Early morning Downtown LA had a very different vibe than I had imagined. I expected to be driving into a metropolis of ant like activity, buzzed by a city as it wakes up, but it was very quiet. The buildings were unremarkable concrete blocks, not lot of romance, design or style. It felt sort of grey, monotone and ghostlike. More like a city of practicality. We arrived ready for our breakfast but nothing was open. We had planned to arrive early […]
Category: Review
Providence – LA – USA
Providence is LA’s two Michelin star restaurant that has been a success for the last decade. Chef Michael Cimarusti focussing principally on his passion for seafood. I’m really looking forward to this. We decided it was close enough to walk and wanted to see a bit of LA so we headed off with what we thought was loads of time. We wandered down sunset boulevard, past the house of Blues, a rusty old building that had been a classic […]
Bistroy Les Papilles – Paris
A lovely long walk today through street of Paris through le Jardin du Luxembourg, builds our appetites for our bistro style lunch at Bistroy Les Papilles. When we walk through the door it is very clear we are in the heart of the Latin Quarter. Bistroy Les Papilles décor is an interesting mix of classic French elements juxtaposed with bright Latin colours. The mosaic tile floor is a kaleidoscope of bright colours, yellow, red, blue, green and orange. A large bold […]
Restaurant Alliance – Paris
Our wonderful waiter at David Toutain recommends that we must try Restaurant Alliance , a new place across the other side of town that good friends are just getting going. So of course that’s where we are off to today. After a lovely walk along the Seine we head into the 5th to find it. It’s clear from the smell of fresh carpet and a super pristine interior that it is indeed very new. The fit out at Alliance is gorgeous, […]
Restaurant David Toutain – Paris
Well today was supposed to be a simple little bistro day, we had planned for a later lunch and were indulging in a slow morning enjoying our gorgeous apartment and watching the soft morning light change over Paris. But then everything changed, the phone rang, Restaurant David Toutain where the wait for a table is known to be very long, miraculously has a place for us if we can arrive by twelve……in half an hour! Five minutes later we were […]
Pattoka – Paris
We enjoyed a glorious slow morning walk down through the Trocadero to a perfectly timed view of the Eiffel Tower. Silhouetted against the rising sun, soft lilac morning light framing the warm golden beginning of the sun right behind the tower. Many moments of enthralled wonderment later we continue on to meander through the 7th arrondissement to Rue Cler market street, famous as Julia child’s marketplace where my love encouraged me to let fly with a Julia impression… a bolshy […]
Chez Julien – Paris
On a beautiful crisp winters morning, we set off for Chez Julien, along the Seine, Paris. We’re wrapped up just like the chap from Aerosmith with 17 scarves each. We’ve cocooned ourselves from the winter chill, it’s the kind of chill that startles you and reminds you you’re alive, for now, but maybe not for long. We meandered through the 16th arrondissement, down the Champs through the 8th to the 9th where we decided to take a peek inside […]
Miss Kō – Paris
Im not catholic but the idea of a guilt free lunch was appealing, so we decided to exercise ourselves around the 16th arrondissement of Paris prior to lunch at Miss KŌ. The 16th arrondissement can be compared to the Upper East Side of New York and is home to members of Parisian high society. The atmosphere is of old money combined with classic Parisian splendour tinged with the wiff of “you should have worked a bit harder.” We swing […]
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Etoile – Paris
A change in style today, forget the historical Paris of days gone by, we are dining in the Paris of today. Everything about L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile is very modern, for a start it is located inside a drugstore. The Publicis Drugstore is on the Champs Élysées, at the Arc de Triomphe end. This is no pharmaceutical store, my eyes are wide with wonder as my love leads me into a fascinating eclectic mix of bookstore, gift shop, […]
Le Jules Verne – Tour Eiffel – Paris
I’m a little frightened of heights, not heights so much as falling. I’m ok looking out as long as I don’t look down. Jules Verne is 123 m up on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower so before I can start to get excited about the food I have to get past the trip up in the lift…the lift with the view! Strategically placed in the middle of the lift so I can peek at the skyline over my […]