By Michelle Sit Aboha
Finding a place to enjoy a good but affordable meal is one of the most complicated challenges of our century.
Then, if one of the most significant events is taking place in one of the most famous cities in the world (Fashion Week in Paris), you probably don’t have many chances to don’t end up in the most clichèd touristic places. That’s why our food guide will become your Bible for future events.
A historical unknown: escargot, yes or no?
Everyone knows a person who lives by following the motto “we only live once”, and this is the same idea to which our group of friends appealed while sitting at the Brasserie Le Paris Rome in 62 Bd des Batignolles.
While looking at the menu, we couldn’t avoid noticing the portion of escargot (English: snails), which it’s about 6€ for six of those or 8€ for twelve.
After a brief moment of uncertainty and fear, we decide to go for the small portion, as it’s our first try. Our starter comes after a few minutes, served with a small fork which we assumed it’s used to remove the snail from the shell. I looked at my adventure companions to gain some courage, and then voilà, I swallowed the snail without wasting too much time. And, drum roll…I can’t deny it: it’s excellent.
The snail is covered in a sauce made with basil and parsley, which makes the consistency full of fresh flavours. The best thing about it, it’s that I can’t associate this taste with anything else I’ve tried before, and this feeling makes me feel as if I want to try them again and again.
The same excitement didn’t characterise my friend’s palate, who didn’t want to try them twice.
As my main, I decided to go for the steak with a portion of fries. Delicious. The meat cooking time is perfect, considering I asked to have it well done. My only regret is that we decided to drink a bottle of Sauvignon, so I’m missing the unique experience of trying a French steak by sipping a glass of Côtes du Rhône…but I guess it will be for the next time.
What makes this experience even more enjoyable is the staff, which managed to deliver attentive and quick service. In addition, the mirrors are surrounded by gold frames, and the walls are covered by Bordeaux wallpaper, making you feel absorbed by a comfortable but unique atmosphere at the same time.
Vote: 5/5
Macarons – what is the best flavour?
When looking for the right place to eat a macaron, I can’t avoid thinking about the homonym series “Gossip Girl”, in which one of the main characters Chuck Bass, decides to fly to Paris only to buy a few of those, as proof of love to her soulmate Blair Waldorf.
I always wondered why Blair was so obsessed with the macarons until I could try them at the Le Galeries Lafayette at 40 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris. The french macarons are the perfect dessert to try during different times of the day. I say this because the consistency is so soft, and the ingredients (almond flour, egg whites, confectioners’ sugar, and food colouring) are combined not to make you feel overwhelmed, as other sweets could do.
This impression was even more evident after I ordered a doughnut covered in sugar and full of chocolate, which is undoubtedly really good, but it made me feel tired after two bites. That’s why I soon returned to try two more macaroon flavours: vanilla and chocolate. As for the pistachio, they didn’t disappoint me, and like Blair Waldorf, I discovered a new addiction.
Vote: 5/5
Cost for each macaroon: 3€
Decisions to not make – the Pizza del Navona’s experience
As always, anything can be all great and memorable as all the dishes and sweets described before. In our case, Pizza del Navona’s restaurant is undoubtedly one I’ll never walk in anymore.
To begin this nightmare, I owe a big responsibility for this colossal mistake. I’m Italian, and to choose an Italian restaurant next to a neighbourhood of China Town, in a French city, it’s something my ancestors would be shivering to hear about.
Then, another factor which could make me think that the quality of the food wasn’t good, it’s about how the name of the restaurant is spelt. “The Pizza del Navona” refers to one of the most important squares in Rome, Piazza del Navona, but if you consider how it’s spelt in this case, it’s referring to a pizza, which comes from Navona, which it doesn’t make any sense.
But, let me put in a good word for us by saying that we were in a rush as it was almost 9pm and we didn’t want to miss the sparkling lights at the Eiffel Tower (which ended at 11:45 pm), so we didn’t want to spend too much time to find a proper restaurant. However, this is a mistake that nobody should repeat!
The restaurant’s environment reminds me of those Italian trattorias, in which white paper cloths cover the tables and the service is friendly and casual.
A waiter approaches us very nicely by introducing us to our table. By looking at the menu, I ordered a foie gras, as it was something I hadn’t tried yet. As my main, I chose a fritto misto, a mix of fried fish, very typical in the south of Italy.
The starter arrived quickly, so I asked my classmate Tessa, French, to explain how to eat it. She ordered the same one, and so we followed the steps together.
