5 comments about The Historic Restaurants of Paris: A Guide to Century-Old Cafes, Bistros, and Gourmet Food Shops.

1. My recent trip to Paris wouldn't have been half as much fun without this beautiful guide. It took me to restaurants and shops I never would have found on my own. I can't wait to go back -- with this book, of course.



2. I read Ellen Williams's book about the Impressionists, and her charming prose and wealth of historical anecdotes made 19th-century Paris come alive in a way I've never before encountered in a travel guide. This book is great, too. I took it with me on a recent trip to Europe, and had a chance to sample several of the food shops she mentions. What a pleasure to learn all about them beforehand--it made the experience so much more authentic!



3. "The Historic Restaurants of Paris" is a fun guide to read. Did you know that the Tour d'Argent serves each duck with a numbered tag, a tradition that began in 1890? I wonder what numbers Balzac and Napoleon had?

   Each restau has a brief two-page description (this is a little book, smaller than a paperback novel) and there are about 100 establishments described. The data include the address, phone, Metro, and hours. The book is organized by arrondiseement, and there's an alphabetical index; an appendix organizes them by type (luxury, cafes, inexpensive, etc.).

   Don't expect restaurant reviews, the author rarely even hints that certain places aren't worth the prices they charge. This book is more about the history and trivia of each of these charming places. Using only this book to select restaurants, I ran into some surprises, bad and good.

   If your French is good, call ahead. If not, ask the hotel reception to call for you. (In the US we have concierges; in French hotels, it's everyone's job to be helpful.) Gents, take a tie, it'll get you a better table. And be advised, the French idea of "non-smoking" is laughable.

   If you're into art history, this book is a good companion to "The Impressionist's Paris," by the same author.

   Bon Appetit!




4. This book is a wealth of information about some lovely places in Paris. We did visit a few of the places recommended (the book small enough to carry around)on the spur of the moment while we were in Paris and we were not disappointed. I plan to take the book with me if I ever visit Paris again.



5. If you're sitting someplace that isn't Paris and trying to get a sense for the élan of cafés, bistros, and restaurants in the City of Light, there are many other books I'd recommend ahead of this one. Without photos or other illustrations, maps, or what you might call atmospheric descriptions, "The Historic Restaurants of Paris" is not a book I'd suggest sitting down with and reading through from cover to cover. I know because I tried.
   
   But if you are in Paris, or planning a Parisian trip where you have a pretty good idea of where you'll be spending time ... that's when this book would be, not only useful, but I think almost invaluable. The brief profiles of dozens of bistros, cafés, and food shops put each in a bit of historic and neighborhood context and would be helpful, I think, for deciding where to have lunch that day. The book's small size, though somewhat bulky, fits well into a travel jacket or bag. I'd imagine this volume would get a lot of use on your trip, even if it didn't come off the shelves much once you got home.

No comments about Paris (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

5 comments about Into a Paris Quartier.

1. Nice book. The writing isn't very clever, nor humorous. Pretty straight forward. However, if one knows the 6th as I do, I found the book very informative and I felt like I learned a lot about this wonderful arrondisement! If you don't know the 6th district, I'd pass on reading the book. If you do, I think it's a must read.



2. This book is absolutely marvelous! Especially for those who travel to Paris and like to stay in the St. Germain des Pres district, as I do. Ms. Johnson gives many informative bits of info on this area in Paris. It's an absolute delight to read!



3. I read the reviews of this book after reading the book. I read the book while planning for and staying in an apartment in the St. Germain des Pres neighborhood. I have read Ms. Johnson's fictional series as well. Like those books, I found this to be a pleasant conversational recounting of her relationship with her neighborhood.
   
   What I have enjoyed about Ms. Johnson's albeit modest fictional works is her feel for the shared spaces of the American living in Paris, as an ex-patriot or accidental player in the space, with the French and with Parisian life. They seem to be stories of what happens the space of the intersection and the effect on both the American players and the French. I found the same quality in this book.
   
   Into a Paris Quartier isn't a guidebook or a profound memoir. It's a conversational piece written in the greatest part from the subjective point of view of the author's influences and experience. Take it for that, and I think it meets expectations. Ask for something more or different and you probably really want to read a different book.



4. I wish I had read these reviews before purchasing this book (these reviews do not appear for the paperback version). I was so disappointed by this book. The storyline is disjointed and the writing style (those long, rambling sentences) is downright annoying. I liked the photo on page 74 and not much else. I wanted to sell my copy of this book, but used paperback copies are going for 49 cents. I guess that tells you something.



