Best street food in Paris
For those of you who admire Paris and love to eat, you’ll know that this charming city in the heart of France is a godsend for foodies.
Miznon
22 rue des Ecouffes
Only minutes away from the Rue des Rosiers, is located Miznon that does what it does best, pita. The original restaurant in Tel Aviv has been winning over customers, and the Parisian branch follows the same formula with its charmingly basic décor featuring boxes of fruit and vegetables, the same warm atmosphere, and dishes cooked under with care and perfection.
It’s a little more expensive but streets ahead in quality. The cooks are mostly Israeli natives, prepare your meal right in front of you at the sparkling clean counter. With a cup of free mint tea and spicy sauces, you can get stuck into chicken pita, lamb kebab and steak with toppings like grilled cauliflower or sweet potato. If you are lucky enough to find a seat in the packed dining room, grab it quickly and enjoy.
Le Petit Vendôme
8 rue des Capucines 2e
Close to the Rue de la Paix, Le Petit Vendôme on the Rue des Capucines, offers a colorful frontage, neon signs, handwritten menu on chalk boards over the bar and hams strung from the ceiling.
Typically a long line stretches out of the door, putting off the casually curious. Behind the bar, chatting and good humor come as a standard. Customer’s stomachs rumble while patiently waiting to eat what critics call the best ham sandwich in Paris. Baguettes are filled with tender and scented Brittany ham and creamy, salty butter. Expect to pay between €4 and €6 for the sandwich.
If the sandwiches really aren’t your thing, have a seat on one of the large cerise banquettes for a sit-down meal. Ultra-fine Normandy veal escalope covered with sautéed potatoes (€17), farm chicken with hand-made chips (€16.50).
Peco Peco
47 rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle 9e
Try a donburi (€8.50), balls of rice filled with meat and vegetables, salmon, shiitake mushrooms, egg and peas, for or sweet and
sour beef with rocket and ginger paired with a bowl of soup for €3.50. If you want to really go for it, perhaps a Katsusandwich (€4.50), a delicious snack with breaded pork, red cabbage and homemade BBQ sauce piled into a fresh, crunchy baguette.
In the evenings, there’s a kushiage party; the Japanese chef manning the ovens turning out these sticks of fried vegetables (€1.50), meat (€2.50) or cheese (€2.50), flanked by edamame, salads and more. The venue isn’t very big, but is cheery for a busy atmosphere in a small space.
Cantine California
Place du Marché Saint-Honoré 1er
Paris is gripped by a new trend of food trucks. All it took was for one Californian to set up a burger van and before and now more food trucks are combing the streets of the capital. Cantine California is a gourmet slice of America on four wheels, and the Parisians are crazy for it. Be prepared to stand in line for up to 40 minutes at lunch time and pay €11 for a burger.
The menu offers burgers and tacos, including a Tex-Mex burger. Generously garnished tacos with real black beans, and huge, delicious burgers are a given. Try to arrive midday to beat the lines, or go for brunch and try pancakes, crispy slices of bacon, and burritos.
L’Epicerie du Verre Volé
54 rue de la Folie-Méricourt 11e
This high-end bistro offers an amazing list of sandwiches. Buffalo mozzarella, pesto Genovese and grilled artichokes, homemade potted tuna, capers, artichokes and radishes, brawn with vinaigrette, sweet onions and Polish cornichons, horse tartare, herb mayonnaise and Thai spice, smoked herring from Holland, radish puree, sweet onions, preserved lemons and cornichons are just a few items you can find at L’Epicerie.
As well as all those sandwiches which change with the seasons and produce, you can choose your own filling from the selection of ingredients. Put it all between two pieces of delicious bread and enjoy a simple, gourmet lunch.
Photo by Houang Stephane // Flickr
Photo by Michelle Kinsey Bruns // Flickr
