Need help with markets & restaurants close to Place des Vosges

[topeater]

Hi! We have rented an apartment at Place des Vosges for Dec 19-16. I need some information about places to buy food as we want to do a little cooking. Would love to have recommendations for bakeries, butchers, cheese shops, wine shops, markets and also restaurants and bars in the area.

Thanks!

[Lgalen]

We stayed in that neighborhood in September, and we enjoyed Monjul, which we learned about on CH. Delish, inventive, beautiful food and reasonably priced.

[lemarais]

Yes, we ate at Monjul a couple of years back, it was so interesting, so different, the food is presented as artwork, and is really a unique experience.

There are many many good restaurants in the Marais, I's so tired of folks saying it's a "wasteland". You may perhaps have to skip by the overly trendy places and tourist traps, but it's a fun neighborhood with a lot of great places to eat.

[lemarais]

Check out Métropolitain, about 5 blocks from Place des Vosges. (rue de Jouy) Wonderful place. An off the radar gem. Chef that cares, and food that delivers. Decorated like a Metro station.

They also run specials on weekdays, and even better specials sometimes through the website lafourchette.com.

[RandyB]

I was walking by Métropolitain this afternoon. I asked about a table for tonight. They said they were booked until 22h30 and suggested I call ahead for next week.

I then checked out lafourchette.com, after seeing the post above. The site said reservations were available tonight at 19h30, 20h, and 20h30. I didn't book, so I don't know what would have happened next if I had. I wouldn't be surprised if restaurants don't keep lafourchette fully up to date.

I also tried some variations on dates next week but found no promotions. It is possible that I just don't understand how to do that.

[John Talbott]

Now, I'm no expert, but I try multiple avenues - resto websites (here, few), resto listing webpages (here, few), phone (99.99%, ie, mostly) and dropping by (Spring, Frenchie and the like).

[Giannis]

I remember Carette.. and the very expensive L ambroise.. also i would suggest you to go north and find jaques genin to drink some hot chocolate, or try any of his pastries..

[arnage]

L'As du Fallafel and Breizh Cafe. Our proposal was at the beautiful Place des Vosges. Enjoy your stay!

[YaelW]

I second Jacques Genin. For me the chocolat chaud there was very good but I personally prefer it darker, but his pastries are literally the most perfect expressions of classical French pastry you will ever find-- especially the tarte au citron, and I hear the paris-brest although I can't try that one being allergic to hazelnuts. In addition, you must not leave that shop without trying the mangue-passion and/or gingembre caramels. Gingembre is my personal favorite.

I also second Breizh cafe-- their galettes are the best I've had, and their salted caramel on the dessert crepes is wonderful.

I must respectfully disagree with arnage on L'As du Fallafel, though-- like a few previous posters, I find that Mi Va Mi is better.

[shanemio]

I am going to have to respectfully disagree on Breizh...thought the dessert crepe with apple and salted caramel was heavenly and wished I had ordered it for dinner instead of the dreck of a gallette I was served. Don't split it as an afterthought, order one for yourself and eat the whole thing. It is that good. Sugar rush be damed.

[YaelW]

Guess it might be a personal preference thing... to me, the crispier my galette gets all around the edges, the better! But I know some people want more chewiness all around. Be forewarned then, that Breizh's galettes are for those of us for whom those crisped-up edges are the best part :)

We can certainly agree on not sharing a dessert crepe, though-- if anyone is like me and loves ginger in desserts, you must try their crepe with ginger salted butter caramel and ginger ice cream. SO. GOOD.

[Ptipois]

To put it plainly, by Breton standards, a chewy galette is a failed galette. "Kraz" (crispy) is the quality to achieve. Galettes at Breizh Café do get there, but some other crêperies do it better.

If a few crêperies get the "kraz" right, even fewer get the dessert crêpes right. They are excellent (but small) at La Compagnie de Bretagne, a place I would recommend only for that. Do not order anything else there.

[shanemio]

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[jock]

Tiny cheese shop on Rue St Antoine Pascal Trotte. Emphasis on the TROTTE. There is another not very good cheese shop a few doors east with Pascal in the name.

