In St. Germain-des-Pres
Blogging has made me bold - maybe too bold sometimes, but I’m much likely to strike up conversations in cafes or restaurants with neighboring tables especially if people look a little bored. Last night, the woman seated next to us told us she came from Buenos Aires.
She and her husband had spent the last few weeks in Greece (and what have you heard about Greece travel lately?) and a few days in Rome. “My husband went back to Buenos Aires, but I decided to stay in Paris for a week because I feel as if I haven’t gone anywhere if I haven’t been to Paris.”
After having talked for the last month to Parisians who’ve abandoned the city which they find no longer tenable, it’s reinvigorating to talk to a tourist who considers the city the high point of her trip (with or without husband!).
I wish for her sake that she had picked a better restaurant! Which leads me to the subject of bad meals in Paris. Yes, there is such a thing as having a bad meal - and sometimes the worst meals are served in the cutest looking places. A number of years ago, Maryanne (a New Yorker) and I took in the Pernety neighborhood. (This is definitely off the tourist radar.) The owner of a restaurant waved to us to come in (this is ALWAYS a bad sign - do NOT go to restaurants where people try to wave you in) but because the restaurant and tons of geraniums in cute pots - we did get suckered into this one. The veal cutlets were grilled to obllvion, the carafe of beaujolais was flabby, the service was pathetic. Not only have we never gone back to the restaurant (obviously), we’ve never set foot in the neighborhood which is only one Metro stop away from Gaite and Montparnasse.
This is one city where you’re probably better off using a restaurant guide, perhaps spending a bit more on one or two good meals, and snack on sandwiches or crepes rather than wasting your money on a mediocre restaurant.
By Parisgirl | Permalink
Related Posts
- Where to Eat
- Dining a la Jet Lag - Part 2
- Outdoor Paris Restaurants: Following Bond, That’s Jean Bond Rafferty
- More on Paris, Je T’Aime
- Vegetarian Dining near Montparnasse/Pernety
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share        |
Comments
I know what you mean about the “wave in.” About ten days after 9-11, we spent a weekend in NYC and visited Little Italy one afternoon. I felt bad b/c 1) it was as far south as we were allowed to go 2) the restaurants were desperate for business. We ended up popping into the only place that didn’t wave us in (they were sitting outside enjoying some espresso), and had a fabulous meal.
Can’t wait to investigate your site and get some restaurant ideas for my trip in September.
Hi Terri: I just took a moment to check out some of the restaurants you listed on your site europeupclose.com and like your eclectic selection (especially the veggie restaurant you mentioned at Port d’Ivry. We went to two veggies restaurants today that I’ll be posting about tomorrow.
Thanks for your comment.
Hi Kim! Didn’t know they did the ‘wave in’ thing in NYC. I lived there for four years and it seemed like restaurants were always perpetually filled up. You were there at an extraordinarily difficult time. I imagine anyone in the restaurant business must have been having a very rough go of it. Glad you found a nice place.
More BootsnAll Travel Network Sites
Destinations
© BootsnAll Travel Network - All rights reserved
You are so right! I too succumbed to the friendly “waving in” at a cute restaurant in the Latin Quarter. That was years ago and I have learned my lesson. I advise people to avoid any restaurant where they try to lure you in off the street.