Archive for 2019-06-02

Home Archive for 2019-06-02

Paris may boast some of the world’s most splendid luxury hotels but it also has some wonderful bargains. Pleasant budget hotels are scattered through all the best areas, and with a general overhaul of much of Paris’s hotel offering, many have been recently renovated or even created, so it’s no longer a question of sagging beds and dubious wallpaper, but original designs and pristine bathrooms.

Even among more expensive hotels, many have several categories – and prices – of bedroom, largely based on size. As to prices, unlike the huge internet discounts sometimes found for expensive places, many of the best budget hotels find they don’t need to discount much, if at all.
When dining in Paris it pays to eat like a local and keep gourmet extravagances for occasions. The sheer range of restaurants is astonishing and everyone has a favourite inexpensive bistro or café-brasserie to pop into for a steak or a salad. The past 15 years has seen the rise of the bistronomique: gourmet bistros, with accomplished, updated bistro cooking for reasonable prices by chefs often trained at top establishments.

Most restaurants have good-value lunch menus and it’s perfectly acceptable to order just two courses or to share a dessert. Paris tap water is free and perfectly drinkable (ask for a carafe d’eau), bread is always provided free, and service is always included in the bill, so it’s not necessary to tip (and most French don’t) unless you really want to.

Prices are for a double room in low season.

Hôtel Regyn's Montmartre 8/10
A great location if you want to leap straight out of bed and into the heart of the Montmartre action. Here the picturesque tourist Montmartre of cottages, artists' studios and steep staircases meandering up the hill meets hip Parisians' Montmartre, with the excellent food shops and lively bars of rue des Abbesses, like Le Sancerre and the Caves des Abbesses. The style is unpretentious and very Parisian behind its white stucco facade. The Montmartre-themed murals of the vineyard and place des Abbesses in the reception and living room are rather kitsch but all part of the charm. The compact yet cheerful rooms have all been attractively refurbished with classic French toile de jouy print fabric on the walls, and pristine white bathrooms that just about squeeze in all you need – some even have small baths.
Price: from £64, excluding breakfast (€8 extra)
Address: 18 place des Abbesses, 75018 Paris

Hôtel Regyn's Montmartre

Solar Hôtel 6/10
In a residential part of Montparnasse that is agreeable if you want to experience real Parisians' Paris, with the rue Daguerre food shopping street just around the corner. Owner Franck Laval is ever-present and ready to explain his mission when not taking other hoteliers around to convert them. Young, friendly staff are all committed to the cause. There are internet computers for guests to use downstairs and bikes for guests to borrow. Once you get used to the slightly startling blue paintwork and blue carpets, the bedrooms prove simple but well thought out, with high-quality beds with white duvets and small desk; all have private bathroom with shower. You're encouraged to sort your own waste in the bins on the landing. Organic breakfast included in the price includes locally sourced apple juice rather than imported orange and excellent bread from nearby baker Moisan.
Price: from £65, including breakfast.
Address: 22 rue Boulard, 75014 Paris

Solar Hôtel

Familia Hôtel 7/10
Familia Hôtel is a long-standing budget classic offering a taste of traditional Left Bank Paris and a great central location. It's a short walk to St-Germain-des-Prés and Notre-Dame or across the river – via Ile St-Louis – to the Marais and Bastille. In a classic 1860s Haussmannian building with its golden stone facade and wrought-iron balconies, the Familia is not for those after cutting-edge design, but the cosy, traditional charm of a hotel that has been run by the same family for several generations. There are 30 air-conditioned rooms with carved cherrywood bedheads and wardrobes. Some have exposed stone walls, others have toile de jouy fabrics, and many have a sepia view of a Paris landmark painted over the bed. For breakfast, fresh croissants and crusty baguette for continental breakfast served in the cosy Victorian-style parlour.
Price: from £70, excluding breakfast
Address: 11 rue des Ecoles, 75005 Paris