Trotte has the best Conte I have found and all of his cheese is first class.

[Parnassien]

Re shopping. The natural magnet is the Marché Bastille on the boulevard Richard Lenoir between rue Amelot and the rue Saint-Sabin on Thursday and (very and maybe too popular) Sunday mornings. Just a 5- to 10-minute walk from the place des Vosges. On Tuesday and Friday mornings, the very neighbourhoody and relaxed Marché Popincourt further up the boulevard Richard Lenoir between the rues Oberkampf and J-P Timbaud is a delight and easily reachable from the #96 bus from the rue de Turenne to the rue Oberkampf and return form the stop on the rue J-P Timbaud. On Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning, the Marché Baudouyer just off the rue de Rivoli near the Hôtel de Ville (and just a few stops on the #67, 69, 76 or 96 bus from the rue St-Antoine/ place des Vosges) is not as extensive as the others but has great quality. For supermarket staples, the Monoprix on the rue St-Antoine is fine. The rue St-Antoine from St Paul métro to the Bastille also functions as a sort of "rue commerçante"/ market street with the best quality usually found towards St Paul on the odd-number side of the rue St-Antoine. Great butchers at #113 (on the other side of St Paul church) and an épicerie fine next door where you can load up on foie gras, ready-made cassoulet, etc. The very excellent fromagerie Pascal Trotté at #97 and a branch of the almost as good Beillevaire cheese shop chain at #77. A few greengrocers here and there (my favourite is Verger St Antoine @ #97) but there are others that might be closer to you. For oysters etc, the restaurant Comptoir des Mers at 1 rue de Turenne/ rue St-Antoine has a fishmonger's stall inside with superb fruits de mer. I wouldn't have a meal here (the desserts, side dishes, etc are pathetic) but the poissonière/ raw bar is first class. The Boucherie de la Place des Vosges on the rue du Pas de la Mule towards the boulevard Beaumarchais is probably the quartier's best butcher. There are a few boulangeries on the rue St Antoine but the best in easy walking distance is Au Levain du Marais on the boulevard Beaumarchais @ the rue Pasteur Wagner. For patisserie, Gerard Mulot on the rue du Pas de la Mule, the delightfully elegant Carette (also salon du thé) on the place des Vosges, Dalloyau (again, also a salon du thé) on the Bastille-end of the boulevard Beaumarchais, and Lenòtre at 10 rue St-Antoine.

Re restaurants in 5- to 10-minute walking radius, the Café des Musées on the rue Turenne is everybody's favourite but I'm also very fond of the l'Epouvantail on the rue de Jarente as a cheap(ish) and cheeerful resto du quartier. More upmarket, Le Carré des Vosges on the rue St Gilles. For classic & very trad, Au Bourgignon du Marais on the rue François Miron @ rue Jouy. For a trendy vibe but excellent very good-value cuisine, Pamelo Popo at 15 rue François Miron or Métropolitain on the rue Jouy. Bistrot des Compères on the rue de Charlemagne can also be very enjoyable. If it were summer I'd also recommend Chez Janou (a tourist favourite) on the rue des Tournelles/ rue Roger Verlomme just because of the delightful terrace but not so sure if it's a good winter choice. For odd-hours noshing/ snacking/ breakfasting, Carette and Ma Bourgogne (both on the place des Vosges) have continuous hours from 8 or 9am to midnight or 1am. The rules for all continuous-hours eateries: keep it simple and don't expect culinary orgasms.

[topeater]

Wow!!! Thanks Parnassien & everyone else. Looks like I won't starve!!! Great info.

[gracenote]

L'As Du Fallafel

34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France
[phone]
‎
Best falafel you will ever have

[PhilD]

I find the place opposite has the edge.

[shanemio]

Cafe des Musees. Solid plat du jour and adequate entrecote if you are in the mood. I had the best potatoes of my trip there: the dauphinois were very addicting and I could have eaten them everyday (excuse my spelling).

[John Talbott]

"Cafe des Musees"
I'll go along with that. Good idea.

[Ptipois]

That's the Mi Va Mi I was referring to above. Glad you like it.

