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5 Trips You Need to Take Now the Tour de France is Ending

Wandering Chef: Pascal Rigo in Paris

“People can either be over-the-top romantic about Paris, or they think life is ridiculous here,” says David Lebovitz. “I try to strike a middle ground.” Lebovitz, an American, worked for 13 years in the pastry department at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, then moved to Paris to launch a second career as a writer, blogger, and occasional culinary tour guide.

The author of six self-referential cookbooks, Lebovitz most recently published The Sweet Life in Paris, a collection of recipes and stories about life in his adopted city. During a day off from my tour of duty with Arnaud Delmontel, I wandered through Paris with Lebovitz to pick up some foodie tips. We met at Du Pain et des Idées (34 Rue Yves Toudic, 10th arrondissement, 33/(0) 1-42- 40-44-52), an artisan boulangerie founded by Christophe Vasseur, a fashion executive turned baker.

For bread, Lebovitz’s other favorite boulangeries include Eric Kayser (85 Boulevard Malesherbes, 8th arrondissement, 33/(0) 1-45-22-70-30; plus other locations around Paris) and La Boulangerie par Véronique Mauclerc (83 Rue de Crimée, 19th arrondissement, 33/(0) 1-42-40-64-55). As we walked and talked, Lebovitz insisted we stop for an afternoon snack of chouquettes, palm-size cream puffs covered with sugar and baked until brown.

We picked up 10 of them, studded with chocolate chips, at the pâtisserie Aux Péchés Normands (9 Rue du Faubourg du Temple, 10th arrondissement, 33/(0) 1-42-08-47-73). When I asked Lebovitz about the most pleasing pastry he’s had lately, he mentioned Alsatian kugelhopf, a semisweet confection somewhere between a cake and a bread, spiked with rum and almonds. It’s available at Vandermeersch (278 Avenue Daumesnil, 12th arrondissement, 33/(0) 1-43-47-21-66).

“The only problem is that they just make them on weekends, so I have to wait all week to get one,” he said. And his favorite morning pastry? The bostock, a disk of light almond cake topped with crackly almonds, which Lebovitz picks up at Ladurée (75 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, 8th arrondissement, 33/(0) 1-40-75-08-75). Photographs by Brian Doben. This appeared in the premiere issue, 2009. Read “13 Tips for Visiting a Paris Boulangerie.”

Overview

Privacy and discretion reign supreme behind the iconic red door of this Jacques Garcia-styled hideaway between the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. The smallest of the capital’s Palace hotels, La Réserve Paris is set up in a former mansion that belonged to the Duc of Morny (Napoleon III’s half-brother). The hotel maintains the feel of a private home, thanks to a mix of Second Empire decorative touches, including parquet floors, crown moldings, cordovan leather paneling, and velvet drapery. It’s easy to linger in the public areas, including the library packed with 3,000 books reserved for guests during the day, the fumoir that looks out onto a leafy courtyard, and salons with plush banquettes and club chairs.

With the smallest room a sprawling 400 square feet, and suites and public spaces filled with original 18th- and 19th-century art and antiques, the George V, flagship of the Four Seasons chain, lives up to its billing as a palace, an official tourism category introduced in 2010 requiring establishments to “embody French standards of excellence and contribute to enhancing the image of France throughout the world.” Set in a 1928 art deco building, the Four Seasons Hotel George V boasts a regular clientele of bona fide royals, including Saudi princes who rent entire floors for six weeks at a stretch. The staff includes a team of flower designers led by an art director who worked on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. There’s also a dedicated concierge for children ordering up pint-sized bathrobes and private pastry-making lessons in the Michelin-starred kitchen.

Located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe was inspired by Rome‘s Arch of Titus and commissioned by Napoleon in 1806. It was inaugurated in 1836 by King Louis-Philippe, who dedicated it to the armies of the revolution and the empire. The Unknown Soldier was buried at its base in 1921, and the flame of remembrance is still rekindled each day at 6:30 p.m. Take the stairs or the elevator to the top for a panoramic view.

Right next to the glorious Arch de Triumph are exquisite shops and street performers lining the pathway to a small location of the most delectable macaroons in the world- Ladurée. One cannot go to Paris without stopping by one of these stores; I promise you, these really are the best in the world.