5. Diane Johnson's stream-of-consciousness approach to the history and contemporary life of St. Germain-des-Près is often enjoyable and sometimes irritating. Her book's cover art promises a focus on turn-of-the-century Paris à la Lautrec posters, but the history which interests her most is that of the 17th century and the life of Queen Margot, daughter of Henri II and first wife of Henri IV. Her choice to organize the book around her own life, centered on her apartment at 8 Rue Bonaparte and its proximity to Queen Margot's chapel (now part of the École des Beaux-Arts), gives her plenty of opportunity for chatty commentary, but does not provide a clear framework for the history.
   
   In a book which is clearly "travel history lite," does this matter? I think so. Ms. Johnson could easily have written a book which used the history of St. Germain strictly as a backdrop for her daily life, encounters with interesting Parisians, and comparisons of French and American mores. There's plenty of this in the book. But she is also seriously interested in the architectural history of the quarter and clearly enjoys ferreting out the dramatic history of its occupants. She's done some wonderful research and there is much fascinating information here - but this book doesn't quite make it, either as a guidebook (too haphazardly organized) or as an armchair read (despite a very nice map, it is hard to avoid the sense of being bounced about from street to street and century to century, somewhat willy-nilly). As bedtime reading, which will be forgotten quickly, OK. But I think her hope was for a more serious reception. Better organization could have helped.
   
   There are some fun facts here. I can easily ignore her silly remarks about identifying with Diane de Poitiers because she is named Diane (DUH!), but her reflections on French and American history also strike me as pretty wide-eyed and superficial. She is fascinated with the Huguenots and her description of their history in the 6th arrondissement was new to me. But even after describing the terrible persecution that they endured, she is bemused by why it is often so hard to find out who was Huguenot and who was not. Seems obvious to me - if you may get killed for a belief, you don't exactly advertise it. She subscribes to the point of view that the Huguenots' adoption of Calvinism was politically motivated; this would have been a surprise to my Huguenot ancestor, whose beliefs brought him no material benefits and led only to persecution and exile.
   
   Nevertheless, I'm glad to have read the book. I agree with Ms. Johnson that it's much more interesting to traipse around looking at doorways and courtyards and discovering the history behind the walls of Paris, than it is to stand in lines to climb the Eiffel Tower. It's nice to find so much information about the Institut de France - I asked several people about this lovely domed building but since it's not a stop on a tour, no one had much to say about it. There's a library inside where she writes her books! Yes, fun facts. So if that's your need, and you're interested in St. Germain, this is a nice read. Another plus - some great books listed in the bibliography!

1 comments about Paris 2009 Calendar.

1. This Paris 2009 Calendar is such a good visual trip through the streets of Paris. The photographs are so crystal clear and pretty you feel like you're actually there. Lovely, lovely photographs especially the January one with all the trees in front of the Eiffel Tower. I had no idea it had a park with all these trees in front of it. Every time I see the Eiffel Tower in the news all I see are young kids skateboarding in front of it. What a pleasnt surprise to know the Eiffel Tower has a tree lined park beside it too. GraphiquedFrance does itself proud with these Paris photographs. Thanks Amazon.

2 comments about Insight Pocket Map Paris (Insight Pocket Map).

1. I would recommend one of these maps for ANY city you visit! They are compact but provide a ton of detail! Worth every penny!



2. I just returned from Paris and found this map to be extremely helpful. I particularly liked that it was sturdy enough to bump around in my bag unscathed, small enough that it didn't require a lot of room, and concise enough to help me find my way. I highly recommend.

5 comments about The Pilgrim's Guide to Santiago De Compostela.

1. As a collector of guide books about Iberia, I found this volume exceptionally revealing, practical and poetic.



2. I personally knew Mr. Melczer both as my instructor and later as a friend and I simply cannot say enough about this man. Studying in Spain with Mr. Melczer in 1990 I can say he truly opened my eyes to history, art and culture. I took copious notes, but I realized I could never fully "absorb" the knowledge that this man imparted to his students. He inspired me to enter the field I am in now.
   This book is an excellent presentation of one of the most remarkable journeys traversed by so many people throughout history. The research is excellent and the reading is very clear. This book is a must for any person interested in Spanish history



3. When you are not sure of the details of any particular Camino miracle, you need go no further than William Melczer's guide. The Codex Calixtinus is the source of all those stories you read in the other English language books. Melczner's guide is the first complete English translation of Book Five of the Codex Calixtinus - the original medieval pilgrim's guide.
   
