March 21st, 2009
Ah, the sun is out, the daffodils are in bloom, and the gardens of Paris are finally recovering from the cold and soggy winter. Celebrate the season with a trip to one of the oldest gardens in Paris, the Jardin des Plantes, where the famous botanical illustrations (or vélins) of Pierre-Joseph Redouté are on exhibit in Le Cabinet d'Histoire. Over 500 of the artists floral paintings, watercolors, prints and drawings - all in magnificent condition - date back to the early 1800s. Les Vélins de Redouté is open daily except Tuesday, through April 27 (entry 3).
Source: theparisblog.com
Les Papilles
Published on: 2009-01-02
Restaurant
Closer even than Luxembourg Park or the Pantheon, it's Les Papilles. With its casual atmosphere it really seems like a genuine, Parisian bistro. Upon entering, you'll be surprised by the many bottles of wine arranged all along one of the walls. Yes, this is a place where you can drop in for some wine, an appetizer, or an after dinner snack and even take it with you if you'd like.
In addition to standards like salads, foie gras, and escargot, they also serve a daily special made with fresh ingredients purchased right there in town. (At night, only the meal is available.)
During my visit, I had the cold pea soup as an appetizer. Dishing other ingredients into your own soup can actually be a lot of fun. It's interesting to see how the different ingredients used, like poached eggs, croutons, and radishes, and their varying textures, can change the whole meal.
For the entrée, out came a big pot filled with a giant roasted duck. The duck is great, but even better are all of the perfectly crisp vegetables with it. And finally, dessert was panna cotta.
With hearty enough portions to fill you up, this is an address where you can enjoy fine dining at ease.
Les Papilles
Address : 30 rue Gay Lussac 75005
Phone : 01 43 25 20 79
Metro : - Luxembourg RER Line B, then a 1 minute walk
- Cluny la Sorbonne Line 10, then a 5 minute walk
Business Hours : 12:00-14:00, 19:00-22:30
Holidays : Sundays, Mondays
Budget :
- Daily Special (Four Courses: Appetizer, Entrée, Cheese, Dessert) 31
- Daily Special (Two Courses: Appetizer, Entree) 24.5
- Daily Special (Two Courses: Main, Dessert) 22
Source: cahierdeparis.us
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Our address:
Hotel De Suez
31 Boulevard Saint-Michel
75005 Paris
The nearest Metro (Underground), RER (Train) and Bus Stations:
Metro: Saint Michel (line 4).
Odéon (lines 4 and 10).
Cluny La Sorbonne (line 10).
RER: Saint Michel Notre Dame (lines B and C).
Luxembourg (line B).
Bus: Cluny (63, 86, 87), Les Ecoles (21, 27, 38, 85), Saint Michel (24, 96), Dante (47), Luxembourg (84, 89), Odéon (58)
Getting there from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
You can take a taxi (maximum of 3 people per taxi) from the airport. The journey time (45 minutes minimum) and price may vary depending on the traffic!
We do not offer a shuttle transfer service (from the airport to the hotel): from experience we have seen that the shuttle bus rarely waits very long for passengers if their plane arrives late....
However, it is possible to take the RER: this is certainly the easiest and cheapest way to travel if you do not have a lot of luggage.
Take RER line B towards Paris (or St Rémy les Chevreuse) and leave the train at Saint Michel Notre Dame station (45 minutes journey).
Take pedestrian exit No.2 (Cluny - Saint Germain). The Hotel de Suez is 200 metres further along Boulevard Saint Michel.
Getting there from Orly Airport:
You can take a taxi (maximum of 3 people per taxi). The journey time (30 minutes minimum) and price may vary depending on the traffic!
For the same reasons as above, we do not offer a Shuttle transfer service (from the Airport to the Hotel).
However, it is possible to use the ORLYVAL service.
Take the Orlyval (a special airport bus) at Orly leave the bus at Anthony, then take RER line B towards Paris as far as Luxembourg station (about a 40 minutes journey).
The Hotel de Suez is about 200 metres further along Boulevard Saint Michel.
Getting there from Beauvais Airport (low cost flights):
It takes about one hour by bus to get from Beauvais to Porte Maillot.
100 metres from the bus stop, you can take RER line C towards Massy Palaiseau and leave the train at Saint Michel station (a 15 minutes journey)
The Hotel is 300 metres further along Boulevard Saint Michel.
Getting to the Airport (CDG or Orly):
Whether for CDG or Orly airport, it is possible to either take a taxi or the RER.
On request, we can contact a Shuttle transfer service (independent from the hotel), which will be able to drive you to one of the two airports for a set price (only from the hotel to the airport). Nevertheless, it is best to book this service in advance, once you have arrived at the hotel!
Getting to the Hotel from the train stations
Gare de Lyon:
Walk to Gare d'Austerlitz, then take the RER (line C) towards Versailles as far as Saint Michel station.
Or take the No.63 bus as far as Saint Michel bus stop: this is a direct journey which takes twenty minutes!
Gare de l'Est:
Take the Metro (line 4) towards Porte d'Orléans; leave the train at Saint Michel.
Or, take the No.38 bus as far as Les Ecoles bus stop.
Gare d'Austerlitz:
Take RER (line C) towards Versailles as far as Saint Michel station.
Gare Montparnasse:
Take the Metro (line 4) towards Clignancourt as far as Saint Michel.
Gare Saint-Lazare:
Take the Metro (line 14) towards Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, change at Châtelet and take line 4 towards Porte d'Orléans and alight at Saint Michel. Or, direct by bus, take No.21 or No.27; alight at Les Ecoles bus stop.
Gare du Nord:
Take the RER (line B) towards St Rémy Les-Chevreuse; alight at Saint Michel station. By Bus, take No.38 alighting at Les Ecoles bus stop.