More things to do

Exhibitions

The Festival d’Ile-de-France celebrates its 40^th anniversary!

2016 marks the 40^th anniversary of the Festival d’Ile-de-France. 40 years spent to promote music in all its forms—through concerts in places sometimes inaccessible to the public like churches, circuses, castles, former factories or majestic parks. 

World and modern music, baroque, early, classical or contemporary music, all the musical styles are here represented. In addition to the concerts, this event also organises conferences, screenings, meetings, workshops and masterclasses on the theme of music. This year, two concerts held our attention—Thomas Dutronc’s at the Cirque d’Hiver and the ‘Nordic Vibes’ at the Gaîté Lyrique. The first one takes us to discover gipsy jazz and pays tribute to Django Reinhardt, the second revolves around Bugge Wesseltoft—key figure of European jazz—on the occasion of an evening dedicated to the Norwegian jazz and electro scene.

Festival d’Ile-de-France, from September 3^rd to October 9^th, 2016.
Thomas Dutronc concert: on Friday 23^rd and Saturday 24^th September, 2016 at 8:30pm and on Sunday 25^th September, 2016 at 4:30pm.
Prices: from 13 to 28 euros the ticket.
www.festival-idf.en

Cirque d’Hiver​
110, rue Amelot
75011 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 00 28 81
Metro: Filles du Calvaire (line 8) or Oberkampf (line 9).
www.cirquedhiver.com/en/

François Stahly’s scultptures exhibited in Meudon 

On the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of François Stahly’s death (1911-2006), the musée Rodin consecrates an exhibition to this renowned sculptor. The artist lived in Meudon from 1949 to 2006 and knew well the museum. 

This retrospective is a tribute to the one who used curved and fluid lines since his first works—as with ‘The Angel’. Throughout his career, he was interested in and worked different materials like wood, stumps, roots then stone and granite. His works with a great poetry adopt irregular or geometric shapes for some—which inspire them a secret breathing—as if they seemed to come alive. The artist succeeded in his bet—to captivate human eyes gently—inviting him to completely give into the contemplation of his works.

 



Exhibition ‘François Stahly’, from May 21^st to November 20^th, 2016.
Open from Friday to Sunday from 1pm to 6pm.
Full rate: 5 euros / Reduced rate: 3 euros / Free for the 18-25 years old.

Musée Rodin de Meudon
19, avenue Auguste Rodin
92190 Meudon
Tel.: +33 (0)1 41 14 35 00
Metro: Mairie d’Issy (line 12) or Meudon Val Fleury (RER C).
www.musee-rodin.fr/en

The White Man seen by the Black Man

Through around a hundred items and photographs, the musée du quai Branly allows to see the perception of the white man by the black man. Most of the displayed works have never been showed in France.

It is the opportunity to discover what is called the ‘colonial’ art—this truly rich mixed art—however left out during several years. This retrospective also enables to learn more about History—notably Europe’s and Africa’s. Indeed—even if the old continent imposed its vision of the Other—the European ambassadors were also spied on, mocked, criticised or sometimes admired. It’s from the 15^th century—when the soldiers or Western traders started to go all over the coasts of West Africa—that their guests integrated too the figure of this other with pale complexion in their symbolic and artistic universe.

Exhibition ‘White Man/Black Man. Representations of Westerners in 20^th Century African Art’, from June 15^th to October 8^th, 2016.
Open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 11am to 7pm, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 9pm.
Closed on Monday.
Full rate: 9 euros / Reduced rate: 7 euros.

Musée du quai Branly
37, quai Branly
75007 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 61 70 00
Access: Pont de l’Alma (RER C).
www.quaibranly.fr/en

A green summer at La Recyclerie

This summer, we dash to go green at La Recyclerie—on the occasion of its Swimming Poule event. Until next October 9^th, this festival which is aimed at young and old alike suggests to enjoy a bucolic setting—on the Petite Ceinture’s platforms—on a sunny terrace adorned with deckchairs. 

On the programme: board and cards games, petanque tournaments and numerous activities await festival-goers. Among them, we can quote the market of ethical creators, the meetings with start-ups who fight against food waste like OptiMiam, workshops in the aromatic garden or the discovery of the site’s beehives and their residents—the bees. A summer bar has also been installed—where it feels good to sip a cocktail or enjoy a dish cooked on the plancha. Snack formulas are available for children. A festival which will delight all the members of the family!

Swimming Poule, from July 14^th to October 9^th, 2016.
Every day from noon to 10pm.
Free entrance.

La Recyclerie (in French)
83, boulevard Ornano
75018 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 57 58 49
Metro: Porte de Clignancourt (line 4).
www.larecyclerie.com

Best places

The best restaurants near Notre-Dame de Paris

After visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, allow yourself a gourmet break in one of the best restaurants of the quarter.

 

Crédit photo :  Best restaurants near Notre Dame – Paris - Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris – Paris Tourist Office – Photographer: © Sarah Sergent

Au Bougnat

Located on the Ile-de-la-Cité, this bistro suggests a continuous service every day and has a typical decoration with its beautiful panellings and many benches. It is ideally located hardly a few minutes walking from the famous monument. In the kitchen, the Chef brings yesterday’s recipes back to fashion—with a touch of creativity—like leeks with shallot vinegar served with a breaded soft-boiled egg. To taste too, Brioccu ravioles with pistou, thin slice of Swiss dried beef and rocket—or the rice pudding and its dulce de leche with caramelised ‘mendiant’ fruits.

Open continuously every day from noon to 10pm.
18 euros the course.

Au Bougnat
26, rue Chanoinesse
75004 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 43 54 50 74
Metro: Cité (line 4).
aubougnat.com

A.T.

Behind these initials, the name of the restaurant’s Chef and owner are hidden—Atsushi Tanaka. In an uncluttered decoration—almost minimalist—he invites us to taste a gourmet cuisine (he was trained with the greatest names like Pierre Gagnaire). Every dish is presented like a master painting—like the Asparagus, fir tree and trout eggs or the green apple, sorrel and celery or the lamb served with black garlic and black lemon. As for dessert, blueberry is enhanced with Jamaican pepper. An address which is worth the journey both for its geographical location—not far from Notre-Dame—and for the rare elegance which emerges from every dish prepared by the cook.

Open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:15pm to 2pm and from 8pm to 9:30pm.
Lunch formula: 55 euros.

Restaurant Atsushi Tanaka
4, rue Cardinal Lemoine
75005 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 81 94 08
Metro: Maubert-Mutualité or Cardinal Lemoine (line 10)

www.atsushitanaka.com

Sourire

This gourmet tapas bar and restaurant is ideally located at around 0.12 miles walking from Notre-Dame. We like its cosy decoration with its Chesterfield sofas, its rustic wooden tables, its table d’hôtes and kitchen opened on the room. The menu suggests gourmet and quality courses available in tapas version—to nibble alone or accompanied. Thus, we let us be seduced by the wild bass ceviche with Chili oil and citrus fruits, by the scallops, with passion fruit sauce and Madagascan vanilla or by the peas cream soup and fresh goat cheese-mint mousse. As for dessert, the dark chocolate pie is exquisite.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 11pm.
Lunch formulas for 12 and 16 euros.

Sourire
27, rue Galande
75005 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 01 06 43
Metro: Maubert-Mutualité or Cluny-La Sorbonne (line 10).
www.sourire-restaurant.com

Find out more parisian tips