   This is a scholarly, extremely well documented book. The entire book is 345 pages. Of this, the actual translated Codex is 50 pages. The introduction and notes demonstrate a through knowledge the medieval pilgrimages. The book includes a haigographical register and gazetteer as well as bibliograpy and index. I had to go to my unabridged dictionary to find out that haigography is the study of saints. The gazetteer contains a short explanation if each place name. Both the haigraphical index and the gazetteer are quite helpful when doing any Camino reading.
   
   This is not a book I would carry with me, but certainly one that is enjoyed after doing the Camino. For those who have time, it supplements any historical reading one may do before the Camino.



4. DO NOT buy this book if you are looking for a modern guide to the Camino.
   
   DO buy this book for a scholarly translation and background of the pilgrims who went before you on the Camino (the guide was written in approx. 1160 AD)! The large introduction is packed with detailed information about the history/legends of St. James and his tomb from the time of Christ through early Church fathers, early Spanish history, Islamic invasion and subsequent withdrawal, and the French connection. There is detailed history on pilgrim routes, what they wore, where they stayed, and more. A great read prior to walking the Camino!



5. 
   This book is comprised of a translation of Book V of the Codex Calixtinus, and abundant notes, commentary and introduction of same. If you have traveled to Santiago, then you have most likely already read extensive quotations, citations or information from this work. It is probably the single most important historical source of information about the pilgrimage. Or at least the most famous.
   
   The translated work itself is only a small fraction of the total book. I urge you to go to the effort of reading the Notes to the Codex. Do this at least for the value for money in the experience since the Notes section is almost twice as long as the actual text. Even past that, I found the notes good reading, and only wish that they had been published in situ with the text and not at the back since it would have saved me a lot of really endless flipping back and forth.
   
   The book is also published with a Hagiographical register of the relevant saints and a Gazetteer of the locations. Either of those sections might be of more use to the prospective pilgrim than is the text itself. I have to say that reading the Codex after I completed my trip made it funnier and more illuminating.
   
   This is one of those fabled must-reads if you are interested in the Camino. If you aren't, it still might be interesting as an example of medieval travel writing. Melczer seems to do a good job with the book and the translation. Recommended.

5 comments about The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris.

1. Edmund White gives a very different "travel book" in FLANEUR: A STROLL THROUGH THE PARADOXES OF PARIS. If you don't delight in books that compare prices of hotels and restaurants or books in which the author traces the difficulty of restoring and furbishing a fabulous villa all while beguiling and amusing the locals then White's book will offer you a refreshing alternative.

   Sixteen-year resident, White, offers a view of Paris that is at once personal and historical. It is more accurately described as a memoir of Paris rather than a standard travel book. One feels as though a friend is offering a leisurely tour of the city showing you his favorite places and telling stories offering insight and historical tidbits not dragging you through a checklist as an impersonal tourist. The changes in neighborhoods and the histories he describes particularly those of expatriate Americans in Paris are all insightful. White's tone is erudite and conversational without being tedious or condescending. The term flaneur is key in the title. The pace of the book is strolling but always interesting. It seems to have no direction but the end result is both illuminating and satisfying. Most remarkably it offers an enjoyable read whether one is immediately traveling to Paris or armchair traveling or whether one is living in a villa in Europe or a small apartment in the States.




2. Of course this isn't really about cruising. If it were it would be awfully boring, and this book is anything but boring. Even so, there is nothing quite so pleasurable as a stroll down almost any street in the French capital. Edmund white, who lived there for a long time, offers a distillation of his experience in this delightful little book. Reading it is almost as good as being there. Second best. Whie writes elegantly and intelligently. The part I most enjoyed, and from which I learned most, is about the Camondo Museum and the tragedy of the family that built and owned it. After reading this book I went to visit it and it turned out to be all White says it is. Delightful. But the book contains other wonderful descriptions of people and places as well. Highly recommended.



3. I bought this book while holidaying in the Marais in the summer of 2005. I read it on my return to Sydney as a means of returning to the backstreets of Paris as I also remember it.
   
   If you've been to Paris much of this book will seem familiar. If you haven't, It's the closest you'll come to enjoying the pleasures of this most magnificent city.
   
   Much like Paris itself, this book is brilliant.



