Restaurant Roundup
by Julie Baker

Thanks to Halloween, this month the French turn a spotlight on American traditions, both real and imagined, providing an opportunity to discover the variety of American cuisine available in Paris, to re-visit some of the classic expat haunts, and to see how the French themselves are dealing with Monsieur Jacques O’Lantern.

Hemingway Bar Hotel Ritz, Tue-Sat from 6:30pm. 15, pl Vendôme, 1er, Mº Madeleine, tel: 01.43.16.30.30. Despite 007’s preference for vodka, the dry gin martini remains one of the most glamorous drinks of the 20th century, and nowhere in Paris will you find one as perfect as here, thanks to master barman Colin P. Field. Named after the man who “liberated” not just the Ritz but its wine cellar in 1944, the bar’s hushed calm and immaculate service make it a perfect retreat from the autumn bustle of Paris. Until November 27, the bar features a photo exhibition to mark the centenary of Papa’s birth. ***

Le Detour daily from 7pm, 5, rue Elzevir, 3e, Mº St-Paul, tel: 01.40.29.44.04. Located on the site of the legendary Opium Café, the roomy interior with its cool walls and cozy chairs, gently undulating bar and downstairs musical cellar is a welcomed addition to the Marais, attracting a mix of both local gay and straight clientele who come here to drink cocktails and chill out. The comfortable dining space at the back places the emphasis on light, bright dishes flavored with gentle spices, and echoes of the Caribbean and Pacific Northwest. For Halloween there will be a special anti-Halloween chill-out soirée. ee

Opus daily, 167, quai de Valmy, 10e, Mº Louis Blanc, tel: 01.40.34.70.00. Located on the Canal St-Martin, the Opus has been everything in its 60-year history from an army mess hall to a gangsta-rap venue. Now, thanks to Thierry Bonnefont, of restaurant Waly Fay fame, the art deco interior has been sophisticatedly and wittily restored and the kitchen totally overhauled, offering classic, terroir-based bistrot fare. Jazz, club-jazz, jazzy-house and house are programmed throughout the week. For Halloween the interior is being converted into a huge Scottish haunted castle. Costumes are de rigueur. ee

Pacific Eiffel Hilton Hotel, daily, 18, av de Suffren, 15e, Mº Bir-Hakeim, tel: 01.44.38.57.77. This vibrant new space, with a pleasant garden terrace, dual levels and atrium windows looking straight on to the Eiffel Tower is built around Pacific Rim cuisine, a region otherwise overlooked in Paris. A two-course 138F menu is available Mon-Fri, with tempting entrée and dessert buffets. But the real treat here is the à la carte selection, with such items as a saffron seafood risotto and a generous portion of superb grilled swordfish. The wine list features some fine Californian wines but can prove a little pricey. eee T

Bagel Place 6, pl Ste-Opportune, 1er, Mº Châtelet, tel: 01.40.28.96.40. One of the past culinary oddities of Paris was the impossibility of finding real American bagels, even in the Marais. Now New Yorkers enduring withdrawal symptoms need suffer no more. In its bright, friendly establishment with sunny yellow walls and mosaic floor, the Bagel Place sells a dozen different types of bagels, either to go or at the New York-style counter, together with similar delights such as muffins, cheesecake and apple crumble, just the thing to help you recover from a hard Halloween’s partying. e

Harry’s Bar closed Sundays, 5, rue Daunon, 2e, Mº Opéra, tel: 01.42.61.71.14. With its time-polished wood, sporting pennants and 1920s clubby feel, it’s difficult not to love this intimate little bar. Soon approaching its centenary, Harry’s has built up a lot of history: it boasts one of the best-known addresses in the capital and its presidential straw poll is world-famous. Not only was it the original “Harry’s Bar,” but it also claims to be the birthplace of the Bloody Mary. Certainly it’s a perfect place for cocktail lovers, especially in the late afternoon when it can be surprisingly quiet. **

Bugsy’s Bar Chicago Speakeasy daily, 15, rue Montalivet, 8e, Mº Miromesnil, tel: 01.42.68.18.49. Complete with framed photos of such American folk heroes as Charley Lucky Luciano and the surprisingly handsome and impeccably-dressed Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, this hangout is a user-friendly ’90s rendition of a 1920s speakeasy: no secret knocks on doors for admission, no embarrassing police raids or bathtub gin. Make someone an offer they can’t refuse by trying Bugsy’s steak club sandwich or the Corleone Family salad, with warm chicken and bacon. For Halloween, there’ll be a big evening costume party. e

Pare Choc Café Tue-Sat from 5pm, 68, rue de Ponthieu, 8e, Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt, tel: 01.42.56.32.03. Located on the site of the notorious Cactus Charlie’s, the fully renovated interior is based on auto motifs, with license plates nailed to wooden beams, a stern admonition to beware the demon drink when driving! The attractive brick bar can be watched over from the wooden upstairs balcony: perfect for seeing without necessarily being seen while nibbling at tapas. Although it attracts a mainly French clientele, Halloween is a big event, with fancy dress and a DJ. *

Columbus Café daily, 25, rue Vieille du Temple, 4e, Mº St-Paul, tel: 01.42.72.20.25. With a warm, wooden interior perfumed with the scent of fresh coffee and huge window displays of homemade muffins of every variety, this cozy, two-story café is the perfect place to dream away an autumn’s afternoon. The absence of table service allows for remarkably low prices for an impressive range of quality teas, coffees and fruit juices. A 3F supplement allows you to flavor your coffee with hazelnut, vanilla, cinnamon, etc. There are other branches including a cyber café on the rue Tilsitt. e

