Au Bourguignon Du Marais - a Paris Gem

Every so often during your travels, you stumble upon a real hidden gem. Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to discover Au Bourguignon du Marais, an unpretentious Parisian bistro serving up delicious eats and warm, attentive service. We ended up here by chance one afternoon after getting snubbed at a well-known tourist trap and couldn't have been luckier ! 

Mere minutes from the central part of the Marais, this resto is just off-the-beaten path - removed enough to enjoy a quiet and leisurely outdoor lunch, and still buzzy enough to make for some fun people-watching. The cuisine is neither nouveau nor staid, but rather classic French fare executed well with great attention to detail. Their specialty is the boeuf bourguignon, which is rich and deep in flavor, served up with pommes de terres fondantes in a rustic iron cocotte. We also shared a fresh salad chèvre chaud tartine, and a few choice glasses of wine. The pièce de résistance, however, may have been the profiteroles - with vanilla ice cream, toasted nuts, powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce (presented in a warmed dish to prevent curdling.) 

Au Bourguignon du Marais combines the best of the things we romanticize about Paris. It feels like the kind of place you want to sit at the outdoor tables and enjoy a long lazy lunch with a partner or friend - sip a glass of wine, people-watch, and debate the next cultural revolution. Yet it's the superb quality of the cuisine and friendly service that make it far more accessible and authentic than your average tourist stop and are what truly bring this bistro to the next level. Despite dining at a few critically acclaimed restaurants and hotspots, this was probably my favorite meal on my last trip to Paris, and I can't wait to return. If you're passing through the City of Lights, be sure to dine here !