The view from the Familia Hôtel

Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc 8/10
This hotel has an excellent Marais location, very central for numerous sights, yet tucked down a small street behind the place du Marché Ste-Catherine so that you 'd never find it if you didn't know if was there. Reception staff are informal and welcoming, and chambermaids appear to have been here for decades. The rooms have nearly all been redecorated recently with painted furniture, taffeta curtains, colour-washed walls and smart new bathrooms. A few have not and remain rustic and floral, with bathrooms that could one day star in a 70s pyschedelic revival. Most are good sized and several sleep three or four, which are popular with families, and there are also cots available. A simple breakfast is served downstairs.
Price: from £80, excluding breakfast (€8)
Address: 3 rue de Jarente, 75004

Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc

Mama Shelter 7/10
With interiors by Philippe Starck, location in an unlikely part of town, and buzzing bar and restaurant, Mama Shelter launched a new concept of hip design on a budget. This outpost has streetwise style, with lots of exposed raw and waxed concrete and graffitied blackboard ceilings, though what really makes this hotel is the buzzy open-plan ground floor that is all at once laidback lounge, cocktail bar, restaurant, club and concept store. For all its budget ethos, Mama pays plenty of attention to service: you can check in by machine if you wish, but there are also young enthusiastic staff at front desk, and concierges who can provide information as well as posting suggestions for events and exhibitions on the frosted mirrors on each landing. The buzzy restaurant serves French regional cuisine revisited by illustrious chef Alain Senderens, an excellent breakfast, plus a very popular brunch on Sunday.
Price: from £90, excluding breakfast (€16)
Address: 109 rue de Bagnolet, 75020

Mama Shelter

Hôtel Arvor Saint-Georges 9/10
This is a hotel that gets the home from home atmosphere just right, with its mixture of stylish and casual, a relaxed bar-cum-salon where you can browse art books or play table football, vases of fresh flowers, and curvy Bookworm shelves of paperbacks to borrow in the corridors – owner Nadine Flammarion is a member of the famous publishing family. Bedrooms are airy and pared back: think bright white with one contrasting wall (apple green, sludge brown, cherry red, etc), personalised with eclectic lights, vintage chests of drawers or dressing tables found at the fleamarket and original photos. Most have good sized bathrooms with a tub and classy Fragonard bath products.
Price: from £90, excluding breakfast (€14)
Address: 8 rue Laferrière, 75009

Hôtel Arvor Saint-Georges

Hôtel Joyce 7/10
Architect Philippe Maidenberg has been gradually making his mark on Paris hotels, combining all you need in the way of air conditioning and i-pod docks with quirky details. The reception desk is made of stacked-up Eiffel Towers and fibre optics sparkle in the parquet. The 44 rooms wittily rework Haussmannian style so that they are contemporary yet distinctly Parisian. Buffet breakfast served in the lovely glazed conservatory/lounge; much of the produce is organic. The hotel is not licensed but you can help yourself to free coffee, tea and soft drinks all day.
Price: from £95, including breakfast
Address: 29 rue La Bruyère, 75009

Hotel Joyce

Hôtel Michelet Odéon 8/10
Curiously some of Paris's best-value hotels can be found in prime locations, the Michelet Odéon is situated on one of the city's most beautiful squares, overlooking the lovely 18th-century Théâtre de l'Odéon. Behind the period facade, the interior is fresh and contemporary, with sophisticated finishes and warm colours. Rooms were all redone in 2008 with natural wood furniture, accent colours, amusing tiger-stripe carpets and well-lit pristine modern bathrooms. A good buffet breakfast is served in a bright open plan room on the ground floor, though it is relatively pricey compared to the rooms.
Price: from £96, excluding breakfast (from €10)
Address: 9 place de l’Odéon, 75006

Hôtel Michelet Odéon

Where to eat for £20 or less

Prices are per person for two courses in the evening and excluding wine unless stated otherwise.

