I remember so distinctly watching an episode of Friends where Monica is dating a millionaire and he flies her to Italy for dinner. The idea of travelling to another country for a single meal clearly made a lasting impression, because when I was thinking about how to celebrate my best friend’s birthday this year, I just couldn’t shake it. Italy felt too far and with flights too much hassle, but a train to Paris for lunch, and home to sleep in your own bed – surely that could work?
I looked into the idea and saw that you could get a 7.31am train out (into Gard du Nord for just shy of 11am), and a 8.12pm train home that gets you back to St Pancras by 9.30pm. And so we did it. For a day trip, we opted for Eurostar Premier, because when you’re getting up so early to make a 7.30am train, the 30 minutes later you can arrive at St Pancras make all the difference to your sleep. We grabbed coffees from the lounge and didn’t feel rushed at all as we set off. We ate our breakfast on the train – Bircher muesli with pineapple and fennel seeds and a croissant, which I have to say I would skip and just wait until you arrive at Gard du Nord.
To soak up the city during our precious hours there, we decided to skip the metro for the day and walk straight from the Gard du Nord to lunch. We wove our way from the 8th arrondissement to the 10th, window shopping in Place Vendôme and people watching in the Jardin des Tuileries, where countless groups lounged in the classic Parisian green steel chairs to soak up the sunshine. All in all, it took us just over an hour and we arrived at lunch with a real appetite.
Lunch had to be something really special; if you’re going to go abroad for a single meal you can’t just wing it and decide on the day. I chose Le Bristol’s 114 Faubourg, which has a Michelin star. We went for the chef’s tasting menu, which included five courses for 190 euros. To start, we had truffled Jerusalem artichoke soup, served with a frothy celeriac foam, and studded with hazelnut. It was hands down the best soup I’ve ever tried, paired perfectly with a glass of light and fresh Danjou-Banessy Coste Blanc 2022.
Next was a lobster ravioli in a sweet bisque, served with candied fennel on top, followed by scallops roasted with horseradish butter in a bone marrow broth surrounded by pearls of vegetables. For dessert, we went off-menu, guided by our brilliant waiter. The pear Belle-Hélène was incredible, served with warm molten dark chocolate and a light-as-air vanilla cream.
After the most indulgent lunch, we both decided more fresh air was needed before we fell asleep in our chairs. We left Le Bristol into a sea of people waiting for a celebrity, as couture week was imminent (Anya Taylor-Joy was spotted leaving the hotel just the next day). After a walk down the Seine back into the heart of Paris, we made a beeline for Le Marais. Strolling past endlessly chic boutiques, we landed at a shop I can never bear to miss on any visit: Merci. To escape the throng of people in the womens- and menswear sections, head straight for the homeware. It’s an exceptionally well-curated selection (with price tags to match).
As a wave of tiredness hit us after shopping we decided to wile away our final couple of hours in Paris over a cocktail, via a quick stop at a boulangerie to buy a croissant to take home (the beauty of a day trip is that they’ll still be fresh the next morning at home).
We headed for Folderol (Paris’s equivalent to the very popular The Dreamery in De Beauvoir), where they serve glasses of natural wine alongside ice cream. But the queue outside was too long for two tired people with a train to catch, so we settled on the equally charming and unfussy Les Indecises for negronis and beers.
As the sun went down the glow of streetlamps flickered on and a cobbled street corner slowly filled up with Parisians smoking and drinking in big coats. It felt like the perfect way to end a singular day away.
