My favourite places in Paris

How the life in Paris really is?

During my four years in Paris, I’ve learned lots of things. I understood that real Parisian life is far away from the romantic and colourful one that we imagined through the films as Amelie from Montmartre. I understood that the bureaucracy is exactly the same as the film 12 tasks of Asterix presents it. And I understood that as a foreigner, everything is even more difficult as there are only a few people willing to help you when you’re lost (in all the senses that the verb can carry). Despite all these facts, there is still something magical on Paris thanks to what I’ve stayed there for so long…During the years I found my favourite places, bakeries and bars where I am a regular customer, quiet parks etc. Here is a small list of those great places:

Chez Nicos

Chez Nicos is one of numerous crepe stands situated in the tiny street called rue Mouffetard in the district called Quartier Latin. It belongs to an old Greek man of the same name that is very welcoming. Even if I knew already that Mouffetard is famous for crepes and bars as well I knew that my University (Paris III) is just around the corner, Chez Nicos became my favourite stand very accidentally. Once, during the first days of my new Parisian life, I felt like having a savoury crepe (that is called galette and should be made from buckwheat flour) stuffed with tuna. I passed around all the stands – Chez Nicos was almost the only one that offered this kind of filling. So I went there and I felt in love with his crepes. They are home-made, very big and tasty. When it comes to fillings, Nicos is really extremely generous. Such large portions of cheese, ham and salad, you can’t find anywhere else. It is really difficult to end up the whole crepe alone – even my two-metres tall father was at the edge of his eating forces!

During the years I became at Nico’s a regular customer. He knows all my family and all the friends that visited me here. Every time I pass, he asks me how they’re doing and if they’ll come back again. And, my favourite regular lunch galette? Egg, tuna, spinach, and tomatoes, salad and grilled onion for free!

Le Rempart

Bistro and bar Le Rempart, situated near the Bastille square, is almost my second home. Equally as Chez Nicos, I found it by luck - every Sunday afternoon, there is a big roller-skate tour through Paris that starts at Bastille. Once, I’ve decided to try it so I walked from my tiny apartment in Saint Michel through the city centre towards Bastille. Once I’ve been almost there, I wanted to buy a coffee somewhere and I choose from all the bistros (brasseries in French) right this one. The nice bartender (that is actually the owner of the place as I learned afterwards) saw that I’ll do the rollers so he started to talk with me. I started to go there regularly before the rollers. Progressively, I met all the bartenders and I learned that all the staff that organise the rollers meets there after the tour. I picked the right place really!

Le Rempart seems to be a one big family – there is attentive owner called Cedric with his lovely wife, very nice bartenders Romain, Diego (that is from Columbia), Ben (that moved out of Paris recently) and Dimitri. As during my first years in Paris I didn’t know so many people, it was very nice of them to talk with me, to ask me how I am going and so on. They are always so kind and friendly!

Le Rempart the only place that I can get my favourite coffee – small expresso topped with as much milk foam as possible in a big cup for cappuccino. They know me already well and know what I like…They have also a delicious home-made food and strong cocktails that are always accompanied with a cup of pretzels. Le Rempart is just perfect!

Boulangerie Heurtier

I am really a big lover of tasty baked goods. There is nothing more pleasant to me than fresh bread or a piece of home-made cake. In that perspective, Paris is for me an Eden. When I arrived, I was astonished by and I had to explore every bakery I met – and, as they’re really numerous, this task took a bit of time. Actually, this passion is following me until now – to discover a new bakery makes me always happy. The only difference is that now, I found a few shops that became my favourites and where I am buying fresh bread and sweet goods regularly.

The first bakery I’d like to mention is called Boulangerie Heurtier – it has in Paris three branches: two are in the famous Le Marais district and one is hidden near the metro station called Glacière. Paradoxically, it is there (and not in the city centre) where I discovered it. And, as the real name of the shop is written anywhere, I just started to call it “Boulangerie Glacière”. I went there during my second and third year in Paris – the second one because it was my way home from Centre Mandapa where I was taking the lessons of classical Indian dance called Bharatanatyam. The third one because it was on my way to school from my accommodation at student residence called Cite Universitaire. There were always very nice lady sellers, my favourite of which was an energetic Black lady that shifted secretly in my pocket sweet brioches or small tasty breads for free. Just to make me happy. She was really great!

As I moved out for this year and my school is also different and near to le Marais, I am now buying bread in the Marais branch. The staff is equally nice and generous and the baked goods are equally tasty. Often, there are slices of different kinds of bread in the wicker basket that you can taste for free…

And what products make me returning so often? In fact, Heurtier is almost the only bakery in Paris that is making a whole-wheat baguette and it is this one that became to be my “best one in Paris” (yes, all the bakeries sell whole-wheat bread, but none of them has baguette! ). Another favourite thing that I am buying here are a sweet cake on the vanilla-custard basis called flan and a chocolate-custard filled delicacy called éclair. They have also a great Greek yogurt based cake with berries that is perfect mainly during hot days… Well everything is delicious there!

While writing this article, I realized that are much more places that I love in Paris than the text can carry. There are other great bakeries and nice bars, so to be continued!