Food places to spend some dollar, dollar bills.
Le Food Marché
Le Food Marché is simultaneously fantastic and awful. Fantastic because there’s so much I want to eat. Awful because there’s so much I want to eat. On my visit to the pop-up market composed of stalls from Parisian restaurants, I did eventually choose the Mexican street food stall to inhale a burrito, tortilla chips and guacamole. Then I swiftly headed to another stall for the most deliciously soft and spicy chocolate cookies with just the right amount of chewiness.
Perfect for big groups, even if it does get quite busy and noisy, there’s such a good chilled out atmosphere that it doesn’t feel like you’re on the mean streets of Paris. It feels more like a Spanish veranda or as if there’s a big neighbourhood party.
Crêperie Framboise Champs Elysées
Crêpes, oh how I love you.
I could write an ode to crêpes but Framboise seems to have taken care of that for me.
Situated in a fantastic location on a street parallel to the Champs Elysées, Framboise is perfect for grabbing a satisfying bite to eat.
The prices are higher than some crêperies due to the tourist attractions but not too extravagant. Plus, the long opening hours, seven days a week, balances this out with the convenience of getting a more reasonably-priced meal in comparison to some of the restaurants of the area.
The menu itself doesn’t disappoint either: it’s huge and you’re spoiled for choice with both sweet and savoury crêpes, even dosa-inspired galettes!
The service is fantastic with very accommodating staff, who were happy to swap out goat’s cheese for mozzarella so that I wouldn’t have the sucky situation of bringing my food back up later.
In fact, the restaurant as a whole seems to be very good at catering for any dietary needs while still managing to serve up something scrumptious.
Café Beauborg
Right next to the magnificent Centre Pompidou, this can seem to be a bit of a weird restaurant at first.
Outside looks like nothing special with a white plastic tent providing cover for the always obligatory outdoor seating. But then you go inside and suddenly the place turns on the glam with sleek, modern decor.
It does seem a bit like a New York hotel, hidden away in the middle of Paris. It may be a bit cruel but it’s like draping the prettiest doll house in the cheapest, plastic wrap.
It’s also a bit more on the pricey side, but my meal of a vegetable mix was surprisingly filling, despite my first reaction of feeling quite underwhelmed by what appeared to be some vegetables in some soup. In fact, from my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised to find how flavoursome it was.
My friend’s chicken with a side of mash potatoes and gravy was found to be equally delicious. There was a bit of a spicy kick in the sauce and with perfectly cooked vegetables, I’ve never appreciated some cauliflower and carrots more.
However, like the décor, I have heard mixed reviews about the food and the service.
Whereas I didn’t find this with the food, I did find the latter equally weird. We had a range of waiters that seemed to be distant or even confused. To summarise, going to Café Beauborg is certainly an experience.