Tartempion restaurant is located in Montmartre on Rue du Mont Cenis which is just off the famous Place du Tertre. It’s one of the many restaurants which are in the area and around the square. Like many occasions during short Paris breaks when there’s not much time to choose, it can be difficult to decide where to eat from the many options available. In any case, I’d definitely recommend Tartempion, especially if you like duck salad.which is what I ordered. It’s a combination of duck leg and smoked duck served with fresh salad, bread and washed down with a nice glass of wine. I’ll be back!
paris
Paris Breaks Restaurants – Tartempion
January 9th, 2010 · No Comments · Montmartre, paris-breaks, restaurants
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Happy New Year from Paris Breaks
December 31st, 2009 · No Comments · paris-breaks
Paris Breaks blog wishes everybody a Happy New Year for 2010 and we hope you get to visit Paris as many times as you’d want to next year.
During 2009 we posted twenty three times on the Paris breaks blog, and focused many of them on the different arrondissements of Paris.
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Paris Breaks in the 20th Arrondissement
November 20th, 2009 · No Comments · paris-breaks
Paris Breaks to the 20th Arrondissement
Ok, the idea of going on Paris breaks in order to hang out entirely in the 20th is only semi-serious, it would be a bit like visiting London in order to spend all your time in Leytonstone or Newham, but that’s not quite as mad as it sounds. You’d be surprised at the number of young Europeans and Orientals wandering about in East London these days, I’m sure Brick Lane, Walthamstow and Stratford must feature in some offbeat guide books to trendy London. But back to Paris, and the Bellevile, Barbes area. It’s similar in some ways, with a history of immigration, a melting pot of world cultures and cheap accommodation for starving artists etc, but with a Parisian style that’s unmistakeable. So you might find a flourishing little underground Parisian indie music scene, or an ex-pat community linking South Sea islanders with Mexican sushi vendors. But you might just find the usual struggle against exploitation and discrimination that you wanted to get a short break from while abroad. You’ve only got a few days in Paris so why spend some of that precious away day time in the 20th?
Père Lachaise Cemetery
The single great tourist attraction in the 20th is a graveyard. The landmark is Père-Lachaise Cemetery, the resting place of Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Isadora Duncan, Sarah Bernhardt, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Colette, Jim Morrison, and many others.
Père Lachaise is located on Boulevard de Ménilmontant. Métro station Philippe Auguste on line 2 is next to the main entrance, while the station called Père Lachaise, on line 3, is 500 metres away near a side entrance. Many tourists prefer the Gambetta station on line 3 as it allows them to enter near the tomb of Oscar Wilde and then walk downhill to visit the rest of the cemetery. Abelard is also buried there, and the list goes on.
The Communards’ Wall (Mur des Fédérés) is also located in the cemetery. This is the site where 147 Communards, the last defenders of the workers’ district of Belleville, were shot on 28 May 1871 — the last day of the “Bloody Week” (Semaine Sanglante) in which the Paris Commune was crushed.
And so we come to the end of our little series of distributed articles about Paris breaks to each of the 20 arrondissements or districts of Paris, but not to the end of the Paris Breaks blog which continues with a new series coming soon looking at a number of aspects of our favourite city with one common theme.
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Paris Breaks with Holiday Inn
November 1st, 2009 · No Comments · paris-breaks
Do you prefer your Paris breaks with more of an international standard feel and all the modern luxuries of a big well known hotel chain? If so you might consider the Holiday Inn at La Villette, Paris for the full four star treatment without aristocratic prices.
Paris, 4* Holiday Inn Paris La Villette, 2 nights from £139.00pp
Available on selected dates, address :
216 AVE JEAN JAURES PARIS, 75019 FRANCE
The Holiday Inn Paris La Villette is a modern hotel located opposite the museums of music, science and industry and La Grande Halle (theatre and convention hall) and within direct reach of the main historical monuments, cultural and shopping areas of Paris by metro. The hotel has 182 air conditioned bedrooms with many facilities including a TV with in-house movies, minibar, safe, hairdryer and telephone. There’s also a fine restaurant and a mini gym. Great for Paris breaks with familiar comforts.
Holiday Inn Paris breaks
Within walking distance is a unique complex associating the Science and Technology complex, the Music complex, the Grande Halle and the Zénith venue.
