I can remember back in September when we first arrived in Europe being excited and anxious to be away for one year. I can also remember thinking about how far off Paris was from our arrival but it finally arrived when we paid a visit last month! I know that a lot of people have mixed feelings about Paris but I really do love the city for the beauty and romance it presents. I only had one spat with a cloakroom attendant at a museum, but we won’t talk about that.
Today I’m sharing the details of my food tour with Devour Paris and our stroll around the Le Marais neighborhood! Devour tours are new to Paris but our guide, Jess, never missed a beat! She greeted us in a park in the Marais and I could immediately tell that it was going to be a fun tour.
Our tour started with what else, French pastries! Pain au Chocolat to be exact at Poilâne. This beautiful little bakery is run by Apollonia, the daughter of the original owners who passed away tragically, but still bakes bread that is often considered to be some of the best in the world. I’m a huge fan of a good pain au chocolat and this one did not disappoint! It was slightly crisp on the outside and flaky as ever!
We then moved on to Marché des Enfants Rouge which is the oldest covered market in Paris. Here we were able to try ‘socca’ which is a chickpea crepe that actually finds its origins in the French Riviera! I promised myself that I would try this dish before leaving the riviera but it never happened so I was happy that this was a part of our tour. The verdict: delicious! It’s a nice little snack and when they are hot out of the fire they are the best!
Our next stop was for some amazing chocolate and a macaroon, two of my favorite things! If you want to try some unique flavors of chocolate and macaroons then head to Jean-Paul Hevin. There are a few locations around Paris and also in Tokyo, Shanghai and Taiwan!
We then wandered into the small Jewish neighborhood known as Pletzl in the Marais for our next stop. This neighborhood houses some amazing Jewish restaurants, delis, bookshops and boulangeries and our stop was at Sacha Finkelsztajn. Here we enjoyed a small pastry called a Borek filled with sheep’s cheese and chives. It was so fresh and delicious! I would suggest checking out this shop if you’re in Paris. There is also a delicious falafel shop nearby!
Of course we had to make a stop for some charcuterie on our walk before heading to Les Philosophes for traditional French onion soup. Or ‘onion soup’ as they call it in France! I typically make my French onion soup with red wine but this one was made with white wine and I really enjoyed the lighter, yet still rather rich, taste! By this time I was getting quite full so I was happy that we were nearing the end of the tour. Of course we still needed another dessert and some wine!
We stopped at Maison Aleph for a pastry ‘nest’. I had seen these in a couple of other pastry shops so I was excited to try one. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what the pastry part is made of but the one that I had was filled with a lemon curd and topped with a very light whipped topping. It was so crisp and delicious!
Our final stop was at a wine shop offering natural wines from around France. This quirky little shop offers a selection of no-sulfite wines and we were able to try a delicious red and white from France. If you’re in Paris and are looking for a unique selection of natural wines then check out L’etiquette.
If you’re looking for a great tour of one of the lesser explored neighborhoods of Paris then give this tour a try. Jess will make you feel like you’ve known her forever and you’ll really appreciate her love for Paris and this neighborhood. She even offers night tours now too!
Special thanks to Jess and Devour Tours for hosting us while in Paris!
So many wonderful treats. Paris is on my list for traveling. I can only imagine how those macaroons taste.