The Underdog Dining Club of Paris

They’re not hip, they’re not sexy and they’re certainly not in the Michelin guides – they are the underdogs; the restaurants that call out to us for some reason or another. They might be hiding away in an unpopular neighbourhood, serving cuisine from a conflict country or just unwilling to keep up with the times.…

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15 Places McDonald’s should have Left Alone

I‘ll admit, I enjoy the occasional Big Mac just as much as the next mass-consumerist, but you know what I enjoy more? Beautiful historic places that haven’t been given a McArchitecture make-over. 1. An Art Deco building in Victoria, Australia, formerly the ‘United Kingdom Hotel’ dating back to 1937. Photo credit here 2. Believe it or…

The Era of Automatic Dining lives on in Amsterdam

I‘ve been clinging onto these old photos of an Automat diner in New York in the 1930s, thinking I would one day have a reason to show them to you. Having just returned from a long weekend in Amsterdam where I found this old-fashion fast-food style of dining still in existence, I think it’s time…

10 Places to Dine à la Belle Epoque in Paris

Forget the Michelin-starred restaurants, Paris is all about time-traveling! 1. L’Ecurie: Drinking with Hemingway 58, rue de la Montagne Ste-Geneviève, 5eme This is my favorite place to get drunk tipsy on red wine with a good paté de campagne and Steak Frites. I imagine Hemingway would have loved it too. In fact, he only lived…

10 Places in Paris for an Indian Summer

Feel like summer is slipping away all too quickly as September approaches? Nessy has compiled her list Paris’ best terraces and al fresco spots just when you need them most… 1. Secret Courtyard Dining in the Marais JAJA Tucked away in the vibrant streets of the Marais, just meters away from the Point-Virgule, Paris’ last…

PARIS: 10 Trendy Restaurants better than Celebrity fly trap, L’Avenue

With Paris haute couture week currently in full swing, American celebrities are flocking into town, including tabloid darlings du jour, Lana Del Rey and Kim Kardashian. …And they’re all being spotted at the damn same place, paparazzi heaven, L’Avenue. Just a few steps from the grand Plaza Athenée hotel with its top designer boutiques, L’Avenue…

PARIS: Unpretentious, Honest Food gems

The decoration? “On s’en fou!” as the French say when they don’t give a toss. There’s a bit of a misconception when picking restaurants in thinking that fancy design, good-looking staff or a trendy following make for a good meal. In my book, places that don’t fuss over decor indicate they’re thinking about the food…

5 Medieval-style ‘Game of Thrones’ Restaurants in Europe

Fan of the show or not, I thought you might enjoy some of my picks for a medieval style feast in Europe… 1. The Medieval Taverns of Prague Prague is pretty much your go-to European city for medieval-style taverns. The dining room pictured above is literally called Medieval Tavern, located in the heart of the…

Brunch in the Paris Puces

On a crisp sunny Sunday, there really is no better place to be in Paris than les Puces (the flea market) of St.Ouen. The epicenter of authentic Paris, le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is an ideal little society of its own, made up of village-like alleys and small streets, persevered by an intellectual and…

5 Secret Restaurants in Paris

Promise you won’t tell anyone…! 1. L’Etage de Pastavino – Saint Germain’s best-kept secret It just looks like an ordinary Italian deli (épicerie in French) on a bustling market street in Saint Germain … but it’s hiding a secret in a dark corner at the back. Indicated only by two blackboards nearly tucked out of…