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August 2006
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Vol. 1 Issue 5
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 August in Paris is a month
like no other. Many
Parisians flock to the
coasts on vacation, leaving
their beautiful city to the
tourists and the smart
Parisians who prefer to be
at work while the boss is
sunning in
St. Tropez. How
does this affect the average
tourist? There are good
sides and bad sides to “les grandes vacances”. The good:
Paris is not as crowded. The
metro isn’t as full. There
aren’t as many cars on the
streets, meaning there is
less noise and less
pollution. Hotels generally
offer better rates during
August. The bad: You don’t
get the complete Parisian
experience since many of the
people you see are either in
the tourist industry or
tourists themselves. Many
small shops shut down for
part or all of the month of
August. And the same goes
for small – and even not so
small – Parisian
restaurants. So while it may
be a more enjoyable vacation
as far as the crowds go, you
will have to adjust your
expectations as far as what
will and will not be open. |
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 First off,
Paris public transportation is not
affected by "les grandes vacances".
Likewise, normal tourist attractions such as
all
Paris museums and Paris monuments will
be open in August.
Paris Hotels will be open and many will
offer great rates in August.
ParisTripTip:
get a hotel with air conditioning, it’s hot!
For more tips on Paris hotels, visit our
Paris Hotel Tips page.
Paris Restaurants that should be open in
August include the following:
-
Senderens, 8th arr. - which is only
closing on weekends but not on weekdays.
-
Au Pied de Cochon 1st arr.
-
Astier 11th arr.
- L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon 5, rue de
Montalembert, 7th arr. Phone:
01-42-22-56-56
- La Table de Joel Robuchon 16, av.
Bugeaud, 16th arr. Phone: 01 56 28 16 16
- Wadja 10 rue de Grande Chaumiere,
6th arr. Tel: 01 46 33 02 02
-
Les Bouquinistes 6th arr. (This may
be closed part of the month. It is best
to call or email first)
- Ze Kitchen Galerie 4, rue des Grands
Augustins 6th arr. Tel: 01 44 32 00 32
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The Brasserie "Flo" and all its
branches (Balzar, etc. Tel: 01 46 33 02
02
- Le Dome 108 Blvd du Montparnasse,
14th arr. is only closed on Sundays and
Mondays in August
-
Jules Verne
-
Mansouria (Moroccan) 11 rue
Faidherbe 11th arr. Tel: 01 43 71 00 16
- Aux Lyonnais 32 rue St. Marc, 2nd
arr. Tel 01 42 96 65 04 is closed until
August 22
- Spoon, Food and Wine 14, rue
Marignan, Paris, 8th arr. opens in
mid-August
- Mon Vieil Ami 69 rue Saint Louis en
L’Ile, 4th arr. opens August 16
-
Atelier Maitre Albert 5th arr. is
closed only the first two weeks of
August
- Allard 41 rue St. André des Arts,
6th arr. Tel: 01 43 26 48 23 is closed
the first three weeks of August
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 2006 marks the third summer that a section
of the expressway on the Right Bank of the
Seine has been turned into a sandy beach.
Right in the heart of Paris you can feel
like you are worlds away: with palm trees,
umbrellas, hammocks and deck chairs.
“Paris-Plage” (Paris-Beach) is free and open
to the public 24 hours a day until August
18, with special activities planned from 9
AM to 10:30 PM.
But beware, full coverage is “de
rigueur”. This year the city government has
outlawed topless sunbathing and thong
swimsuits! |
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 Now
that the
heat wave seems to be over, this is a great
opportunity to enjoy world cinema in the open air.
All films are shown in their original version and
subtitled in French. Some titles are “The
Brothers Grimm” by Terry Gilliam and “Au
hasard Balthazar” by Bresson. The event itself
is free, and you can rent a chair and blanket for
6.50 euros.Metro:
Porte de Pantin, Porte de la Villette
Visit the
Parc de la Villette Outdoor Film Festival Homepage
for more information and film schedule:
Tuesday to Sunday through August 13 at nightfall
(closed: Monday) |
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 Every
summer the
Tuileries Garden in the center of Paris hosts a
carnival. Through August 30, you can enjoy carnival
rides and games, including the great Ferris wheel
that provides an awesome view of Paris. This is fun
for the entire family. Located on the Rue de Rivoli
side of the Tuileries.
Metro: Tuileries
Price: Pay per ride or
game
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 Au
Bon Marché
24 Rue de Sèvres, 75007
Metro: Sèvres-Babylone
I will be the first to tell you I am no fan of
Paris’s right bank department stores. It’s not what
they sell, it’s the crowds. These stores are very
popular with tourists and Parisians alike. Thus,
they are constantly full of people, noise and
never-ending lines. You try to escape, you try to
get some air, only to find that the sidewalks
outside are almost worse.
