Heading to Paris for the rugby? Michael Kellyhas suggestions to nurture body and soul
Ireland play France at Stade de France, in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, next Friday and face Argentina in their final pool D fixture, at the Parc des Princes stadium, also in Paris, on the evening of Sunday, September 30th, which will leave those spending either weekend in the French capital with plenty of time to kill. There are worse places in the world to have time on your hands, but if you've already done perennial tourist favourites such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, what might you do with your Saturday? You could spend it in an Irish pub, watching matches on the telly, but that seems a shame when one of the world's great cities beckons outside the door.
Ask any Parisian and they will tell you proudly why "their" market is the best in the city and who their favourite artisanal producer is. No matter where you are in Paris, there is somewhere interesting to eat not far away. The abundance of markets (more than 60 of them) and specialist produce stores (particularly artisanal bakeries and chocolateries) makes the city a food lover's dream.
A good place to start a gastronomic tour is in the district of St-Germain-des-Prés, on the Left Bank. The area became known as a centre of intellectualism following the second World War, as it was where the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir existentialised at cafes such as Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore and Brasserie Lipp. All three establishments can be found around the intersection of Boulevard St-Germain and Rue Bonaparte.
They say the only place that Parisians don't mind queuing is at a bakery, and one of the most popular bakeries of all is Poilâne, on Rue du Cherche-Midi. Pierre Poilâne started baking bread here in 1932 in the basement of a building that once housed a 17th-century monastery. Its traditional sourdough loaf became deeply unfashionable when the white-bread baguette came on the scene, but it's back in vogue now. You can pay up to $40 for a Poilâne loaf in trendy restaurants in New York - here it will cost you a mere €8. If you talk nicely to people at the front counter they might allow you into the back room, which has a won't-believe-it-till-you- see-it chandelier made entirely from bread. Originally created by Poilâne for Salvador Dali, it is remade every four or five years.
The French love of bread is matched by a whispered reverence for chocolate. On Rue Bonaparte you will find the delectable pastries and chocolates of Pierre Hermé, and the venerable institution of Ladurée, a company that can trace its history back to 1862. The Ladurée speciality is the macaroon, a small round meringue-like cake, crisp on the outside, with a soft centre - excellent gifts to bring home.
A short walk to Rue de Seine brings you to the outlet for the Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini, which opened in 2003. Marcolini is one of only three craftsmen left in Europe who manufacture chocolate from scratch. His chocolates are indescribably good - particularly the blood-red, heart-shaped Coeur Framboise, a bitter ganache coated with white chocolate and raspberry pulp.
For lunch, head for Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann. This shop gets more visitors each year than the Eiffel Tower, and many visit not for shopping but to check out the building and its beautiful glass dome. Since its opening, in 1893, Galeries Lafayette has attracted the midinettes - light-lunching ladies and working women who made time during their lunch breaks for shopping. Lafayette Gourmet, on the first floor, boasts a magnificent foodstore, and there's also a wine shop and two restaurants.
To walk off your lunch, try giving a gourmet twist to a traditional tourist attraction - the Musée du Louvre. Seek out food-themed works, such as Murillo's La Cuisine des Anges, Arcimboldo's gloriously odd quartet of paintings The Seasons, and Véronèse's study of 16th-century fine dining, The Wedding Feast at Cana. When you've had enough culture, take a seat in Le Café Marly in the Richelieu wing with its gorgeous terrace on the Cour Napoléon, or pick up a takeaway coffee and head for the splendour of the Tuileries gardens.
Alternatively you could head for Paris's oldest food market, the Marché des Enfants Rouge, which was built in 1615, during the reign of Louis XIII. It is on Rue de Bretagne (Metro: Filles du Calvaire or Temple) in the 3rd arrondissement, hidden behind iron gates - making it easy to miss. Threatened with closure during the 1990s, it was saved largely thanks to local protests. It recently reopened after a six-year refurbishment. It is open until 8pm on Saturdays, so you can marvel at the array of food on offer or sit down for a meal at one of the tables in the open-air side aisles and take your pick from pasta, pizza, spit-roasted meats, Moroccan couscous or classic French bistro food. With all those calories onboard, you won't be found wanting when it comes to roaring Ireland on.
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Markets of Paris, by Dixon and Ruthanne Long (Little Bookroom, £9.99 in UK) is a pocket-sized guide you might find invaluable if you want to experience Paris by strolling its markets with the locals. Gilles Pudlowski's Le Pudlo Paris 2007-2008 (Little Bookroom, £12.99 in UK), available in English for the first time, is regarded as one of the most informed guides to the city's restaurants
THREE TO BOOK
JUVENILES
47 Rue de Richelieu, 00-33-1-42974649, Metro: Palais-Royal
Scotsman Tim Johnston's bar à vins is a sound bet for a hearty prematch lunch. It's centrally located, the food is good and rugby-mad Johnston extends a warm welcome.
DAVE
12 Rue de Richelieu, 00-33-1-42614948, Metro: Palais-Royal
Davé Cheung, the owner of this Chinese restaurant, is much more into fashion than rugby. The post-memorial service lunch for photographer Helmut Newton was held here; the fash pack make it their canteen during the shows, and you never know who you'll see there. But for a fun night out, this is a good choice. Get chatting to the flamboyant Davé and he'll soon be your new best friend.
LA RÔTISSERIE DU BEAUJOLAIS
19 Quai de la Tournelle, 00-33-1-43541747, Metro: Cardinal-Lemoine
Sometimes, even in Paris, only a big plate of comfort food will do, and the roast chicken and creamy mashed potatoes at this Seineside bistro, overlooking Notre-Dame, is legendary. Marie-Claire Digby