And if you walk from one stop to another, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic stay. Map out your daily itineraries based on where you want to eat and drink, and you won’t be disappointed. On your next trip to Paris, try planning your visit around your food and drink goals. You can practically taste the food along with Bourdain. I would go as far as to say it’s required viewing for anyone planning a trip to Paris in the near future, and certainly for anyone planning a shorter or first visit to the city. His no-nonsense style (for example, his description of the “obligatory must-have if-you-don’t-order-it-you’re-f*ing-nuts cheese plate”) is refreshing and allows for one of the few honest Paris accounts I’ve seen. I highly recommend this video, particularly for the foodies among you. Though Bourdain’s beloved blood sausage macaroons I’m happy to skip…. Le Baratin restaurant in Belleville (19th arrondissement).Urfa Dürüm, a Kurdish sandwich shop in the 10th arrondissement.Le Dome‘s seafood platter (14th arrondissement)–who wouldn’t want to try it after seeing his pure delight in devouring it despite his PTMD (post traumatic mime disorder)?.The Cantine California food truck (though clearly Bourdain has never been to Anahuacalli in the 5th arrondissement if he thinks this food truck serves “the only decent Mexican food in Paris.”).Du Pain et des Idées (bakery) in the 10th arrondissement (and in particular their escargot–a bread product, don’t worry–with cherries and pistachios).Bistrot Paul Bert in the 11th arrondissement.He mentioned a few spots I’d love to try: La Palette for drinks in the 6th arrondissement.Dehillerin and its amazing array of kitchen gadgets (1st arrondissement) Petit Fer à Cheval, a 120-year old bar/restaurant in the 4th arrondissement.Au Passage, a newer restaurant in the 11th arrondissement.The Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd arrondissement, he oldest covered market in Paris.Rue Montorgueil and its market in the 2nd arrondissement.Venture out to some of the up and coming neighborhoods–which generally have the added benefit of being cheaper.Ī number of Bourdain’s favorites are also some of my favorites:
Or at least minimize the dedicated landmark time (Bourdain reluctantly allots 7 minutes to Notre Dame in the end).Īnd don’t just hit up the touristy restaurants and cafés.
If you want to cram it all in, aim to cram in lots of food and drink, interspersed with lots of walking, but not landmarks. What Bourdain is saying is don’t think you have to pack every last site into your visit. But Bourdain has the guts to tell the truth about Paris, essentially: “It’s entirely possible to have a bad time.” He continues to plead, “Please don’t do that….Please make the most of it by doing as little as possible.” How many videos of Paris’s tourist sites and landmarks have we seen? I am sure there are 10s of thousands out there. When I heard the intro to this episode of The Layover with Anthony Bourdain, I knew it was going to be good. If you can overlook a few erroneous factoids and Bourdain’s less-than-perfect French accent, he is absolutely spot on. “My plan is this: I’m gonna eat some f*ing cheese and I’m gonna get drunk and…you are always guaranteed to have a really good time.”