A Visit to Rungis: The Largest Wholefood Market in the World

Rungis is a food mecca for food professionals which was built in 1969 to replace the former city market of 'Les Halles'. It's the world's largest wholesale food market: 237 hectars (585 acres) of buildings filled with food, hosting over 1200 companies onsite. It's like a food city basically. From there some of the best products are sold to Parisian restaurants and food businesses (65%) while 25% go to the rest of France, with just 10% exported.

Where to Eat in Paris: The Best 100 Bistros

While I haven't lived in Paris for over 12 years, I keep an eye on its food scene and love going back from time to time for a foodie weekend. It had been too long since my last visit in 2015, so when I was invited on a press trip by the tourist office of Paris I was more than delighted.

Dreamy Parisian Tea Room: Carette

I was doing a little bit of cleaning on my blog and found this article about Carette back in my drafts, I completely forgot about it. So today I'm sharing a bit of Parisian love, nothing like colourful French macarons to brighten up a grey day in Ireland.

A Weekend in Paris: 5 Great Spots For Food and Drinks

Ah Paris! I always love going back to eat my way around the city, until I'm sick of croissants and cheese. Here are five spots from my last weekend in Paris that I highly recommend you visit next time you're in the city of love.

La Pâtisserie Cyril Ligniac

Cyril Ligniac is a Michelin-starred French chef and entrepreneur who owns a few restaurants and pastry shops across Paris. He's also one of France's celebrity chefs, often seen on TV and one of the judges of the Great French Bake Off.

The Prettiest Bakery in Paris: Du Pain et des Idées

There are so many bakeries in Paris, one on every single corner. However, not all of them are as picturesque as Du Pain et des Idées, an absolute must-see next time you are visiting the French capital.

This is one of the few traditional bakeries left in Paris, dating back to 1889. Entering this bakery is like stepping into the past or onto the set of a movie set in romantic France. Du Pain et des Idées is run by Philippe Vasseur who won the best baker prize back in 2008, which is quite something in France.

A Little Piece of Lisbon in Paris: Comme à Lisbonne

Comme à Lisbonne, meaning 'like in Lisbon' is basically a little piece of Portugal in Paris's Marais district. It's a gorgeous place which manages to transport you to the Portuguese capital with its bricked walls and blue and white tiles.

There is a grocery section with pretty tins of sardines, portuguese honey, olive oils and other  beautifully packaged products and there is the cafe section where you can enjoy a hot drink and cakes.

A Gem of a Parisian Wine Bar: Frenchie Bar à Vins

Rue du Nil in Paris is home to Gregory Marchand's empire with his three food businesses: Frenchie Restaurant, Frenchie To Go and Frenchie Wine Bar.

Parisian Food Heaven: La Grande Epicerie

'It's Fallon and Byrne on steroids' said Mr. FFID as we entered parisian food heaven La Grande Epicerie. It's located in the 7th district and part of the Le Bon Marché department store chain.

There is everything you could dream of in this crème de la crème of the food shops. Gorgeous pastries, a cheese section, a fishmonger, a butcher's counter, a wine cellar, cookbooks, cookware, so much chocolate and pretty much any delicious French food you can think of. The displays are truly amazing, they even cut a vintage Citroen van in half to display their vegetables, how cool is that?

The Best Attraction in Disneyland Paris: Ratatouille

Besides being a traditional French vegetable stew, Ratatouille is also an Oscar-winning animated Pixar/Disney movie starring a little rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a chef in Paris.

A few months ago when I heard the Ratatouille attraction was being built in Disneyland Paris in collaboration with legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, I got very excited and began counting the days until it opened. I absolutely love the movie, it's food-related and it takes place in Paris, what's not to love? Well, yes, maybe the fact that there are rodents all over the kitchen of a restaurant is a reason to be put off but don't you think little Remy is cute? I do.

The Funkiest Pâtisserie in Paris: Colorova (75006)

If fancy Parisian tearooms aren't your cup of tea and you prefer laid-back cafés with funky décor then Colorova is a great little spot. Located in the 6th district, it isn't on the tourist trail and is seriously worth a visit for a change from more traditional pastry shops or bakeries.

Taste of Paris: Bastille Market (75011)

Today is Bastille Day or Le 14 juillet, the French national day that commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison.

You can't miss Place de la Bastille in Paris, there is a huge column in the middle called 'July Column' and this monument commemorates the 1830 revolution (we did have more than one revolution).

Taste of Paris: Le Café des Chats (The Cat Café) (75003)

If you don't like cats then look away now, as there will be more felines than food here today. I love cats (I have two) and I couldn't possibly miss a visit of Le Café des Chats (cat café) when last in Paris.

Taste of Paris: Popelini (75003)

In Paris you now find more and more shops specialising in just one type of pastry, like L'Eclair de Génie which only sells éclairs but in lots of different flavours.

Popelini has two branches in Paris, one in the Marais district and another one in the 9th district. What do they sell? Choux à la crème, little choux filled with flavoured pastry cream. It was named after Popelini, an Italian pastry chef who invented the choux pastry in 1540.

Taste of Paris: Le Relais de L'Entrecôte (75006)

When Mr. FFID and I were walking around St-Germain-des-Prés, we noticed a rather busy restaurant called 'Le Relais de L'Entrecôte'. I immediately remembered it mentioned on David Lebovitz's blog and as it was lunch time we just had to stop.

Taste of Paris: Café Pouchkine (75003)

Andrey Dellos opened the original Café Pushkin in Moscow in 1999, inspired by the song 'Nathalie’ by French singer Gilbert Bécaud. 

He then decided to export his concept of French/Russian pastry shops to Paris in 2000 in the Printemps department store. I haven’t visited Café Pouchkine in Printemps but I did recently make it to their take-away branch in the Marais district close to Place des Vosges which opened at end of 2013.

Taste of Paris: Aligre Market (75012)

It's Friday and time for a trip to Pareee! Oui, it's my way of making you travel to La Belle France through this little blog, I hope you enjoy the virtual trip.

Anyone who has been to France knows that we have a strong food market culture in Paris. I couldn't possibly blog about all of them but if you're ever interested in a food market marathon here is a great listing.

Taste of Paris: Pierre Hermé (75006)

Pastry and chocolate shops are probably one of the things I love most about France. In Paris, they are everywhere and it's so difficult not to stop when I'm on holiday there: I just want to catch up on all the pastries I missed since I left...

Taste of Paris: Septime (75011)

In 2011 French Chef Bertrand Grébault opened Septime, after working in l’Agapé where he was awarded his first Michelin star at the age of just 26 in 2008.

On our first day in Paris, freshly arrived from Charles de Gaulle airport and checked-in at our hotel near Bastille, Mr. FFID and I decided to head to Septime on rue de Charonne. We didn't have a hope of getting a table for lunch without a reservation (well, we were hoping a bit as we’re positive people).

Taste of Paris: Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse

I know most of you read this blog because it's about Dublin but this also my little personal space where I can share things or places I love, so I've decided to start a series called 'Taste of Paris' to tell you all about my favourite Parisian spots.