Wednesday, August 27, 2014


Haagen-Dazs has been delighting people since 1921 and is classified as 'heaven' for ice cream lovers all over the world as it offers some of the best ice creams available with an extremely wide variety of flavours that use only the finest natural ingredients.

The famous Haagen-Dazs ice-cream house has a chain of shops around the world and although the ice creams are considered more expensive than many others, the quality speaks for itself and hence why you will find these shops often situated in very prominent positions and they set the standard for many of the other companies to aspire to.


From France to Japan the Haagen-Dazs brand has become an international phenomenon and with over 850 Haagen-Dazs shops in 50 different countries, plus the exclusive use of natural ingredients that comes with a guarantee of no colourings or preservatives in their products, this has ensured the delight and pleasure of all of their consumers.

And all of the flavours that are available in Europe are always manufactured to the same specifications as their American counterparts, which are produced at the Haagen-Dazs plant in Arras, France, that is approximately 140 kilometres to the north of Paris.

When in the City of Paris you will come across a Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream House situated in the 8th Arrondissement and on the most beautiful and prestigious avenue in the world, the Champs Elysees, which has been designed as a showcase shop.

The shop itself is on three floors and is organised around the different moments of the day and outside there is a terrace that can seat two hundred people, which is actually the largest terrace on the Avenue de Champs Elysees and is like a chic garden with beautiful flowers.

The styling of the whole building is elegant and modern, combining warm colours, natural materials and access to the latest technology.

As you enter this shop, you will be greeted by numerous different flavours of ice cream to choose from such as the traditional Cookies and Cream flavour through to some of the more recent varieties such as Summer Berries and the Caramel Apple Crumble, that you can eat there or take them away.

Then you can go into the cosy atmosphere of the café with its sofas and daily papers that is a great way of being able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee whilst perhaps checking your emails, as they have a free WiFi service within the Haagen-Dazs Shop.

The Gold room within the shop is for snacks and maybe a breakfast with a difference, as it is a mix of different styles and a friendly get together type of atmosphere, however you can sit quietly in an alcove for a bit more privacy.

On the third floor you will find a bar, called the Ice B&**228;ar, and this is a place where you can listen to music from a DJ, whilst taking in the fantastic views as the sun sets, sipping on a cocktail made with ice cream.


Address & Contact Details:

Haagen-Dazs Paris Champs Elysees
49/51 Avenue des Champs Elysees
75008
Paris
Ile de France

Telephone: 1 53 77 68 68


Originally the setting for Korova inspired by the cult movie Clockwork Orange, the restaurant has now changed hands and been renamed the Libre Sens, which is located in the 8th Arrondissement of Paris.

Located close to the Avenue des Champs Elysees, It has a great friendly atmosphere and is a trendy mix of old with contemporary styling that is run by the company Groupe Bertrand who also run the famous Angelina tea room, which is near to the fabulous Louvre museum.

With a chic interior and design by Jonathan Amar and different areas providing entirely different styles and moods from the rich reds through to whites and translucent, plus there is a lovely bar with its dark brown wood, so there will always be a place to fit how you feel.

The cuisine is traditional French comfort food and some of things you may find on the menu could include steak with chips and béarnaise sauce, roasted sea bass fillet and risotto with Grana Padano cheese, spring rolls with duck confit and salad, fresh crab with lime, cucumber and coriander, crème brulee, and much more.

Restaurant Guide Key Points

The Libre Sens is open from 9am through to 3am every day of the week and serves breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

For a fun and different meal out, you can experience the atmosphere of this restaurant and bar for an average cost of €24 upwards without drinks.

The nearest Metro station is the Franklin D. Roosevelt.


Address & Contact Details:

Libre Sens
33 Rue Marbeuf
75008
Paris
France

Telephone: +33 (0) 1 53 96 00 72



Would you like to try your luck in the leading casino in France?

Well now you can with games tables from Roulette to Black Jack and Poker and slot machines at the Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains, which was the first casino to open its doors in France back in 1901 and offers a fantastic atmosphere with original games, fun and recreation.

Although opened in 1901, only ten years later it was rebuilt and had a theatre added. Then in 2001 with the 100 years celebrations slot machines were added, which expanded in 2003. But then in 2005 the casino had another complete makeover and an atrium was also added.


The Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains can be found in Enghien-les-Bains, which is a common department of Val-d'Oise and was a commune created from scratch back in 1850 with its beautiful lake that the casino looks over and this is the only casino in Ile de France region.

This unique spa town is situated only 11 kilometres to the north of Paris and only 14 kilometres from the famous Avenue de Champs Elysees and this casino is the only place that has slot machines around Paris, so as you can imagine, it is very popular.

The Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains now has around 350 slot machines and around 40 gaming tables, where you can wander at your leisure between these on two floors and there is also the exclusive Salon des Princes, which was recently redesigned by decorator Jacques Garcia and is a more intimate location that is reserved for the high-stake games.

Also at the casino you can benefit from restaurants and bars for a bit of relaxation in between trying your luck along with the theatre that holds all types of shows from cabaret, comedy, variety and dance shows.

Also you can go to the bar-restaurant of machines, Sub, which is a place to get salads and grills plus enjoy cocktails at night whilst listening to music and is open daily from noon until 2am.

The Baccara restaurant is situated in the heart of the hall that holds the games tables and is spacious yet distinguished and sits slightly higher than the game tables, so it offers food lovers the opportunity to follow the surrounding activities while savouring the refined traditional French cuisine or you can enjoy the French food out on the terrace. This restaurant is extended by the bar and Baccara lounge with a great atmosphere holding music every Saturday evening, but it is advisable to make a reservation when ding here and this can be done by telephoning 1 39 34 12 91. The Baccara is open from 8.30pm through to 12.30am every day.

The Bar of the Salon des Princes is where you get exclusivity along with its fantastic service at the bar, then try the terrace that overlooks the lake which opens from 9pm through to 4am. However, there is an additional fee payable to get into the Salon des Princes and all restaurants require smart or formal dress plus the Salon des Princes is regarded as a sanctuary by players worldwide having always attracted the elite players to the this Paris casino who enjoy the whole games scene.

The casino itself and the restaurants are only available to people over 18 years of age and you have to have proof that you are able to enter, and for tourists, this is in the form of their passport.

The slot machines range in price from 0.5€ to 20€, whereas the games tables have a minimum bet of 2.5€ for English Roulette up to 20€ for Stud Poker, but if you wish to be one of the privileged in the Salon des Princes for the Great Games Privilege, this is a minimum of 500€.

There is access for the disabled and the Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains is open every day of the year from 10am through to 4am.

The slot machines are available for use all the time the casino is open, whereas the table games run from 4pm to 4am and the Salon des Princes runs from 9pm to 4am.

The payment to enter the casino is 10€ during the weekdays from 10am through to 4pm, but on weekends, the eve of national holidays and from 4pm onwards the cost is 15€. However, it would be advisable to check as the pricing is subject to change. Also as mentioned before, it is strictly for adults only, smart dress is required and no jean or trainers are allowed.


Address & Contact Details:

Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains
3 Avenue de Ceinture
95880
Enghien-les-Bains 
Ile de France

Telephone: 1 39 34 12 91
Fax: 1 39 34 13 01


Le Cafe Marly is not your ordinary museum restaurant and has become known as a hip and trendy restaurant, where you will often find celebrities eating and has excellent dishes such as foie gras.

This charming restaurant and cafe has a plush red and striking gold décor with amazing views as well as sumptuous continental cuisine, that make it one of the nicest places to dine. But having a terrace, you could choose to just have a late evening drink at sunset, but it is also great for a snack and cold drink on a beautiful summer day in Paris.


You can find the Cafe Marly situated in the 1st Arrondissement and located under the arcades of The Louvre museum in the Richelieu wing and the terrace looks directly onto The Louvre pyramid, which has definitely got to be one of the best places to sit and recover after walking around this very famous museum in France.

This cafe and restaurant in Paris is a little more expensive than some, with a club sandwich coming out at about 15€, but when you consider the view of the glass pyramid that is only around 50 metres away, especially upon sunset or after dark when it is all lit up, then you will no doubt say that the cost is worth every penny.

Restaurant Guide Key Points

Le Cafe Marly in Paris is open from 8am through to very late evening every day of the week and they serve breakfast, snacks, lunches, brunches and evening dinners.

The food is refined and traditional French cuisine and a reservation is recommended for either a lunch or dinner, being that it is such a popular venue and an a la carte meal will cost approximately 50€ upwards.

However, they do provide a Brunch which is around 35€ for an adult and 20€ for a child, or you could opt for just a snack, which is a cheaper option.

