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Welcome to the AT YOUR SERVICE
Paris |
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Boutiques
in the Neighborhood |
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Our Hotel
Suggestion - Hôtel du
Bourg Tibourg |
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Things to
do in and around Paris |
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Our
Restaurant Suggestion - Le
Pamphlet |
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You would expect
nothing less in the heart of the
Marais. The elevator is lined in
crushed velvet, the walls are
covered with striped silk, and many
of the furnishings are of rich
ebony-hued wood. Here at the
Hôtel du Bourg Tibourg so much
dramatic embellishment is packed
into such a small space that you
cannot help but be charmed by the
effect.
Hip interior designer Jacques
Garcia entirely renovated the hotel
for the Costes brothers in 2001 and
the result is divine. It is modern
French like it's neighbor the
Pompidou Center yet at the same
time the hotel is steeped in
Oriental neo-gothic design features
that will delight your senses.
Each room is a unique experience,
with beds draped in dark taffetas
and silks; subtle lighting gives
the rooms the feeling of a Bedouin
prince's tent. A castle theme is
apparent in the 17th century
vaulted breakfast room with its
stonewalls covered with antique
tapestries and red velvet
curtains.
The 28 rooms and 2 suites are
air-conditioned and soundproof;
satellite television, minibars,
individual safes, laundry service
and internet access are all
available. Take time to step into
the lovely interior garden designed
by Camille Muller.
Single rooms are 150 €,
double rooms start at 200 €
and the suites are 300 €.
Breakfast is 12 €. At these
prices you can stay in the lap of
luxury without breaking the
bank.
Hôtel du Bourg Tibourg
19, rue du Bourg Tibourg, Paris
4ème
M°: Hôtel-de-Ville
Tel: 01 42 78 47 39
E-mail:
hotel.du.bourg.tibourg@wanadoo.fr
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If you are looking
for a relaxed evening with very
good, innovative cuisine then this
week we have just the restaurant
for you. Le Pamphlet is the kind of
place you can count on time and
time again. The welcome is friendly
and the recommendations offered by
the owners are not only helpful but
spot on.
There are four entrées, four
main courses and four desserts to
choose from. (Personally, I love
this; less time ruminating and more
time enjoying!) I'll tell you what
we had only to give you an idea but
as the menu changes daily you might
not find the same dishes when you
go.
The lamb stuffed roasted tomato was
simply presented and wonderfully
tasty. The lamb had been cooked for
hours making it melt-in-your-mouth
tender. The creativity of Chef
Alain Carrere was evident with the
boudin noir served with calamari
and balsamic. The dish was a
delightful juxtaposition of
complementary tastes. Often avoided
by Americans, boudin noir is one of
the great French delicacies that
take a bit of getting used to, more
conceptually than anything else.
(If you don't know what boudin noir
is, try to find a fan of this dish
to explain it to you because if you
ask a novice you will probably get
a description that is less than
flattering.)
The evening I dined at Le Pamphlet
there were two fish dishes and two
meat dishes. The wine list
represents very well the menu
selections all the while respecting
the overall price range of the
establishment.
My selection, pork filet medallions
served with stewed coco beans, was
a good compliment to my first
course. The portions are just the
right size, neither skimpy, nor
overwhelming. My friend selected
the "levee du carrelet", which
required a lengthy explanation on
his part followed by confirmation
by the owner's wife. Technically it
means the fish that is caught when
you set a square metal fishing net
in front of a stream. In culinary
terms, or at least at le Pamphlet
it means their fish selection of
the day. That day it was a "filet
de limande" or lemon sole served
all rolled up with delicious mashed
potatoes drizzled with olive
oil.
Both dishes were just wonderful;
tasty and well prepared; as was the
case with the desserts. The
"clafoutis aux mirabelles" or plum
flan turned out to be more than my
dining companion could manage. Not,
of course, because of the taste but
simply because there was too much.
Which left me a bit embarrassed
because I had no problem finishing
every last bit of the "chaud-froid
de nectarine", a baked nectarine
served with real vanilla ice cream
and a raspberry coulis.
The best part of the evening had to
be the ambiance. The owner's wife
is charming. She heard the tail end
of a joke I was telling my friend
and picked up on it and joined in
the fun, later relaying the story
to her husband so that by the end
of the evening I suspect that most
of the other diners were aware that
in order to steal a morsel of my
friends dinner I pretended there
was an elephant outside to distract
him. It's a fun trick I learned
quite young that unfortunately only
works once, twice if they're a bit
gullible and many times if they
really like you.
I wholeheartedly recommend Le
Pamphlet for a comfortable, fun
dinner in a corner of the Marais
you might not know. The 3-course dinner menu is
30€ without wine.
Le Pamphlet
38, rue Debellyme, Paris
3ème
M° : Filles-du-Calvaire
Tel : 0142 73 39 24
Closed Saturday lunch, Sunday and
Monday lunch
Two other Marais suggestions:
An exceptional restaurant in the
heart of the Marais is the
Dôme du Marais. The cuisine is
modern French, with a nod given to
Brittany as the chef is from
Nantes. As the name implies, the
dining room is under the majestic
domed ceiling of the former
Mont-de-Piété, the 18th
century public pawnshop that became
the Crédit Municipal de Paris.