The “Porte de Pantin” underground metro (line 5), situated only 50 m from the hotel will quickly take you to Notre Dame de Paris (20 min), the Eiffel Tower (30 min) and the Louvre Museum (20 min) .
Paris breaks in the 19th Arrondissement
Today, Paris visitors come to what was once the village of La Villette to see the angular Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, a spectacular science museum and park built on a site that for years was devoted to the city’s slaughterhouses. Mostly residential and not at all upscale, the district is one of the most ethnically diverse in Paris, the home of people from all parts of the former Empire. A highlight is Les Buttes Chaumont, a park where kids can enjoy puppet shows and donkey rides.
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Paris breaks in the 7th
July 18th, 2009 · No Comments · art, paris-breaks
The chances are that nearly all first time Paris breaks cover the 7th arrondissement, largely because of the iconic Eiffel Tower which dominates both Paris itself and the idea of Paris so it’s an aspiration which simply has to be fullfiled. Whether you actually go up the tower, and how far is another question. Many people such as myself have never bothered to do it, put off the queues, the crowds, the cliche, the costs but no doubt the view from high up is breathtaking, and the experienc of riding those 19th century lifts or else walking up a ridiculous number of steps.
Paris 7th Arrondissement – Eiffel Tower and also the Musée D’Orsay
Apart from the greatest tourist attraction of all, the 7th arrondissement on the Left Bank dis largely a district of smart residences and dull offices. The Eiffel Tower of course is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world, but many Parisians especially in the immediate neighbourhood hated it when it was unveiled in 1889 as a temporary exhibition for the World Fair. There are many other Parisian monuments in the 7th too, such as the Hôtel des Invalides, which contains Napoleon’s Tomb, the Musée de l’Armée, and the fantastic Musée d’Orsay, the world’s premier showcase of 19th-century French art and culture, housed in the old station termial building – the Gare d’Orsay. There’s much hidden charm here in the 7th as well, such as the Rue du Bac, which was once home to the real Three Musketeers and to James McNeill Whistler, who moved to no. 110 after selling Mother. Auguste Rodin the father of modern sculpture lived at what’s now the Musée Rodin, 77 rue de Varenne, until his death in 1917.
Both the Rodin museum and the Musee d’Orsay are essential visits for art lovers on Paris Breaks in the 7th arrondissement, and did you know you can also walk all the back to the latin quarter just by following the Boulevard St Germain which starts in the 7th, or take the batobus which stops just outside the Musee d’Orsay.
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Restaurant VAT cut boosts Paris breaks
July 2nd, 2009 · 1 Comment · paris-breaks, restaurants
As of 1st July 2009, VAT on all restaurants and cafes in France has been cut from 19.6 per cent to 5.5 per cent, a huge reduction leading to big savings for consumers. This translates into a saving of approximately 10 per cent when passed onto customers, meaning a meal typically costing €15 (£13) will be reduced to around €13.20 (£11.40).
The move aims to boost consumer spending in the busy summer period throughout France and attract more visitors on Paris breaks from the UK, offsetting the slightly weaker Pound Sterling against the Euro.
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St Germain Paris Breaks – 6th Arrondissement
June 28th, 2009 · No Comments · latin quarter, paris-breaks
Paris 6th Arrondissement – St-Germain, Luxembourg
The last few Paris breaks I’ve taken I’ve always stayed in the St Germain area, at least for part of the trip. I know my way around, it’s convenient and there’s always something to do nearby. The 6th is also the heartland of the Paris publishing industry and for me, the most colourful Left Bank quarter. Waves of young artists still emerge from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, later making merry in one of the many lively side streets. The secret of the St Germain des Pres area is to explore the narrow streets, hidden squares, and lovely gardens. Everywhere you turn, there are historic and literary associations but it’s also an area for modern cuisine, night spots and shopping. My favourite Paris bridge the Pont Neuf can be glimpsed down one of the streets coming off the five way intersection at le Buci and the magnificent but unfortunately empty building of La Samaritaine beckons from across the Seine.