[RandyB]

It's called Mi Va Mi and I agree, Phil. They make their own pitas, too, or at least they used to.

[Ptipois]

Delicious kefta and house-made lemonade at Mi Va Mi.

[RandyB]

Now I'm getting a hankering, but damn it's Friday night.

[shanemio]

Stayed around the corner from them so they were convenient. I personally don't get the hype, but I don't really like fallafel and felt the shawarma was fine, but nothing special. Huge servings, friendly service and bonus points for cold Macabee beers.

[topeater]

Thanks for the info so far. John, we are not limiting ourselves to just that area, but I wanted to have a sense of what was around in case we are tired from the day & just want to eat close to home before collapsing!

[manouche]

Butcher - Becquerel on rue St Antoine, near Metro St Paul
Cheeses - Beillevaire or the little shop with 2 grumpy guys, both on rue St Antoine
Bakers - G. Mulot, corner rue de Tournelles and rue du Pas de la Mule
Bastille Market - Thurs and Sun AM

Closer than that, you cannot get...

[tmso]

"Best falafel you will ever have"

Not even the best on the street, much less in Paris, much less ever. My favorite schwarma in Paris is Carmel Delice, not too far away, 144 bd Voltaire, in the 11th between m° Voltaire and m° Charonne. Much better falafel than l'As, too.

[Parigi]

Completely agree it is not even the best of that street, much less of Paris.
And we should be more discriminating when we use the word "best". Have we tried all the falafels? If not, saying it's your favorite will be sufficient to earn respect.

[PhilD]

Parigi - so true. I suspect the "best" comments from many posters are based on a very small sample; often a sample of one, especially in the case of L'As. IIRC there are three maybe four Falafel stalls all close together in this area. For me they are all worthwhile. Is one better, not really they are all good. For me the size of the queue is more important around that area.

[PBSF]

To add to all of the above for food is the stretch of rue St. Antoine, between St. Paul and the Bastille. Lots of cafes/bars in the Marais; depends on what you are looking for. Try the area around rue des Archives, Vielle du Temple, Francs Bourgeois; cross the Bastille on rue de la Roquette, de Lappe, de Charonne.

[moto]

wine -- Caves du Marais, rue Francois Miron. have some notion of what you'd like or want, there's no room for browsing in this shop but the proprietor knows his stuff. cheese, butter, yogurt -- Pascal Beillevaire, not a big shop or huge selection, but top quality. Viennese strudel -- Sacha Finkelstejn, rue des Rosiers. has other good stuff in the mitteleuropa (not quite Parisien) vein, both sweet and savory.

if you take a 15-25 minute walk across the river to the 6th or 5th eme.s, or go west in a similar distance to the les Halles area, your choices for bistros and restaurants expands hugely.

[Parigi]

There are many food shops in all the main streets, esp rue de Bretagne.
You can also search the board for tons of info on markets near you like the marché Bastille (also called marché Richard Lenoir, and also the place Baudoyer market.

[John Talbott]

Sorry but why limit yourself to restos nearby?
You can be anywhere in Paris in 40 minutes by the Metro.
The 4th is really a "No Man's Land " for Good Food.
There's Minimes, L'Ilot, Gorille Blanc and Tour de Temple but spread your wings, go 10 minutes away and you'll find Spring, Regalade and Racines 2 on the #1 line and lots more up in the 12th and 11th.

[Ptipois]

My dear friend: no arrondissement that includes Claude Colliot deserves to be called a no man's land, though I'll grant you that the food feng shui of the Quatrième leaves to be desired.

Oh and I'll also take Mi Va Mi over L'As du Falafel.

[John Talbott]

"My dear friend: no arrondissement that includes Claude Colliot"
You're of course correct geographically but because I pass Colliot as I go from my barber to Etienne Marcel in my mind he's not near the Place des Vosges. Funny the way brains work.

[Ptipois]

I understand, in my mind he isn't near the place des Vosges either. He's in the Beaubourg area. Don't blame our brainses, it's Paris that's designed in a funny way.

[Nancy S.]

Pain de Sucre for pastry.