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A Food Tour of Paris and Bordeaux

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Six days, two cities, and more croissants than I should admit — but who’s counting? Between Paris and Bordeaux, I ate everything from Michelin-starred pasta parcels to late-night kebabs inhaled in a taxi.

Experiencing vastly different styles of food and service around the world has shaped my palate, my personality, and — perhaps most apparently — my work as a Senior Event Director. To return to New York with ideas both concrete and abstract allows me to bring fresh passions and plans to my sales process and events. Whether it’s how a brasserie layers charm into the simplest onion soup, the theatricality of a Michelin-star tasting menu, or the communal energy of a long-table wedding feast, these experiences translate directly into how I think about trends, hospitality, and the kinds of memorable moments I aim to create for my clients.

Friday 8/22
  • 12:31pm: I would estimate that no more than 30 minutes elapses between landing in Paris and eating a croissant – naturally.
  • 2:40pm: I – along with my friends Leah and Dianna – take a taxi from the airport into the city and immediately get in line at L’As du Fallafel. I sip a double espresso from Copains while we wait, calculating how much waking time I’ve bought myself before I crash from jet lag and long-distance travel.
  • 2:45pm: The “Fallafel Special” pita sandwich is in hand!!! I would give it a 7/10; very enjoyable as a whole but the falafel itself is nothing special.
  • 7:55pm: We arrive at our reservation at Amarante, which I made via WhatsApp courtesy of Google Translate. We share zucchini dip, wild Burgundy snails cooked in garlic butter, a deboned rack of Corsican veal with knepfes (cottage cheese and buckwheat), slow-cooked lamb leg, and two desserts called “Citron” (Lemon) and “Fondant 100% Cacao de L’Archipel São Tomé et Príncipe” (100% Cacao Fondant from The Archipelago São Tomé and Príncipe). Everything is wildly delicious, and we dance our way out as the last patrons in the room at 10:19pm.

Saturday 8/23
  • 9:38am: We’re up and out! Our first stop is La Maison d’Isabelle, a bakery that is technically on our way to Musée Rodin because we made it so. I order a “Best Croissant of Paris,” which is, in fact, the best croissant I’ve ever eaten by a long shot.
  • 10:17am: We run into La Boulangerie des Invalides for a cappuccino that I believe is dusted with cocoa – delightful. The barista barely masks her surprise (and maybe contempt) when we order it to go.
  • 12:23pm: We walk from the museum to a decadent lunch at Le Petit Vendôme, where we tuck ourselves into a tiny outdoor table and feast on French onion soup, homemade French fries, and a charcuterie board accented with sumptuous French butter; how fitting. I also have an espresso and then my friends have to metaphorically drag me away from a standing espresso set in a nearby window display (because they both love me and distrust me with my own money).
  • 5:01pm: After a power nap, out we pop for a shop, stopping at Pierre Hermé for an kaleidoscopic assortment of macarons. The Tomato and Basil flavor – while initially off-putting for its state of culinary confusion – is quite tasty. I have virtually no sweet tooth (but a huge carb tooth, if there is such a thing), so I give a halfhearted nibble to a few others and that rounds out my macaron consumption for the trip.
  • 5:49pm: Another espresso moment in the window of Jōhō coffee, an unrivaled place to people watch and mourn the vintage checkered calf hair Louis Vuitton flats I could not bring myself to splurge on.
  • 7:41pm: Pre-dinner dinner at Le Oken, where we sit outside and eat chicken drumsticks and artichokes dusted with cheese and hazelnuts. It feels very Parisian and lovely.
  • 9:35pm: We meet my friend, Kjell, at Bouche Paris for pre-dancing dinner. Kjell and I met in 2023 as adjacent solo diners at Le Benjamin in Oslo, Norway, where he lives, and we meet up once or twice a year (so far in New York, Milan, Barcelona, and now Paris) to dine at some of the best restaurants in the world. He has a litany of allergies but is a great sport about ordering anything and everything, so we go with:

Mature goat cheese with chili jelly

Duck terrine with peach chutney and chipotle

Cucumbers with roasted figs, malako, and pistachio

Eggplant Agebitashi with shishito peppers and chili oil

Veal roll with herring cream, celery, and hazelnut

Grilled octopus with romesco and gremolata

Korean lettuce salad

Roasted potatoes with raw cream and buckwheat

Mille-feuille with vanilla diplomat and lemon gel

Salted butter caramel mousse with cocoa sorbet

  • 12:35am: Last call at Bar Nouveau, where I get a Ramos (Grain, Yogurt, Peat, St. Germain).
  • 1:32am: A vodka soda (in French: une vodka-soda) on the dance floor at L’Arc.
  • 2:43am: A döner kebab from LÜKS Kebab ordered in the taxi home through UberEats; work smarter, not harder.

