Most recently, P'Niche has had the good fortune to return to Paris - this time, staying in the centrally located second arrondissement. As I took time to play the flâneuse and acquaint myself with my new little quarter (read: I was on the hunt for a great hot chocolate - more on that in a moment), I stumbled onto a tiny street. While not as Insta-famous as rue Cremieux, nor as dreamy as rue de la Colombe, it has recently become a foodie haven of sorts.
Let's take a P'Niche peek at rue du Nil...
Situated in the second arrondissement of Paris (the smallest of the 20) rue du Nil now takes her name from some of Napoleon's (hey, remember his bees?) triumphant Egyptian endeavors of 1798-1801.
The street literally translates to "Street of the Nile (River)" and other streets nearby also have Egyptian ties (rue du Caire, rue d'Aboukir, rue d'Alexandrie, etc.)
By most counts, the street was quite abandoned and forgotten in the Parisian streetscape - until chef extraordinaire, Grégory Marchand, opened up his culinary (and Michelin star rated) mecca - Frenchie.
Frenchie can actually be considered the flagship of the petite rue...
Bit by bit, people began to return to this street - once considered to be of ill repute, having lent itself to beggars, shuttered factories, and other such ilk.
These days, a reservation at Frenchie is one of the most sought out tickets in town, and the little street has welcomed other wonderful eateries and specialty shops.
Many of those wonderfully unique shops are the actual suppliers to Frenchie.
The most known would be, of course, "Terroirs d'Avenir" (terroirs with a future to you and me) - stocking top quality produce, gourmet, and products, etc., to leading restaurants in Paris - especially, their neighbor, Frenchie.
Talk about having the freshest ingredients ever from farm to plate!
Terroirs d'Avenir offers a wide array of gourmet goodies, from a butcher and charcuterie area, a boulangerie (using flour sourced from from farmers specializing in rare and antique wheats), a crèmerie, a poissonerie, even vine fresh produce.
Soon after, others followed and opened up shop. Quite notably is a boutique coffee roaster (L'Arbre à Café). By all accounts this coffee shop has become a "bobo hangout", where Paris' coolest hipsters can meet and get their brew on.
The street's build up continued with a wine shop (Frenchie Caviste) and other small, privately owned shops.
This small street has become a charming (and thriving community) of Parisians seeking to live their best lives - with the best ingredients...
And that brings us to why P'Niche found herself on this lovely street in the first place. I was seeking to indulge in a great hot chocolate and found my way over to PLAQ Chocolatier. There was a mini line outside the door, so I felt hopeful.
While waiting, I scored a gorgeous hostess gift box of various chocolates.
P'Nichers - P'NICHERS - this hot chocolate was simply other worldly! Smooth, rich, creamy and just heavenly. Worth the hunt for sure. Five Stars - Most Highly recommend!
Now, you might be thinking - how does this rate next to "Big Sis" rue Montorgueil? You cannot really compare - one is large and established and one is smaller and more niche - but Chef Marchand's gamble in fostering "the comeback of local commerce" has really paid off and his rue du Nil is truly une des rues la plue groumande de Paris - one of the most gourmet streets in Paris...
Oh, and if you can't get a reservation at Frenchie - you can always grab absolutely scrumptious ingredients for a pique-nique from Terroirs d'Avenir - maybe heading over to the gardens of the Palais Royale. More on that lovely area soon, as well as big sis rue Montorgueil, so we hope you will subscribe to join us back here in the Parisian Niche...
Ready to check out rue du Nil for yourself? Marvelous!
You'll head to:
Métro: Sentier (Line 3)
RER: Châtelet-Les Halles (Line A, Line B)
Then a simple walk to rue du Nil for a pleasurable stroll...
What do you say, P'Nicher, what is on the top of your list to see or visit on your stroll of rue du Nil? Let us know in the comments below et à bientôt!
Wow, I had no idea France commemorated Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign by naming streets after places there. Merci, again!