But then there’s
Au Bon Marché (not to be confused with the
former Bon Marché (now Macy's) stores that existed
in the Western United States, of course). This left
bank department store is a gem. It is open, airy and
light, with the highest quality products of any of
the department stores. There’s simply no stacks of
junk to go through in this store. It’s almost
calming, you want to move in. All of this great
“feng shui” paired with gorgeous products makes the
prices rather high, so enjoy it during the sales.
 The
“Grande
Epicerie de Paris”, a fabulous gourmet grocery
store, is a part of the Bon Marché complex. Just
follow the signs. It’s like a museum of food! And if
you’re hungry and would like a snack, you could
always head upstairs from the grocery store to the
“Delicabar” - perhaps the most posh snack bar of any
department store I’ve ever been to. Sit at the bar,
order your delicious yet pricey snack, and enjoy… |
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 Le
Café des Deux Magots
6 Place St. Germain-des-Près, 75005
Metro: St.
Germain-des-Près
Open: 7:30 a.m. – 1:30
a.m. daily
I’m a sucker for this place. Yes, it’s touristy
(however I have had a drink there with more than one
Parisian friend). Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, the
service can sometimes be a bit brisk. But to me,
this former stomping ground of
Sartre,
Camus and
de Beauvoir is the epitome of Parisian cafés.
The terrace of the Deux Magots overlooks either the
Place St. Germain-des-Près or the Boulevard St.
Germain, so the people-watching is extraordinary.
You can sip on the same drink for as long as you
like, read your
International Herald Tribune -- alone or with
friends -- and take in the atmosphere. Plus, the
coffee is some of the best you’ll ever have, and the
food is pretty good too. I recommend their very
expensive (18€) breakfast with a “grand crème”
(large coffee with cream) and freshly squeezed
orange juice. Or at aperitif time, get a “kir
royal”, they just taste better at the Deux Magots!
Don’t forget, you pay more to sit at the terrace,
but here it’s worth it. |
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 Les
Papilles
30 Rue Gay Lussac
(0)1 43 25 20 79
Price: 34 euros prix
fixe dinner
Open: Mon–Sat
10:30a.m.-midnight
This is an interesting place, as it’s a fine food
grocery (specializing in the south of France) and a
wine bar which also happens to have small tables for
serving some very good cuisine. For about 34 euros,
you get an excellent four course meal of traditional
French bistro fare that could very well be served at
a china-and-linen type restaurant. There’s only one
“menu” served per day, so if you don’t like what
they are serving one day you can come back the next
to see what’s on.
Here, you might have a customer reach over your head
for a jar of olive oil, but for this price and
quality it is worth the minor inconvenience. Chef
and owner is Bertrand Bluy, formerly the pastry chef
at the three star
Taillevent. His wonderful pastries are served in
his restaurant at a fraction of what you would have
paid at the very pricey Taillevent.
This restaurant gets rave reviews from critics and
“foodies” alike, so it might be worth a stop while
you’re visiting the
Latin Quarter. It’s located near the
Luxembourg Garden. |
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 Hotel
Caron de Beaumarchais
12, rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75004
Metro: Hotel de Ville
or St. Paul
Tel: 01-42-72-34-12
Fax: 01-42-72-34-63
Rates: 1-2 people
Courtyard 125-142 €
1-2 people Streetside 162 €
Extra bed 16 €
Breakfast: 9.80€
This hotel, named after the author of “Le
Mariage de Figaro” and “Le
Barbier de Seville” is very close to the
Place des Vosges and the
Rue de Rivoli (which can be very busy but double
paned windows block out much of the noise). This is
a very special and unique hotel. The furniture and
other décor reflect the styles and tastes of the
18th century, but with a high level of comfort. No
detail is left unattended to: from the beautiful
fabrics they choose, to the fresh flowers and the
bathrobes in the bathrooms.
Each tastefully decorated room comes with air
conditioning, soundproofed windows, flat screen TV,
WiFi internet connection, minibar and hair dryers.
The hotel is air conditioned and has a small but
reliable elevator. Great breakfast is served until
noon, which is rare in Paris hotels.
The
Caron de Beaumarchais is a great choice for a
unique experience in Paris. The service, the small
yet elegant rooms it all lends to a very “French”
atmosphere. Try to get a room with a balcony
overlooking the street.
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 Musée
Nissim de Camondo
63 Rue Monceau, 8th arr.
Metro: Villiers
Cost: 6 euros
Open: Wed–Sun
10a.m.–5p.m.
After making a fortune in the late 19th century, the
businessman Comte Moise de Camondo had this
beautiful mansion built to resemble the Petit
Trianon at Versailles.
He furnished it with some of the most opulent
furniture, artwork, tapestries, china and silverware
of the mid-to-late 18th century. Tragically, his
wife left him and his son, Nissim, was killed in
World War I. Upon the death of Moise de Camondo in
1935, the entire estate was left to the state as a
museum named after the son who died. More tragedy
followed when a few years later Moise’s daughter and
her family were deported to Auschwitz where they
died.
Today the mansion remains as it always was, from the
beautiful salons to the refined boudoirs. This is a
well-kept secret among the many Paris museums, and
it is one that should not be overlooked.
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