Day one
I’ve decided to head to Paris to take a bite out of its culinary scene. Boarding the Eurostar at St Pancras on a weekday afternoon, I realise that I have, embarrassingly, only been to the French capital a handful of times. I’ve been living in London for the past 10 years: how is it possible I haven’t taken this comfortable – and short – journey before?
Today I’m travelling in Eurostar Business Premier, a welcome sense of luxury after having rushed my six-year-old son to school via the bus, suitcase and all. My husband and I dig into the onboard meal – coffee, juice, pastries, yoghurt, water and a choice of breakfast; I opt for some chickpeas and sliced cold meat – designed, as all items on the Business Premier onboard menus are, by Raymond Blanc. The service is attentive and gentle, and the journey of two hours and 15 minutes zooms past quickly; we arrive in Paris Gare du Nord before we know it.
Breakfast on board on the way to Gare du Nord
Travellers keen to soak up the Parisian food scene should get a base in the 10th arrondissement, where some of the best eateries are within striking distance. Gare du Nord is also in this neighbourhood, so when you’re travelling here by Eurostar, it couldn’t be more convenient. It’s after lunch when we arrive, but I’m determined to squeeze in a visit to the brilliant Middle Eastern-centric Miznon (22, Rue des Ecouffes, 75004). Most people are ordering their famous chicken or lamb-filled pittas, but in anticipation of the richness and meat on offer in the restaurants we’re planning to visit, a vegetarian meal seems wise. The whole-baked cauliflower head is butter-soft inside and charred on the surface. We break pieces of it with our forks and dip it into the house sauces (velvety tomato, zhoug and tahini) one by one. We also have an artichoke and some corn, grilled whole in its husk, smoky and sweet.
Fine wine complements the food at La Buvette
Being huge fans of high-quality wines, the next stop for us is La Buvette (67 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011), a small, yet graceful place that boasts a great list of natural wines selected by owner Camille Fourmont. We go for a bottle of Pierre Cotton - Côte de Brouilly 2016 and enjoy with the delectable (and not at all too funky) Andouille sausage, bread, and a plate of juicy judion beans with lemon zest, laced with outstanding olive oil. Salt-cured tuna comes sprinkled with frilly flower petals. If you end up visiting La Buvette, ask Travis, the San Francisco-born waiter about his other favourite Paris watering holes. Chambre Noire (82 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011 Paris) sounded particularly good.
Dinner at Bistrot Paul Bert
We finish the night at the classical Bistrot Paul Bert. It’s not cheap, but the wine list is interesting, and the food and atmosphere make it worth it for a special treat. The ingredients being so well sourced, my veggie husband’s simple tomato salad and assiette de legumes were moreish (I stole loads). I just went for two starters (squid salad and a bone marrow dish), but I wish I’d been greedier. Next time I’ll go there for a simple steak and chips lunch.
Day two
Perfect mornings in Paris begin with a trip to the local boulangerie, and the much-hyped Du Pain et des Idées (34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010) is my idea of heaven. The hype, I am pleased to report, is justified. The famous pistachio snails are superb, but the vanilla flan is my personal favourite. The flaky pastry serves as foundation for a tower of a delicate, vanilla-rich creme patissiere. Locals take their pastries to nearby cafe Chez Prune (36 Rue Beaurepaire, 75010 Paris) for a coffee, but I choose to take mine to the nearby Canal Saint-Martin, where I sit in the sun and promise myself I’ll learn how to make a flan like this as soon as I get home.
Starting the day with pastries from Du Pain et des Idées
After a leisurely, flan-filled walk along the canal, we seek out the atmospheric Marché des Enfants Rouges. I’ve heard they make their own brioche buns at Le Burger Fermier each morning, and that all the ingredients they use are superb (good produce is paramount for me). The relatively short wait in the queue yields one of the tastiest burgers and chips I have ever had.
A quick burger from Le Burger Fermier in the Marché des Enfants Rouges
Chez Alain Miam Miam, another celebrated stall, is too enticing to ignore, so we join the queue, hoping to grab one of its popular veggie buckwheat crepes. Filled with voluminous, glistening lettuce, chopped fennel, carrots, avocados and chèvre, it proves so popular that, after a 50-minute wait, Jules Roussel, the owner’s charismatic son, tells us he has run out of ingredients. Our faces drop, and he graciously creates a caramelised onion and cheese filled number for us instead. We even forgive him for the biting Brexit jokes he throws at us.
Strolling through Paris
Knowing we don’t have to worry about exceeding baggage allowances on the way home frees us up to shop for some market specialities. Cherry and quince pastes, crackers, gherkins, potatoes and fresh sourdough will all be coming home with us on the train, as will some of Jouannault’s finest cheese and a couple of bottles of natural wine, from Crus et Decouvertes. We even manage to purchase some tea and a Japanese teapot, as a present for my mother, at Mariage Frères.
Brasserie Lipp
We have an evening date with Brasserie Lipp (151 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris) – an emblem of early 20th-century architectural panache with its colonial, leaf-pattern tiles and handsome ceiling. We considered limiting our visit to a pre-dinner drink – one of its famous bloody marys – but the no-nonsense waiter’s face makes me panic-order snails and two salads, which prove to be excellent in their simplicity. The decor and atmosphere is so deliciously decadent, I order a glass of champagne for good measure.
For dinner, the small, yet characterful Import Export CAM (55 Rue au Maire, 75003 Paris), recommended to us by brilliant chef Tim Spedding, is a must. CAM’s head chef, Korean-born Eseu Lee, who has worked in many a serious kitchen and studied temple food cooking in Korea, is hugely talented, and we are not disappointed. My pajeon pancake, which comes topped with “bouillabaisse” clams and prawns – make sure to take the prawn head off and squeeze it all over your dish – is fantastic. My husband’s vegan sushi is even better. The pieces of cooked yam, daikon radish, beetroot and shiso are so expertly prepared that when you bite into the whole thing wrapped in toasted seaweed, you’ll swear you are eating tuna. Meat is not missed when the crispy, chunky “KFC” daikon chips, glazed with savoury-sweet chilli sauce, come to the table. A bottle of Domain de L’ecu Janus Chardonnay from 2015 is a perfect match for the food.
Just when I think the night is over, my husband insists we try more wine at Clown Bar. Tired and full, we make our way to 114 Rue Amelot. “We are a restaurant. Sadly, we cannot just serve you wine”, is the gentle answer to our pleas for a bottle. So we order some food, which ends up being one of the unexpected highlights of the whole trip. Since my travels around the Caucasus, I’ve fallen in love with fruit and vegetable combinations, and the people behind Clown Bar seem to share my passion. The buxom burrata comes with beetroot and equally sexy figs; courgettes come with pear and jamon; and green beans are paired with strawberries, topped with a generous blanket of grated parmesan. All three dishes are a revelation, appreciated even in our beetle-on-its-back state of affairs.
Stocking up on cheese to take home
When I feel ready to eat again, back at home, we pull out some of the goodies we bought in Paris. The Mont D’Or Vacherin cheese goes whole in the oven and is served with simple boiled potatoes and cornichons dipped into its gooey centre. It tastes great washed down with the natural wine.
There is no way it will take another 10 years for me to go back across the channel. I will miss the sun, the French and their flans too much, and no Brexit can ever stop me.
Photography: Stephanie Sian Smith for the Guardian
Getting there
Eurostar trains run frequently and direct from London St Pancras to Paris, with two trains every hour during peak times. To book, visit Eurostar.com
