At the top of Jacob’s Ladder, Cosmopolitan heaven awaits
By Patito, published on 27 October 2010
We were very excited about being invited to our very first birthday party in Paris. When we heard we’d be spending the evening in the 7th and 6th arrondissements, our curiosity was aroused. What would an evening on the left bank have in store? How many men with pink sweaters around their shoulders would we see?
But first, a word on life in the 5th. Named the Quartier Latin because of the university located in this neighbourhood, it (not surprisingly) attracts a fair number of students. And judging by the number of house parties in our block, several of them are our neighbours. When the third sign went up in as many weeks asking us to please ‘nous excuser du derangement’ we were relieved at the thought of not being home for another Ricky Martin/Katy Perry sing-along, shouting and general student mess reverberating around the courtyard. So, with an 8pm rendez-vous, we were happy Parisians as we skipped off to our party at the Vin (20) de Bellechasse in the street of the same name in the ever so cool 7th arrondissement.
The Vin de Bellechasse describes itself as a resto-bar. It’s a bustling, welcoming sort of place, with a small bar on the left as you enter, a mirrored wall on one side and caricatures adorning the wall on the right. When we showed up, our hostess for the evening, our ever immaculate and party friendly colleague, was all smiles, coupe de champagne in hand. We joined her and handed over our birthday card;, the wonderful Paris origami skyline created by our friends at Muji (does it ever fail to impress?).
The meal was good, but hearty. Our lentil salad was copious and the lardons didn’t make it the lightest starter, so when our puree and coquilles saint jacques arrived we wondered if we’d overdone it. A little is the answer. It didn’t help when our friends’ steak was served with an enormous plate of perfectly cooked, perfectly skinny and perfectly delicious frites that were placed in the middle of the table. How could we resist? We didn’t.
So, full and drunk, we headed off to the drinking part of the evening: Jacob’s Ladder in the 6th. What a cool venue. We headed straight up the steep staircase to our table. We can definitely get used to this sitting lark. Why stand around holding your bag, coat and Cosmopolitan when you can enjoy it all seated at a table with a waiter taking your order every 5 minutes. Some things about Paris are just right, and this is one of them.
A delicious Cosmopolitan later, we said our goodbyes and jumped on the metro back to the house party block. Another good Parisian night out. Next!
Vin (20) de Bellechasse, 20 rue de Bellechasse, 75007 Paris
L’Echelle de Jacob, 12 rue Jacob, 75006 Paris
At the top of Jacob’s Ladder, Cosmopolitan heaven awaits
We were very excited about being invited to our very first birthday party in Paris. When we heard we’d be spending the evening in the 7th and 6th arrondissements, our curiosity was aroused. What would an evening on the left bank have in store? How many men with pink sweaters around their shoulders would we [...]
Ivan Y
29 October 2010
When I hear a mention of “enormous” portion back in Europe, I can’t help but chuckle. You don’t fully understand what “enormous” is until you dine in the US, preferably in the South. Sure, upscale restaurants with European cuisine may serve typically tiny bites, but it’s rather shocking how much food they serve in a typical casual dining establishment. I’m not a small guy, but even after years of living over here, I often can’t finish a plate of food.
P.S. I realize I can often find translation on Google, but it’d be awesome if you could provide English translation of French phrases in parenthesis or footnotes