Breizh Cafe

Breizh Cafe
This is the place that made the pancake gourmet, and although not particularly budget as crêperies go, it’s streets ahead of the competition in terms of quality. While crêperies are often dismissed as restaurants for children, here the setting is distressed beach hut and the clientele fashionable Marais. The choice of savoury galettes and sweet crêpes ranges from classic complète (egg, cheese and ham) to imaginative creations.
Address: 109 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75003
Contact: 0033 1 42 72 13 77; breizhcafe.com
Getting there: Metro St Paul
Opening times: Wed-Sun, 11.30am-11pm
Price: pancakes from around €6
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French, vegetarian
Reservations: recommended

Au Zaganin

Au Zaganin
Just off avenue Trudaine in arty-bourgeois SoPi (South Pigalle), Au Zaganin was once a seedy dive that has developed a local following after being resuscitated in a neo-40s ambience of banquettes, mosaic floor and changing art shows. The excellent value three-course menu (until 9pm) impresses with real cooking, in dishes like red mullet on a ratatouille-style bed of peppers and aubergine, veal kidneys in mustard sauce, and flambéed crêpes suzette. The short but well selected wine list focuses on organic wines. Au Zaganin is particularly popular for brunch at weekends, which means service then can be rather rushed.
Address: 81 rue de Rochechouart, 75009
Contact: 0033 1 48 78 12 70; auzaganin.com
Getting there: Metro Anvers
Opening times: Tue-Fri, midday-2.30pm, 7pm-10pm; Sat, 11am-3.30pm, 7pm-10pm; Sun, 11am-3.30pm
Price: set-price menus from €19.50 for brunch, €15 for lunch, €19.50 for dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French
Reservations: not necessary

Jeanne B

Jeanne B
This is the second of the casual all-day, eaterie-delis opened by the owners of venerable bistro Astier. It's a happy arrival on the street that winds up Montmartre hill, with a lovely welcome from young chef Cyril Boulet, who mans the counter. Spit-roast Challans chicken is the house classic, but you can also go modern and gourmet with a verrine of snails or a luxury lobster sandwich, along with roast lamb and assorted pies from a blackboard choice that changes every week. It has a deli counter and grocery section at the front, where you can take away charcuterie, cheese and homemade desserts and madeleines.
Address: 61 rue Lepic, 75018
Contact: 0033 1 42 51 17 53; jeanne-b-comestibles.com
Getting there: Metro Abbesses
Opening times: daily, 9.30am-10.30pm
Price: set-price menus from €15 for lunch, €23 for dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French, quick bites
Reservations: not necessary

Chez Omar

Chez Omar
I've been coming to Chez Omar ever since I arrived in Paris. It's a favourite of mine for its friendly waiters, vintage bistro setting, cheerfully eclectic diners – Marais gallerists, fashionistas, gay couples, families – and, of course, the couscous. There are no elaborate tagines here, just well-prepared couscous, with a choice of mechoui, grilled lamb kebabs, merguez sausage or vegetarian. I usually go for the kebabs, with a big vat of stewed vegetables, harissa if you want, and a platter of couscous grain. Finish with Oriental pastries, or strawberries and cream, and mint tea. They don't take reservations, so arrive early for dinner if you don't want to queue in the street.
Address: 47 rue de Bretagne, 75003
Contact: 0033 1 42 72 36 26 (no website)
Getting there: Metro St-Sébastien-Froissart
Opening times: Mon-Sat, midday-2.30pm, 7pm-11.30pm; Sun, 7pm-11.30pm
Price: couscous from €12
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Cuisine: North African
Reservations: not possible

L'Encrier

L'Encrier
Tucked just behind the Promenade Plantée viaduct walk in the historic furniture makers' district of the Faubourg St-Antoine, the friendly, cooperative-run L'Encrier has been one of Paris's best-kept, budget secrets for 20 years. An essentially local crowd and a few in-the-know visitors squeeze in around its simple wooden tables, drawn by the remarkable-value menus and attractive beamed setting. The kitchen, visible behind the white counter, sends out trustworthy, no-nonsense French cuisine with southwestern touches, such as pear with roquefort, duck confit and goose magret, and virtually everyone ends with the excellent chocolate profiteroles.
Address: 55 rue Traversière, 75012
Contact: 0033 1 44 68 08 16; restaurant-encrier-paris.fr
Getting there: Metro Ledru-Rollin
Opening times: Mon-Sat, midday-2.30pm, 7.30pm-11pm
Price: set-price menu from €15 for lunch, €18 for dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French
Reservations: recommended

