants have amazing food just waiting for you to discover.
Roam. You should leave at least half a day or a few hours in your trip to just roam and try samplings/appetisers from different restaurants/bakeries. We did this earlier on in our trip and it led to some amazing finds that we definitely came back to for lunch or dinner. It’s also a fun sightseeing experience!
When you find a keeper, keep it. This may sound contradictory to roaming around, but sometimes it’s okay to stick around at a restaurant you completely enjoyed. Ask your server for their favourite meal, eat there again, and explore the beautiful menu.
You can check out all of my travel posts at my hashtag #jitktravels on Instagram. For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
These Vegan Swiss Chard Wraps are an easy and incredibly tasty light meal that is drizzled with an insane Sweet Sriracha Sauce!
I don’t know about you, but I had way too much salsa on Cinco de Mayo. I know, who even says that? The girl who hosted a two-person-turned-four-person mini party and made a double batch of salsa. Yeah well, I had to taste test the salsa numerous times before, because you know, I care about my friends! Totally. Anyway, all I want right now is something light, totally delicious, and incredibly easy to make.
In steps in these Vegan Swiss Chard Wraps – light, rolled up like a burrito wraps that are drizzled with the best sweet and sriracha. I’ve shared this sauce before, and it was so good, I had to share it again.
If this sounds familiar to you at all, you’ve seen my Vegan Lettuce Wraps. I did the exact same thing but instead this time used these beautiful Swiss Chard/Rainbow Chard Wraps instead. Side note, I adore that they are also called Rainbow Chard. I mean, they are SO pretty! I would eat these for the colour of the stems alone.
These Wraps are made up of a secret insanely delicious ingredient – Walnut Meat. I know, wait what?? Walnut meat is exactly that – walnuts softened and ground that taste like taco filling. The first time I made these for my husband, he was in shock. He had tasted so many of my dishes, but still couldn’t believe how delicious this filling tasted. Walnut meat can be made in 10 minutes if you haven’t pre soaked them, and they can adapt any flavour sauce you put on them. Aka, it’s perfect.
Speaking of sauce, this Sweet Sriracha Sauce. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with that extra kick. The walnut meat soaks in right in so you can be guaranteed that your wraps will taste amazing. I said it before, and I’ll say it again. These are definitely going right back into my weekly rotation.
If you try these Vegan Swiss Chard Wraps, please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen ! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
RELATED RECIPES
Vegan Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Walnut Meat:
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 1 tablespoon liquid aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
Sriracha Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup or 2 tablespoon date syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Swiss Chard Wrap:
- 6 swiss chard leaves , washed and dried
- 2 carrots , shredded
- 1/2 cup purple cabbage , chopped
- Pinch of Sesame seeds for garnish
- 1 stalk scallion , chopped for garnish
Instructions
Sriracha Sauce
- Mix the ingredients together. Set aside.
Walnut Meat
- Soak the walnuts in hot water for about 10 minutes, then drain.
- In a food processor, add the walnuts and all the other ingredients. Pulse about 3-6 on 1 second pulses until the walnuts resemble a mince, but not all the way until its mushy. Use a spatula to scrap down to ensure everything is incorporated. Add in the Sriracha Sauce ingredients and pulse for 3 more times to incorporate, using the spatula to help you (you want to ensure everything is just incorporated).
Put together
- In a swiss chard leaf, add some of the walnut meat mixture and spread.
- Top with your serving of shredded carrots, cabbage, sesame seeds and scallions.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is raw, vegan and gluten free.
- HOW TO STORE You can store the ingredients separately for this wrap, and then put together when ready to assemble. If making for lunch that day, you can make this the morning of, then roll together and store in the fridge until ready to eat.
These Vegan Swiss Chard Wraps are an easy and incredibly tasty light meal that are drizzled with an insane Sweet Sriracha Sauce!
