Traditionally French with A Jean Nicot

If you want a traditional variety of French cuisine then take a trip to A Jean Nicot this week as you visit Paris. Plates range in price from ten to thirteen euros while drinks are under four euros. The restaurant is open from Monday to Saturday until 9pm. The address is 173 rue Saint-Honoré in 1eme Paris. If you are taking public transport then you want to use Métro : Palais Royal ou Tuileries.

Amarante Beau Manoir Hotel in Paris.

This little bar looks somewhat out of place, squeezed Rue Saint-Honoré’s fancy luxury boutiques: it seems to hail from another era altogether. The bar is dedicated to Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal known for bringing tobacco to France in the 1600s, and so the place was known for a long time as ‘Nicot’s herb’.  The owner, along with his wife and son, are extremely friendly and welcoming – it’s the sort of place that one can go to read the paper while having a coffee, and its regular visitors include intellectuals, journalists and actors. It also happens to be one of the best places in to eat and drink affordably in the neighborhood. The dishes here are all between €10 and €13: cheese and charcuterie boards, and classic dishes like beef or salmon tartar, along with great salads like the Italian (buffalo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and country ham). The wine comes from an impressive list and is served by the bottle, carafe or glass.

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