Le Bistro des Dames

Le Bistro des Dames
A clutter of paintings and posters, and the treat of a hidden, overgrown tropical garden courtyard at the rear, are all part of the aura at this bistro adjoining the quirkily bohemian Hôtel Eldorado in burgeoning Batignolles. A local arty set pops in for the laid-back, friendly atmosphere, home cooking and wines from small producers. The speciality is slow-cooked stews, perhaps tender pork cheeks or lamb navarin with seasonal veg, although you'll also find a fish of the day, big main-course salads, and good desserts. In keeping with the mood, service is leisurely.
Address: 18 rue des Dames, 75017
Contact: 0033 1 45 22 13 42; eldoradohotel.fr
Getting there: Metro Place de Clichy
Opening times: Mon-Fri, noon-3pm, 7pm-2am; Sat, Sun, noon-2am (last service for food 11.30pm)
Price: set-price menu from €21 for lunch and dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French
Reservations: not possible

L'Ecurie

L'Ecurie
Just the answer when you're after a juicy steak, bossy service and lots of atmosphere. The ground floor was once stables (spot the hay rack along one wall), and although there are a few tables outside in summer, it's best in winter, when you descend the perilous staircase into ancient vaulted cellars. Feast in flickering candlelight on the good-value, three-course menu, with chargrilled steaks and homemade chips. Despite being in a touristed part of town, L'Ecurie caters to as many Parisians as visitors from out of town. It's near the Sorbonne and Lycée Henri IV, so very popular with celebrating students.
Address: 2 rue Leplace, 75005
Contact: 0033 1 46 33 68 49
Getting there: Metro Maubert-Mutualité
Opening times: Mon-Sat, midday-2pm, 7pm-11pm
Price: set-price menu from €17 for lunch and dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French
Reservations: not necessary

Bistrot du Peintre

Bistrot du Peintre
This listed, art nouveau café-bistro has a gorgeous 1902 décor of sinuous woodwork and tiled, allegorical figures of spring and summer. It is much loved by a laidback Bastille crowd for its satisfying, inexpensive cuisine. The choice goes from utterly trad snails or oeuf meurette (egg poached in red wine), steak tartare and some southwestern French touches – my daughter's a fan of the confit de canard – to inventive salads and creative tomato Tatin with red pepper sorbet, so there's sure to be something to suit different tastes. All-day service is very useful when you’re on holiday. Try to be seated on the more atmospheric ground floor rather than upstairs.
Address: 116 avenue Ledru-Rollin, 75011
Contact: 0033 1 47 00 34 39; bistrotdupeintre.com
Getting there: Metro Ledru-Rollin
Opening times: daily, 7am-2am (food served midday-midnight)
Price: lunch and dinner around €23
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: French, quick bites
Reservations: not necessary

Michi

Michi
Located in the heart of Paris's Little Japan, Michi is a tiny, canteen-like hole in the wall, indicated only by a fish and the word sushi on the facade. It was recommended by a Japanese friend, for some of the best, authentic, and least expensive, sushi and sashimi along rue Sainte-Anne. If you're lucky, bag one of the half-a-dozen places along the counter where you can watch the chef at work, otherwise you'll be squashed into the tiny cellar. There are good-value formules, but go à la carte if you want rarer offerings such as sea urchin and eel.
Address: 58 bis rue Sainte-Anne, 75002
Contact: 0033 1 40 20 49 93
Getting there: Metro Pyramides
Opening times: Tue-Sun, midday-2pm, 7.30pm-10.30pm
Price: set-price menus from €14 for lunch, €23 for dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Cuisine: Japanese, Seafood
Reservations: recommended

Dining in Paris on a budget might seem like a worthy but lofty goal. After all, food is expensive here.

Friendly advice: you must experience French cuisine as part of your overall travel experience. It is an essential part of your trip. That can be said in most destinations, but the statement resonates within the borders of France. The French take cooking and Budget travel is defined by value, so beware of skipping an excellent dining experience just to save money. To truly know this city, you must experience the food.

