Focus of the visit was definitely not dining/food only but I tried to work in dinners in restaurants recommended on the board. For lunch I’d just look for something interesting in whatever area I was in at lunch time, focusing on casual but appetizing. Tried to search out the best boulangeries but unfortunately many are in 9/10/11/20 which meant a bus or metro ride and was not always feasible.
DINNER
Peche 17eme https://www.restaurantpeche.fr/
Plane was late so I opted for a restaurant du quarter. My first choice wasnt serving any more as ‘things were too quiet’, Mon evening.
Peche actually worked out well - v reasonable price only 37e for entree + plat
entree was delicious carpaccio of bar (firm white fish) tasted very fresh, served with yellow beets and a drizzle of oil. They were out of the squid main course (it was 10pm) so I went for maigre - another firm white fish which was served with a ratatouille and was excellent.
I had a couple of glasses of provence rosé which were perfectly fine 7e each.
Service was good and ample outdoor seating available.
Cafe de L’usine - had a nice little table outside on a very warm evening. It’s in a work/live/former factory complex so a transformed industrial setting. However interior was very welcoming with nicely spaced tables and candles giving warm light. There are only a couple of outside tables in a kind of open courtyard that serves the entire complex and is close to the vehicle entrance (which wasnt an issue - there was one vehicle came through during dinner). The loft area was closed due to the heat up there.
Menu was no choice prix fixe 55e- great value. Not sure how flexible they are if you dont eat something. Looks like menu changes weekly. ‘hay smoked’ butter served with the bread was one of the best things I ate. Single oyster starter also delicious with little kumquat sparking a nice flavor twist. Peach with purple shiso (purple shiso seemed tarter than green i’m used to) and fresh goat cheese which was mild and good foil for sweet ripe peach. Veal with wild garlic tomato water borlotti beans was good if not amazing. I wasnt a big fan of the borlotti - maybe just a little undercooked. Veal seems big in Paris at the moment I saw it in many many menus. Tomato water was delicious. I added the cheese plate - choice was comte or st marcelling. THe St Marcellin was ripe, flowing and served with a delicious very smooth rhubarb compote which balanced v well with the richness of the cheese. Cherry/waffle dessert was solid and wrapped up the meal well.
I was disappointed in the wine by glass list - to my wine-maker palate it seemed to veer more towards californian than french taste. Chenin blanc was best option for white and for me didn’t have enough acidity. For red I had a morgon which also tended sweet. I forgot to look at the list by bottle.
Service was good
Le 975
I booked but really didnt need to do so - lots of empty tables - though major storm had been predicted - and arrived. That probably discouraged people from going out. Fixed price and a la carte. Mix of locals and americans eating there. Had very decent rosé from Ile de porquerolles to drink.
Starter had octopus served with seasonal veg and excellent seafood mousse with avocado foam. Octopus was marinated and grilled, tender and flavorful
Main - rabbit in light pastry casing (not puree but fine minced meat) with indian spices and red pepper, okra. Interesting flavors, well presented and makes a change from omnipresent veal 
Dessert was carmelized apricots with honey ice cream and sable crumble - great ripe but slightly tart apricot flavor which married well with ice cream.
Aux Perches https://www.auxperches.com/ 6eme
Serving food from Perche region south of Paris from small local producers, mostly ‘bio’. Service was friendly, pleasant and professional.
Starter smoked herring tarama with excellent mild fennel salad and potato pancake
French version of scotch egg served with eggplant puree and some baby tomatoes
Wonderful small orzo stuffed squid served with rich deeply flavorful tomato sauce and baby tomatoes
Cheese plate - sheeps milk comte from Perche and blue , also sheeps milk. Both excellent
Nice choice of wines by glass and waiter was happy to let us taste several
Pierre Sang
Stumbled onto this as Panifacture didn’t have seating as shown on web site and I’d noticed it was full when I passed in the bus. Arrived at stroke of 2pm and initially they said they were done serving but chef agreed to do a ‘plat du jour’. I knew nothing about the place .They explained I could choose meat or fish and then could guess what combinations and foods were
It was easy to place the chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms (or according to them truffles, not so sure about truffles!). sauteed fennel and a sauce which I guessed to be a molé but was their house sauce of gouchuang and soy. It all went together beautifully – maybe a little less oil would have improved the dish. Dessert was lemon crème with raspberry and was very good. Both for 30 euros. Not bad.
