Friday night by the Seine
By Patito, published on 8 September 2010
Our first week in Paris and what a week it was! We moved into our flat, met up with old pals and ate out no less than twice a day, every day. Why? Because we have neither a fridge nor an oven. But what better way to get to know a new city than trying every local bistrot? And a week was enough for us to recognise instantly that moving to Paris was a good idea. In fact, not just a good idea, but a bloody excellent one!
One thing we learned very quickly in our new working environment is that hemlines are considerably higher, necklines considerably lower and heels vertigo-inducing here as compared to London. Outfits that would have had us fired in London are commonplace in our office on the very chic Place Vendome. (Our favourite sighting was a black and white polka dot catsuit that paraded up and down the corridor for most of Thursday.) As our first week wore on, we slowly adapted so that by Friday night we were ready to hit the town in a mid-thigh grey silk dress coupled with knee-high boots and a gorgeous brown leather jacket fresh from the autumn/winter collection (because people talk about that when you’re in Paris, baby).
So, new in a city and the weekend comes around. We were all dressed up, now where would we go? Blue Eyes was in hiding so when we received a call from a BBC pal who was visiting Paris for the weekend it all seemed rather timely. And when he said he would introduce us to his local Reuters buddy, things were looking good (when we met said buddy, that wasn’t the only thing that was looking good… but we digress). They suggested meeting near the Gare d’Austerlitz, which is around the corner from our new pad in the 5th arrondissement so we didn’t even have far to go. Brilliant!
Having misunderstood the metro map (again), we found ourselves out on the street one station too early and had to walk along the quai until we found the restaurant they were sitting in: La Paillote (the summer restaurant attached to the boat, La Dame de Canton). Unfortunately, the strip between the Gare d’Austerlitz and the restaurant was a well-known drug hangout so in our Parisian office outfit (of sorts) we found ourselves dodging needles and trying to cross over onto the well-lit pathway without drawing too much attention to ourselves.
Mission accomplished! We made it in 20 minutes. We sat down with our charming journalists and they poured us a large glass of red wine. The place they had picked was under a marquee right next to the Seine. The weather was balmy enough and we sat out. Dinner at La Paillote turned out to be a rather nice surprise. We sat on the corner of a large shared table. The menu was a mixture of pizza, pasta and more traditional French dishes. We opted for the penne with Gorgonzola and Parma ham and it was great. BBC ordered a pizza with rocket and Reuters had a carb-free salmon and vegetable dish (not a hit, we don’t think).
So, where to next? There was only one place: the Batofar. A boat with a lighthouse that is also a nightclub and restaurant? Even a newcomer like us could tell this was worth visiting. Describing itself as a ‘navire de curiosites sensorielles’, the atmosphere was cool and relaxed. We ordered a round of mojitos and took a pew at the back of the boat. A place like this should be cheesy (and in London it would definitely be a no-go zone) but the clientele here was rather more trendy than we’d imagined. People sat about chatting, a couple danced tango at the bar and we enchanted our two journalists with stories of short skirts in the office.
Unfortunately, just as the Batofar looked like it was gearing up for a wild Friday night, the movement of the boat started to get to us so we headed back along the Seine and found a seat on one of the couches at La Playa. What a great location. It was admittedly a bit chilly by this time but what beats a Friday night under the stars in Paris? Before we knew it, it was after 1am and we found ourselves on the metro heading back to the comfort of our little quartier. We love Paris already.
La Paillote, Port de la Gare, 75013 Paris
Batofar, Port de la Gare,75013 Paris, Tel: +33 (0)9 71 25 50 61
La Playa, 6 Quai de la Gare, 75013 Paris
Friday night by the Seine
Our first week in Paris and what a week it was! We moved into our flat, met up with old pals and ate out no less than twice a day, every day. Why? Because we have neither a fridge nor an oven. But what better way to get to know a new city than trying every local [...]
10 Responses to “Friday night by the Seine”
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Laguna, dear boy, you urgently need to read this:
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Laguna
9 September 2010
Grazie!
I did and I have to say I’m hooked. The writing is simply compelling, smart and downright interesting. So glad I stumbled on this site as an app in the App Store. God bless Steve Jobs!
I can’t wait to hit Daphne’s whenever we get there. By the way, I bought an S90 in March. What a camera! And I can’t believe how similar our tastes are in just about everything. When I review the lists I can’t help thinking to myself, “Michael, this is you!” We do Kauai and St Barts and I was surprised neither was mentioned but there are still a lot of empty spots.
Marvelous.
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Straight-Six
9 September 2010
Michael,
I recently bought the S90 and am flabbergasted by how good it is, so great minds do think alike. Post to follow and thanks so much for letting us know that you like the same Kool-Aid we do…:)
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Laguna
8 September 2010
Aha! Okay, now I get it!
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Patito
8 September 2010
That’s hilarious! Was this confusing: “ready to hit the town in a mid-thigh grey silk dress coupled with knee-high boots “?!
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Laguna
8 September 2010
Hey, that threw me but I’m positive you must have looked ultra hot! And you’re so right- it’s always a good idea to leave a club before you get seasick. WTF? The French continue to mystify me.
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The place looks romantic.. a perfect spot to bring someone special
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mikaprodigy
25 September 2010
Yeah, it will be a good night, look at this article, it is the same subject
http://bientotdanslesbacs.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/attractive-party-batofar/ -
Date night in Paris: Cafe de l’Industrie « The Prodigal Guide
13 October 2010
[...] all that wasn’t enough, last week we were invited on our very first Parisian date. It seems Reuters boy had the same reaction on our first meeting (was it perhaps our new French office wear?) and invited [...]
Laguna
8 September 2010
Oh geez, I’m really confused. No, make that ‘thoroughly’. Up until this post I thought the writings were coming from a male perspective. I must have been absent on the day they went over the course curriculum. Not that it’s bad in the least because it’s not! Just confusing… to me. I must say this app gets more fascinating with each new post. I’m not sure what this is about anymore but it’s all good.
Anyhoo, just back from a long weekend away and will try to dig out photos of the Ventura.