Naturally, that doesn't mean eating at every five-star restaurant you encounter, but it does mean choosing authentic cuisine and savoring the experience. You will save up for several of these meals during your time in country.

It isn't difficult to identify restaurants in Paris and other French cities that offer quality food at mid-range, reasonable prices. These are places at which you will eat one meal each day. Don't hestitate to start with a few chain restaurants such as Chez Clément, which serve delicious French cuisine at reasonable prices. Then branch out into locally owned, neighborhood favorites.

Even if your budget is very tight, a French restaurant meal should not be the first thing you strike from your "to do" list. Some budget travelers eat their biggest meals at lunchtime, when prices are lower than in the evening.

You can partake of French cuisine without paying a restaurant bill. Weather permitting, enjoy one of Paris' incredible parks with a picnic lunch in hand. Most neighborhoods offer places where you can buy fresh fruit, that delicious French bread (baguettes) and other ingredients. In fact, street vendors often sell them along with delicious fillings. The further you are from a tourist attraction, the more likely the prices will be reasonable for such treats. If you look around the parks, you'll find Parisians eating picnic meals in leisurely fashion.

See the pattern? You should have little trouble creating at least one memorable meal in Paris, and preferably several, even if you're on a fairly strict budget. Invest some effort into this goal, and you will not regret it.

Student travelers juggle some of the tightest budgets. Students in Paris will find economical meals with ease. The area's many universities offer basic meals. You'll probably need a student ID to eat in campus buildings, but food vendors that cater to clientele at the schools usually offer reasonable prices out of necessity.

Even so-called ordinary food can be extraordinary here. Department stores such as Printemps have coffee shops and small restaurants. Most of these places don't serve up anything too fancy, but items like salads and brownies here are made with such care and such fine ingredients that visitors often leave quite satisfied.

Remember that in Paris (and much of Europe) you will pay more for anything that is served at a table. If you only want a drink and you don't mind standing at a bar, you'll pay less than if it is served at a table. Speaking of drinks, be careful when asking for water with your meals. Ask for a carafe of tap water (carafe de l’eau) or your waiter is likely to bring you a potentially pricey bottle of mineral water.

Koliko god neki bili skeptični prema Appleu te kritizirali njihove poslovne poteze i krajnje proizvode, sigurno je da im se ne može oduzeti titula proizvođača najboljih tableta na svijetu. iPadi su već godinama ispred bilo kakve konkurencije i svojim hardverom, i svojim softverom. Dok je podrška aplikacija na iOS-u za iPade bila odlična te nudila znatno bolje sučelje nego što je ona na Android tabletima,no sam iOS i nije bio najbolje prilagođen većim zaslonima. Apple je zbog toga predstavio iPadOS – zbog kojeg su vrhunski tableti postali još korisnijima.

Sam početni zaslon na iOS-u je podsjećao na ogromni iPhone te mu prostor i nije bio najbolje iskorišten. Zato iPadOS donosi iskustvo koje je znatno bliže onomu kod računala. iPadOS pored ikona aplikacija nudi i podršku za prikaz widgeta na početnom zaslonu čime postaje znatno korisniji.

Multitasking je doživio procvat već i na prethodnoj verziji iOS-a, ali iPadOS će to još znatno poboljšati. Aplikacije i dalje možete „povući“ sa strane u manje prozore, a novost je i to što možete pokrenuti više instanci iste aplikacije (npr. dvije aplikacije za pisanje te prebacivati stvari iz jedne u drugu). Za potpunu snagu multitaskinga ćete morati naučiti pregršt novih gesti, ali s vremenom ćete imati potencijal za stvarni multitasking, baš kao i na računalu.

Kako je posljednja varijanta iPad Pro modela već imala USB-C utor, mnogi su se žalili što se na iOS-u nije mogao na njega priključiti USB stick te tako prebacivati podatke. iPadOS donosi podršku i za USB-C memory stickove, a nekada poslije će u standardnoj „Files“ aplikaciji dobiti podršku i za čitanje .zip arhiva.

