Zia, a tiny restaurant near the Eiffel Tower, features a creative menu with an international flare that is flawlessly executed. In a single pleasantly decorated, albeit crowded room, a few diners at a time can enjoy what is arguably the best breakfast spot in Paris. The restaurant is small. Anticipate a short wait for table.
Coutume originated as a specialty coffee shop in the 7th and has now expanded to a chain of half a dozen or so cafés throughout the city. A few locations offer a limited breakfast menu. My breakfast at the original Babylone location in the 7th Arrondissement was perfectly executed (poached eggs were perfect) and the service was spot-on. The Babylone location is totally unpretentious and laid-back. Subsequent locations have a more contemporary, chain feel to them … but the coffee is great in all locations.
Why Café Louise? If you go to see the highly overrated Café de Flore or Les Deuxe Magots in Saint Germaine you’ll likely see a long line of tourists waiting for a table, like cattle following others over the cliff. Don’t despair. Walk across the street to the small, but impressively decorated Café Louise for breakfast. The American Breakfast with eggs and bacon, toast or croissant, coffee and juice is reasonably priced (half the cost of the overrated cafés across the street) and perfectly executed. On a recent visit the service was quick and the waitress was friendly. And … there was immediate seating.
Restaurant Cléo, located in the luxury-hotel, Le Narcisse Blanc Hôtel & Spa, is the only restaurant we’ve reviewed in Paris that made both our ‘Best Breakfasts’ and ‘Affordable Gourmet’ lists of top-picks. The ambience is noticeably more upscale than the other breakfast spots that made our list and the dinner menu and it’s execution rival the city’s top restaurants at a fraction of the cost. Opens at 7 a.m. for early-bird tourists.
Silvio Nikol is regarded by many as Vienna’s premiere gourmet dining experience. Execution and presentation were on par with most of Europe’s best upscale restaurants offering gourmet experiences. However, the ability to order off an a la carte menu was misrepresented on the reservation site. Thus our dining party was faced with the uncomfortable choice of subjecting ourselves to an overpriced and painfully drawn out tasting menu or leaving. For one of the few restaurants garnering accolades for excellence in Vienna at what some would say is the city’s most prestigious hotel, this is nothing short of embarrassingly unprofessional.
Swing Kitchen is a popular fast-casual dining restaurant chain in Vienna that offers a 100% vegan menu featuring a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and sides made with plant-based ingredients, all of which are prepared fresh daily and served in a modern and trendy atmosphere that appeals to a diverse customer base, from health-conscious individuals and vegetarians to vegans and flexitarians looking for a tasty and sustainable alternative to traditional fast food options.