Heavenly Macaroons from Ladurée

 I was lucky enough last year to sample these utterly heavenly macaroons (or more correctly, 'macarons') from Ladurée thanks to Astrid, who bought us a large selection from Paris.  I'd never tasted anything like this before - the melt in the mouth texture (without a hint of chewiness, so often found in other, less superior macaroons) was divine, and the intense fruity flavours were quite unexpected.  Beautiful!

Chez Marianne, 2 Rue des Hospitalières Saint-Gervais, 75004 Paris

As a child I was frequently told off for being impatient. I still struggle with it. Waiting for a table isn't something I do well, particularly as was the case at Chez Marianne, when faced (quite literally) with an array of pastries (pictured below), just inches from my nose, on one side of the queue, and a counter of take-away falafel on the other.

We looked enviously onto those lucky enough to have tables in the tiny dining room, the walls filled from from floor to ceiling with wine bottles (is there a better way to decorate a room?), trying to spot the people nearing the end of their meal, mentally urging them to leave.

My resolve weakened a number of times, as I debated internally on the likelihood of whether the queue would operate in a fair and proper manner. About 15 minutes into our wait, I even suggested that maybe myself and Pam should cut our losses, and opt for takeaway falalel instead (we'd sampled the best takeaway falalels I'd ever had, just round the corner on a previous visit to the Jewish Quarter a couple of years ago). Pam assured me that I wouldn't want to miss the delights on offer at Chez Marianne, so stomach rumbling (my hunger slightly surprising given the huge freshly-baked crossiant (avec extra beurre) I'd had for breakfast just a couple of hours previously) I took a quick walk round the block in a hunt for a cash machine, in the gorgeously cold but sunny weather, in the hopes that we'd have a table by the time I returned.

A short while later, we were intriguingly tapped on the shoulder by a waiter who gestured that we should follow him outside. "Great" I thought. "We're being forcibly ejected for being too hungry looking."

But all was well! We followed him outside and were led to an entirely separate dining room a little further down the street - how wonderful! Busy but feeling more roomy. No wine bottles decorating the walls, but mandolins (not bad). The food is Middle Eastern/Jewish/Kosher and mezze seemed to be a fantastic plan for lunchtime.

The system was for a plate of 4, 5 or 6 mezze choices each (or 10 for two people sharing) from a list where everything sounded delicious.

Sadly they were out of mushrooms, but I was still very utterly delighted with my plate when it arrived. My choices: falafel (just fried, so wonderfully hot and crispy), hummous and tzatziki (a joy to eat with the hot flatbread) and heavenly aubergines. Pam's plate varied from mine slightly with her pastrami and feta options.

The huge portions meant that we struggled to finish the misleadingly named 'petit' plates, but also resulted in really very good value for money. There was no space at all for any desserts (especially as we knew we had an afternoon at a spa ahead of us), but my day had already been made, and I was most definitely in agreement that this had been well worth the wait.

Astrid's Recommendation: Antoine, 10 Avenue de New York. 75116, Paris

Astrid's recommendation for an exquisite Parisian Fish Restaurant, is Antoine, located on the banks of the Seine with a brilliant view of the Effel Tower. Pictured above is the St. Peter fish with mushrooms and Topinambur potato. Truly luxurious!

Antoine, 10 Avenue de New York. 75116, Paris

Parisian Guest Blog Entry from Pam, '14 juillet', 14th arrondissement. Paris.

It is often said, and not entirely unjustifiably, that French waiters, and in particular Parisian waiters, are snooty at best and downright rude at worst. But the 14 juillet is an example of quite the opposite. Right down in the south of Paris, there is none of the touristy unpleasantness of bad food and rushed atmosphere here. The manager takes great pride in the number of regular customers (indeed, the couple that introduced me to the place eat here about once a week), and now greets me as an old friend when I turn up, and knows exactly what wine I’ll enjoy.

The food is as French as it comes – free saucisson on arrival, then very decent sized starters, followed by a good selection of fabulously rare meat options (they will serve it to you well-done, but only with a bit of a shudder, and the result is still what most Brits would consider medium rare) with plenty of rich creamy sauces. There are always a couple of lighter fish options, but this is a restaurant that doesn’t cater to hardcore vegetarians. But perhaps the real reason people come here is for the desserts, and to be more precise, the profiterole (singular form is deliberate). The biggest profiterole you have ever seen arrives at your table, and just when you’re asking yourself where the chocolate sauce is, you see (or usually smell first) the giant pot of chocolate sauce coming your way, to be ladled on until you say stop. Good news is that you are more than welcome to share starters and desserts (I have what has been referred to as a “wholesome” appetite and yet I have never managed a full three courses here all to myself). Drinks are a very important part of your meal here, with an aperitif suggested to go with the free saucisson, then a wonderful selection of wines, and why not a little digestif at the end of the night?

This is a restaurant in which to spend an evening, rather than a place for a quick bite, and its popularity means that you may well need to book ahead.

Atmosphere: laid-back and friendly. Can be quite lively depending on the manager’s mood and how many birthdays there are (the whole restaurant is expected to sing!). Service: chatty and relaxed.

Value for money: prices are a deservedly a little higher than some of the more standard brasseries in the city, but still reasonable given the quality and quantity of food on offer.

99 rue Didot

tel 0033 (0)1 40 44 91 19

Pam