The “iberico” ham here is exceptional!  They also carry a large assortment of fine foods, including candies and chocolates.  There are a few tables and chairs for dining inside.

Da Rosa
62 rue de Seine
75006 Paris
33 1 40 61 00 09

If you love fine upscale food that is exquisitely packaged, you won’t want to miss Fauchon.  They have wonderful preserves and jams, mustards, teas, coffees, chocolates and wines.  They ship worldwide, too. 

If you really enjoy thick, rich hot chocolate, theirs is not to be missed!  They have a tea salon/cafe that serves the hot chocolate along with breakfast items (pictured above). 
Fauchon
26, place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris
33 01 47 42 60 11

One of my favorite new restaurant finds is Le Versance in Paris.  Chef/Owner Samuel Cavignis is friendly and creative and has created an atmosphere that is both welcoming and elegant.  When you first enter the restaurant, you are seated in a champagne bar that has nice chairs and coffee-style tables.  From there, you order your champagne and also your dinner.  When dinner is ready, you are then taken upstairs to the small but beautiful dining room where the dinner is served. 

Chef Cavignis uses herbs and spices in delicious, creative ways and combines these with ingredients from his uncle’s farm and from other local producers.  Our dinner was delightful.  We started out with seared foie gras with an artichoke emulsion and truffle oil.  Next we had his veal chops with roasted endive.  That was followed by his roasted clementines with chocolate.  The flavors of the superior ingredients came through loud and clear in all of his dishes.  I can hardly wait to return to this fantastic restaurant. 

 Le Versance
16 rue Feydeau, Paris 75002
011-33-1-45-08-00-08
www.leversance.com

Le Grand Colbert has such history, character and charm – it is a “must do” on one of your trips to Paris. Le Grand Colbert is located in the 2nd arrondissement near the Palais Royal Gardens. The building has very high ceilings, beautiful paintings and a mosaic floor. (This restaurant was also mentioned at the end of the movie, Something’s Gotta Give, with Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves).

During a recent trip, my friend Carol and I started with fresh duck foie gras with sauternes aspic jelly and a salad of lentils. That was followed by filet of John Dory with sorrel sauce and wild boar stew. For dessert, we tried the Grand Colbert creme caramel and the profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce. The food was good and the atmosphere was very memorable. Reservations are by phone only.

Le Grand Colbert
2 Rue Vivienne
Paris, France 75002
01 42 86 87 88
http://www.legrandcolbert.fr

My friend Carol and I decided that it would be fun to have proper afternoon tea at Hotel de Crillon in Paris. We arrived about 4pm on a Saturday afternoon and were seated in the beautiful Le Jardin d’Hiver surrounded by stunning furnishings and a harpist. We went for the full tea service – a wonderful assortment of tiny sandwiches and desserts and, of course, tea.  We also each added a glass of champagne to the experience.

The staff was very attentive and the experience was delightful.

Hotel de Crillon
10, Place de la Concorde
Paris 75008 France
http://crillon.concorde-hotels.com/en/dining/dining02.aspx

My friend Carol and I recently dined at Restaurant Le Meurice in Paris. This three Michelin star gastronomic restaurant is inside Le Meurice Hotel. Both the restaurant and the hotel are beautifully decorated with ornate gilding, Louis VI period crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors and large marble-framed windows that overlook busy rue de Rivoli. The ceiling is painted with a beautiful sky with angels, and fabulous landscape paintings adorn the walls. The Limoges china was stunning and matched the mosaic patterns on the floor.

The food was absolutely exquisite. We started with housemade foie gras served with toast and perfumed with honey. That was followed by pan-roasted dorade with saffron-flavored mussels and tiny potatoes. The next course was a lobster served with a delicate wine sauce. We had a cheese course with five beautiful French cheeses from various types of milk and regions. Our dessert was a delicious and beautiful dish of roasted pears with a stunning vanilla sauce. (Of course, we also ate all of the petit fours that came out with our coffee).

The service could not have been more perfect.

This experience was expensive but totally worth it for a treat or a special occasion.

Restaurant Le Meurice
228 rue de Rivoli, 75001
Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 44 58 10 10, Fax: +33 1 44 58 10 15
http://www.meuricehotel.com/restaurants_bars/rb_2.html

I really liked this casual bistro in the 7th arrondissement in Paris.  The staff was very friendly and the restaurant itself was most welcoming.  My friend and I had a casual dinner there on a Saturday evening. 

I started with a traditional dish of poached eggs in cream with green onions.  My friend told me I had to try it, as it was a house specialty.  It was, of course, calorie-laden, but excellent in flavor.   For my main course, I had another one of their house specialties, pot au feu.  This beef dish was great and much lighter than it sounds.  The vegetables were cooked just perfectly with a little bit of crispness remaining.  They were served in a light broth with herbs and a hunk of tender beef on top.  I passed on dessert that evening, as we had been snacking on macarons, chocolate and tarte tatin earlier that afternoon. 

I would go back to this bistro again.

Le Cinq Mars
51, rue de Verneuil
Paris 75007
01 45 44 69 13

My friend Carol and I went to dinner in Paris at Le Repaire de Cartouche in the 11th.  This was a casual bistrot and the staff was very friendly and nice. 

We each started with a kir royale.  It was served with a wonderful pork pate with a nice crusty brown bread. 

Our first course consisted of foie gras de canard au torchon and salade de asperges.  The foie gras had a great texture and flavor, and the asparagus salad was very fresh.  Next we both had Echine de Couchon Confit – an incredibly tender and flavorful pork loin dish. 

For dessert, we ordered an amazing Croustillant de Nougatine au Clementines.  The fruit was fresh and bursting with flavor, and the nougatine was excellent.  We also had Riz au Lait with Marmalade de Clementine.  This was a big dish and very tasty.  They brought out a dish of rice pudding and a jar of clementine marmalade.  I really loved the flavors, but Carol wasn’t sold on the marmalade – she felt it was a little too bitter for her taste. 

Le Repaire de Cartouche
99 rue Amelot
Paris 75011
01 47 00 25 86

Le Rouge Vif is a great little neighborhood bistro in Paris.  The owners are from Lyon and serve Lyonnaise food.   The bistro is cozy, modern and charming.  The food is hearty and wonderful.   

I chose the beef bourguignon because I wanted to taste the “real thing”, and I was not disappointed.  The beef was extremely tender and the sauce was so flavorful!  The pork and lentils were just excellent, too. 

If you are looking for a nice, friendly experience with memorable food, this is a good choice. 

Le Rouge Vif
48, rue de Verneuil
Paris 7
01 42 86 81 87

Pre Catalan is a lovely restaurant in Paris for a special occasion.  My husband took me there for my birthday a few years back.  The restaurant is in a beautiful park-like location.  The grounds are gorgeous and the interior is quite stunning.  The food, under the direction of Chef Frederic Anton, is exceptional. 

I went there a couple of years later when I was in a class with Patricia Wells.  It was, again, a great experience.  I highly recommend their roasted duck, their langoustine ravioli and their veal with morels.  They have a fantastic cheese cart with many choices.  (Unfortunately, our waiter was not too forthcoming with describing the cheeses, but we eventually got there.)   Their desserts were beautiful and just as delicious. 

Pre Catalan
Bois de Boulogne
75016 Paris
01 44 14 41 14