Sunday 8/24
  • 11:08am: Another day, another croissant, this time from Au Chaud Pain Choc. It’s not quite as delicious as the one from yesterday, but still more savory (and therefore better, in my opinion) than any croissant in the US. My cappuccino comes with a sugar packet that is labeled “Daddy” for reasons unknown.
  • 1:43pm: After spending quite some time trying not to cry in front of Degas paintings at Musée d’Orsay, we walk over to GuLi for dumplings and Sichuan beef noodle soup, a home takeout favorite of mine.
  • 6:11pm: A brief respite and a trip to the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection later, we once again decide to enjoy a pre-dinner dinner, this time at a sidewalk table at Au Pied de Cochon. I have three oysters, crispy pig trotter and Burgundy snail croquettes, a glass of Sancerre, and a little pink meringue in the shape of a pig – perfection.
  • 7:39pm: We start our dinner at La Dame de Pic with a glass of champagne, naturally.
  • 7:44pm: The meal begins with a selection of three hors d’oeuvres and a crusty loaf of bread and peppery butter.
  • 8:15pm: Over the next three hours, we enjoy:

Field tomato infused with marigold and caraway ice cream

Chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s iconic “Berlingots© ASP”: Pasta parcels filled with Normandie AOP camembert and served with Camus artichoke, lavender, and verbena sauce

Barbecue-glazed red tuna with green beans, cherries, and fir bud and juniper beurre blanc

French veal with sweet woodruff, Gedeo coffee, pressed potatoes, and sour cream

24-month-aged Comté AOP ice cream with verbena berry and Tonka bean
(which they pair with a phenomenal sake)

All three desserts to share: The Apricot from Drôme with meadowsweet and crispy pine nuts; Peachwine with smoked vanilla & orange blossom mousse; The Raspberry with marigold and Gedeo coffee

A selection of mignardises
(one of Kjell’s flips over and falls face down on the table, which causes us to break into uncontrollable laughter, exacerbated by the server silently bringing him a new one)

Monday 8/25
  • 7:35am: I scarf down noodle soup leftovers before rushing to my train to Bordeaux; glamorous.
  • 12:03pm: This is too long of a gap between meals for me and I am absolutely frothing at the mouth when I arrive at Michel’s for a cappuccino with cocoa, oeufs mimosa (French-style deviled eggs, named for their resemblance to the fluffy yellow mimosa flower), and hand-cut beef tartare. I alternate between reading my book and people watching, which are my favorite things to do anywhere in the world.
  • 4:34pm: I take a quick walk from my hotel to Maison Lamour Judaïque, where I buy some sort of dense yet fluffy pastry described to me only as “cheese.” It’s tangy and filling and I absolutely love it.
  • 7:00pm: The pre-wedding welcome reception for my friends Kyle and Emily begins at French House! My friend, Carly, and I nibble on a spread of hors d’oeuvres, sip crémant, and catch up with friends from college and beyond.
  • 10:15pm: We walk to Burger King (yes, Burger King!) and bring it back to our hotel room, delighting in eating crispy chicken sandwiches in our big hotel beds.