The light filtering through the
windows at the end of the day is
just exquisite and that is why I
suggest that you book one of the
three mezzanine tables relatively
early for one of the most romantic
dinners Paris can offer.
Le Dôme du Marais attracts a
diverse crowd of CEO's, diplomats
and artists. It is the perfect
restaurant to impress your guests
without emptying your wallet. The 3-course
dinner menu is 27.50 €
without wine, the 2-course lunch
menu with a glass of wine is 18.30
€.
Le Dôme du Marais
53 bis, rue des Francs-Bourgeois,
Paris 4ème
M° : Hôtel de Ville
Tel : 01 42 74 54 17
Closed Sunday and
Monday
And if you're feeling a bit hungry
after an afternoon of gallery
hopping in the Marais then I highly
recommend Le Réconfort. The
cuisine is traditional French with
an accent on Provence, in terms of
flavors and colors. The dining room
is done in warm tones of red and
ochre. Be sure to reserve as this
is a sought after address with the
show biz and fashion crowd. Other
tip, check out the restrooms;
they're worth the risk of going
down the oh-so-steep stairs.
Count on 30 - 35
€ without wine for dinner, 14
€ for the lunch menu.
Le Réconfort
37, rue de Poitou, Paris
3ème
Tel: 01 49 96 09 60
M° : St.
Sébastien-Froissart
Closed Sunday
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For an excursion
even further away than Normandy,
all the while remaining in the
heart of the Marais, just step out
the front door of your hotel, the
Bourg Tibourg naturally, and walk
about half a block to your left and
you will be transported to India.
The destination is, of course
Mariage Frères. To say that
Mariage Frères is merely a
"salon de thé" does not do the
age-old establishment justice.
Mariage Frères is to tea what
Tiffany's is to jewelry. It is the
best.
You can choose from hundreds of
loose teas stacked in beautifully
decorated and labeled canisters in
the front room of the original
shop. The sales assistants, who
evoke Colonial India with their
impeccable ivory linen uniforms,
will open the canisters that
measure about 2 feet high and let
you smell the tea you are thinking
about purchasing. They are
exceptionally knowledgeable and can
recommend teas according to you
tastes and your budget, as here
teas are taken as seriously as fine
wines. You can find a Southbown
Fannings tea from Zimbabwe at 2.20
€ per 100 grams as well as a
rare Red Robe Chinese tea for 73
€ per 100 grams. Mariage
Frères also offers an
extensive selection of original
teapots and accessories, jellies
and candies, and pre-packaged teas
in canisters.
Try to time your visit to arrive
around 4:00 in the afternoon, just
in time for tea in the restaurant.
I strongly suggest you avoid
Saturday afternoons, as you will
probably have to wait well over an
hour for a table. You can choose
from a wide selection of their
teas, (yes, they do serve coffee)
fruit juice cocktails, lunch items
and delicious pastries. Afternoon
tea at Mariage Frères is one
of Paris' little luxuries.
Mariage
Frères
30, rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Paris
4th
M° : Hôtel-de-Ville
01 42 72 28 11
In keeping with the slightly
gastronomical aspect of our
shopping trip, next we head a few
blocks south to rue François
Miron. Izraël is the ultimate
Ali Baba's cavern of spices, which
provokes, by merely stepping into
the shop, a sensation of sheer
bliss. For in-the-know Parisians
there really is no other place to
go. All sorts of pepper, pimentos,
oils, preserved fruits, olives,
honey even wines are displayed to
arouse your senses. Owners
Izraël and Françoise will
suggest just the right spices to
enhance whatever you are planning
for dinner.
IZRAËL
30, rue François Miron, Paris
4th
M° : Saint Paul
01 42 72 66 23
If you are looking for unique items
for your home then be sure to stop
into La Rochère on rue des
Francs-Bourgeois. At first glance
it appears to be a lovely shop full
of lamps and glasses, but in fact
La Rochère is the oldest
active glassblower in France if not
the world. Simon de Taysac founded
the company in 1475 at the
insistence of the Dukes of
Lorraine, in eastern France. The
right to produce glass was passed
on to male heirs 'born of legal
marriage'. The collection of hand
blown glass includes glasses,
carafes, pitchers and La
Rochère's specialty, Art
Nouveau lamps.
La Rochère
41, rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris
4th
M°: Rambuteau
01 42 72 08 07
www.larochere.com (in
English)
If stylish interiors and textiles
interest you then Caravane should
be your next stop. They have
fabulous ethnic home furnishings
that never seem "too-much". They
can easily fit into most decors all
the while giving your home a touch
of exoticism. Whether you are in
the market for a new sofa for your
Paris pied-à-terre or a
hand-embroidered throw from central
Asia, this showroom is a
decorator's dream.
Caravane
6, rue Pavée, Paris 4th
M° : Saint Paul
01 44 61 04 20
Closed Sunday and
Monday
And finally, if you love the
fashions of the 70's you're going
to love Christophe Lemaire's shop
on rue de Sevigné. Trained
under Yves Saint Laurent and
Christian Lacroix, Lemaire is a
master of "cool, comfort, chic"
clothes with a beatnik angle.
Christophe
Lemaire
36, rue de Sevigné, Paris
3rd
M°: Saint Paul
Closed Monday
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