I’m fresh off a trip to Paris which was every bit as lovely as Paris in the spring could be. I was especially excited for the opportunity to explore a side of Paris I haven’t before, what I’ll call Alpine Paris. Here are a few recommendations for anyone hoping to catch a bit of the high peaks in the city of lights:
On a charming, meandering street in Paris’s 6th Arrondissement is a small but bursting bookstore promising the “spirit of the mountains in Paris.” The store is filled with books – new and old – dedicated to mountains. From travel guides to Savoie history and mountaineering memoires from Mont Blanc, you can find just about any topic related to life and adventure at high altitude.
Most of the books are in French but the knowledgeable owner speaks fluent English and can help guide you through not just their book selection but their vintage prints, photos, and postcards as well. I left with a couple gifts and a copy of Lithographies by the artist Pierre Bichet, a collection of illustrations inspired by France’s Jura region.
With more room in my suitcase I would have included a couple vintage photos and books.
I can’t remember how I heard about Le Sávoyard. I might have been in one of David Lebovitz’s fantastic newsletters about life and food in Paris. However I found it, I was immediately interested in this little store dedicated to foods from the Savoie, the alpine region in south-eastern France. The shop has no website and limited information on Google, so I really didn’t know what to expect when I made the trip to the quiet, residential stretch of the 11th that it calls home.
Finally arriving after a 40 minute walk from the 6th, I knew I was in the right place when I saw my favorite jam displayed in the window. Walking inside, you feel as though you’re walking into someone’s house – warm, cozy, and very personal. You immediately notice the smell of old wood, fresh cheese, and your eyes gradually make their way around the small, low lit room.
Said favorite jam – Confiture De La Creation’s mango flavor, which initially landed on my radar as a gift from a friend brought back from Switzerland – was stacked on wooden wine crates. A refrigerated case offered Savoie sausages and cheeses including Vacherin du Haut-Doubs. Baskets of walnuts looked like holy relics under the light of an old lamp. And of course there was an assortment of French wines, with plenty of Savoie producers I didn’t recognize.
Inspecting the jams, I noticed the most incredible little bar behind them. An ancient wooden counter with tiny mismatched liquor glasses and a selection of French aperitifs, some gathering dust, others that have seen more recent activity. It was absolutely charming and totally unexpected.
While it might be a bit of a hike for most visitors, Le Sávoyard is worth the extra effort for anyone who would appreciate a truly authentic selection of Savoie foods. Bring a bag and purchase an assortment of cheeses, hard sausages, and wine for a picnic. Don’t forget the mango jam.
Vin
What is Paris without wine? It’s everywhere, usually well-priced, and you can find varieties from all corners of France. As it relates to our Alpine producers, I found that your best bet for these bottles will be at restaurants vs wine bars with one incredible discovery below:
Part wine store, part wine bar-restaurant, wholly perfect. Pépites offers the most extensive list of French Alpine wines that I found in Paris:
Savoie: Domaine des Ardoisières, Ça boit Libre, Clément Bartschi, Nicolas Godin, Thomas Blard
Jura: François Rousset Martin, Jean-François Ganevat, Grange 476, Benjamin Benoit, Zéroine, Marnes Blanches, Montbourgeot, Nicolas Jacob, Guillaume Overnoy…
In the Marais, a wide variety of winter-leaning dishes, including an extensive list of raclettes and fondues. The cheese menu is not solely focused on the Alps and you can really do a Tour de Fromage from around the country. The wine list is designed to compliment the dishes and you can find low alcohol, high acid bottles from the Jura and Savoie regions.
Vantre is a small bistro in the 11th arrondissement with a shockingly deep wine cellar (as in 3,000+ bottles deep …). Monday - Friday you’ll find rustic, seasonal dishes – think grilled pork with white asparagus. Unsurprisingly, their wine list is populated with unexpected Alpine bottles not just from France but from Italy and beyond.
Also of note:
Saveurs de Savoie restaurant in the 5th – raclette and other mountain comfort dishes in the 5th
Monbleu – cheese shop with a charming, casual restaurant in the 9th
Le Brasier des Ternes - an old-school bistro in the 17th with an authentic Savoyard menu