Sadly, before I moved to France, I thought Versailles was just a castle. Apparently it is a whole bustling little city with LOTS of great shops, cafes, beautiful walks, and restaurants. Below is a list of my favorites (so far). As for coffee, I have my top favorite… hands down it is The Stray Bean… If your looking for Specialty coffee, its your stop.
On My Favorites list is:
Restaurants:
Le Pincemin
When your looking for an amazing meal that takes your taste buds on their own journey, pricey but worth it
Granted, It would be lovely to ‘dine in’ but as things are what they are right now, But we can’t and Pincemin has masterfly done and presented his menu in a nice way for me to take home. Low work and delicious, almost feels like a real date night! Can’t wait till we can restaurant again!
The Waldorf Astoria, GORDON RAMSAY AU TRIANON
Little known fact. I picked this restaurant not actually knowing we would be going to the Waldorf Astoria. What an awesome little extra surprise! Love that you can see into the back of the Versailles gardens. Love the richness of décor and the pleasantness of the waitstaff. You walk in and immediately just feel taken care of.
LE BOEUF A LA MODE, VERSAILLES
When you happen to fall into a treasure its hard not to get excited! From the outside it looks like every other French restaurant with its small tables and bustling waiters. when you enter and see the bar area with a few seats its still pretty normal. But then you go upstairs and suddenly your are in this space that is both elegantly old world and fresh and charming. The menu is well done and everything I’ve tried has been quite excellent. I’ve been back several times as it has become a favorite of mine.
Chez TiOuiche
I love a good tajine. The flavor mixtures, the tenderness and quality of the meat and the softness of the couscous all come into play here… I choose a sweeter style tajine this evening and absolutely loved the figs paired with the canelle and the tender lamb. The broth brought a harmony to all the spices and the couscous was so soft. Loved the whole experience. Reminds me of being in Morocco in many ways.
Cafe Style Places:
Poodle Proof
good coffee stop, connected to the train station Chantiers in Versailles
The Stray Bean
- Specialty coffee
- nice simple plates for lunch
- kind of the “meet up place” for internationals
you know its good when there’s still a heart at the end….
Bagelstein
– for a quick lunch pick up
Maison Guinon
- they have small round bread I use for soup bowls
- the most decadent macaron style cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate curls
- the tallest yummest chocolate cake with colorful sprinkles, and guess what?!! you can just take a slice or order a full one!
Les Biscuits de Madame Georges
Down this cobblestone little walking street, right near the main square is a delightful shop that is great for a little sit and chat. Don’t stay too long as there are plenty of others that would also like to drop in for an afternoon tea or hot chocolate. The earl grey cake is an amazing choice if they offer it when you go.
They have an incredible hot chocolate and they serve a great tea
the lunch is a small menu and really good
Creperie La Place
- For me, the crepes mixed with the ambiance and the kind staff make this a continual return.
- They have sweet and savory crepes and I can recommend both. My favorite? The Forester and The Reblochon
The Perfect Pour 