Eclectic Kim Review: No Diet Club: Night Food Tour of Montmartre

Fresh from A Day in Versailles: A Train Ride from Paris, Touring Outdoor Markets and Bicycling Around Versailles and a quick refresh at Hotel Eldorado Paris, it was time for my first Parisian food tour.

Les Ptits Gros

27 Av. Trudaine, 75009 Paris, France
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As I took my Bolt to the first stop, I was a bit excited.

Walking into Les Ptits Gros, I was easily led to Etienne, the tour guide, and fellow tour guests. There were three of us altogether – a couple from Minnesota and another solo traveler from Seattle.

After my food tour in Berlin, Germany (Evening Food Tour with Fork & Walk Tours Berlin), I’d become extremely cautious if a food tour is full of Americans. However, instead of watching the group turn into a weird competitive cringe competition of one upping each other about their lives back in the US, my Parisian food tour was the perfect blend of the right personalities.

After introductions, ordered the table a few French favorites: Escargot; Panisse (Chickpea Fries) with garlic mayo; Oeufs Mayonnaise (French Boiled Eggs With Homemade Mayonnaise).

Finishing at Les Ptits Gros and walking the streets of Paris felt like a cozy welcome.

Le Comptoir de Madeleine

17 Rue Victor Massé, 75009 Paris, France
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Here, I enjoyed the best Madeleine I’d ever have the privilege to enjoy in my life. Served warm, the Caramel au Beurre Salé Madeleine was absolutely remarkable.

PIERRE HERMÉ

PARIS 18E – MONTMARTRE: 13 rue du Mont-Cenis 75018 Paris, France
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As we walked the Pigalle area, Etienne pointed out different points of interest. I absolutely loved the public art. It felt like I was discovering an area of Paris – comfortably and safely – that I’d always desired to.

After Etienne bought some macaroons for us to eat as dessert later in the trip (I chose the Rose de sable), I felt the urge to purchase a small box for myself.

I chose the ISPAHAN (rose, letchi & framboise), PLAISIR SUCRE (chocolate au lait, flaky praline), INFINIMENT FRAMBOISE (Raspberry & Candied Raspberry) and INFINIMENT VANILLE (Madagascan Vanilla). Later, I shared my selections with Amy over cocktails at Hotel Eldorado Paris, where we relaxed and enjoyed live jazz on the piano in the lounge.

The difference between Pierre Hermé and Ladurée was astounding. Of course, eating macaroons in Paris is a whole different feeling than at the Ladurée outpost in Pasadena in Los Angeles.

Cave Les Piqueurs

6 Rue Tardieu, 75018 Paris, France
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Our steps to Cave Les Piqueurs was filled with the lively sights and sounds of Paris.

As we arrived, I was taken by the cozy nature of the wine bar.

Etienne and staff led us down to the private room, in the cave area. Before us was a lovely charcuterie grazing board filled with jambon cru, Chorizo Basque and Sausage along with cheeses: Morbier cheese (ash cheese), goat cheese, Gruyère de Comté.

I tried the selection of wines and settled on a glass of Domaine Mittnacht Frères’ Pinot Noir from the Alsace region of France.

The conversation flowed between all of us. Etienne wrote down a list of recommendations for us to enjoy during our stays in Paris.

As we left, I was deeply appreciative of our collective joining together for such a beautiful time.

FRIC FRAC: Le croque-monsieur Canaille

4 Rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris, France
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From Cave Les Piqueurs, we walked the short distance to stand below Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. Etienne then shared a brief history of the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur, which was both beautiful to see and remarkable to learn about. We ate a French classic – the croque-monsieur – along with our final bite of dessert – the macaroon, as he talked.

The basilica’s story is tied to the unrest that followed the Paris Commune of 1871, a short-lived but dramatic socialist uprising that began right on the hill of Montmartre. When the French army tried to seize cannons from the National Guard on March 18, locals refused to cooperate, sparking the rebellion. For two months, revolutionaries governed Paris and pushed for workers’ rights, secularism, and social reforms.

Their rule ended violently during the “Bloody Week,” when the French state crushed the movement and killed thousands. Because Montmartre was both the birthplace and a major battleground of the uprising, the hill became a lasting symbol of workers’ resistance and the harsh repression that followed.

In this context, many people saw the decision to build Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre – led by conservative and Catholic figures – as a pointed political gesture and a huge fuck you to the citizens of the area. The basilica was presented as a national act of “repentance” for France’s supposed moral failings, which conservatives blamed for the country’s military defeat. To the political left, this felt like an insult: a monument that condemned the ideals of the Commune and honored the forces that destroyed it.

Over time, Sacré-Cœur’s bright white dome has come to mean different things to different people – healing and unity for some, but for others, the erasure of a revolutionary past. As Etienne explained it, I understood a different side of Paris: the rebellion and resistance underneath the beautiful facade and idealized characters of culture. As he spoke more of the history and his take on what it means to be Parisian, I found the conversation with him and the group just as important as the walking tour itself.

Overall

Overall my time with Etienne during the No Diet Club: Night Food Tour of Montmartre was a worthy investment for my final night in Paris. We had tastings at five different locations, I enjoyed seeing Paris from a true local’s perspective (he even pointed out where he’d been to primary school and high school) and connected with other fellow travelers.