4. White, Edmund. "The Flaneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris", Bloomsbury, 2007.
   
   A Different Look of Paris
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Edmund White is a wonderful writer as he has proven many times and he gives us a great travel book in "The Flaneur". White gives us a look at Paris that is both personal and historical and is really more of a memoir than anything else. I felt as if White was my friend and taking me on a stroll around the city and showing me his favorite places and telling me stories of his own life there. He is erudite and conversational and never did I feel I was being given a tour of Paris. The fact that the book meanders without any direction is a plus as this makes it comfortable.
   The book is only 211 pages long and there is a great deal of information in it. White writes of the avant garde of the Left Bank which is just a fading memory and what a pity! White concentrates on the minorities of the city--the Arabs, the Jews, and the Blacks. It is an insider's guide and we learn of the idiosyncrasies, the flavor, the history and the charm of the City of Light. A flaneur is a rambler who wanders aimlessly through the back ways of the city just to observe and reflect and this is what we do with White. A flaneur comments on all that he sees and hears and knows about the areas of Paris that he chooses to comment on. White lived in Paris for 16 years so there is no doubt that he knows the city. White's distillation of his own years In Paris is what makes this book so interesting and fun.



5. Before leaving home one should read "Paris, The Biography of a City" by Colin Jones and when the trip is over, digest your visit with "Paris" by Julian Green.
   
   "The Flaneur," however, is the best of the three and the one you will want with you as you wander the streets. At first blush the book appears to be intellectual flaneurie, but in fact the sections are broken down into fairly regimented units. They are roughly: Americans in Paris, the African American expereince, Jewish Paris, Gay Paris, Royalist Paris, all seen through a historical lens with lots of breezy, anecdotal filler. Plenty of history to round out the edges too. Ironically, it will leave readers a full agenda of places to visit as opposed to just "aimlessly wandering" which the actual flaneurs are want to do. Worth if for the descriptions of the less popular museums alone.

3 comments about Walks In Hemingway's Paris: A Guide To Paris For The Literary Traveler.

1. After two important introductory chapters, the seven walks take the reader or tourist to every Hemingway (and Fitzgerald) site in Paris. These walks were tried/previewed by many classes of students at the American University of Paris. Although a few details date the book, it holds up today! The walks, by the way, include wonderful quotations from many of Hemingway's novels, short stories, and his memoir of Paris. Buy the book and come to Paris!!



2. Hemingway fans will adore this book, but for anyone interested in literary and artistic Paris, this exceptional guidebook will also lead you to the haunts of such luminaries as James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, e. e. cummings, Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Author Fitch includes a helpful introduction to Paris, followed by an insightful introduction to Hemingway's Paris. Seven self-guided tours contain detailed commentaries for each stop along the route. The best of the itineraries take you along the Seine, through the Latin Quarter and around the Luxemburg gardens, which are the most pleasant places to walk in Paris anyway. Even though it's easy to get lost in the maze of short and angled streets of Paris, clear, good-sized maps throughout the book keep you oriented. Nearly fifty black-and-white photographs, many of them historic, evoke the ambience of Paris in the 1920s. Photos include Sylvia Beach in her Shakespeare and Company bookstore; Scott, Zelda and Scottie Fitzgerald celebrating Christmas in their apartment on rue de Tilsitt; a wicked cartoon of James Joyce drawn by Fitzgerald in 1928; and, of course, Hemingway. A detailed index helps you find information about places and people.

   After loosely following Tour Two through the Saint Germain neighborhood, my daughter Anne and I had morning coffee and pastries at the Cafe de Flore, Anne scribbling away in her journal. When I teasingly asked the waiter how Hemingway, and later the Existentialist writers who haunted the Cafe de Flore in the 40s and 50s, managed to get any writing done on the tiny, round tables barely large enough to hold a plate, he teased me back by pushing two of the tables together so I had plenty of room to pen my immortal postcards. But unless money is no object, it's too expensive to order much more than coffee at the famous Left Bank hangouts of Hemingway and his expatriate cohorts. On Rue de Buci and Rue de Abbaye in the Saint Germain neighborhood, close to Hemingway's Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots, you'll find less expensive, less pretentious cafes where you can order a great bowl of French onion soup.




3. I took this book to Paris and went to every single place mentioned. It was easy to use and fun to read and made me love Paris (and Hemingway) even more.

No comments about Michelin the Green Guide French Riviera (Michelin Green Guide: French Riviera English Edition).

5 comments about Food Lover's Guide to Paris, 4th edition.

