5 May

The Raspail Montparnasse hotel tells you all about … Eataly in Paris

On April 12^th, Eataly Marais opened its doors. Obviously, the team of the Raspail Montparnasse hotel could not help not visiting it. Indeed, 4000m ² of Italian gastronomy, in the very heart of Paris, it is really a dream come true …

What is Eataly?

Does the word “Eataly” rings any bell? Probably and it is quite normal as indeed there are already 39 Eataly stores around the world. It is the temple of Italian gastronomy, open seven days a week, until midnight! It extends here overs three floors, and seven dining areas, for a total capacity of 420 seats.

In addition, its supermarket sells no less than 1,600 products coming from Italy, including an open-air fruit and vegetable market. Do not miss the charcuterie counter, the artisanal mozzarella factory, the cheese aging cellar or, last but not least, the largest Italian wine cellar in France. This one alone contains some 1,200 liquids, covering a wide range of Italian vineyards, as well as a fine selection of “grappa” or craft beers.

If you are fond of burrata, San Marzano tomato sauce, parmesan cheese or Montepulciano, this is the place to be!

Our visit to Eataly Paris Marais

Once past the pile of baskets decorating the front door, we enter a large luminous complex, where you can find some 500 Italian producers who had never sold their products in France until now.

Direction then the “piazza”, in the center of the store. The space brings together those who want to taste some Italian food, like ourselves. To begin our taste experience, we first go to the restaurant “L’Osteria del Vino”. After a delicious Piemontese beef tartare as antipasti, we tried the exquisite fresh tagliatelle, served with a delicious beef. A Chianti was calling for us, but we resisted and tried (successful) a variety of Sardinia wine to fully enjoy this dish. Indeed, the menu proposes wines to accompany your dishes. Plus, waiters generously provide good advice and recommendations.

To end this meal on a high note, we then went to the “gelateria”, which offers ice cream with traditional perfumes of the Roman brand Venchi. We went for a mix of “cuor de cacao” and “fior de crema”: It had a pleasant « taste of wishfull comeback”