Haynes Tue-Sat evenings, 3, rue Clauzel, 9e, Mº St-Georges, tel: 01.48.78.40.63. A true Parisian institution, Haynes is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary. The first restaurant to serve Soul Food in the capital, everyone from Liz and Dick to Sartre has come here to sample specialties like Ma Sutton’s fried chicken, and the conviviality of bygone days is continued by the host, Benny. Other specialties include New Orleans gumbo, a rich, if not particularly hot, meat chili, and mouth-watering spareribs in a thick barbecue sauce that can be mopped up with homemade corn bread. There’s live jazz music on weekends. ee

Café Pacifico daily, 50, bd du Montparnasse, 15e, Mº Montparnasse, tel: 01.45.48.63.87. Done up like a Mexican cantina, with a spacious terrace at the front and a large open courtyard terrace at the back, the restaurant will be decorated with orange flowers, candles and painted skeletons over Halloween and November 1 to celebrate la Fiesta de los Muertos, the fabled Mexican Day of the Dead. Special festive treats will include traditional candy skulls and tomales. If it all becomes too spooky, restore your courage by taking advantage of the téquila special, sold for the price of a Corona beer. ¡Que bueno! ee T

Joe Allen daily, Joe Allen, 30, rue Pierre Lescot, 1er, Mº Etienne-Marcel, tel: 01.42.36.70.13. This famous American restaurant celebrates its 28th “Greenwich Village Halloween Costume Party,” probably the best-known Halloween party in the capital. Like last year, there’ll be a special children’s Haunted House built on the terrace and a parents’ and children’s seating from 6.30-9pm by jack-o-lantern-light, with music and a magician. The second seating is for grown-ups only with music, tricks and lots of treats including a specially-designed three course menu. Featured desserts will be American seasonal favorites such as pecan pie or cranberry crumble. Bookings are essential. ee T

Chicago Meatpackers daily, 8, rue Coquillière, 1er, Mº Les Halles, tel: 01.40.28.02.33. As well as being a carnivore’s delight, this Les Halles restaurant has a relaxed family-orientated atmosphere. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday there is a special half-hour children’s show featuring clowns and there will be special events over Halloween weekend including bobbing for apples and scary face paint. There will also be special evening events with costumes, jack-o-lanterns, treats and surprises. If fear has dampened your appetite, try the 400g T-bone steak or an enormous helping of deep-fried calamari served with a garlic mayonnaise. ee T

The Chicago Pizza Pie Factory daily, 5, rue de Berri, 8e, Mº Georges V, tel: 01.45.62.50.23. Service is amazingly fast considering the waitresses periodically drop everything and burst into dance. Crisp, deep-pan pizza is the attraction here, coming in various sizes and with mind-boggling combinations. There are plenty of “American-style” choices on the menu for non-pizza partakers such as parmesan chicken, chili and stevedore size salads. Desserts tend to be large, sticky and very copious. In addition to the usual DJs, there will be special Halloween celebrations, decorations and treats. ee

The Lizard Lounge 18, rue du Bourg-Tibourg 4e, Mº Hôtel de Ville, tel: 01.42.72.81.34. It is amazing how many people can fit around the bar of this popular Anglo-American hangout. A wooden balcony with a couple of tables overlooks the pandemonium, but best of all is the warren of downstairs cellars with their stone-cut walls, the perfect spooky ambiance for the Lizard Lounge’s all-night Halloween bash which will do its very best to raise the dead. Costumes are expected and a surprise Halloween cocktail will be concocted on the day itself to help raise spirits further. *

Percy’s Place Tue-Sat, 15, rue d’Auteuil, 16e, Mº Michel-Ange Auteuil, tel: 01.42.88.14.44. Percy’s place is both a catering business and a small restaurant. Owner Percy Taylor’s cuisine inspired by the soul food of his native Virginia and his travels around the world. His Degustation Royale combination offers an eclectic juxtaposition including chicken wings, crab cakes and sushi. Other specialties include brownies made from white chocolate and caramelized tuna steak. For Halloween there will be a special fancy dress party on October 30 in a yet to be disclosed surprise location with live music, magicians and face paint and a special 250F menu. Reservations are essential. ee

Polly Magoo 11, rue St-Jacques, 5e, Mº St-Michel, tel: 01.46.33.33.64.
Haunted places always possess a certain cachet, no more so than at Halloween, especially when the ghost is someone famous like Jim Morrison. This late-night, ’60s-relic bar was reputedly a favorite hangout for the Lizard King just before he died... Or did he? Whatever the truth, the Polly Magoo today remains the only authentic branché-destroy hangout in the Latin Quarter. Drinks are cheap, space is at a premium and Halloween itself will be studiously ignored. *

Bar des Folies closed Sunday nights, 10, rue de Belleville, 20e, Mº Belleville. The best-known and liveliest café in Belleville, this neon-lit, pink-hued bar with its ridiculous shiny red mosaic pillars and pinball machines is a time warp back to the cock-eyed bubble gum optimism of the late 1950s. The most interesting thing about it is the changing clientele, with everyone from little old ladies in the morning, form-studying punters in the early afternoon, and chic hipsters and phony film types at night. The generous smattering of local drunks and eccentrics can sometimes make it seem as though every night is Halloween. *