The Food Diaries

Oysters & Crepes @ West Country Girl

Tucked in a little hidden corner of Paris lies West Country Girl, a fab creperie serving up lace-delicate crepes (savoury and sweet). On Wednesdays they get a delivery of oysters from the west coast of France (in Brittany), the variety available changing from week to week. These are the best oysters I’ve eaten - crisp and tasting of the sea, still full of its own clear liquid that can be used as a good indicator of freshness. Worth tracking down this address when in Paris (6, passage Saint Ambroise 75011, tel: 01 47 00 72 54).

Poilâne is a long-standing bakery in Paris (and more recently London) which specialises in a type of sourdough bread made from stone-ground “grey” flour in wood-burning ovens. It is particularly delicious when toasted and topped with grilled Crottin de Chavignol goat’s cheese. The bread is now shipped all around the world - and in London is available at many Waitrose branches outside of their Elizabeth St store.

Probably one of my top 5 favourite pastries (ever) is their apple tart (made from a twist of puff pastry base with large chunks of lightly caramelised apples) - which is more than worth the detour if either in Paris or London. Probably a good thing it is a trek away….

Oh, and how does a pastry qualify for top 5 status? If at your first bite you have a strong sense that something had been missing in your life but until just that moment you had no idea what - then you’ve hit the top 5 jackpot.

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WEST COUNTRY GIRL CREPERIE >

The George - A Room with a View in Paris

Sitting atop the Centre George Pompidou - the museum of Modern Art designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rodgers - The George, has one of the best views in town.

Don’t bother with a meal - the best way to enjoy the venue is over a drink in the 2001: A Space Odyssey-styled interiors or on the large terrace in the summer.

Don’t forget The George has its own private lift/entrance (look out for the entrance on the piazza side).

Here’s some more info (location, opening times, access).

West Country Girl Creperie in Paris

Tucked away in a little side street off the hip and cool Oberkampf district of Paris snuggles a fab little creperie set in cool and modern surroundings.

I know, I know. It’s totally cliched. But the French do this sort of thing with effortless charm and ease. Delicate and lacy buckwheat savoury crepes stuffed with mushrooms & St. Maur goat’s cheese, brie & bacon, or egg & spinach, and for dessert a sweet crepe topped with baked apples and salty caramel. Once a week on a Friday a fresh shipment of some of the best oysters I have ever tasted arrives directly from Brittany. All this goes very nicely with their house ciders and beers on tap.

And then it’s a mere hop, skip and a jump to rue Oberkampf and beyond to Belleville for some seriously late night bar hopping.

Here’s the address:
6, passage Saint Ambroise (11th)

Tél: 01 47 00 72 54

Here’s the map of the location