Tuesday 8/26
  • 11:44am: We take a walk past beautiful Palais Gallien to Café Eriu, where I have – you guessed it – a cappuccino along with a fried egg toast with halloumi and chives. It’s the perfect breakfast and while I would love to indulge in what looks to be a heaven-sent slice of fig cake, I – somewhat regrettably – abstain.
  • 2:30pm: After a walk through Bordeaux’s botanical garden and a visit to CAPC Musée d’art Contemporain de Bordeaux (which I very highly recommend!), I demolish most of a now-stale croissant from yesterday’s trip to Maison Lamour Judaïque as I get ready for Kyle and Emily’s wedding at Château Gassies.
  • 5:30pm: I make it through the ceremony without crying (a miracle) and we head to cocktail hour, where we enjoy an array of butlered hors d’oeuvres, Spanish and French tapas, and espresso martinis.
  • 8:37pm: All 100 or so guests are seated at one long table in the chateau’s courtyard (one of my favorite wedding layout styles of the moment!), and we start the meal with a savory panna cotta topped with balsamic reduction, pickled red onions, cherry tomatoes, and hazelnuts, which is a beautiful, fresh start to dinner.
  • 9:14pm: My branzino with romesco is delicious (yay, caterers!), there are ice bags of wine on the table, and the sun has just set behind the main house of the chateau; it’s a breathtaking moment for which I am so grateful.
  • 11:00pm: We move into one of the chateau’s side houses to dance, and I eschew solid desserts in favor of a mini espresso martini (and shot of tequila with the bride and groom).
  • 2:20am: We order McDonald’s chicken sandwiches via UberEats that arrive within minutes of our return to the hotel; another post-event plan well-executed.

Wednesday 8/27
  • 11:36am: Carly and I pack our suitcases and head to Boulangerie Epicentre, where I get a cappuccino and a life-changing ham and butter baguette. It’s flawless in its simplicity and I enjoy it on a park bench after Carly and I part ways, her to her flight home to London and me to the wedding farewell party.
  • 1:12pm: We arrive at Château Camiac where I enjoy an Aperol Spritz and a spread of endlessly snackable crudités by the pool.
  • 4:25pm: As I run out of the farewell party with bisous for my friends, I grab a smash burger from Les Goulus to enjoy back at my hotel before departing to the train station and – eventually – Paris.
  • 9:35pm: One train ride, one jaunt through Le Marais with my suitcase, and one fleet-footed metro trip to dinner later, I am seated at Juveniles with a glass of Chardonnay. I ask the server to have the chef choose two dishes – one small and one large – that he most wants me to try. I have no dietary restrictions, I confirm, so the floor (or the table, rather) is his.
  • 9:46pm: A light yellow bowl of corn soup is poured tableside, adorned with Bouchot mussels, wilted leeks, and marinated peppers. It’s not what I would have chosen (which, I think, is the crux of this chef curation exercise) but it’s incredible, with an intensely fresh feel and delicate, well-balanced flavors.
  • 10:16pm: Out comes my entrée: the pork shoulder – braised, then grilled – with pommes Anna, grilled eggplant, cucumbers, shiso, and plum. When I say that this is a perfect dish, I mean it wholeheartedly. It is incredibly rich in flavor without being overwhelming, comforting in its relatability without being even slightly boring, and unequivocally made from quality ingredients. I am so thrilled that this is my last dinner in Paris (for now!).
  • 10:43pm: A soft chocolate cake with ganache and tea-infused custard for dessert with a side of espresso. My friend, Denise, arrives just as this is hitting the table and we share it as we catch up on our respective vacations thus far.
  • 12:04am: The weather is lovely so we walk (nearly a mile, which I thought would be utterly impossible in the heels I’m wearing, but vacation adrenaline is real) to Le Syndicat, a very cool cocktail bar in the 10th arrondissement that uses only French ingredients in their drinks. I drink a Big Bear (Cognac Courvoisier, honey and spelt-infused milk, St-Rémy Signature brandy, and Bénédictine D.O.M.) and the bartender offers us shots of a mix of whiskey and orange wine – why not?
  • 1:35am: We arrive at Wanderlust and have glasses of prosecco while we dance to Caribbean music and sweat our makeup off. We don’t last long, and drink water on the way out like the responsible travelers we claim to be!

Thursday 8/28
  • 9:38am: On Wednesday night, I swear up and down that I will make it to Little Café for breakfast this morning – and I do! I have a croissant (a solid second place ranking for this trip), a cappuccino, a glass of orange juice, and a carafe of water while I – as always – read my book, people watch, and reflect on my amazing trip with an immense amount of gratitude for the phenomenal food, drinks, and people that made it so.

For me, as an Event Director, these journeys aren’t just indulgence — they’re research. Every plate and every dining room becomes inspiration for how I design events, experiences, and memories back in New York. Every bite is fuel for the next event I dream up.

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