→ No CommentsTags: arrondissement·Breaks·ecole des beaux arts·la samaritaine·Le Buci·left bank·paris·pont neuf·seine·st germain des pres·st germain paris
Ile de la Cité Central Paris Breaks in the 4th
June 15th, 2009 · 1 Comment · paris-breaks
Paris Breaks in the 4th Arrondissement
Ile de la Cité, Ile St-Louis and Beaubourg
Ile de la Cité, Ile St-Louis and Beaubourg
The fourth arrondissment of Paris has everything and more for central Paris breaks. This area is geographically and historically the whole reason why Paris exists where it is now. The two islands in the middle of the Seine river formed the perfect place for settlement, defence and trading. The best place in Europe to found a capital city.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame de Paris the famous landmark dominates the Ile de la Cité and surrounding left bank to some extent as well whereas the Ile St-Louis has aristocratic town houses, courtyards and antiques shops. Also on the Ile de la Cité there is another Gothic church the Sainte Chapelle. Notre Dame seems to be surrounded by more building of authority – the police headquarters and law courts. But you can also find France’s finest bird and flower markets along the side walks of the island banks. Marie Antoinette was sentenced to death here in 1793.
Ile St Louis
The Ile St Louis, was in previous times nothing more than a cow pasture and popular dueling ground, but now is home to dozens of 17th century mansions and 6,000 lucky Louisiens, its permanent residents.
Pompidou Centre
The 4th arrondissement of Paris is also home to the controversial seventies building the Centre Pompidou, which is actually one of the top three attractions in France these days because of the high profile modern art exhibitions held there. let’s not forget the Place des Vosges, a square of perfect harmony and beauty where Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848 and penned many of his famous masterpieces. Victor Hugo’s house is now a museum.
Central Paris Breaks
Wherever you stay on a short paris break you are likely to be visiting or at least wandering past the 4th arrondissement of central Paris so if you can manage to secure a hotel right in the middle of that are it will be fantastically convenient, if somewhat expensive. You could also stay nearby in the Marais or the Latin Quarter and still be just a few minutes walk across some of the most beautiful bridges in the world.
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Eurostar now even greener than flying
May 30th, 2009 · 2 Comments · eurostar
It seems obvious that rail travel must be more efficient than air travel right? So why are some airlines able to offer ridiculously cheap headline prices for international travel? Well there are two reasons. One way they fund the flights is by getting obscure airports toe PAY them to deliver visitors, and the other is a loophole in the fuel taxes which allow aviation fuel to go untaxed due to the lack of an international agreement between governments. If you don’t think this is right, then you might like consider further ecological arguments for taking the eurostar train instead of the plane.
Eurostar’s 186 mph high-speed train service has become the number one choice for travellers between London, Ebbsfleet, Ashford, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps. But that’s not all – don’t forget that Eurostar is also a more environmentally friendly option. Flying between London, Paris and Brussels generates ten times more emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) per traveller than going by Eurostar.
Ten times as much CO2!
Eurostar is also committed to generating even less carbon dioxide emissions per traveller in future years and has pledged to achieve a reduction of 25% per traveller journey by 2012 (compared to 2006).
Taking the train is now the only socially responsible green way to travel where its an alternative to flying.
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La Tour D’Argent Restaurant in Paris
March 28th, 2009 · No Comments · restaurants
La Tour D’Argent is a fine restaurant in Paris.
The 1867 Universal Exposition brought to Paris some of the most celebrated and important people in the world – heads of state, artists and all kinds of French and foreign personalities. On June 7th, the Café Anglais hosted perhaps the most extraordinary dinner ever held, “The Dinner of the 3 Emperors”, which contributed so greatly to the restaurant’s success and renown.
The guests were Alexander II, Czar of All the Russias, his son and namesake the Tsarevitch, the King of Prussia, Wilhelm I and the Prince of Bismarck. Rarely has a restaurant seen so prestigious an assembly brought together around a single table, not for a state summit, but simply for their pleasure. A glance at the menu suggests that their pleasure might be seen today as a little over-the-top.
An interesting footnote: on leaving the restaurant, Czar Alexander II complained that he had not had the opportunity to taste foie gras, a typically French delicacy. Claudius Burdel, a loyal servant of gastronomy, explained: “Sire, it is not the custom of French gastronomy to serve foie gras in June. If you can wait until October, you will certainly not regret it.” Faithful to his word, Burdel sent a terrine of foie gras to each of the three emperors in the autumn. This specially prepared foie gras was later known as the “Foie Gras des Trois Empereurs”
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