French food is known across the world for its sophistication and refined flavors. For those who want to try some of this world-famous cuisine, there is no better place to be than in Paris. The sheer number of high-quality restaurants in the City of Light ensures that guests of the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier will never run out of places to try. And there is one restaurant particularly close to the hotel that showcases fine contemporary French cuisine is a chic yet casual setting.

This restaurant is called the Habemus Bar Restaurant, and it provides a charming art deco ambiance, which is accented with jazz nights that add even more to the atmosphere. With its white walls and pops of red, the decoration of Habemus is restrained yet playful — and the same can be said for the restaurant’s food. The menu includes French classics with a modern twist, and the end result is a contemporary yet still traditionally French set of dishes that are both intriguing and satisfying.

Diners can begin their meals with pastry-wrapped prawns or homemade fois gras on a bed of almonds and mesclun. Then, for the main course, diners can try gingerbread-encrusted lamb with bulgur, salmon filet with homemade potato puree, or chicken skewers marinated in tarragon and served with green beans and snow peas. To finish this gourmet meal, desserts include a pear tart with vanilla-bourbon ice cream, dark chocolate and Toblerone lava cake, and mint-accented citrus fruit salad.

While dining, visitors can enjoy the jazz performances that are organized at Habemus every Tuesday night. With this combination of atmosphere, cuisine and music, the Habemus Bar Restaurant provides visitors of Paris with a bit of trendy nightlife as well as a delicious French meal.

Habemus Bar Restaurant
13 rue Monsigny, 75002
+33 (0)1 47 42 92 35

Open Monday through Friday from noon to 2:30 pm and Monday through Saturday from 7:00 p.m. until 10:15 p.m. Closed for holidays August 4 – 19, 2013.

Manuel Martinez is a celebrated chef known for his gourmet restaurant Le Relais Louis XIII, which has earned two Michelin stars. For those who want to taste some of Martinez’s creations without the hefty bill that comes with eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a new pastry shop has just been opened by the talented cuisinier. The pastry shop is called La Maison du Chou, and it is dedicated to one of the most French food creations in existence: the creme puff.

Cream puff, profiterole, choux à la crème — this light and tasty pastry is known by many names, but it is unmistakably French. Choux pastry, which was created in the 16th century, was ironically the invention of an Italian pastry chef who was part of the entourage of Catherine de Medici, the wife of the French king Henri II. Following its conception in France, this delicious dough was perfected by French pastry chef Jean Avice and given the name ‘pâte à choux’ (‘choux pastry’).

After this, it was only a matter of time before the dough began to pop up in a variety of desserts, like eclairs, gougères and of course, cream puffs. For a long time, it was the eclair that dominated the imagination of pastry chefs, who have clambered to top each other with new and inventive flavor combinations. Thanks to La Maison du Chou, it is now time for the cream puff to be the center of attention.

Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier should take advantage of their stay in Paris to try this new and exciting pastry shop.

Open since April 2, 2013, La Maison du Chou is nestled in the charming Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. The innovative concept of the store involves serving cream puffs in a way that is not often done: made to order and prepared on the spot. Customers can choose from a variety of cream fillings that take advantage of in-season products. Current fillings include coffee, chocolate, rose and litchi. And of course, the plain cream filling always remains an option.

La Maison du Chou
7 rue de Furstenberg, 75006
Open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

There is perhaps no other French dessert that is more well known than the eclair. This flaky pastry, filled with cream and topped with icing, comes in many variations but they are all unmistakably French in inspiration. In France, the eclair is as popular as ever, and this popularity shows no signs of stopping.

Case in point: a new tradition has begun across the country, and it puts eclairs in the spotlight. The tradition consists of an event called the “Quinzaine des Eclairs” (“The Eclair Fifteen”). The “fifteen” stands for fifteen days, and that is how long this event lasts. During the Fifteen Days of Eclairs, boulangeries all across France will be presenting specially flavored eclairs for their patrons to try.