The foie gras is served with two slices of toasted bread, a small portion of jam which reminds me of the quince, and a few pieces of salad.
The foie gras, which is duck’s liver, it’s positioned in the middle of the plate.
My friend Tessa explained to me that it’s traditional to put the foie gras on the toasted bread without spreading it. The aim is to eat it by covering it with salad and jam like a small sandwich.
As I do my first bite, I find myself a little bit turned by the idea that it doesn’t taste like anything, but at the same time, it’s not too bad. Let’s say it’s a flavour I can easily forget about after a few instants. Indeed, it’s probably because of the salad, which is incredibly dry and not dressed at all.
The price is 12€, which I didn’t find exaggerated initially, but I did after not even feeling involved in finishing it.
However, what comes next it’s the worst.
For what concern our mains, my friends ordered a pizza and a few pasta dishes.
When the pizza arrived, it was well seasoned this time…but with something, you wouldn’t expect to see. There was a dead insect between the tomato and the mozzarella, a condition that my friend wanted to assume after seeing it. But, because I have experience in the hospitality field, I’m aware of the possibility of these embarrassing circumstances, and the waiter was too. He apologised a few times and offered to give us desserts for free.
While we all try to move on from this moment, all the other mains except mine are on the table. After 15 minutes, I asked the waiter to check with the kitchen, and he returned, saying that he was supposed to come soon. Indeed it wasn’t, as I received it when my friends finished eating almost half an hour later.
Because I believe in human nature to make mistakes, I don’t complain about it, and I hope with all my Italian heart that it will taste good. But God, it doesn’t.
First of all, it’s not a fritto misto at all. The aim of calling this dish “mixed fish” it’s because it’s supposed to have different types of it. In this case, it’s served with only shrimp.
Then, the Pizza del Navona’s fritto misto it’s the precise reason why in Italian, we say, “you shouldn’t judge a book from its cover”. It looked presentable, but when I tasted it, it was as if I had drunk a tank of oil. It’s impossible to taste the shrimp because they cooked it in a lot of oil to make it quicker, as I have been waiting for a while.
I can’t even help myself with the sauce served in the middle of the plate, which is exaggerated full of garlic or with the salad, which isn’t dressed again.
However, to accomplish this series of extraordinary events, something unexpected happened.
A man sitting in front of our table gave our classmates Amalia Radu and Annagiulia Bianchi a portrait. He was drawing several customers while eating his meal.
So, indeed this restaurant gives you something you’ll never forget about…for better or worse.
In conclusion, Pizza del Navona is a precise combination of not knowing anything about Italian cuisine and not putting a minimum effort into making the dishes enjoyable.
The price of the fritto misto is 15€, which again is exaggerated considering the food quality and the restaurant’s position.
Finally, my friends decided to order a Crème brûlée.
Even in this case, Tessa explained to us how to eat it.
According to Tessa, the proper way to eat the Crème brûlée is by breaking the top while doing one decisive movement.
She explains that breaking it a few times is wrong as it’s necessary just once.
At this stage, I couldn’t tell if it was good, as I was still finishing my fritto misto, but indeed my friends enjoyed it as there wasn’t any leftover. When the bill came, we didn’t receive the dessert for free, which was disappointing considering the circumstances.
Considering I paid 40€ for this meal, I would rate it 2/5 as the relationship between quality and price isn’t reasonable.
The moral of this story is: never choose an Italian place in a foreign country if you’re doing it in a rush.
Contrary, if you choose carefully, there are many possibilities for having an excellent Italian meal in the French capital, and the Café de Paris is one of those.
The Café de Paris: a perfect place to be
The Café de Paris is located in 3 Rue de l’Échelle, 75001 Paris, at few minutes from the Musée du Louvre.
The place looks a bit posh as it has refined wood tables and chairs. As we walked in, a charming waiter hosted us at our table, which was located on the terrace.
There, the atmosphere is elegant and accomplished by soft french music. When we look at the menu, we are shocked to discover it’s cheap.
I ordered a baguette with ham and cheese, a coke and an espresso, paying a total of 15€, which didn’t disappoint me as the food arrived incredibly fast, and the quality was excellent.
My classmate Bianca Jashnani ordered a pizza for Margherita, which according to her, was excellent, mainly because of the very crunchy crust.
Considering the food quality, the atmosphere of the terrace, and the prices, the vote for The Café de Paris is 5+/5.
Check other recommendable delicacies here: 11 Essential Paris Must-Eats
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