Safari, kao zadani internet preglednik (i jedini čiji web-rendering pokretač možete koristiti na Apple proizvodima unatoč instaliranim drugim preglednicima) je dobio zaseban upravitelj preuzimanja te preko 30 tipkovničkih kratica što će iPade dodatno približiti laptopima.

Kopiranje i lijepljenje datoteka,teksta,slika i slično se obavlja preko novih gesti s tri prsta, a na sličan način se čini i „Undo“ funkcija u cijelom sustavu. Čak je i Apple Pencil (olovka) dobila nadogradnju u iPadOS-u te je Apple uspio spustiti kašnjenje (latenciju) s 20ms na samo 9ms po čemu će uz 120Hz zaslon novih iPad-a i ekstremno brz i fluidan sustav pisanje olovkom činiti nevjerojatnim.

Iako Android tablete prvenstveno niz brdo vuče nedostatak podrške aplikacija drugih proizvođača (Facebook, Microsoft, Adobe…), teško da će s obzirom na zasluženi manjak popularnosti Android tableti ikada sustići Appleove, bar s trenutnim sustavom. Fenomenalan hardver uz novi iPadOS softver će dodatno otežati utrku Android konkurenciji pa nas zanima ima li Google odgovor na ovo.

Paris metro at Passy Station — RICOWde/Getty Images

Are you about to embark on your first trip to Paris? Lucky you. Before you head off, you'll likely need help deciding how to get there, learning about ground transport options from the airport, using public transportation in the city of light, and choosing the right bus or boat tours. Welcome to your go-to guide to getting there and getting around, stress-free, once you're there.

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Options for Travel to the City of Light

Passengers iat Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris — Andrew Holt/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images

Finding the right travel package can be stressful and overwhelming. Use a step-by-step primer to learn about all your options for travel, get acquainted with Paris airports and train stations, and book flights, train, or Eurostar tickets to the French capital online.

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From the Airport: Ground Transport Options

Passengers boarding a TGV at Charles De Gaulle. — Getty Images

When arriving at the airport, visitors to the French capital often feel overwhelmed and confused about how to get to the city proper. There are several ways to get to Paris's center from the city's two main airports (Charles de Gaulle/Roissy and Orly).

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Public Transportation in Paris: Metro, RER, Buses, and Tramways

Tour Montparnasse and the nearby metro station. — r.g.-s/Creative Commons

Paris has one of the world's most efficient public transportation systems, with metro trains, buses and tramways running with remarkable speed and reliability. However, the metro and bus system, in particular, can be confusing, and public transport in the City of Light isn't always as accessible to visitors with limited mobility as you'd want it to be. For travelers with babies and young children, using the metro can be similarly challenging, especially if you have a large stroller. Get a sense of what to expect and learn how to navigate the system like a pro.

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Bus Tours

Taking a bus tour of Paris is a fantastic-- and generally affordable-- way to see the city's main sights. — Zoetnet/Creative Commons

Visiting Paris for the first time, or worried that taking public transport will be too taxing? Consider taking one of Paris's popular hop-on, hop-off bus tours, which give you a good overview of the top Paris sights and attractions while providing flexibility to walk around, stop for lunch, or linger at a favorite spot.

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Renting a Car

car driving in Paris — Ulli Seer/Look Photo/Getty Images

Is it worthwhile to rent a car in Paris, or do the disadvantages outweigh the benefits? Driving in Paris can be tricky, so weigh the pros and cons before making your decision.

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Touring by Boat

Paris-Notre Dame boat tour — Getty Images

Many of Paris' most historical sites of note are situated along the Seine River-- making a boat tour a memorable way to get acquainted with the city. It's an especially romantic way to spend a day or evening with someone special, and is also pretty well-suited for families, especially at the end of a long day when the kids (and parents) are tired and just want to sit back and enjoy the sights without too much effort.

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Using the Velib' Bike Rental Scheme

Bikes parked at a Velib' station in Paris. — LWY/Creative Commons

Since 2007, you can rent a bike at some 1,800 self-service stations around Paris with a swipe of your credit card, and return it to any of the stations when you're done. Follow rules on bike safety and use caution on busier streets.

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