I’ll be in Paris for 10 days starting April 1st. There are already threads for bistros and restros so I’m not requesting info on those. Instead, what are the amazing foods in Paris and where do you go for each. Things such as the best baguette, best pastry item, croissant, cookies and macaroons, charcuterie, hot chocolate, chocolate, and whatever else you may suggest. Of course there should be a category for “let them eat cake.”
Have corkscrew
Will travel
Francois
My favorite chocolaterie are Patrick Roger, Maison du Chocolat, Michel Chaudun and Michel Cluizel (each have different specialties). I’m not stepping in the baguette or croissant wars, although I am partial to Poilane for wheat bread. And for cheese, a raw milk Epoisse, bien sur
Agree with Poilâne for bakery (those butter cookies are terribly addicting)
Laduree for macaroons. I know others may be now more fashionable, but I am a traditionalist
If you like tea, Mariage Freres is the greatest tea shop/tea room (the food is really quite good), and there are a few around town
Fauchon in the Madeleine for hand-sliced Jabugo. Also the Bon Marche, if you are on the left bank. Both are worth a visit in any event.
La Maison du Chocolat for a restorative hot chocolate. My wife swears by Michel Cluizel for chocolate. I’m a savory guy, so my afternoon snack is Jabugo or some other savory from Fauchon or Bon Marche if I am close to either.
Most important: the original Maison Berthillon at 31 Rue St Louis en l’ile (on l’ile St Louis) for the best ice cream in Paris.
I’ll be in Paris April 4-6. Maybe we can meet up for a late night glass of wine. For Chocolate: Cluizel and Patrick Roget chocolates are…okay. Maison du Chocolat is pretty good. Herme is okay. Le Notre overrated (these days). JP Hevin is okay. My favorite is probably Sadaharu Aoki.
For Macarons, that’s a whole other thread. Aoki probably wins again for me. I think Laduree macarons are good, but overrated these days. Herme, Hevin, Le Notre are a pass.
Baguette: in the 7e Pain d’Epis (not the chain) is good. Famous big names are Kayser and Gosselin.
Definitely find an Eric Kayser boulangerie, get a fresh baguette, find a store that sells Bordier smoked salt butter and combine. Insanely good. The croissant at Kayser also shouldn’t be missed.
Cafe Angeline near the Louvre in 1er arr. for hot chocolate (Cafe Africaine it’s called IIRC) - like 5 euros but it sure is one mega-massive choco-rush. Far and away the best HC I’ve ever had. It has been a few years since I was in Paris but that memory is burned into my brain.
Had some great macarons in Jan. at Carette, Place Trocadéro. Can’t compare with others, tho, since these were the first I’ve eaten in a very long time. Nice place to sit, also, but FWIW it’s jammed on Fri. afternoon.
A lemon bichon at Kayser is one of the best pastries I’ve ever eaten.
I’ll be in Charles de Gaulle for 4 hours on April 1.
Is there any place in the airport that anyone would recommend to eat? Or buy cheese?
I’ll be in Paris the first week of April as well. If any of you who are in Paris at the same time are available, I’d love it if you would be willing to babysit my two kids while my wife and I go out to dinner. 
Gerard Mulot in the 6th - any kind of pastry
Maison du Chocolate next to Fauchon - dark chocolate bark - expensive but it will amaze you
Baguette - any local boulanger - This one won the award for best baguette in Paris 2010 - it is in Montmartre area. Le Grenier a Pain Abbesses 38 rue Abbesses
75018 Paris
Pate de Fois Gras - served in blocks - you can get this at Fauchon but it is very expensive - look at some local places that specialize in meats - get the goose too!
Confitures and Honey - France has some of the best in the world
This place rocks for baguette if you are in the 7th. Sharon Bowman introduced this gorgeous bread to me. She used to live in the 7th.
Yeah I think the official name is Boulangerie Artisanale Pain d’Epis. Baguette “Royale” is what I got all the time.
Oui, Le Paris Offline.
Maybe Mike Cohen and his wife will join us.
If you want to grab a lot of these things at once or just pick and choose, the Rue Cler Market district in the 7th would be a great place to spend a few hours.
I found this web site helpful: Parisbymouth.com
Yes. Also the market on Ave. du President Wilson (across from the Palais de Tokyo) on Saturday and the Bastille market (on Boulevard Richard Lenoir) on Sunday morning.
Lot’s of good suggestiosn here. I’ll throw in:
L’As du Falafel in the Marais.
Boutique Maille for some great preservative-free and mustard.
Creperie stands are a dime-a-dozen but I favor the one by Saint-Germaine de Pres church for, well, great street crepes.
Poilaneis well worth looking for for excellent breads.
If you want to make your way to a very un-pretentious locals-only watering hole serving cheap but good selcetion of local wines (vinified on the premises) in addition to a lot of good non-local bottlings, plus terrific pate and cheeses, go the Le Baron Rouge and mix in with the locals as they overflow into the streets with their wine glasses and plates of charcuterie. Wine Tasting, Vineyards, in France: Paris Wine Bars : Le Baron Rouge
Harry,
Yes. parisbymouth.com is a fantastic site which I’ve been using. Did you go to Paris and use their recommendations; if so, what?
Completely agree that parisbymouth.com is a terrific site. Two others worth also worth looking at are thepariskitchen.com and frenchmarketmaven.blogspot.com, with the caveat that I know the ladies involved in all three sites.
Brad