Le Bacon & Le Buttes-Chaumont

Rediscovering old memories and creating new ones here in Paris is just about the greatest thing to do. When I first arrived in Paris, I applied for a job in a new café that was to open the following month (however being here for only a short time, I could not commit) and met two lovely people, the owners, Nico and Sarah. They were opening their very own little place called "Holybelly" after working in Melbourne for three years and were so much in love with the whole process, it was infectious. 

Ever since, I have been meaning to check it out and finally a month since their opening I made my way there today with my Canadian amie, Monica. Since spending a lot of time in Amsterdam together and sharing a love for a good cup of coffee (she used to be a barista back home), we decided to go check out the area nearby Canal Saint-Martin in search of all day breakfast and coffee. The mandatory ingredient of today, of course, was bacon.

So we finally climbed out of the metro and wandered past the canal briefly before turning into Rue Lucien Sampaix and finding ourselves conveniently in front of that tiny, humble little shop front. The door swung open and as we stepped outside the smell of bacon and coffee dancing like ribbons in the air greeted us sweetly. We knew we had come to the right place. 

I got myself the scrambled eggs with bacon and mushrooms with a sharp tangy cheese sauce on le pain des amis and a cheeky latte, and Monica went for fried eggs with a bacon and a barley wheat hash brown (like an arancini ball of potato goodness) and the filter coffee (which is what I know Melbourne cafés to do far too well and we were not at all disappointed - seriously give that baby a go!). The service was so friendly, and the chef, Sarah, came out with the meals herself - and recognised me with the biggest friendly smile on her face, chatting away. It felt like home.

The inside of the place is the cutest - it has clean, Swedish feel, with gorgeous patterned tiled flooring and a wooden parquet-like ceiling. They put thought into everything and it really shows. I cannot fault the place.

Oh but of course, there was more. It was staring at us the moment we walked in the door. That counter top with a plate full of freshly baked BACON PECAN BROWNIES. The time had come and there we were sharing this plate of fresh cream aside a brownie and it was that feeling of re-realising that chocolate and salt go so so so so so so SO well together. And bacon? Well, who can fault it, really?

We rested our bellies and jumped on the wifi (go just to ask for the password, the way they deliver it seriously is so great), deciding on where we'd go next. Upon leaving, we found ourselves wandering northward along the Canal St Martin on a gorgeous crisp afternoon where the recent rain brought out the colour of everything we passed. I decided we should head to Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont, which I had been to a number of times, and wander through the park before ending the day with mulled wine and hot chocolate and a bit of le Gotan Project to watch the sun set over the city (and also to watch people try to exercise in Winter). And it was lovely.