1. I brought this book to Paris along with 4 others, and although had high hopes, I found it frustrating. It didn't provide enough choice within a geographic area, and with respect to our one "big night" out, led us to a disastrous, expensive disappointment. Alcazar(p. 51) had miserable service (she had billed it "exquisite") and a meal that had to go back. We did much better following Rick Steves' recommendations, and our own noses. If it's the third or fourth book on your list for Paris, as it was for us, save your money and the aggravation of carting the hefty thing around. It's not worth it.



2. Ms Wells allows you to prepare for a gastronomic trip to Paris.
   Her essential information regarding types of eateries, locations, speciality foods, terminolgy and ofcourse understanding tipping is highly descriptive and beneficial.
   Choosing restaurants and food styles are of personal taste and may not reflect that of Ms Wells', but the guidelines established in this book provide many options. One can dine at a numerous amount of bistros listed in this guide and understand their specialities and price ranges effectively.

   As a person who has travelled to Paris, many restaurant guides are available and recommendations are abundant. I regret not having this book on my last two trips but will definitely visit some of the eateries listed in this book on my next trip.




3. I brought this book to Paris on a recent week-long trip, and had very mixed feelings about the reviews. About half of the recommended establishments were closed, moved, or under new names/management. If you use this book, calling ahead to verify that the restaurant exists is a must! The copyright date on this book is 1999, and many of the reviews must have been written or checked earlier than that. The reviews quote all prices in francs, which constantly reminds you of the age of the reviews, and the age of the quoted prices.
   
   Still, every one of the restaurants, bistros and cafes which Wells recommended, and still exist, were winners. Often times, the reviews suggest perhaps a too cozy relationship between reviewer and owner/chef, but I'm willing to overlook that somewhat, as that doesn't seem to spoil the quality of the recommendations. Despite what people may think, there are bad (well, not-so-good) restaurants in Paris, and price is not always proportional to quality. Having a guide like this one is key to painful trial-and-error experiences. I just long for an up-to-date edition!



4. Just came back from 8 days in Paris and I had studied and marked on a map Wells' recommended cafes, boulangeries, patisseries, fromageries and specialty food stores. Note that I wasn't so much interested in restaurants but I've NEVER known Patricia Wells to be wrong so I can't imagine her recomendations wouldn't be excellent. Although it would be great if her book were updated again since it hasn't been in 5 years I found most of the places still there and loaded with thoroughly delicious treats. Her website patriciawells.com has updates for restaurants for those interested. The French really do food right and the baguettes, cheese, wine and pastries were exquisite. Each place has certain items that are especially delightful. Gosselin really does have a superb baguette, Calixte has croissants and pain au chocolat that are really magnificent, Malineau has fruit tarts which are exquiisite, Martin has wonderful baguette sandwiches to take with you and munch on and Kayser has many wonderful delights. Go to Paris and you will come to know what Bon Appetit can really mean.



5. Yes, some of the restaurant reviews are out of date, but this is so much more than just a restaurant guide. It also gives details about markets, boulangeries, pattiseries and other treats and traiteurs. Gold dust.
   
   One of the best ways to eat in Paris is to buy a baguette de tradition and a fresh piece of really STINKY and TOTALLY unpasteurised fromage and eat it in a jardin or parc. (I reccomend the rue Cler for this you can get your fromage from Christine and your pain from Poujairan and your patisserie from Lenotre - all spellings approximate!- and eat them around the Invalides).
   
   This book tells you how to do all that, and how to find precious treats like Berthillon ice cream and Christian Constant chocolates and Le Stubli's cakes.... I could go on but it's making me too hungry.
   
   But a new edition is certainly sorely needed. For example, Andre Lerch is retired, and has been replaced in rue Cardinal Lemoine by a store selling Tour D'Argent memorabilia. Conversely, the book omits the magnificent Pierre Herme (probably the best and most astonishingly innovative patissier in Paris, and it's in rue Bonaparte - just spot the queue). In the meantime, boulangerie fans could acquire the Guide des Boulangeres (which is regularly updated with a pamphlet supplement) or the Michelin single-city food guides; both can be got from the fabulous cookbook store in the Rue Dante, which has very helpful English-speaking staff. And for restaurants nothing beats Gault-Millau (provided your French is good - it's idiomatic).
   
   But Wells is still worth having, especially for non-French speakers. She points in most of the right directions. You CAN update her book a bit by visiting her website.
   
   And her devotion to Paris and Parisian food makes you want to sing aloud. It was this book that helped me become a raving Paris foodie, and I'm still very grateful.