Paris Restaurants: Angelina, Brasserie Lipp, Laduree

Angelina

Going to Paris and not going to Angelina would be like going to New York City and not getting a slice of pizza. Located in the arcades of the Rue de Rivoli opposite the Louvre, it has been serving hot chocolate and pastries for almost 100 years. Angelina with gilt, marble covered tables and the copious amounts of mirrors creates an atmosphere that is not stuffy at all. Even with the opulent interior, casual attire is fine but business casual often receives you better service. Angelina serves breakfast, lunch and light dinner and is a great respite from the crowds and pushing of the nearby Louvre. It is difficult to get a table from about 12pm on, but if you arrive early, a table is often available for the taking. The L’chocolat Africains (6.80 eur), a thick hot chocolate is the special here as well as an accompanying Mont Blanc (8.60 eur).

Pommes Frites (5 eur) (french fries) at Angelina

Pommes Frites (5 eur) and Tarte aux Pommes (5.10 eur)

L’Chocolat Africains (hot chocolate) with whipped cream (6.10 eur)

Angelina
226 Rue de Rivoli, 1st
Daily: 10:30am-5:30pm
Paris
Credit cards accepted

Brasserie Lipp

This brasserie, called by some the best in Paris, has had a big reputation. Ernest Hemingway was the first man to drink here, after its liberation in 1944, and the owner, before it was purchased, used to choose who would get a table and who wouldn’t. The restaurant has character, as the sign on the door says “no shorts” in English, which is definitely designated towards Americans. The specialty is the choucroute garnie, which is a mixture of ham, bacon and sausages over sauerkraut and potatoes.

Brasserie Lipp
151 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 6th
Paris
Daily: 12:15pm-12:45am
Credit Accepted

Laduree

Laduree, the Parisian café has three locations throughout Paris, two are antique and one is modern. I went to the modern one, which is located on the Champs-Elysees. It is located on the ground floor of a building that had scaffolding and hid most of the beautiful exterior. The restaurant’s color was mint-green and used dark wood and gilt, where green would not be appropriate. The specialties of the café were the pastries and without a doubt, were the best that I had in Paris. This café seems to be the most popular for tourists, especially those from Asian countries who have seemed to have built a following for Laduree.

French Toast in upper left background, Croissant and Tarte aux Pommes (apple turnover), iced tea (very bitter tasting), and omelette in upper right background.

Laduree
75 Avenue des Champs-Elysses, 8th
Daily: 7:30am-12:30am
Credit accepted