Couleurs de Vigne wine bar in Paris

Couleurs de Vigne is a tiny place on the Left Bank of Paris. We stumbled upon it while looking for a taxi after a wine/food pairing course at nearby Le Cordon Bleu (more about this later). We did not hear a word of English or any other language besides French while we were there, which made me suspect this was a local place. There are several hundred bottles of wine lining the walls and all are available by the glass. The plates are tapas-style, but big enough to share.

Since we were somewhat sated after the course, we decided to do two plates – smoked salmon and cheese with fruit. With the salmon we had a glass of Sancerre and with the cheese/fruit a glass of Cahors (I am SO sorry for not writing down the names of the producers). Our palates were too burned out from the class to appreciate the food/wine fully, however the overall experience was  lovely – candlelight, warm and friendly staff, tasty food and wonderful wine.

Come prepared to speak French – even bad, terrible French is just fine. Ask them to recommend a glass of something to sip while you wander around and check out the selections. Relax, enjoy the atmosphere and become French in spirit for a little while.

Couleurs de Vigne

2 rue Marmontel

75015 Paris

http://www.couleurs-de-vigne.com/

Les Regates in Perros-Guirec

Warm chocolate cake on a cold night

Fruits de Mer Pizza

Grad school is finally finished and I can get back to more important things – like working on this blog. Mark and I just returned from an anniversary/graduation trip to France (Brittany & Paris). We had a fabulous time and I have much to share with regards our eating and drinking adventures.  A quick easy post to start:  Les Regates restaurant in Perros-Guirec (Brittany), which bills itself as a ‘creperie/pizzeria/moulerie.’ Perros-Guirec is touristy resort on the Cotes d’Amor in Brittany. Les Regates faces Trestraou Beach. I’m pretty sure this place stays packed in the summer, but fortunately for us it was nearly deserted when stopped in for dinner after a long day spent exploring the Morbihan region of Brittany and Carnac. We were starving and needless to say, stuffed ourselves – salad topped with warm goat cheese, fruits de mer pizza and warm chocolate cake with creme anglaise, all washed down with glasses of the house red Bordeaux. This is not a romantic restaurant. It’s good place to bring the kids and eat heartily after a day on the beach.

Les Regates Restaurant

19 Boulevard Le Bihan, Plage de Trestraou, 22700 Perros-Guirec

Tel. 02 96 23 23 45

Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill

Sunday night in Dublin after a long day of sightseeing – Trinity College, The Book of Kells, choral mass at Christchurch Cathedral, etc.. We were craving seafood, but didn’t feel like wandering around randomly in Temple Bar on an empty stomach. Our hotel secured reservations for us at Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill http://www.bentleysdublin.com next to St. Stephens Green. Beautiful restaurant, friendly staff. We had our seafood – oysters, mussels and hake. I wish I could remember the preparations, but we were tired and somewhat awash in wine that night. The menu changes, just remember French-style cuisine made with Irish ingredients.  Expect a fat bill and expect interesting tastes. They shuck oysters at the bar and the smell of the sea washes over the nearby tables.

Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill

22 St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland

Tel:(+353) 1 638 3939

http://www.bentleysdublin.com

Brú na Bóinne Visitors Center – Newgrange

IRELAND – Brú na Bóinne Visitors Center

Newgrange

See Newgrange then enjoy lunch afterward at the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Center.  We landed in Dublin around 9AM and stopped by Newgrange in route to Athlone. I was pleasantly surprised by the visitor’s center cafeteria – modern & clean with a mouthwatering selection of dishes  made with seasonal fresh ingredients.  We feasted on spring onion quiche and berry torts while sipping strong Irish tea to fight off  the jet lag.

Brú na Bóinne Visitors Center

Address: Donore, Co. Meath.
Telephone No: +353 41 988 0300.
Fax No: +353 41 982 3071.
Email: brunaboinne@opw.ie

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/MidlandsEastCoast/BrunaBoinneVisitorCentreNewgrangeandKnowth/