%cr%s4ETIQUETTE ~ The FRENCH Way and other Paris, France Local Custom Tips

Even the French dogs have polite

table etiquette!!

'POLITESSE' ~

Parisians are polite, especially to older people.
In Paris, the difference between getting good and bad service is the difference between a little meek 'politesse' and careless rudeness.
Tone and facial expressions can work wonders.
Maintain composure at all times and act like you mean business; speak softly and politely (do employ the standard "monsieur/madame" and "s'il vous plaît") to Parisians in official positions, especially if they are older than you.

ARGUING ~

Avoid doing this with Parisians.
Do not assume you can talk your way into something. To the French, conversation, especially 'arguing' is an ART form that has taken centuries to refine.
When the concierge sitting in front of a rack of keys tells you there are no vacancies, or when the maître d' insists that he cannot seat you in a restaurant full of empty tables, move on.

GIFTS ~

If you are invited to someone's house for lunch or dinner, it is expected of you that you won't come empty-handed.
Wine is a common and perfectly adequate thank-you gift, as is food or flowers.
A word to the wise: unless you're attending a wake, do not bring a bouquet of chrysanthemums; they are a flower of mourning.

SERVICE ~

There is no assumption in Paris that "the customer is always right," and complaining to managers about poor service is rarely worth your while. Your best bet is to take your business elsewhere.
When engaged in any official process (e.g., opening a bank account, purchasing insurance, etc.), don't fret if you get shuffled from one desk to another or from one phone number to the next.
Hold your ground, patiently explain your situation as many times as necessary, and you will prevail.

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Dining & Drinking: FOOD and FILM NOIR

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Updated by Lady_Mystique

on Oct 17, 2004

Can't get anymore Parisian than

this ... !!!

Follow the mist from the Seine that drifts into the city just before dawn, clinging to bridges and lampposts---start early to capture Paris at its famed black-and-white best.

Begin your day with a visit to the neighborhood bakery that spins out warm, flaky treats each morning, and enjoy these tasty delicacies all day, or lunch on a sandwich of apples, brie, and sweet walnuts at the zoo in the Jardin des Plantes.

Spend a rainy afternoon (you're sure to have at least one) taking tea in a 'salon de thé' and then while away the evening in a piano bar, sipping a whiskey and listening to Piaf impersonators.

Or, you might try lunch at a bistro---you won't be disappointed; beautifully trimmed with brass, these neighborhood locales serve up well-sauced plats and fine red wines.
Paris will still be there waiting for you after your meal.

Europe's capital of culture, the city has more movie theaters and film festivals than any other on earth.
You might be fortunate enough to catch Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Quai des Orferes," a detective thriller that won Clouzot the best director prize at the 1947 Venice Film Festival.
The real delight of this 'film noir' is in its mood and atmosphere. From the seedy music halls of Menilmonant to the dank police headquarters of the Quai des Orferes, it captures the underbelly of post-World War II Paris in the most glorious black and white you've ever seen.
But...if you miss this one, there are always others....this IS Paris, after all.

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Local Customs: ART ~ In the EYE of Open-Minded

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Updated by Lady_Mystique

on Aug 26, 2006

Paris Street Graffitti

The LOUVRE, the CENTRE Georges POMPIDOU, and the MUSEE d'ORSAY display some of the most inspiring and well-known artwork in the world ---

--- but --- depending on your mood --- culture could just as well be hidden in an independent gallery, an air-conditioned movie theatre on the Champs-Elysées, or in a portrait painter in Montmartre's pl. du Tertre.

No matter where you stroll, you will be following in the footsteps of someone who came to Paris in search of inspiration.

A generation of hungry intellectuals was lured to Paris by the call of academic and artistic freedom (not to mention warm croissants) during and after World War II, and under the influence of potent espresso, and even more potent red wine, they set the dramatic tone for the artistic community that prevails in Parisian cafés today.

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Dining & Drinking: Absinthe

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Updated by Lady_Mystique

on Aug 26, 2006

Absinthe pour vous???

Back in Montmartre’s cabaret heyday in the late 19th century, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his fellow gang of merry artists and writers spent many an evening swimming in a hallucinogenic sea of absinthe.
Also known as the 'Green Fairy' , absinthe was an anisette-based liqueur with a bit of poisonous herbs that didn’t just get people drunk, but also apparently turned them mad.
So absinthe was banned and the party ended.

A few years ago it re-emerged in a legal version that tastes the same (a bit like pastis, which was the original absinthe alternative), minus the poisonous bits.
Of course, the new versions have different names, such as 'Versinthe'.
You can purchase it in most liquor stores in France, although it’s still sort of a novelty so don’t expect to see it served in the corner café.

There’s a method to serving it that involves a water tank with a spout, a flat silver spoon with holes in it, and sugar cubes.

If you’re interested in an introduction to the whole tradition, stop into the Hotel Royal Fromentin (11 rue Fromentin, 9th; right around the corner from Pigalle), a former cabaret known as Le Don Juan with a lovely bar specializing in absinthe.

Try popping in after dinner when the night staff aren’t too busy and can give you the full presentation. (And guests at the hotel even get a little color booklet about the history of the beverage)...see website below for more info.

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Website: www.hotelroyalfromentin.com

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Dining & Drinking: La Tarte Bourdaloue

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Written by Lady_Mystique

on Aug 26, 2006

And the recipe can be made into

individual tarts