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Welcome to the AT YOUR SERVICE
Paris |
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Welcome to
Île Saint-Louis |
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Boutiques
in the Neighborhood |
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Our Hotel
Suggestion - Hôtel des
Deux-Îles |
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Our
Restaurant Suggestions |
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Guidebooks say you
need an hour and a half to see
Île Saint-Louis. I am of the
opinion that if you limit your
visit to an hour and half as they
say you'll be missing so much. Yes,
the island is small but it is
packed with beautiful, fun, and
tasty things to discover.
Today, the Île Saint-Louis is
one island, connected to the
"mainland" and the Ile de la
Cité by five bridges, but much
earlier in the history of Paris it
was comprised of two separate
islands. The landscape was very
much pastoral, considered a bit
like the countryside in comparison
to the bigger Ile de la Cité
(or Lutèce as it was called at
the time); a distinct contrast to
the island today.
Long considered a tourist's
paradise and a resident's nightmare
due to the unrelenting bus traffic,
the constant flow of
camera-clicking, often loud
tourists and the rarity of parking
spaces, this summer Île
Saint-Louis was relatively calm
under the inescapable heat wave
that plagued France as well as most
of western Europe recently. In the
middle of an insufferably hot
afternoon last week the main
street, rue
Saint-Louis-en-l'Île was
virtually deserted except for a few
brave souls in search of ice
cream.
And they came to the right place,
as Île Saint-Louis is famous
for it's ice cream - Berthillon ice
cream, of course! There isn't one
restaurant on the island that
doesn't serve some of their 33
flavors of ice cream and 30 flavors
of sorbet.
What is
amusingly French about Berthillon,
in a way that many of us still
can't grasp, is that their main
shop on rue
Saint-Louis-en-l'Île is closed
for the month of August, quite
possibly the busiest month for ice
cream consumption. Fortunately for
you, there are other vendors in the
neighborhood that can serve you two
scoops of caramel-ginger ice cream
that will sustain you on your
stroll along the quai.
Île Saint-Louis is probably
one of the prettiest neighborhoods
in Paris, with its elegant 17th
century townhouses lining the quais
next to the Seine. At just the
right moment in the afternoon or
early evening the sun hits the Quai
de Bourbon and the Pont Marie and
you're left breathless on the
sidewalk. Stop a few meters further
along on the Quai d'Anjou in front
of the Hôtel de Lauzon and
marvel at the gilded balconies
constructed by the same
architectural/design team that
built Vaux-le-Vicomte (for those of
you who read the July 22nd
newsletter).
Cut back into
the center of the island starting
at the eastern end and moving west,
stroll down rue
Saint-Louis-en-l'Île for an
enchanting history lesson. Be sure
to go into the Eglise
Saint-Louis-en-l'Île,
dedicated to Saint Louis, Louis IX,
King of France. This classic 17th
century church was designed by
François Le Vau, brother of
Louis Le Vau, of the aforementioned
Vaux-le-Vicomte fame not to mention
Versailles and the Louvre. The
ornate Baroque style interior is a
stark contrast to the sober
exterior.
Further down the street you'll find
charming gift shops and enough
tempting restaurants to make your
dinner decision a tough one (but
don't worry, we'll give you some
good advice later on). There are
two wonderful bookstores in the
neighborhood. The first is the
Librairie Ulysses, entirely
dedicated to travel books. While
the storefront is nothing much, the
breadth of the selection is
impressive. The second, Librairie
de Paris et son Patrimoine is on
the opposite side of the street and
has a wonderful collection of hard
cover, art books about the rich
history of Paris. Alas, most are in
French.
Whether it's specialty food shops
that entice you to forget your diet
(come on, how often do you eat foie
gras at home?), fantastic views of
the Seine, or the refined
architecture Île Saint-Louis
has everything you will want to see
that is typically Parisian. So
remember the essentials: Berthillon
ice cream, the Pont Marie, and a
walk around the quai at sunset. What more could you want?
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This week have
chosen to show you one of Paris'
most beautiful locations; a
neighborhood where time looks like
it has stood still since the late
1900's, where the favorite local
shops wear the signs of yesteryear.
Here in the heart of Paris, on the
main street of this tiny island,
l'Ile Saint-Louis we have found a
hotel that perfectly reflects the
romantic feeling of a stroll along
the Seine.
