Sampling world foods in Paris

Whenever I go away I'm not ashamed to say that the thing I get most excited about is the food. I love to go away and not have to think about preparing ingredients and cooking, rather my only worry is where are we going to eat. Recently we took a trip to Paris and of course, I was on the lookout for places to eat as soon as we stepped off the plane.

I didn't really know what to expect from Paris. With it being a city I expected a lot of choices and good quality food. We stayed near the Arc de Triomphe, a few streets away from the Champs-Elysees, and there was certainly a lot to choose from. We didn't venture too far from our hotel for a lot of our eats unless we were away sightseeing, but we found some brilliant gems. As my post title suggests, we managed to find a lot of different restaurants with food from a number of countries.

Trionfo (Italian) - 11 Rue de l'Étoile, 75017 Paris

This cosy restaurant is tucked away out of sight down a side street. We were enticed in by the big illuminated pizza sign and the authentic fire pizza oven. On Thursday night we ate there it was very quiet with only ourselves and another man in the restaurant. There were so many choices for pizza toppings but in the end, we both picked super cheesy pizzas! Both were deliciously fresh and so very tasty. Although we didn't manage to finish our pizzas we decided we could have dessert as we were on our jollies after all. I went for a chocolate mousse and Mum went for tiramisu.

Mi-Va-Mi (Middle Eastern) - 23 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris

In an effort to try new food, when we stumbled across this Middle Eastern restaurant we decided to try it out. There was quite a line to take away food so we knew this had to be good. The main item on the menu was pitta bread filled with different items including falafel, chicken, beef and other meats. I decided to go for falafel as I'm quite fond of them when I have the chance to eat them, whilst mum went for breaded chicken. 

Our pittas came with our chosen filling as well as lots of juicy salad, hummus and grilled aubergines. We got a cheeky side of chips and found that both were really filling. There were lots of sauces going around so we had a try of these too and they only added to the great food. If you want to try something a little different, this is a definite must.

Laudrée (French) - Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris

Okay so we didn't 'eat' here but we took lots away to eat at the hotel. Laudrée is a well-known macaron 'bakery' in France which has grown seeing it open stores, or houses as they refer to them, across the world. Although you can get these little treats in London or online, getting them from their home country is always going to be best. These macarons are incredible. Although a little more pricy than others in Paris, you can't beat their quality and taste. These are by far my favourite and you must try when you visit Paris.

El Mercado (Mexican) - 17 Rue du Colisée, 75008 Paris

Last but not certainly not least is this cheeky little Mexican place we visited on our second night. Whenever I see a Mexican restaurant I'm always all over it like a rash. I'm obsessed with the flavours and combinations you can get. Like the other restaurants, this wasn't a massive space. Boasting a margarita bar with a selection of varieties, El Mercado has a good-sized menu ranging from nachos to burritos and quesadillas. 

We chose nachos to start with which came with green salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo. Then for our main dish, we both chose the 'Batata' burrito which included sweet potato fries, rice, cheese, red beans, sour cream, pico do Gallo. For ours, we added chicken but there was a choice of meats/veggies you could pick from. The burrito was delicious, everything you could want from a burrito, full of yummy fillings that worked so well together. For Mexican food lovers, you have to give this a try.

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So now when you jet off to Paris you've got a few ideas under your belt for your meals. 

Let me know your favourite places to eat in Paris or if you get to visit any of these restaurants!