The place to be this summer in Paris is Galeries Lafayette

There has never been a better time to visit Paris. The hordes that had threatened to visit Paris during the Olympics never materialised, plenty of local Parisians have headed out of town for their summer holidays. What you have are serene streets, exceptional customer service and a post-Olympic honeymoon period. A cursory stroll through the shopping districts of Paris will show a sea change of attitude. They expected plenty of tourists during the Olympics and the staff have been trained to be multilingual and incredibly welcoming.

That is the case when you visit Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet. It is the greatest department store in France and is often mentioned in the same breath as Selfridges and Harrods. The staff are reassuringly proactive, they don’t wait for you to attempt amateurish French before offering assistance. Although help in finding your way around the store is hardly necessary given how well laid out Galeries Lafayette is.

World cuisine at the palm of your hands at Galeries Lafayette

If you are looking for eclectic lunch offerings, the place to visit is the first floor of Lafayette Maison Et Gourmet. Yora offers the best Peruvian street food. Rice Street offers Japanese street food specialities. Mosugo offers the best of modern comfort food, inspired by West Africa, France, and Japan. However, if you want high-quality Indian fare, the place to visit is The Crossing, which is under the careful eyes of head chef Ankur Chakraborty. With 16 years of experience, he has worked under the tutelage of Michelin-starred Chef Atul Kochhar in the UK and owns renowned Indian restaurants in the UAE.

Modern design with informal atmosphere

The restaurant strikes the right balance in providing comfortable seating that is more formal than a food stall, but the open atmosphere connecting it to neighbouring restaurants offers a more relaxed atmosphere. Food is served speedily, but the quality is akin to a fine dining restaurant. The combination of warming red colours and polished wood adds to the India-inspired atmosphere of the Crossing. The name of the restaurant highlights the diversity of Indian cuisine – “The name is an ode to the complex network of the Indian railways which intertwines and connects one corner to the other and bringing closer – this great diversity of our nation”.

A foodie triumph on their eclectic menu

The highlights on their menu are numerous. Their vegetarian starters are in the majority and extremely popular, such as the tamatar chaat. The humble heirloom tomatoes are beautifully livened up by a vinaigrette that is infused with cumin to give it a South Indian twist. Likewise, the fish fry is delightfully appetising and given a quirky twist with the use of turmeric mayonnaise.

Normally, I am reticent about ordering a chicken biryani. Normally, the rice is devoid of moisture and the chicken has been cooked to death 10 times over. The version at The Crossing is moist and the corn-fed chicken is delicate in texture. The aromatic basmati rice has crunchier edges that almost remind you of the socarrat in a paella. There is only one vegetarian choice for the main course, the vegan thali. Thankfully, it is a masterful creation with varied choices that include yellow lentils, stir-fried greens, and cumin potatoes.

La Cave: The most famous wine shop in Paris

For an apéritif or digestif or if you want to shop for the finest wines in town, the place to visit is La Cave. They have exquisite French wines and Champagnes. Some went as far back as 1899. Their superb range of grands vins from Bordeaux is world-renowned and the staff are always on hand to give you a guided tour of the 450m² of imbibing heaven. They have around 2,500 labels, some from little-known boutique producers and the price range does vary and starts from only €4.90.

They have a growing section of spirits too, which accounts for probably 30% of their business. You will find hidden gems there such as French whisky like Bellevoye. What is great about La Cave, is they have a bespoke service. They have seven knowledgeable vendor-sommeliers, who can help you source hard-to-find wines and even set up your wine cellar.

There is so much more to enjoy in this building of the department store. The ground-floor grab-and-go sections are particularly enticing. It is hard to ignore the immaculate croissants from Chez Meunier. It is next to impossible to get a seat at the bar of Cinco Jotas, with customers savouring the delights of acorn-fed ibérico ham along with well-regarded French wines. Their Gourmet restaurants will be open for the summer of 2024 from July 1st to September 30th until 11pm. Make sure you visit Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet when you are next in Paris.

If you want to find out more about Galeries Lafayette, do check out this article on their wellness offerings – https://houseofcoco.net/galeries-lafayette-wellness/

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