I know I have said this so many times you are probably sick of hearing it, but I can’t spend enough time in Le Palais Royal, a peaceful haven in the middle of the city where all sense of the present gets lost to the magnificent past that is contained within the walls of this garden. Even on blustery, awful Parisian days, I bundle up, bring my ipod, grab a chair and allow myself to become lost in all its history. But all that travel back in time makes me hungry which can easily be taken care of right in this beautiful courtyard.
This would be Café Corrazza, a tiny eatery located along one of the arcades that for some reason has never been on my radar until a few weeks ago. I know I must have passed by it a million times before but never went in. What a shame! I can only say the food is some of the most delicious, authentic Italian food I have ever had and I am Italian, so that is saying a lot.
On this particular day, the special was this plate of roasted vegetables that just wasn’t roasted vegetables. They somehow worked some magic and make them taste amazing. A little bread, some pinot grigio, being in Palais Royal….not too much wrong with this moment!
The odd thing about all of this is how did I manage to miss it? It has only been around since 1787, which makes it the oldest of the cafés that you’ll find in the gardens. It was here apparently that Republicans plotted the French revolution. Somehow though, I don’t think it looked as nice as it does right now. The staff was wonderfully friendly and helpful, which I know for many of you traveling to Paris for the first time is a bonus and might be a deciding factor of whether or not to try a place. I would have to tell you, “Go for it”.