paris question for Augusta
paris question for Augusta
Hi Augusta,
I've noticed that you are the Paris expert on here and in the past I've followed some of your recommendations and have been very impressed.
I wonder if you had any suggestions in regards to the following? My husband and I are hopefully staying at the follwing hotel:
http://www.hotel-newton-opera.com/uk/galerie.htm
Usually we stay in Montmartre and we like some of the restaurants there. I know the Madeleine area is fairly pricy and wondered if you could suggest any cheaper eateries in that area - preferably traditional French?
Do you think the hotel is in a good place? It seems to have good reviews on trip advisor.
I hope you do not think I am being cheeky in asking and thank you for your past advice,
Flutterbye
Answers:
Hi Flutterbye,
Thank you for your flattering comments. It's always nice to get feedback and I'm glad that some of my past reccs have helped you. :) I'll see what I can come up with this time.
The Madelaine area is a good one, especially if you love your shopping and museums as (assuming you have no problems getting about on foot) you can easily reach the Bd Haussmann Grands Magasins, the Champs-Elysées, the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, etc. The metro and bus connections are very good too. The hotel looks nice, the blurb on its website is correct (I mean they don't claim to be just five minutes from something that is miles away like hotels sometimes do) and I'd say if the reviews on trip advisor are positive then you're likely to enjoy your stay there, so go for it.
As for places to eat, well, I'm afraid I don't know the streets around your hotel well enough to recommend any reasonable, value-for-money brasseries in the immediate vicinity there.
You can always hop in a taxi and go for a meal or two further afield (up in Montmartre and over on the left bank)
In the 8th and 9th arrondissements there are plenty of restaurants, but being a shopping and business district, they are mostly geared to quick lunches, business lunches and many of the more trad restaurants can close over the weekend. There's lots of choice in Asian food, chain brasseries (eg Chez Clément one of the best) and the like on the rue de la Boétie, rue du Colisée, rue de Ponthieu, around the St Philippe du Roule church. The streets north of Bd Haussmann (behind the Galéries Lafayette & Printemps stores), east of Opera (bd des Capucines) should have a few pickings.
A few more:
Relais de l'Entrecôte, 15 rue Marbeuf, 8th arrdt (only steak & chips as main course, no reservations, busy and cheerful)
La Caseta, 68 rue Pierre Charron, 8th Tel: 01 45 63 45 28
Spicy, 8 ave Franklin D Roosevelt, 8th (http://www.spicyrestaurant.com/)
The following rec comes from the French website www.restoaparis.com which I've always found to have decent reviews of places. You can always have a look for more and if you needed help with translations, then drop me a pm.
Café Sud Restaurant, 12, rue de Castellane 75008
http://www.cafesud.com/index_a.html
Just a note: the Musée Jacquemart Andrée is not too far from the hotel well worth a visit. It's on the western end of Bd Haussmann and the Parc Monceau just north of it is lovely.
Answers:
Thank you Augusta - I have booked the hotel and am very excitied. We stayed in Montmartre for our honey moon and will be in paris for our third anniversary this summer.
I would have loved to have lived in Paris for a while. How long have you lived there? Thank you for your offer of translation - Im actually having private French lessons at the moment as I have family in the French speaking part of Switzerland and my sister in law now lives in France with her partner who is French. I can understand French but I just haven't got the confidence to speak it much. I bottle out and my mind goes blank!
Thank you again for your kind reply - I appreciate the time you spend answering all these questions!
Flutterbye
Answers:
You'll just have to get stuck in speaking French and one day, you'll find not only have you followed a whole conversation without thinking too hard about it, but you've managed to contribute as well!
To answer your question, I lived (studied then worked) in Paris for over ten years and then moved to Brussels with OH's job, but we still keep a flat in Paris and have lots of family and friends all over France. I spend at least one weekend a month in Paris.
Hope you have a fab anniversary trip and enjoy your stay. Feel free to contact me if you need any further assistance or information.
Answers:
Hi Augusta,
Can I be really cheeky and ask if you know of any good cafes/bistros/restaurants in the Beaubourg/Les Halles areas or nearby?
Don't worry if not, I'm sure there are plenty of places waiting to be discovered! :)
Also, is Bethillon worth a visit for ice-cream?
Thanks!
