AFFORDABLE PARIS - Paris Pas Cher

Affordable restaurant - Aux comptoirs des Indes

A Cheap and absolutely delicious Indian restaurant in the 11th district of Paris. We're sold, here's why. 

Like chef Alain Ducasse who likes to dine here when he is in Paris, let's enjoy the cuisine of "Comptoirs des Indes". The whole decor is a fun tribute to the elephant god Ganesh. 


The recipes come from all parts of India. Vegetarian or not, spicy or mild, all dishes are refined.

Restaurant - L'Ebauchoir, good traditionnal French bistrot cuisine

Let's fight wintertime cold with a good "palette de porc".

 With its red-brick walls, its yellow paint and its shining lights, l'Ebauchoir looks like a lighthouse in the rain.

Inside, black-and-white tiles contrast with a colourful mural. Welcome in ! Waiter Thierry takes great care of his customers. He spontaneously brings me bread and a "carafe d'eau".

Chef Thomas Dufour has previously worked at the finest places : Laurent's (on Champs-Elysées avenue) and Beaumanière's, in Provence. And yet, he proposes here a very affordable lunch menu (15 €).

First comes a "Pavé de carottes au sésame" (carrots in sesame sauce). Then follows a "Palette de porc à la dijonnaise" (roasted pork). The meat is very tender. It is served with excellent Dijon mustard sauce cooked with leeks and a little " paillasson de pommes de terres" (potatoes pancakes). The chocolate mousse is thick and rich ! It is no wonder the riz au lait brings back fond childhood memories as it is based on Thierry's grandmother's recipe.

This generous and beautiful traditionnal bistrot cuisine is one of the best in the "quartier de Reuilly". It matches well an interesting selection of "vins du terroir".

If you wish to dine there, expect an even finer cuisine in the evening. Dishes are more sophisticated and a bit pricier then : about 35 €. It's best to book a table, as the place can be pretty packed on a week-end night. A bit noisy at times, but always a delight.

L'Ebauchoir
43-45 rue de Citeaux, 75012 Paris.
01 43 42 49 31.
Metro station : Reuilly-Diderot or Faidherbe-Chaligny.
Monday : 10 AM -10 : 30 PM.
Tuesday-saturday : 12 AM - 2 :30 PM and 8 PM - 11 PM

Review : Anne Riou, guide Paris Pas Cher
Translation : Claire Riou

A nice souvenir to bring home - genuine "made in Paris" honey

Did you know that Paris has a passion for bees ? More than 200 beehives are located on the roofs of the city. Actually, the biggest of them are on the roof of the Opera Garnier, in the very heart of the city. 

You may not know that more and more Parisians (companies, organizations and even individuals) have their own beehives in the capital. But is that a healthy trend ? Yes, it's absolutely safe to eat that honey. It's quite healthy because fewer pesticides are actually used in urban than in rural areas (this is why bees like it here).

In addition, Paris honey is gloriously fragrant. Parisians love to decorate their windows with various kinds of plants - including many exotic species. That's why Paris honey is so tasty.

It is not very expensive and it makes a good present to bring home as a souvenir.

Beekeepers Rémi Vanbremeersch, Bruno Petit and their team of "Un apiculteur dans la ville" ("A beekeeper in town") sell their honey in market stands twice a week in the city.

• Every sunday from 9 AM to 1 PM at Marché de la Place des Fêtes (19e) M° Place des Fêtes ou Jourdain.
  
  Every saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM at Marché de Saxe-Breteuil (7e), avenue de Saxe (7e), between n°19 and place Breteuil, M° Ségur.
  More infos here : http://www.miel-paris.com/evenements
• You can also buy their honey online : http://www.miel-paris.com/

A jar costs about 3,90 € for 250 g. There aren't many reasons to hesitate, considering that genuine Paris honey is twice or three times less expensive than honey sold in luxury food shops like Fauchon and Hédiard, where tourists flock to get "souvenirs de Paris" that are more than often made elsewhere...

Last year, the Paris region produced almost 500 tons of honey. Should we hum with pride like big bees ?

 

Claire Riou

Photo credit: Miel de Paris