Cool Paris

A charming neighborhood bistro, already know, but now also mentioned by Hungry for paris, the travelblog of  American-born Alexander Lobrano who has lived in Paris for 25 years, where he’s written about food and travel for publications including Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, Departures, and Conde Nast Traveler. He’s a regular contributor to the New York Times T Style, and the author of Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City’s 102 Best Restaurants (Random House), which is also the name of his blog.

Les Affranchis, 5 rue Henri Monnier, 75009 Paris , Tel. 01-45-26-26-30. M° Pigalle or Saint Georges. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Menus: 18 Euros (lunch), 25 Euros–two courses, 32 Euros–three courses.

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That was the headline of last Fodor’s travel news. Oysters are the perfect fast food ever. France is Europe’s top producer and mid-winter is the prime oyster-eating season, so here we go :

1/ Atao
Fashion stylist Laurence Mahéo took over her family’s oyster beds in Brittany after her father’s death and sold this succulent shellfish—rare plats, or flat, oysters to such famous chefs as Yannick Alleno at Le Meurice. Now she’s opened Atao, a hip little seafood house (86 rue Lemercier, 17e, 01-46-27-81-12), with a Japanese chef in the trendy Batignolles neighborhood. If oysters star, the menu also offers clams sautéed in sake, langoustines, fresh fish, and crepes for dessert.

2/Le Bar à Huitres
This mini-chain with four branches around the city (112 boulevard du Montparnasse, 14e, 01-43-20- 71-01; 33 boulevard Beaumarchais, 3e, 01-48-87-98-92; 33 rue Saint-Jacques, 5e, 01-44-07-27- 37; 69 avenue de Wagram, 17e, 01-43-80-63-54) was recently relaunched with stylish interiors and a terrific selection of pedigreed oysters, including Prat ar Coum from ostreiculteur Yvon Madec in Brittany and very rare oysters from the Etang de Diana in Corsica. Other good eats include cod with aioli and scallops cooked in their shells with pink Himalayan salt.

3/ L’Ecailler du Bistrot
It’s no surprise that the seafood sibling (22 Rue Paul Bert, 11e, 01-43-72-76-77) of the popular Le Paul Bert Bistro next door serves superb oysters, because the proprietor is Gwenaëlle Cadoret, the daughter of a famous oyster grower from Riec-sur-Belon in Brittany. The sole meunière is first-rate, too.

3/Garnier
Just across the street from Gare Saint Lazare and around the corner from the big department stores Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, this popular seafood brasserie (111 Rue St Lazare, 8e, 01-43-87-50-40) has a small, circular sit-down oyster bar just inside the front door that’s perfect for solo dining or a quick shopping-break lunch.

4/L’ Huîtrier
Friendly Francisco Pires, the ecailleur (oyster shucker) who mans the stand at the excellent seafood house L’ Huîtrier (16 Rue Saussier-Leroy, 17e, 01-40-54-83-44) won the annual competition for France’s best oyster shucker last year, so watch him at work before you settle down for an oyster feast. Other good dishes here include the stuffed clams and grilled sole.

5/ Huîtrerie Régis
It’s all about oysters at this chic elbow-to-elbow shop-front restaurant (3 Rue Montfaucon, 6e, 01-44-41-10-07) in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, where the bivalves come from the Marennes-Oléron and the only other edibles are boiled shrimp, fresh sea urchins, and clams. They pour a great list of Loire Valley white wines, and this place attracts a fashionable local crowd.

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Discover a unique place conceived by the architect Odile Decq in the heart of the Palais Garnier. A mezzanine made of amazing shapes surrounds the original architecture of the Palais Garnier without ever touching it. The design is special, yet a big contrast with the classic Palais Garnier. But it matches, no doubt about that. The chef is Yann Tanneau who makes great dishes.

“We went to this restaurant a few days ago just for one course and came out with a big smile on our faces.

After we ordered our food we got an appetizer. It was a bisque of langoustine with whipped cream on it and ciboulette.It was exceptionally good and tasted like more.
The wine and the meal were very professionaly served. I had young leek with a poached egg and some really good sauces. My mother got scallops with an espuma. My father got carpaccio of langoustines with a fresh salad. I’m not really a fish eater but the dishes of my parents were really good but I loved my dish the most. I’m a vegetarian and my dish was like heaven for me.
When we went out I had a very big smile on my face and I was asking my parents to come back for a whole menu.”

Lara

L’Opéra, Place Jacques Rouché, 75009 Paris tel.01 42 68 86 80 M° Opéra

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When you like pizza, this is the place to be. Pizza di Loretta serves pizza by pieces. The price is charged by weight.Wines are good price/quality.

When you come in, the friendly and joyful staff asks you to make your choice. Eight or ten different kinds are begging to be chosen, they all look better than the other. You can eat in or take away. It’s simple but correct.

Last night we were offered some risotto croquette.Then the chef made some jokes(it was typical italian style). You can actually see the chef making the pizza’s.

Pizza di Loretta is the place you want to go to!

Pizza di Loretta, 62, Rue Rodier, 75009 Paris, tel 01 48 78 42 56, M° Anvers

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