Each year, new kinds of eclairs are conceived, and every participating boulangerie carries the same experimental flavors. This year, patrons can try peach-raspberry, vanilla-toffee, and apple-almond eclairs during the Fifteen Days of Eclairs. This enables pastry chefs to experiment with interesting combinations and also provides a great opportunity for pastry lovers to try these creative creations.

From March 9 until March 24, 2013, a selection of pastry shops in Paris will be stocking these tasty new treats for the Quinzaine des Eclairs. Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier will be right next to the action as two boulangeries in the 2nd arrondissement — the same arrondissement that the hotel is located in — will be participating in the event. The Boulangerie Saint Sauveur at 100 Rue Montorgueil and the Paris Authentique at 33 Rue d’Aboukir will both be offering up the deliciously flavored eclairs in March. A list of all participating boulangeries in Paris can be found on the website of the event (in French).

Located right in the heart of Paris, a unique restaurant is enchanting diners with its innovative twists on classic Italian cuisine. The Mori Venice Bar brings its vision of Italy to the 2nd arrondissement, which means that guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier are ideally placed for a chic dinner at this restaurant.

Like its name suggests, the Mori Venice Bar takes its decorative and culinary inspiration from the beautiful city of Venice. This means that visitors to Paris can take a little excursion to Italy without even boarding another plane. The restaurant is owned by Massimo Mori, a famed restauranteur who has already launched successful venues like the Emporio Armani Caffé  on the Boulevard Saint-Germain. Now, Mori lends his magic touch to the 2nd arrondissment with the Mori Venice Bar.

On the menu, diners can expect to find starters like ravioli stuffed with cheese, white asparagus and pistachio as well as sea bass carpaccio with extra virgin olive oil and artichokes. For the main course, diners can choose from dishes such as veal served with a Byzantine spice mix, dried fruits and truffled mashed potatoes; lemon- and cardamom-accented whole sea bass, served with roasted white asparagus; or classic Venetian fried fish, scampi, calamari and smelt.

Of course, an Italian meal would not be complete without a delicious Italian dessert, and the Mori Venice Bar does not disappoint. As a unique touch, the emphasis is on coffee at this restaurant. As a result, desserts include a selection of miniature pastries, served with Espresso Illy coffee or a macchiato served hot or cold.

No matter what dishes diners decide to try, they will be glad that they were able to get a taste of Venice at the Mori Venice Bar.

Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier should take the opportunity to treat themselves to a gourmet meal in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Paris. Now that Christmas lights are being illuminated across the city, visitors should not miss the chance to see the area around the Rue Saint-Honoré when it is lit up for the holidays.

At a restaurant called Le Square Saint-Honoré, visitors can enjoy both the sights and the tastes of Paris as they try delicious French cuisine in the Saint-Honoré neighborhood. Although this neighborhood in the 1st arrondissement is known for being fancy, the decor of the restaurant is simple and welcoming, enabling diners to feel at ease as they savor their dishes. With accents of violet and wood, this cozy atmosphere provides a warm respite from the cool chill of winter.

Of course, the best part about Le Square Saint-Honoré restaurant is the cuisine, which is traditional and refined. On the menu, diners will find the French mainstay “magret de canard,” otherwise known as duck breast, as well as filet mignon with sea salt. Other dishes include sea bass served with truffle cream sauce and tagliatelle with shrimp and truffle cream sauce. For dessert, diners can enjoy chocolate cake, chocolate nems or fresh fruit plates.

A meal like this does not come cheap, but prices are still very reasonable for dining out in Paris. Diners can expect to spend about 20 to 40 euros per person, depending on the number of courses that they order.

After eating, guests can stroll over to the Place Vendôme, which is right next to the restaurant, in order to get a glimpse of the ultra-posh environs. During the holidays, the Christmas lights give this square a magical quality that must be seen.

Le Square Saint-Honoré Paris
40 Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 75001
+33 (0)1 42 61 76 28
Open every day from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m.