The dress code for outside on the terrace is a very big mix from people in smart and casual dress to shorts and trainers, whereas for a dinner inside in the evening, you would want to make sure you dress up for the occasion in smart fashionable attire.

Obviously, if you can get to The Louvre, then you can get to this restaurant! But the nearest Metro station is actually called the Palais Royal.


Address & Contact Details:

Le Louvre
Cour Napoléon
93 Rue de Rivoli
75001
Paris
France

Telephone: 1 49 26 06 60


The French holiday company called Club Med that is known for its locations in exotic places has now opened a leisure centre on the edge of Paris without accommodation, called Club Med World.

It was over fifty years ago that Club Med first thought of the idea of providing holidays to exotic places that were affordable to the majority rather than to the minority, and yet it had faltered at times, especially with its laid back attitude to 'fun', but things have changed over the years and the Club Med World is going to other places around the globe.

Another idea of the sites is to try and keep regular Club Med members in touch with each other and the Club in between their holidays along with introducing Club Med to a new clientele.

Within the Club Med World Paris you can eat at a choice of three different restaurants that are all based on different themes such as the Mediterranean and there are also bars. There is an amateur recording studio, a travel agency, a library and a stage for shows, plus a club that is open until way into the early hours of the next morning.

Something else that is quite unique, is the fact that it has a circus school where people can learn the trapeze. From the age of six and above, which includes adults, you can learn to fly the trapeze and there are different courses, but you can also get one-off sessions that last an hour as well. You would need to contact them.

Situated in the Saint-Emilion courtyard in the Bercy area and in the 12th arrondissement of Paris you will find that the prices at Club Med World are relatively low in comparison to places such as Disneyland Paris Resort and can provide children with an entirely different experience from the norm.

There is a nightclub which is more like night come day as it is open to the very early hours, plus it has a show venue and restaurants that are all located within one centre in Paris itself and is a hive of activity. However they do tend to change the organised programme from time to time, which means you are better to check what is going on before arriving, otherwise you could be extremely disappointed.

We mentioned earlier about having trapeze sessions and classes, but these are sometimes cancelled as well, due to the location of the actual rig itself. In fact it is set up in front of the stage and the platform is accessed from the first floor restaurant, but it must be dismantled before a major event for obvious safety reasons!

The technical level of the trapeze troupe is among the highest in Club Med yet there are a lot of mixed feelings about the Club Med World Paris for several different issues, including the cost of drinks within the nightclub and the fact that some of the staff do not seem as friendly as they would be in a lot of other places you would visit around Paris, but then again, there are also the favourable comments of people saying how great the food and service is within the restaurants and how good the shows are, such as the trapeze group performances that are sometimes provided within the early evening and then there are the cabaret acts that are fantastic.

The Club Med World Paris is situated in Bercy Village, which is opposite to the Cour St Emilion metro station. If you are travelling by car, then there is easy access from périphérie by exiting at the Porte de Bercy exit, or you get direct access via the voie Georges Pompidou. There are car parks situated at the St Emilion and Bercy Expo.

The Club Med World Paris is open on a Tuesday to Thursday from 11am through to 2am, a Friday and Saturday they are open from 11am through to 6am and on a Sunday they are open from 11am through to 8pm, but are closed on a Monday.


Address & Contact Details:

39 Cour St Emilion
75012
Paris
France


Above the Avenue Daumesnil there is a 19th century viaduct that original had a railway track and until 1969 this served traffic between the Bastille and St Maur, but now this has been turned into an elevated garden that runs next to the tracks.

Yet underneath this in the vaults, the viaduct has been transformed into a vast number of different boutiques, cafes, galleries and workshops for numerous different crafts such as antique restoration and repair shops, and this is where you will also find the Viaduc Cafe.


This café in Paris has a very modern and contemporary feel, yet with its high ceilings, glass front and stone walls set into one of the arches makes for a sophisticated spot for a drink and a time to relax, especially on a lovely day out on the terrace.

The Viaduc Cafe is more upmarket than some of the other cafes and restaurants in Paris, with items on the menu such as foie gras and salmon or perhaps you would rather opt for a glorious salad, but all of the food is cooked fresh from the nearby Marché d'Aligre and therefore the menu changes frequently.

