Been running a little crazy since returning home from France but I wanted to at least give a few thoughts on our dining experiences as well as a couple of places we visited.
Paris
Overall our Paris meals were forgettable. Due to some timing issues we just didn’t get to places I had noted and instead were stuck with less than stellar options that just happened to be available. I think this was partly because we were trying to cram in so much we just didn’t have time to suss out neighborhoods; primarily due to my husband who just doesn’t really care about where we eat. Also weather was not our friend so we ducked into the closest spot when the rain began more than once.
Our standout meals were at Hestia in the Latin Quarter (great food, excellent service) and Le Coq & Fils in Monmartre. (I had spent over an hour searching at Galeries Lafayette for a roast chicken meal the day before, with zero success so I was inclined to love Le Coq anyway, but it was really delicious in its own right.).
The croissant at Maison Isabelle near the Sorbonne was worth the walk in the rain! Le Coupe Chou in the same neighborhood was good and service was excellent (a rarity in our experiences).
My husband is a chocolate mousse fanatic so we made a special trip to Chapon only to be told they were out of chocolate mousse. WTF?!?
On our final night we happened upon Le Septieme Vin not far from ET, and it was delightful. Our only really lucky stab in the dark.
Normandy
Not too much success in Normandy, our lunch in Honfleur was super rushed and we ended up with basic crepes, which were good but nothing special. Our dinners in Bayeux were ok, most of the places we wanted to try were closed midweek. We did have a surprisingly good meal at like a truck stop brasserie and I simply cannot find the name, will edit if I locate that. Not a destination but perfectly acceptable while driving.
In Marseille we had the “bouillabaisse” from the carry out spot Turfu. It was inexpensive and tasty. We again just didn’t have time (or financial inclination) to go to FonFon though I’m sure we would have enjoyed that experience. We snacked somewhere on the main waterfront drag in Marseille before heading to our Springsteen concert. Very interesting small Holocaust memorial museum in Marseille.
Aix en Provence and surrounding areas
Highlight in Provence was lunch at Omma in Rousillon. Really outstanding food and service, with a beautiful view as well. We did not eat in Il Sur le Sogue but enjoyed their market in particular. Dinner in Aix was at La Mado at the recommendation of our guide. We weren’t impressed, nothing wrong with it, just average. And as lovely as the evenings were (vs the cold and rain in Paris) the smoking really affects us, so we ate indoors quite a few times throughout the trip to avoid it. I understand they’ve changed the law so any restaurant will be no smoking, even outdoors, but I can’t fathom how that will succeed there!)
Will add more but hoping some of the words will come up in searches in the future (even though not much to speak of).
