Rue Cler is essentially the Left Bank’s answer to Rue Montorgueil, a well-kept secret for gourmets seeking the perfect ingredients for their meals. In fact, chef Julia Child was a regular here, coming to source the finest produce for her cooking. This entirely pedestrian street is the ideal place to assemble a picnic to enjoy with the "Iron Lady" as a backdrop, all while being tempted by the aromas of freshly roasted coffee, and warm baguettes.
I’m taking you to discover the iconic spots along this charming cobblestone street, and sharing my tips for picking up the ingredients for a perfect picnic at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Au Bon Jardinier : The classic greengrocer, a cornerstone of any Parisian shopping street, is a place for an olfactory and sensory journey while picking out the perfect vegetables to accompany a Sunday roast or chicken. At Au Bon Jardinier, vibrant Gariguette strawberries, heirloom tomatoes, eggplants, and summer figs come from local growers and awaken all the senses.
La Fromagerie Cler: Do you ever feel overwhelmed standing before a cheese counter, never knowing which one to pick? This shop won’t make the choice any easier, boasting a selection of 450 cheeses from every corner of France.
If you aren’t a cheese connoisseur but are curious to try some without feeling put off (and I admit the smell can be off-putting), I recommend starting with a young Comté (aged 12 to 18 months). It is arguably the best cheese for beginners, offering mild notes of butter, hazelnut, and fresh milk. Alternatively, you could try a Beaufort, a Brillat-Savarin, or a young Brie de Meaux for their melt-in-the-mouth textures and delicate aromas.
À la Mère de Famille/Stohrer:
This historic shops for those with a sweet tooth, brings together two legendary names in French confectionery: À la Mère de Famille (Paris’s oldest chocolate shop, founded in 1761) and Stohrer (the iconic pastry shop founded in 1730 by King Louis XV’s pastry chef). Try their traditional Provençal ‘calissons’, artisanal fruit jellies, or a box of pralines. It is the perfect place to find elegant, authentic gifts to tuck into your suitcase.
Martine Lambert: Since the historic heatwave summer of 1976, Martine Lambert, originally from Deauville, has been crafting exceptional ice creams and sorbets using raw milk and fresh cream straight from Normandy, combined with carefully selected fresh fruit. Must-try: The Ispahan, featuring raspberry, rose, and lychee flavors, inspired by a Pierre Hermé dessert.
Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse: If you love chocolate, stop by Alain Ducasse, a multi-starred chef and cocoa maestro. Although the prices are quite high, his premium chocolates are something to try at least once in your lifetime. His artisans roast, crack, and grind cocoa beans right here in Paris, resulting in the exceptional flavor of his pralines, ganaches, and chocolate bars.
Le Café du Marché: For me, this is the ideal place to start the morning by soaking up the market atmosphere while sitting on the large terrace alongside the regulars. If you want to stop for lunch in the area, you can enjoy traditional French dishes at affordable prices, a rarity in this neighborhood.
Le Café Petitbon: A haven for modern coffee lovers, not the type who drink a quick espresso at a bistro counter, but rather those who enjoy savoring a house-roasted coffee or a latte paired with a finger cake, all within a setting that is simultaneously minimalist and cozy.
Jeusselin Traiteur : Bruno Jeusselin carries on the family catering tradition, his grandfather opened the shop in 1937, in a neighborhood teeming with food shops. While he specializes in foie gras, he offers a range of other products, including award-winning items like his white ham, which won a bronze medal in 2019. A few examples of ready-made dishes include caramel-glazed veal sauté, rabbit leg, sliced poultry with coriander, and caramel tiramisu, perfect for filling a delicious picnic basket.
For a perfect picnic, nothing beats a good, crusty baguette to hold the cheese slices you’ve picked up at the Cler cheese shop. For the baguette, I recommend heading to the "Maison Bergeron" bakery on Rue Saint-Dominique, just steps away from Rue Cler; their ‘tradition’ baguettes are exceptional, and the bakery itself, with its 1900s décor, moldings, and mosaics, is worth a visit in its own right.
You can fill your baguette with slices of Comté, Brie de Meaux, or any of the other cheeses mentioned earlier, and a few slices of cold cuts bought at Jeusselin's. And to finish on a sweet note, pick up a punnet of fresh raspberries or a Cavaillon melon from "Au Bon Jardinier."
To enjoy your picnic at a leisurely pace, walk five minutes along Rue Saint-Dominique to the Square d'Ajaccio (a quiet garden near the Rodin Museum) or head straight to the lawns of the Champ-de-Mars, with the Eiffel Tower as your backdrop.
Belle journée,
Elisabeth
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.