Situated in the 12th Arrondissement of Paris it takes its name from the Viaduc des Arts and it is a great place to sit and relax with a coffee or refreshing alcoholic beverage whilst you are whiling away the time watching other people go by.

However on a Sunday they hold a Jazz Brunch with live musicians playing Jazz and this plus the meal is available from noon until 4pm and you can expect to pay around £20 for this.

Cafe and Restaurant Guide Key Points

The Viaduc Café is open seven days a week. From a Monday to Saturday it is open from 9am through to 3pm and then from 7pm through to 3am. On a Sunday it is open for the Live jazz brunch from noon until 4pm.

There is no particular dress code and it is suitable for families plus you will be pleased to know that reservations are not needed, but it is very popular, especially on a Sunday, so you may at times have to wait for a table.

The closest Metro station is the Gare de Lyon.


Address & Contact Details:

Le Viaduc Cafe
43 Avenue Daumesnil
75012
Paris
France

Telephone: 1 44 74 70 70
Fax: 1 44 74 70 71
The Double Fond is a very unique place to eat and sip a cocktail, as it is dedicated to magic and translated it means Double the Substance.

Dominique Duvivier decided that he wanted to create a place that was dedicated to magic, and although people thought that this would be impossible, the Double Fond was established over 20 years ago and has become known as the Premier Pub of Magic in Europe.

Today the Double Fond is known throughout the world as it has become an essential venue for magic and entertainment not just in France, but throughout Europe and attracts more than 10000 visitors every year.

But this is a magic venue with a difference. You will not just sit there and watch magicians performing magic on stage even though you can go to a show here in their atmospheric stone vaulted cellar, but many tricks will be done right in front of you at your table and the magic shows will enthral both young and old alike.

Situated in the heart of the Marais district of Paris on the small square called Market St Catherine, which is right around the corner from the Place des Vosges, the Double Fond has a range of around 10 different magic shows that change each year and you will be completely enthralled by the humorous sketches and miracles that take place.

It is not really any more expensive to have a cocktail in the Double Fond than it is elsewhere in Paris, but when you take a certain type of drink, the person who serves you will do a magic trick at your table that is specific to that particular cocktail that you have ordered.

One particular cocktail is called Caipiroska d'Onosaka and is named after Ton Onosaka who owns a magic shop in Tokyo and is one of the most well-known magicians in the world, being a creator of the multiple effects scene with close up magic and in particular special card tricks. This particular cocktail contains lime, cane sugar and vodka and is accompanied by a special card trick to enjoy.

Another cocktail with a theme is called the Cocktail Levitation, which contains champagne, white rum, galliano, pineapple juice and pulco. As the name portrays, you will get to see a grand illusion that utilises the art of levitation, which defies the laws of gravity.

However, if you are unable to have an alcoholic drink, don't worry, there are non alcoholic alternatives drinks, so you do not have to worry about missing out on the magic and action.

But if you have ever thought about learning to do some magic yourself? Well, you can have a one hour personal session by a professional magician to learn some the magicians secrets and learn two impressive, yet easy to implement magic tricks. Obviously, this facility is only by available by appointment, and to book you can telephone them on 1 42 71 40 20 and the cost is around 55 Euros.

Or there are group sessions of tuition available that work out at around 20 Euros, per one hour course, or you can book a full course if you are staying in Paris for a few weeks and they are available for adults and children aged twelve or more. Again, you would need to contact the Double Fond to find out more information with times and the costs for the different courses available, as they don't just teach you magic tricks, but also how to present yourself to an audience and how to get over stage fright, etc.

The Double Fond is open for shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night all year round at 9pm. Also they do shows at 11pm on a Saturday night except in July and August.

On the first Sunday of each month at 7.30 in the evening the stage is open to amateur magicians who want to try out in front of a real audience, and if you would like to take part in the show, then you would need to register for this, and it is a great place for a budding magician to start.

The Double Fund is an ideal place for a family outing and also to celebrate a birthday and birthday parties can also be arranged for children from the age of five upwards. There are also lots of other parties and different options available so you would have to contact Le Double Fond for further information, and although we have given you a general idea on some prices, please do bear in mind that prices do change, and details are always going to be subject to change.

Throughout the winter Le Double Fond is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 7pm through to 2am and during the summer months it is open every day except Monday from the afternoon until 2am.


Address & Contact Details:

Le Double Fond
1 Place du Marché St Catherine
75004
Paris
France