Tinsie xx
Hi Augusta,
I've noticed that you are the Paris expert on here and in the past I've followed some of your recommendations and have been very impressed.
I wonder if you had any suggestions in regards to the following? My husband and I are hopefully staying at the follwing hotel:
http://www.hotel-newton-opera.com/uk/galerie.htm
Usually we stay in Montmartre and we like some of the restaurants there. I know the Madeleine area is fairly pricy and wondered if you could suggest any cheaper eateries in that area - preferably traditional French?
Do you think the hotel is in a good place? It seems to have good reviews on trip advisor.
I hope you do not think I am being cheeky in asking and thank you for your past advice,
Flutterbye
Answers:
Hi Flutterbye,
Thank you for your flattering comments. It's always nice to get feedback and I'm glad that some of my past reccs have helped you. :) I'll see what I can come up with this time.
The Madelaine area is a good one, especially if you love your shopping and museums as (assuming you have no problems getting about on foot) you can easily reach the Bd Haussmann Grands Magasins, the Champs-Elysées, the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, etc. The metro and bus connections are very good too. The hotel looks nice, the blurb on its website is correct (I mean they don't claim to be just five minutes from something that is miles away like hotels sometimes do) and I'd say if the reviews on trip advisor are positive then you're likely to enjoy your stay there, so go for it.
As for places to eat, well, I'm afraid I don't know the streets around your hotel well enough to recommend any reasonable, value-for-money brasseries in the immediate vicinity there.
You can always hop in a taxi and go for a meal or two further afield (up in Montmartre and over on the left bank)
In the 8th and 9th arrondissements there are plenty of restaurants, but being a shopping and business district, they are mostly geared to quick lunches, business lunches and many of the more trad restaurants can close over the weekend. There's lots of choice in Asian food, chain brasseries (eg Chez Clément one of the best) and the like on the rue de la Boétie, rue du Colisée, rue de Ponthieu, around the St Philippe du Roule church. The streets north of Bd Haussmann (behind the Galéries Lafayette & Printemps stores), east of Opera (bd des Capucines) should have a few pickings.
A few more:
Relais de l'Entrecôte, 15 rue Marbeuf, 8th arrdt (only steak & chips as main course, no reservations, busy and cheerful)
La Caseta, 68 rue Pierre Charron, 8th Tel: 01 45 63 45 28
Spicy, 8 ave Franklin D Roosevelt, 8th (http://www.spicyrestaurant.com/)
The following rec comes from the French website www.restoaparis.com which I've always found to have decent reviews of places. You can always have a look for more and if you needed help with translations, then drop me a pm.
Café Sud Restaurant, 12, rue de Castellane 75008
http://www.cafesud.com/index_a.html
Just a note: the Musée Jacquemart Andrée is not too far from the hotel well worth a visit. It's on the western end of Bd Haussmann and the Parc Monceau just north of it is lovely.
Answers:
Thank you Augusta - I have booked the hotel and am very excitied. We stayed in Montmartre for our honey moon and will be in paris for our third anniversary this summer.
I would have loved to have lived in Paris for a while. How long have you lived there? Thank you for your offer of translation - Im actually having private French lessons at the moment as I have family in the French speaking part of Switzerland and my sister in law now lives in France with her partner who is French. I can understand French but I just haven't got the confidence to speak it much. I bottle out and my mind goes blank!
Thank you again for your kind reply - I appreciate the time you spend answering all these questions!
Flutterbye
Answers:
You'll just have to get stuck in speaking French and one day, you'll find not only have you followed a whole conversation without thinking too hard about it, but you've managed to contribute as well!
To answer your question, I lived (studied then worked) in Paris for over ten years and then moved to Brussels with OH's job, but we still keep a flat in Paris and have lots of family and friends all over France. I spend at least one weekend a month in Paris.
Hope you have a fab anniversary trip and enjoy your stay. Feel free to contact me if you need any further assistance or information.
Answers:
Hi Augusta,
Can I be really cheeky and ask if you know of any good cafes/bistros/restaurants in the Beaubourg/Les Halles areas or nearby?
Don't worry if not, I'm sure there are plenty of places waiting to be discovered! :)
Also, is Bethillon worth a visit for ice-cream?
Thanks!
Tinsie xx