Cremerie Polidor – simple but good quality food at very reasonable prices, a great value wine list and typical brusque Parisian service add up to a fun eating experience

Like Brasserie Lipp which my Parisian friends in the 6th had been insisting I visit and finally did (and enjoyed – see post of 2009/2010), I also finally got to try out on their recommendation, Cremerie Polidor – also in the 6th on the corner of rue Monsieur le Prince and rue Racine, near Metro Cluny la Sorbonne.

They both have a great buzz about them (or if you want it in proper English – a lively atmosphere) but that is where the similarity ends. As much as Lipp is formal, Polidor is as informal.

Here you turn up, wait for a place at bench-like tables (sharing bread, water and conversation), run the wrath of the two sisters who boss the restaurant like their own family kitchen and tuck into plain but hearty, traditional French dishes washed down with a well priced pichet (36cl), pot (46cl) or bottle (75cl) of their huge selection of French wines which they retail from their cave next door.

You will enjoy this place and it’s prices. Set 3 course menus/formules are €22 and €28 which is reasonable anyway but a la carte you can even get away with less ! On the night (20/01/2011), I had the house egg mayo (€3.50), boeuf bourgignon (€11) and rhum baba (€3.50) coming to €18 and treated myself to a pichet of 2007 E.Guigal Cotes du Rhone at €10.50.

Polidor has the same Plat du Jour on the same day every week for just €11 . So for example if you like “haches parmentier” (sheperds pie) you can go there every Friday and know that they will be serving your favourite dish for just €11 !

Last thing to mention – no credit cards accepted.

APARTMENTS TO RENT NEARBY

Your Local Street Market – rue Daguerre in the 14th

I love two things in particular about the market on rue Daguerre. Firstly it is a daily market (except Sundays) and secondly, it really is for local residents and has no pretentions about targeting tourists.

Daguerre Maree sells every type of fresh fish but also great dishfuls of ready to heat paella. There are top quality cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and wine stalls/shops and unusually, interspersed with one or two excellent bar/brasseries of which my favourite is La Chope Daguerre.

A liitle aside for you is that the street takes it’s name from Louis Daguerre, the inventor of photogrphy – my photographer friend John Minihan stayed in one of our apartments (MONTPAR07) on the street last year and wrote about him and Samuel Beckett who lived in the neighbourhood.

Rue Daguerre would be your local market  if you were renting an apartment in the 14th, near or on avenue du General Leclerc, bld Saint Jacques and the residential area between avenue du Maine and Cimetiere du Montparnasse. The market is just across from  Denfert Rochereau station (RER B and Metro lines 4 and 6).

APARTMENTS TO RENT NEARBY

CHAT03 – rue des Lombards, 75004 Paris

RENT THIS APARTMENT

Guest Comments

Everything was as described in the site. the apartment was very close to : Metro/RER stations ,the louvre museum , NotreDam ,Pubs , resturants and so on.

Posted by: Jeries Sader | 11 January 2011 at 09:04

Paris introduces self-service electric car scheme

A fleet of blue, eco-friendly electric cars will hit the streets of the French capital next autumn and cost no more than a train fare to zip around town.

Autolib will see 3,000 small, battery-powered bubble vehicles placed at 1,000 self-service ranks across Paris and its suburbs.

The scheme will cost 12 euros per month for annual subscribers, who will then be required to pay five euros for the first half-hour of use, four euros for the next and six for every extra 30 mins at the wheel. The idea, as with Vélib, is to encourage short trips. One-off weekly subscriptions will cost 15 euros and daily passes 10 euros.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8207574/Paris-introduces-self-service-electric-car-scheme.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLNE6BF05N20101217

APARTMENTS TO RENT NEARBY

MONTOR04 – rue du Croissant, 75002 Paris

RENT THIS APARTMENT

Guest Comments

Our stay in Paris was wonderful. The apartment is very good, with a very convenient location, near supermarket and underground station. I highly recommend this apartment. We were 7 people and all of us felt like we were at home. It was very pleasant.

Posted by: Raquel Fonseca | 30 December 2011 at 18:33

This central, spacious, comfortable apartment made an excellent base for our week in Paris. We would recommend it, and your agency, to anyone looking for a place suitable for a family of seven.

Posted by: Ben Batten | 03 May 2011 at 12:41

We stayed there in March 2011. Very convienent location, supermarket across the street, police station 3 doors down and the metro around the corner. I would highly recommend this apartment. You can also call the USA for free from the phone.

Posted by: James Necker | 27 April 2011 at 12:25

Bonjour!
I just want to express how lovely our stay was in Paris. We had a fabulous time visiting various neighborhoods, shopping and eating many local restaurants.
Your apartment is centrally located and we enjoyed the convenience of Montorguiel area very much. My family is planning to return to Paris in the near future as we can’t seem to get enough of this wonderful city!
Thanks for everything! Wishing all the best…
Warm regards,
Sharon”

Posted by: Sharon | 15 March 2011 at 10:21

Great apartment in excellent location

Posted by: Row | 11 January 2011 at 10:05

Paris fights image as boring city with no nightlife

“Paris is trying to ditch its reputation as one of the world’s most boring cities after many of its nightclubs closed in the wake of complaints over noise ……”

Read more of what the Telegraph had to say about this recently: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8139083/Paris-fights-image-as-boring-city-with-no-nightlife.html

What do you think ?

PARIS APARTMENTS TO RENT

MONTOR05 – rue des Petits Carreaux, 75002 Paris

RENT THIS APARTMENT

Guest Comments

We stayed at rue des Petits Carreaux for 5 weeks during the fall of 2010. We had changed locations at the last minute from the 6th. The apartment is VERY comfortable. The bedroom can be kept so dark you can sleep forever! The street is very lively and wonderful. We thought we wanted a quiet street – but we wouldn’t have traded this place for anything. The street is the best market in town. Everything is happening right outside your window. If you don’t want to hear it, simply close the windows and it all goes away! Perfectly quiet. There are many wonderful produce markets, small casual cafes all the way to wonderful restaurants all up and down this street and it’s side streets. Everything from dry cleaners to hardware stores, to a pharmacy and many bread shops. Easy access to trains and a taxi stand at the north end at Reamur. I don’t care for some areas around Les Halles – and this was fine! The staff were very accomodating and attentive before, during and after our stay. We looked at many, many properties and read many reviews. We are thrilled with our stay and this location and apartment. I don’t think there were many, if any, tourists. The tiny news shop out the front door had great postcards. If you don’t get this apartment, go to the neighborhood and have some excellent fun. Great people watching. Great place. Great experience overall. We plan to find other apartments through these people again and again. Thank you for your great attitudes and willingness to help with anything.

Posted by:Bobbie, Chicago, Illinois| 06 January 2011 at 10:06