The Paris Olympic Games are underway, and the city is bustling with tourists who are eager to enjoy the sports. But Paris is still Paris, and one must explore what the city offers, such as its delicious, unforgettable, world-famous food.
To give you a better sense of how to eat like a local in Paris, we interviewed Greg Marchand, a prominent French chef who now leads several restaurants. He made his name through Frenchie, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2019.
Chef Marchand started his culinary journey in Nantes, France, at 15, learning to cook in an orphanage kitchen. He spent over a decade cooking worldwide in cities like London, Hong Kong, and New York, where Jamie Oliver nicknamed him “Frenchie.”
In 2009, Greg opened his first restaurant, “Frenchie,” in Paris. This was followed by a wine bar in 2011, a street food spot in 2013, a wine shop in 2015, a bistro in London in 2016, and new locations in Pigalle and Verbier in 2020. Greg embodies the Frenchie spirit: bold, generous, impertinent, inspired, and open to the world. Here are the Q&As we did with him:
I love my neighborhood (2nd arrondissement). I live and work here most of the time. It’s very charming and has a real village feel, right in the center of Paris, You can easily walk to many great sights such as the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens, the Palais Royal Garden (my favorite in Paris), Les Halles, Le Marais and the 9th arrondissement, are all within easy walking distance. This is also the largest pedestrian zone in Paris, an ideal people-watching spot with many cafeterias and terraced bistros.
I usually start with a run or a coaching session in the Louvres Garden, then a tour of the Rue du Nil on the way back and have a coffee with the teams. Then back home for a shower and a little time for emails. Then lunch service starts at L’Altro, my most recent restaurant. In the afternoon, R&D time with my chefs and then L’Altro, Bar à Vins and of course team briefing before dinner service at Frenchie, my Michelin-starred restaurant.
I usually have a coffee at L’Arbre à Café, our neighbor on Rue du Nil, followed by a smoothie at Liife. For a treat, I get a pain au chocolat at the Terroir d’Avenir boulangerie, also our neighbors. I keep it in the family!
There are so many places in Paris that it is sometimes hard to choose. But Le Rubis (Rue Léopold Bellan) is the restaurant of my good friend Franck. This is usually where we meet with my friends. I also like Les Crus de Bourgogne and Petit Bao in the 2nd arrondissement, near Rue du Nil.
For cocktails with friends: Experimental Cocktail Club. For a beer with the team after service: at the Empire Bar, the after-service night spot.
I always wanted to open a place where I would like to go and, most importantly, go back. Frenchie is a reflection of myself, French-rooted and open to the world. Four years of cooking school in France and ten years of cooking around the world, has left its mark on all the culinary proposals I have made in my restaurants.
We are lucky to be co-founders of an organic farm just outside Paris. We get most of our vegetables from here. So really anything from “La Ferme de l’Envol“. I also like to go to Passage Brady for Indian products or Issé Workshop for Japanese products. As for spices, a must-go place is Épices Roellinger. I also love Marché des Enfants Rouges.
Visit Rue du Nil , one of the few complete gastronomic streets of Paris. You can find anything you need for a perfect Parisian food experience. And of course: Go to the markets.
Palais Royal is one of my favorite places to go to relax. A hidden gem is the Bibliothèque Nationale Richelieu, totally newly refurbished. It’s wonderful. I also like to run along the banks of the Seine, A great way to explore the city , from the Jardin des Plantes to the Eiffel Tower.