Imagine a small, charming hotel
with deep red and gold antique
furniture, pen and ink drawings
adorning the walls, a breakfast
room divided into three areas for
your pleasure; a library, a bar,
and a lounge. Imagine spacious,
discretely furnished guestrooms and
exquisitely tiled bathrooms.
Wouldn't that be lovely for your
next visit to Paris? When we book
you into the Hôtel des
Deux-Îles, that is exactly
what you will experience.
Modern conveniences like air
conditioning, double-pained
windows, internet access, and
old-fashioned kindness are not to
be spared by the English speaking
staff of this delightful 3-star
hotel located in one of the most
sought-after locations in central
Paris. You are also only two blocks
away from the best ice cream
around, if you are so inclined,
which I hope you are.
Come and discover Parisian charm
and sophistication at the
Hôtel des Deux-Îles this
summer, you won't be disappointed.
Rates at this 3-star hotel are 133
€ for a single room and 150
€ for a double; continental
breakfast in the beautiful vaulted
dining room is 10 €.
Hôtel des
Deux-Îles
59, rue Saint Louis-en-Ile, 75004
Paris
Tel : +33 (0)1 43 26 13 35
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If you are
planning on staying on the Île
Saint-Louis, especially at the
Hôtel des Deux-Îles, you
are lucky because you have a
wonderful selection of restaurants
within a 10-minute walk.
My first suggestion on the island
is always l'Îlot Vache, at the
corner of rue
Saint-Louis-en-l'Île and rue
des Deux-Ponts. It is named after
one of the two original islands
which made up Île Saint-Louis,
Île aux Vaches or Island of
the Cows. For years satisfied
customers have been sending stuffed
cows, painted cows, wax cows, tin
cows to restaurant owner Catherine
Delrieu so she expand the
collection. It makes for an
absolutely charming décor both
inside and out.
The other aspect of the décor
that is appealing is the table
settings. None of the tables are
initially dressed the same. The
service plates are different at
each place, glasses vary from table
to table, flower arrangements and
candlesticks differ with each
table. It creates a really
interesting look.
The welcome is warm and friendly.
In the summer a reservation isn't
necessary but the rest of the time
I highly recommend it.
The cuisine at l'Îlot Vache is
classic French and excellent. The
entrées include fish soup,
salmon crepes, pan sautéed
foie gras or fresh foie gras. I had
the Raviolis de Royan, which I
hadn't tasted in ages and had
forgotten how good those little
pasta packets are in their chive
cream. My friend was very pleased
with his escargots served without
the shells, so no risk of flipping
a snail shell across the room into
your neighbors lap.
The main courses are equally
divided between meat and fish,
although with a name like Îlot
Vache, we opted for the meat
dishes. And we were not
disappointed. My magret de canard
(or sliced duck breast) was
beautifully prepared with apricots
and a red fruit sauce. The filet of
beef served with a sautéed
toast and slice of foie gras (Filet
de boeuf façon Rossini) was
perfect. Perfectly cooked tender
beef accompanied by foie
gras.
Ahh French
cuisine! Other choices are a rack
of lamb Provençal, confit de
canard (preserved duck), scallops,
grilled lobster, monkfish
medallions, haddock filet or a
mixed grill of fish.
The wine list is very good, tending
a bit toward the high end. We
enjoyed a lovely Côte de
Beaune, 2000. As for the desserts,
they are as classic as the other
dishes and as good. This is a
wonderful place to come and have a
very pleasant evening. You'll find
yourself coming back each visit to
Paris.
L'Îlot Vache
35, rue de
Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, 75004
Paris
Tel : 01 46 33 55 16
Another suggestion would be the
Tastevin, about ½ a block away
from l'Îlot Vache. The
décor is rustic, the cuisine
is traditional French, and the
service is delightful. This is a
fun comfortable place to come for
dinner. They offer a refreshing
summer menu: an array of salads,
including a langoustine salad which
was great, or hot dishes, enticing
desserts such as roasted apricots
in honey and a glass of wine for a
very reasonable 28 €. An
address worth keeping all year
round.
