就是這一間

Woke up by a phone call at 5 this morning--my sister in Hong Kong who is going to travel in France wanted to know if I have any recommendations on restaurant in France. I guess it'd be worth if I blog the information instead. So, here you go:

In Nice:
This is the restaurant I mentioned earlier that has a very long line. It is tucked away from a little square in the old town of Nice. The food here is very cheap, and I guess the quality should be good given that the line is so long. A quick search on the web though warned that their puddings are over-priced.

If you like dessert (which you should be :) go to the little square and find a gelato/crepe store that is crowded with people (there are many such stores, but usually only one of them has a long line).

Restaurant du Gesu
Address: Restaurant du Gesu, 1 place du Jesus
Directions: Just off rue Droite which is the road that runs straight through the Old Town, north to south between rue St Francois and rue de la Prefecture. It's on the same road as the famous Palais Lascaris, which will be sign-posted. (closed Sundays and cash only)

Make sure you don't miss the beautiful sunset at the beach! I would go for a dinner after 9pm because of that...

In Lyon:
It's difficult to find a place that has bad cooking in Lyon, except that if you order beef tripes like I did--so never ever order internal organs in Lyon and you'll be fine.

Here's one that is a little pricy:
La Mere Brazier
12, Rue Royale
69001 Lyon, France
04 78 28 15 49
04 78 28 63 63

Here's one that is less expensive:
Cafe Comptoir Abel
25, Rue Guynemer
69002 Lyon, France
04 78 37 46 18

I tried their Quenelle mere Brazier (a pike mousse/"dumpling" on white sauce) but I hate it. I couldn't find, or even tasted, any fish in this huge mass of flour. It's recommended by the registrar of the cooking school though, so I assume other dishes are good.

Notice that most restaurants do not open for dinner until 7:30pm.

Of course, you have to try out the restaurant Saisons located inside Institut Paul Bocuse. I think it's the best in town for the price!! Enjoy a three-hour meal in this peaceful Château! Notice that the restaurant closes on Wednesdays.

Call ahead to reserve: +33 (0)4 72 18 02 20 (English spoken)

If you are taking the bus, take Metro Line D (direction Gare de Vaise) to Gorge de Loup, then take the Bus (TCL) Line 3 (direction Dardilly-Le Jubin) to Ecully le Trouillat. There are two Line 3 buses from Gorge de Loup, get on the bus with the correct direction. Also the bus stop names are spelled out on the sign of each individual stop, so you don't have to speak French to get off at the right stop... the challenging part though, is that you have to find the way walking to the school. Ask the locals and they should know. The walk is only 15 minutes or so after getting off the bus.

You can also take Bus Line 55 (direction Ecole Centrale) from a different Metro station to Ecully Le Trouillat. The bus stop is closer to the school than Line 3.

Here's a map with directions to the school.

Pick up a Metro and Bus map from a Tourist Information center when you arrive.

Actually, it's much easier if you take a cab :) Here's the address:


Institut Paul Boch
Château du Vivier - BP 25
69131 Ecully Cedex - France

In Paris:
I didn't get to try out the restaurants in Paris. For one thing, it's kind of expensive comparing to Lyon, and I didn't have much time eating. But if you want to spend 140EUR for two for a lunch (which I'm sure you won't :), you can try

La Tour d'Argent
15-17 Quai de Tournelle
75005 Paris
+33(0) 1 43 54 23 31

It's a short walk right across the river of Notre Dame.

Of course, there are many restaurants along Champ D'Alysee.

Oh, when you're in Pairs, make sure you go to the Paris Opéra (or National Academy of Music) and get a ticket for that night's show. Usually it's not expensive (20 EUR), and the box office is super helpful to get you a cheap ticket with good seats.

And you can't miss a classical concert in the Sainte-Chapelle! It costs 25 EUR (but the regular entry fee is already 7.5 EUR, so it's worth it!). It's an unforgetable experience sitting in this historic building surrounded by stained glass listening to classical music!

Hope the information helps. Have a great trip!!

(argh, you made me start missing France... it's indeed a country I would like to go back some day)