Paris is known for its many restaurants and food markets. Almost everywhere you travel you will find a lovely bistro or a boulangerie with Baguette Excellent (there are no bad baguettes in France. Period). However, there are few streets that are as dedicated to the pleasures of the palate as Rue Montorgueil, which in my opinion is the tastiest street in Paris (after a difficult battle with Rue Moffatt). On it is written Shashi Keshet).
Saint Eustache Church
I would start my trip on Rue Montorgueil by visiting the Saint-Eustache Church, which is located right at the beginning of the street. It is an architectural gem in the Gothic style, built during the 16th and 17th centuries. Although Saint-Eustache has always been considered the market church, it attracted quite a few famous people from the 17th and 18th centuries, including Molière, who was married there, and Louis XIV, who chose the place to participate in the ceremony of eating his first communion (a sign of coming to all the patisseries and boulangerie shops in the area, whose exquisite taste of pastries undoubtedly adds a dimension of holiness to their products). And indeed, there is an excellent reason why Saint-Eustache has become one of the most beloved churches in Paris. It is a beautiful church with quite a few Stunning stained glass windows, paintings and sculptures, as you would expect from a self-respecting Catholic church. However, to me (or rather to my ears) the main charm of the church comes from the wonderful acoustics and the historic organ that can be heard on Sundays.
l'Escargot Restaurant
After you've finished admiring this charming church, head to Rue Montorgueil and go to number 38. Here is the l'Escargot restaurant, which was known as the Golden Escargot (l'Escargot d'Or) when it opened in 1832. The place, which specializes in snails (for example with truffle butter and foie gras), also serves classic French dishes and has become one of the favorite restaurants of celebrities since its opening. Paris Including the writer Marcel Proust, the actress Sarah Bernhardt and the director Sacha Guitry. In 2012, the restaurant made headlines when it was briefly closed after a bag containing 60 grams of cocaine was discovered. Was this the chef's secret spice? We'll probably never know...
Stohrer Patisserie because you also need something sweet
After you've finished admiring the restaurant's beautiful sign and its design (and maybe even eaten 6 snails), it's time to move on to house number 51, where the Patisserie StorrerAt number 54 stood the Philippe restaurant, one of the most famous restaurants of the 19th century. Next to it, at number 59, is the original location of the Rocher de Cancale restaurant, which according to Balzac was the meeting place for all the who's who of Paris. It is therefore not surprising that many of the heroes of the "Human Comedy", which he wrote, ate there alongside real culture heroes such as Alexandre Dumas, Eugene Sue and Theophile Gotier. The restaurant moved to 1845 Rue Montorgueil in 78 and became famous, among other things, for the oysters (Huitres), which were served there and which were sold at Au Rocher d'Etretat, which is located at numbers 61-63, starting in 1780.
A paradise for cooks (tips from Ruth Ofek, the blog owner) Happy in the kitchen)
The immediate vicinity of Montreuil Street is simply a paradise for all kinds of cooks thanks to the kitchenware stores scattered there.
Mora, Sweden
Address: 13 rue Montmartre
A huge store that includes all the confectionery products you could want, including molds, nozzles, piping bags, foil, baking surfaces made of Silpat (very effective for making macarons). Pay attention to the stunning molds from Silkomart (which were recently decided to be sold in Israel by the importer Arcos) and the huge selection of polycarbonate nozzles (a very high-quality material). And contrary to what you see in the picture, I do not recommend the package that I bought, because unfortunately these nozzles are relatively short compared to the metal nozzles that I am used to using and I personally find them less comfortable to use. There are many types of nozzles in the store, both in packages and individually and it is worth buying there.
The cow
Address: rue Montmartre 36
Not far from Mora is La Bovida. It is also a huge store of kitchen tools and accessories. You can also buy everything there when it comes to kitchen products. This time I bought more at Mora but I don't know which store is better, they are all amazing and it is simply worth going in, registering and buying according to your personal preference and connection to the store.
G.Detou
Address: 58 rue Tiquetonne
A store that is a paradise for baking ingredients. I received many recommendations for it and they did not disappoint. The store is relatively small but wonderfully organized and the salespeople are skilled and will happily help (despite being French…).
I think the picture above is a little representative of what I bought at the store. Don't miss the vanilla pods sold at the store – they are the plumpest and juiciest vanilla pods I've ever seen and their price wasn't sky-high. The vanilla paste I bought, which came in a bottle, is also very good and I use it all the time. I also bought cocoa powder and caramelized white chocolate from Valrhona, which cost a fortune and which I haven't used yet, but I tasted it and it's insanely delicious (it's just for baking and I'm still trying to figure out what to make that would be worthy of it). What's more, it's worth checking prices before paying, because when I checked the invoice at the hotel, I had a huge surprise with the Iranian pistachios I bought, which cost a fortune.
E.Dehillerin
Address: 18 rue Coquilliere
This was the favorite store of the American cookbook priestess Julia Child. It is a kitchenware store that is used mainly by professionals and has a crazy selection. The problem is that there are no prices on the products and you have to constantly ask, so in my opinion this store is less attractive to the average buyer and less convenient to maneuver.
Bookstore Gourmande
Address: Rue Montmartre 92
And if you're in the area and you're craving books, don't miss the Librarie Gourmande store. It's a huge bookstore with a crazy selection of cookbooks. Because of the weight I was already carrying, I left with only 2 books and ordered the rest online, but I found books there that I couldn't find online and the selection was huge and it was fun to browse through the books before deciding whether to buy them or not. The prices, by the way, are completely reasonable and at the front of the store there was a corner of discounted books with really cute books.
Montreuil Street also has a spicy side
And you can't end a culinary trip without a little carnal desire. From Rue Montorgueil, turn right onto Rue Saint-Saviour. At 12 Rue Dussoubs stands a 17th-century building that housed the famous brothel of La Gourdan during the 18th century. The entrance to this establishment, which was a favorite of Parisian nobles, was from the corner of the street in order to achieve maximum discretion. In order to ensure that the customer would not be recognized by passersby when he left, he was equipped with a disguise by the brothel manager and taken through a hidden passage behind a closet straight into a shop, which stood at 14 Rue Saint-Saviour. Here Jeanne Becu met Jean du Barry for the first time and he introduced her to Louis XV. Jeanne managed to charm the aging king with her personality and sexual abilities and became known as the Countess du Barry.
The life of the Countess, who was also the last royal mistress, is worth at least one post on Francophiles Anonymous and I would be happy to tell about them soon. However, the lady contributed, indirectly, not only to the sexual history of France but also to its culinary history. About a hundred years ago, a man named Joseph du Barry and his wife decided to open a small business to make foie gras. Not surprisingly, Joseph used his family name to promote the business and created the brand “Countess du Barry”. Over the years, the business has developed and today the company “Countess du Barry"Providing not only excellent foie gras but also mini terrines, caviar and chocolates. And so the Countess went from a mini symbol to a culinary icon, just like Rue Montorgueil…
Secrets of Le Marais: A Journey into the Historic and Chic Heart of Paris
Join us on a virtual journey to the most fascinating district in Paris. Together we will discover hidden courtyards, French nobility, and the true stories behind the magnificent facades.
Great, material for an upcoming trip to Paris.