latin quarter – well hello lovie

well hello lovie!

So, as we are spending 2 weeks in Paris, I wanted this to be a real opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture and take our time to wander the boulevards and eat and drink mindfully. So what better way to start our trip than to spend 4 hours with an experienced food writer and Paris local who could give us the top tips on The Left Bank area (Latin Quarter and Saint Germain). Diane was from Paris By Mouth and this was one of the best foodie tours I’ve ever done. A small intimate group of 8, we met outside a cafe and all hit it off immediately as we had a common love of food and wine. So we then headed off to learn about the top producers/restauranteurs in the area and Diane did not disappoint!

First Stop – Maison D’Isabelle – the 2018 First Prize Winner of the best Croissant in Paris. Diane talked us through what differentiates the different standards of the multitude of pastry shops in Paris and how to pick the difference in quality between the pastries. We finish with a fresh croissant each and it was crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside and flaking all over my jacket – heaven!
Second Stop – Laurent Dubois – awarded an MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), which essentially means he’s one of the top cheesemakers in France (higher than a Michelin star). Can I tell you, I’m a massive cheese lover and have been into many a cheese cave in my time, but this one blew my mind. The varieties, creativity and quality (they age their cheeses on site!) was unbelievable. My top pick -the Roquefort (sheep’s milk cheese from the Midi-Pyrénées) layered with quince paste.
Third Stop – Eric Kayser bakery to pick up an amazing baguette. We were lucky enough that there is another Eric Kayser near our airbnb and to say we’ve been there a lot is an understatement- best baguettes ever!
Fourth Stop – Charcuterie St Germain Traiteur – cured meat heaven! Terrines, Pate, Charcuterie for days. Surprisingly, I had Head Cheese which I’ve never eaten before, which is a terrine made from the cheek meat from a pig suspended in aspic. The texture was crazy but the taste exploded in your mouth.
Fifth Stop – Patrick Roger – another MOF but this time for chocolate! He’s also an artist so the window display was two polar bears made out of chocolate and apparently one of his shops has an art gallery above it for his art. But back to the chocolate – my pick – basil and lemon chocolate bites – would make a fabulous palate cleanser between courses.
Sixth Stop – Un Dimanche à Paris, a beautiful pastry shop where the Tart Citron was to die for!

We finally ended up at the La Cave du Senat wine shop, where we were taken to a private cellar where we spent another hour or so continuing our tasting tour of our charcuterie, cheese, baguettes whilst matching it with a Loire Sparkling and 2 Reds. Needless to say, we left not only with a new group of friends but several bottles of wine and a plan to revisit all the producers again to stock the apartment for the rest of our trip. If you’re in Paris and love food, then this tour is an absolute must – you’ll love it!!