Sunday Best

While Paris is known for great food, finding a good meal on a Sunday, when most shops and restaurants are closed, can sometimes be a bit tough. Here’s a short list of recommendations in and around our neighborhood.

Semilla, 54 rue de Seine, 6th – right around the corner
Right in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this modern bistro by a team of the Left Bank’s best restaurateurs — Miami-born Juan Sanchez and New Zealander Drew Harré, who also run the excellent La Dernière Goutte wine shop — rocks an art-gallery vibe with an open kitchen, steel ventilation ducts overhead, and exposed stone walls.  Friendly service, moderately priced and a good time.

Le Comptoir du Relais – L’Odeon across Boulevard St. Germain. Yves Camdeborde’s beloved bistro, once neo and now classic. During the week you’d have to book months in advance for a no-choice dinner, but on weekends you can just queue up for the so-called brasserie menu.

Allard, 41 Rue Saint-André des Arts four blocks away from the hotel. The sepia-toned dining room at this historic bistro remains the same, but Alain Ducasse and protégé Laëtitia Rouabah have taken over the kitchen and the accompanying menu of classic Burgundian dishes. Reviews are mixed.

Fógon specializes in Spanish food, perhaps a welcome break from all-French, all-the-time meals. 45 Quai des Grand Augustins, 6th.

Au Coin des Gourmets is a bit of IndoChina in Paris, but this is isn’t gloopy sweet&sour pork in a white cardboard box! 5, rue Dante, 5th.

Ambassade d’Auvergne features the hearty, homey fare of this western mountain region, including the aligot, a whipped potato specialty with the tasty addition of cheese curds and garlic. 22 rue du Grenier-St. Lazare, 3rd.

La Père Claude on the other side (from us) of the Champs de Mars is an ideal spot for the classic Sunday French dinner of roast chicken. 51 av, de la Motte-Picquet, 15th.

Huîtrerie Régis, 3 rue Montfaucon, 6th With only 14 covers in a tiny storefront place with a white-painted beamed ceiling in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this oyster bar comes off as one of the most exclusive non-members-only clubs on the Left Bank. They don’t take reservations, so get here early. Even then, you may have to wait, since Régis’s oysters come from the Marennes-Oléron on France’s Atlantic coast, and they’re so head-bangingly good no one minds the house rule of having to order a dozen a piece. Otherwise, the only thing on occasional offer are clams, sea snails, shrimp, and sea urchins, plus a short but really good list of Loire Valley whites.

Le Rôtisserie du Beaujolais is another great roast chicken option, and a bit closer to the hotel at 19 quai de la Tournelle, 5th.

Fish la Boissonerie is a fun, lively spot so so close to the hotel at 69, rue de Seine, 6th.

One neighborhood that does mostly remain open on Sundays is the Marias, likely because of its long history as the “Jewish Quartier” now mostly occupied by trendy boutiques and hotels.

Robert et Louise, 64 rue Veille du Temple  Some of the members of one of our  recent tours  found themselves in the Marais and did dinner here and still rave about the best  meal in Paris they had ever had.  Cozy and charming on a winter’s night.

Café des Musées, 49 rue de Turenne, 4th
There are few really good bistros open on Sunday in Paris, which is why this small casual place decorated with antique posters in the Marais is always packed (book ahead to get a table on Sunday night). Saucy waiters sling seriously good French comfort food from a chalkboard menu that changes regularly but almost always offers some of the finest chicken-liver terrine in town and some of the best steak frites, since these fries are homemade from fresh potatoes. Don’t miss the smoked-garlic soup from the north of France if it’s on the menu, and in season, the menu’s game dishes are terrific, too.

Another Sunday dining option is to visit one of the outdoor markets and make up a picnic. Markets open on Sunday morning (9am-2pm) include Richard Lenoir (M: Bastille), Aligre (M: Ledru-Rollin), Raspail (M: Sèvres-Babylon), and Place Monge (M: Place Monge).

And finally, when all else fails, there are plenty of basic bistros where a light dinner of omelet et salade with a glass of wine all tastes perfectly fine.

Bon Appétit!

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