Le Tastevin
46, rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île,
75004 Paris
Tel : 01 43 54 17 31
You'll have to wait until later in
the fall to reserve a table at
another favorite Île
Saint-Louis landmark, Le Monde des
Chimères. I am sad to say they
are closed for extensive
renovations. While the re-opening
date has yet to be set, I am pretty
sure that by mid-October you should
be able to come back and enjoy this
tiny, if not miniscule, bistro's
excellent cuisine and even better
service.
Le Monde des Chimères
69, rue Saint-Louis-en-l'ïle,
75004 Paris
Tel : not available yet
**And for all of you foodies out
there, here's a scoop. Impossibly
trendy, home to a chic, "Golden
Triangle" crowd, NOBU closed its
doors recently. It seems even
Pierre Hermé pastries couldn't
save this hipper-than-hip fusion
destination. Let's see what the
upcoming culinary year will bring
us to as a replacement.
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Where to start?
Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île,
which runs the length of Île
Saint-Louis, is full of fabulous
shops, one more tempting than the
next. So I am just going to tell
you about a few that I like.
Starting at n° 22 is Poudre
des Couleurs, a tiny boutique which
sells mainly women's accessories. I
love the pretty embroidered silk
handbags in a rainbow of
colors.
Just next-door at n° 26 is La
Charlotte de l'Isle with its dark
red painted antique looking
storefront. Here you will find
whimsical sculptures of elephants
and cows and girls in dancing
dresses as well as a collection of
unusual cards. The hand painted
family that fits in a cardboard egg
carton was my favorite. These
pieces are unique, highly artistic,
affordable and make perfect
gifts.
On the other side of the street at
n° 35 is Clair de Rêve
(photo), a tiny shop that sells
puppets, marionettes, and dolls.
You cannot help but be happy in
this shop that displays fairy
princess puppets and animal
puppets, and one that I love, the
chef marionette, which I gave to my
chef-extraordinaire brother a few
years ago. Here you can even find
antique puppet stages to recreate
your own Punch & Judy show.
On to slightly more grown-up
pleasures at n° 51. You will
be hard pressed to walk out of
L'Epicerie without buying
something. Even Bill Clinton had a
hard time resisting some of the
fine French delicacies (I won't say
it…) on one of his
presidential visits to Paris. The
first thing you notice about the
shop is the very pretty blue
painted shop front. Once inside
you're then struck by the
impeccable order of the shop,
nothing is out of place, all the
shelves are perfectly stocked. And
oh, the goodies they are filled
with: dozens of flavored mustards
in small jars (4 € per jar),
flavored sugars to decorate cookies
or perfume a cup of tea, garlic
pulp in a variety of flavors to add
just the right touch to your
dinners.
They also have
jellies and jams, chocolates in
some great shapes, coffees and
spices. And to make this stop even
more pleasant, the shopkeeper,
Madame Monleix-Wallig, greets you
with a warm smile and is prone to
joking with clients. Like I said,
you'll walk out with something.
And just across the street at
n° 60 is some fabulous foie
gras and confit de canard
(preserved duck) at La Scierie.
Owners Catherine and Paul Douy are
duck specialists, if you will, from
Burgundy. Their duck foie gras is
semi-cooked in salt, pepper and
armagnac for good measure. The duck
sauerkraut cooked in Pouilly sur
Loire wine is just divine.
And for those of
you who have never tried rillettes
this is the place to ask to a
taste. Rillettes are simple:
shredded duck meat cooked in large
quantities of duck fat, salt and
pepper. Rillettes have enormous
artery-clogging potential but who
cares because they are that good on
crusty bread with a cornichon or
two and some good Burgundy (which
according to some doctors will undo
the damage you are causing with the
duck fat - so it's all a wash, so
to speak).
And last but not least on our
shopping trip is one more food shop
(can you tell that I come from a
family of great cooks). At n°
76 you'll find Christian Le Lann,
master cheese purveyor. Just
walking into the shop tickles your
taste buds. From finely aged
Brillat-Savarin to authoritative
Epoisses, not forgetting a wide
selection of chèvres and
bries, you are sure to find a
morsel or two to take back to your
hotel and savor after your
afternoon walk through Île
saint-Louis.
If your tastes tend towards
culinary delights let us organize a
customized tour of Paris' open-air
markets and specialty food shops.
Just let us know when you're
arriving and we'll plan it all for
you.
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