All posts tagged: paris

Dinner at Les Gourmets des Ternes, Maida Vale

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One of my favourite restaurants in the world has to be Les Gourmets des Ternes in Paris – the French team at 2K were lovely enough to take me there on a couple of occasions when we were hosting press events in Paris. Rather inconspicuous from the outside, the restaurant is in fact very popular and usually needs a reservation. I was always glad to have the French team there with me – even though I studied French at University, the experience at this restaurant can be quite overwhelming. The menu is all handwritten in French and the attitude is very much ‘go with the flow’ – on the occasions I’ve been there, big portions of terrines and pates have been passed around the restaurant and you just help yourself! The owner, Jean-Francois Marie, is a great character and attracts lots of celebrities – the tablecloths are printed with messages from famous people, from politicians to film stars!     So when I learned that Les Gourmets was going to open in London last week, I …

Le Tea en Rose: Afternoon Tea at Sofitel St James Hotel

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I adore afternoon tea, having been to a number in the past few years, which I’ve been meaning to blog about for some time in one of my Throwback Thursday posts. I mean, what’s not to love about Afternoon Tea? Lots of sandwiches with different fillings to try, fluffy scones with various toppings, and cakes galore! With the widest range of tea you could possibly ask for! So I was very excited when I was invited to an exclusive preview of ‘Le Tea en Rose’ Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel St James Hotel, marking the arrival of Spring and the Chelsea Flower Show. The hotel, located at Waterloo Place, is beautifully decorated by French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, and The Rose Lounge is a tea lover’s dream! As some of you will know, I’m a bit of a Francophile and studied Renaissance France at university, so I was certainly in my happy place!     We were introduced to the Afternoon Tea by Julie from Dammann Frères. The business was established in France in 1925 but has been …

Paris Hen – Dinner at Restaurant Miroir

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My hens surprised me again in Paris with a fab dinner at Restaurant Miroir in Montmartre. People often associate French cuisine with good wine and cheese, and perhaps more daringly, frogs legs and snails (incidentally, I adore all of those!) But dining at Restaurant Miroir certainly opened my eyes to what French cuisine is actually about, as we were surrounded by French diners, away from the tourist traps of central Paris. Despite studying French to degree level at university, there were types of meats and cooking methods on the menu that I was clueless about. But I loved the mystery! I started with foie gras, followed by a ‘pot-au-feu’ which I shared with my future sister-in-law – it’s a beef stew with carrots, turnips, celery, onions and leeks, served with broth and marrow. It felt like real home cooking and was absolutely delicious.   I topped things off with a rice pudding based dessert (the actual name escapes me), which again, felt like proper home cooking, but with a sophisticated edge. I would highly recommend …

Paris Hen – Brunch at Angelina

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During my recent hen do in Paris, my lovely hens arranged for us to go for breakfast at Angelina. Averting our eyes from the overwhelming delicatessen/patisserie counter, packed with brightly coloured macarons and cakes, we headed into the tea room. Originally founded in 1903, Angelina (as it says on its own website), has built a reputation as a place of sophistication and indulgence. It didn’t disappoint! I chose the traditional Angelina breakfast – at 30 Euros, it’s not a cheap breakfast, but it was so delicious that it was worth every penny! You’re given the choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate (I opted for the latter, and it was so incredible that I can still taste it, weeks later!), fruit juices, mini viennoiseries, bread with butter, Angelina honey, jam and chestnut cream, a fresh fruit salad, and eggs cooked however you would like them. I stupidly looked into whether you could buy Angelina hot chocolate in the UK, and it’s available online for just over £5.00 a bottle! Must suppress those cravings, for the sake …