FRANCE - Best of Europe 2014 - page 366

Home Rental Service has been in business for 18 years and offers a big selection of
apartments throughout Paris with no agency fees (120 Champs-Elysées, tel. [phone],
fax [phone], www.homerental.fr , [e-mail] ).
Locaflat offersaccommodations rangingfromstudiostofive-room apartments, withoc-
casional specials online (63 Avenue de la Motte-Picquet, tel. [phone], fax 01 40 56
99 69, www.locaflat.com , [e-mail] ).
Paris Home is a small outfit with only two small studios, but both are located on Rue
AmélieintheheartoftheRueClerarea(seemapon here ) .Eachhasmodernfurnishingsand
laundry facilities. Friendly Slim, the owner, is the best part (€590/week, no minimum stay,
special rates for longer stays, credit cards accepted, free Internet access and US or France
telephonecalls,freemaidservice,airport/trainstationtransferspossible,mobile[phone]
55, www.parishome2000.com , [e-mail] ).
Paris for Rent, a San Francisco-based group, has been renting top-end apartments in
Paris for more than a decade (US tel. 866-4-FRANCE, www.parisforrent.com ) .
Tournights, run by Frederick and Mayra, rents several apartments around Paris
( www.tournights.com ) .
Cross-Pollinate is a reputable online booking agency representing B&Bs and apart-
ments in a handful of European cities. Paris listings range from a Bastille B&B room for
two for €90 per night to a two-bedroom Montmartre apartment sleeping six for €160 per
night. Minimum stays vary from one to five nights (US tel. [phone], France tel.
09-75-18-11-10, www.cross-pollinate.com , [e-mail] ).
Eating in Paris
The Parisian eating scene is kept at a rolling boil. Entire books (and lives) are dedicated to
thesubject.ParisisFrance'swine-and-cuisinemeltingpot.Thoughitlacksastyleofitsown
(only French onion soup is truly Parisian; otherwise, there is no “Parisian cuisine” to speak
of), it draws from the best of France. Paris could hold a gourmet Olympics and import noth-
ing.
My recommendations are centered on the same great neighborhoods listed earlier, under
“Sleeping in Paris”; you can come home exhausted after a busy day of sightseeing and find
a good selection of restaurants right around the corner. And evening is a fine time to explore
any of these delightful neighborhoods, even if you're sleeping elsewhere.
Linger longer over dinner—restaurants expect you to enjoy a full meal. Most restaurants
I'velistedhaveset-price menus between€20and€35.Inmostcases,thefewextraeurosyou
pay are well-spent, and open up a variety of better choices. Remember that a service charge
is included in the prices (so little or no tipping is expected). Eat early with tourists or late
with locals. Before choosing a seat outside, remember that smokers love outdoor tables.