Take Two: What is Your Favorite "Secret" Thing to do (or Place to Eat) in Paris?
 

A couple of years ago I started a thread on this (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/franc...eat-paris.html) and received many excellent suggestions, many of which we used on our trip. So I guess I owe a trip report or at least a summary of what we did on that one... Let me just say that we are now big fans of Muji and stop in whenever we are in a city with one.

So, now my daughter wants me to take her back this January over her winter break. So, I would like to start another complementary thread - besides the obvious touristy stuff, which we have done already, what are your suggestions for sights to see and places to eat that the average tourist would not know about? This time with the twist that we do not want to freeze while we are at it. ;) Thanks again!

For breakfast or lunch I would heartily recommend Coco & Co.. It is located approx. 2 blocks from Cafe Deux Magots in St. Germain. The address is: 11,rue Bernard Palissy, Paris 75006, France. It is well off the beaten path but if you like egg dishes - this is the place to go. Very local - don't think I've ever seen an American in there. Have fun.

It's hardly a secret (posters are plastered all over the center of Paris) but I mention it here because those ubiquitous posters make it seem so unpromising: The concerts at the Sainte-Chappelle can be great. There's way too much Vivaldi on the schedule for my taste, but if you find a program that interests you, give it a try. There are usually two performances a night, each about an hour long, so it's possible to have a proper dinner before the late show or after the early show. You get to see interesting parts of the Palais de Justice on the way in, and to enter the church through its main-floor front door (which you can't even see if you just take a tour). If you time the show to coincide with sunset, the stained glass will glow in an unforgettable way. Plus the church has great acoustics and the performances are generally quite good, if conservative.

There's always a wacky tourist or two who feels compelled to watch the whole thing through the eyepiece of a camcorder, which always makes me laugh.

Every May, there's an open artists' studios weekend in Belleville. It's lots of fun. The art ranges from awful to fantastic, but the crowd is interesting and it's fun to peek into the homes and workspaces of a boho neighborhood with a very diverse population. Some of the artists show in little cafés, so there are many opportunities to stop for a drink.

Crepes at Josselin:67, rue du Montparnasse

AND west African restaurants in and around Montmarte

Well, that may change soon! This is precisely on my planned walking path to work during my month stay in Paris later in the fall. I will try my best to be inconspicuous! ;)

One of my favorite itineraries is to go to the Jardin du Palais Royal which is a magical and quiet place just steps from the Louvre. Beautiful any time of the year. Cocteau and Colette lived there, too. There is also a very famous and beautiful restaurant called Le Grand Vefour where the revolutionaries have met already. If you go out on the other side (you entered by the Comedie) you will come to a very quaint little street with shops and cafes. If you walk up from there you are next to the Place St. Victoire which is simply gorgeous. And you are opposite of one of the entries to the Galerie Vivienne. Imagine it like 19th century covered mall. Very romantic with extraordinary shops and architecture. In there is also the famous Brasserie Le Grand Colbert which is rather priceworthy unlike Lipp on Blvd. St. Germain. You'll be mostly covered and the atmosphere is purest Paris.

It's a bit Paris for lovers but the daughter will certainly be enchanted, too. :)

Till

Montparnasse
 

Montparnasse is a bit away from the beaten tourist path, but two worthwhile places to visit there are:

The Cemetery, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montparnasse_Cemetery

And the highly regarded Monsieur Lapin, see http://www.monsieur-lapin.fr/

Anyone ever eaten at : La Tete de Goinfre ? Reviews?

Yes : great place !

I doubt it. The New York Times wrote about it. Twice. ;)

Great. Any favorite dish of urs? Ill be eating there next Monday.

Any pork based dish (boudin, andouillette...) would be delicious. Otherwise try the "Cote de Boeuf" (beef).

Would Monsieur Lapin be a good place to go for my brother and his wife, neither of whom speak a word of French? I'm working on that, although I'm not the best person for the task (Je parle français comme une vache espagnole). :D

They'll be spending their last night in France at the Concorde Montparnasse, so something in the neighborhood would be nice.

Thanks-

I speak French so I'm not sure if they offer English menus. But why not just give them a call around 6:30-7pm French time? You will find out best that way. Plus learning the language (or attempting to) is half the fun of visiting a new place!