There’s perhaps no better place for watching the well-heeled than from the terrace of this classic brasserie, which fronts both Avenue George V and the Champs-Elysées. Fouquet’s has occupied this prime corner spot since 1899, hosting movie stars and filmmakers such as Charles Aznavour, Francois Truffaut and Orson Welles (whose photos, along with many other visiting celebrities, line the wood-paneled walls). Today you’re more likely to be dining next to an obscure government official, especially during the lunch hour, but no matter, the traditional brasserie fare is superb (if pricey, at around 100 euro for a meal). Try the foie gras starter, the steak tartar with perfectly crisp pomme frites and the delicate sole meunière.

The Pont Alexandre III bridge is probably one of the most striking structures to cross the Seine in Paris. It links the quarter of the Champs-Élysées to the Invalides and Eiffel Tower quarter in a most extravagant fashion. The golden statues of Pegasus appear to watch over the city, and if you stare long enough you are convinced that he might just depart his perch and soar off into the Parisian sky.

The four-block stretch that’s collectively known as Rodeo Drive is one of the most expensive and luxurious shopping streets in the world. This is a mecca for well-heeled, brand-conscious shoppers. Celebrity sightings, gorgeous European-inspired architecture, famous movie spots, and glamorous people are just a few things to expect while frolicking down Beverly Hills’ most famous street. One of my favorite times to shop on Rodeo Drive is during the holiday season, especially at night when all the streetlights come to life in festive colors and decor. It’s no less than the Champs-Élysées of Los Angeles.

Parisians are hopeless romantics, quick to show their devotion with extravagant gifts and decadent meals. As early as the 1780’s guests were taking advantage of the plush, private rooms and fine cuisine at the restaurant Lapérouse. Pavillon LeDoyen is a romantic Michelin 3 star restaurant, nestled in the discrete gardens of the Champs Elysées where diners are served heavenly meals by candlelight. Intimate dining rooms in a private mansion adorned with 18th century art and Baroque moldings seduce patrons at 1728. An evening at Le Chalet des Îles is an affordable option that includes an magical boat ride to an island in the Bois de Boulogne. On a warm summer’s night, dinner can be ordered from the terrace, the stars shining above.

The famous Golden Triangle of Paris is on the Right Bank, just off the Champs Elysées, but the lesser known, much more important golden triangle of shoes is on the Left Bank, beginning as the corner of the rue d’Assas and the rue du Cherche Midi. The first few shoes stores are local designers, or multi-brand boutiques as you walk towards the Carrefour de la Croix Rouge. You’ll find shoes of every style, for every budget. As you get to the top of the street Robert Clergerie has a boutique, then there is a Camper store. At the larger Centure statue, turn left to the rue de Grenelle towards the boul de Raspail and you’ll be passing all the greats; Michel Perry, Marc Jacobs, Giuseppi Zanotti, Sergio Rossi, Prada, YSL, and even Christian Louboutin. If that is not enough and you’re still feeling like Cinderella after the ball, cross the boul Raspail and go to the shoe department at Le Bon Marché Department store for an over view of the world’s most luxurious shoe selection.

With the precipitous rise of gourmet street food and market-fresh neo-bistrots, it’s not surprising that Boris Leclercq’s eponymous steak joint ‘Chez Boris’ opened near the Champs-Elysées last year with little fanfare. The conceit of this steakhouse, however, deserves attention particularly for its unique, revivalist approach to steak-frites dining. Boris and his wife Leticia raise grass-fed Aubrac cows on their own farm in the Hérault region, follow a 21-day maturation process in a cold chamber within their own cutting plant (where they employ 2 dedicated butchers), and serve both traditionally superior cuts (filet, sirloin, etc.) and those most often neglected or typically reserved for tartares or hamburgers (flank or spider), accentuating their flavor as a result of their maturation technique and grilling process. What’s more, they won’t begin preparing cuts from another cow until those from the previous one have been entirely used and served. Each steak is served with a simple green salad and crispy fries cooked in beef fat, not in oil. This ‘home made’ from farm to plate approach is, effectively, all in an effort to control the provenance of the meat they serve and ensure quality at all times - crucial as the horse-meat controversy and trend in French restaurants toward using industrial ingredients had the public hyper-aware and concerned about what they’re consuming. Delicious and sustainable - more than enough reason to book lunch or dinner at Chez Boris.