Got some excellent Greek salads for lunch one day – tarama, baba ganoush, taboulé from Greek traiteur – Envi Levante – on rue du bac
Gemellus
Place is quite small, probably less than 20 couverts. We ate, by choice, on the little terasse outside and were the only ones out there as evening was on cooler side. Mix of French and US clientele.
We took the 5 course menu with wine pairing. I wasn’t a huge fan of the wines except the Tokay with dessert. Most were white and red syrah with meat. Being from Sonoma Co. I was hoping for some surprises and ideas for new matches of food and wine.
Amuse bouche
Veg consommé – light, clean tasting
Filo and goat cheese
Tomato and mustard tart which was a very successful marriage of flavors
Oyster with blackcurrant, cucumber limoncello and avocado. Very fresh and pleasant. Blackcurrant was a very novel addition and worked well.
Salad of peas, blackcurrant and ‘lait fermenté’ foam. Again novel and successful mix of ingredients. Foam was not sour or overwhelming with other ingredients.
fish –was a lieu jaune which was steamed. I’ve rarely if ever had a fish so perfectly cooked. It was served with courgetti and mushroom
Partner had grilled octopus for main and I had lamb and ratatouille. He enjoyed his and said it was well prepared. Lamb was good and ratatouille as it should be meld of summer flavors.
Dessert was a blancmanger of lait d’amande – light pleasant and good follow up to the meal
And Chocolate panacotta which was rich and delicious
Service was wonderful, attentive, agreeable but not overwhelming. Definitely would go back and as contributors have said excellent value.
Boulangeries/Patisseries
There are now a plethora of places selling various types of brea.d I didn’t try the breads given we have amazing bakeries here in Sonoma Co. and I was mostly eating by myself – so loaves of bread weren’t on the menu! My favorite place in Paris, Utopie was closed for holidays alas
I noticed that Paris seems to have fallen down a rabbit hole of adding chocolate and hazelnut to croissants and other baked goods.
The French Batards 17eme
Croissant was good, rich flaky
Brioche rose – not great brioche itself wasn’t particularly moist and rose paste was somewhat bland
Le Pain d’Adam rue fermier 17eme. Little corner ‘artisanale’ Went to it when my first choice Les Ateliers de Pascal Guerreau was barely open at 8am and had none of their vienoisserie ready for sale ! Croissant was very mediocre Pain chocolat pistache was solid but not a ‘vaut le voyage’I remember when Dalloyau offered the first one 25+ years ago and it was amazing and innovative then)
Terroirs d’Avenir 2eme in little side alley along with a poissonerie, fuits & legumes/epicerie and boucherie – all offering direct from land products
their flan was amazing, creamy rich and great vanilla flavor
the pain aux fruits with hazel, raisin and apricots was somewhat gummy
Panifacture 11eme – hazelnut financier larger than average financier with hazelnut crème filling which was a little on the sweet side
Aux Merveilles de Fred – I usually find meringue a little sweet for my taste but they had mini lemon meringue flavor of the season. It was amazing – lemon counteracted the sweetness of the meringue perfectly and meringue itself was soft and billowy and not at all chewy or crunchy. One of my favorite patisserie stops
Pleincoeur 17eme
A few seats and tables outside on edge of little square so nice place to ‘deguste’ sur place. Perfect croissant and pain au chocolate. Strawberry tart was large – enough for two of us – well executed but nothing original. Raspberry pistachio was great marriage of flavors and great texture. Great selection of high end patisseries and tartes as well as viennoiserie and coffee.
Maison Thevenin – small chain. Avoid. Pastries’ tasted commercial. Croissant and pain au chocolat were chewy and forgettable.
We also spent 10 days in Corsica – St. Florent, Corte, and Sartene. If anyone has any questions about those places just message me.
