Late last year I had an idea of going to Paris for a quick getaway before the end of the year. It was just an idea though.
I had a few days off between Christmas and New Year and thought that Paris would be a good idea, however, I didn’t want to go alone. When Pinpin, my old time high school friend who is now based in the Hawaiian Islands messaged me that her feet are itching to go to Europe again, but only for a few days, I knew the little getaway idea is going to become a reality.
She said she wants to visit Paris or Rome…
Wait, did she just said, Paris??? Did she just steal my idea? Haha
So that’a how I ended up with Pinpin as my date for the end of the year =)
We planned everything last minute. It was quite a stretch to get her days in order and to fit mine but we managed to make it happen. She flew from Hawaii to Paris via mainland US and I drove from Utrecht to Paris. I had a very important appointment on the day she arrived so I couldn’t meet her at the Charles de Gaulle airport, instead, I met her later in the evening at the hotel.
The woman was clearly going through some serious jet lag when I arrived at the hotel. She was just having a needed nap, after an adrenaline-pumping afternoon of sightseeing, when I came through the door. I woke her up and we were at each other’s hair, lol.
I mean, it’s been almost 5 years since we last saw each other. Pinpin visited me in the Netherlands back in 2013. I haven’t visited her yet in Hawaii, but one day I will go there. Hawaii is just not very high up on my list right now.
Having barely rested, Pinpin dressed up as we needed to get going. We are dining outside and we do not want to be late, so she helps me find a parking garage for the car.
Nevertheless, we drove around Paris looking for a suitable parking but couldn’t find anything near the hotel. Since we were running late for our dinner reservation at the Monsieur Bleu, we decided to delay the parking challenge and proceeded to the Palais de Tokyo Museum which is where the restaurant is located. Luckily, the little boulevard across the museum has a public parking area and the parking signage says its free to park after 20:00 during weekdays. How convenient, exactly what we needed at that moment!
Monsieur Bleu is one of those restaurants in Paris wherein you really need to book in advance in order to get a table.
When we arrived, we were first led to the bar where I enjoyed a Martini drink. We had to wait for about 15 minutes before we were seated at our table. It was quite a busy night with many foreign tourists and locals alike.
My first impression of the crowd at Monsieur Blue was that its a place to be seen, to hobnob with the rich, the famous and the posers (yep). There are many good looking and well-dressed people. A bunch of curious tourist diners. There are also those people who came to have a good time, choosing nice and well-put surroundings like Monsieur Bleu. That sounds more like moi, for example.
Pinpin really liked the restaurant. She was raving about the modern interior, the chic ambiance, and the dashing crowd, while I was grinning ear to ear because I have a direct view of the Eiffel Tower from my seat. You know, I am absurdly crazy about views.
As we order our food, Pinpin and I talk, catching up about our lives. You know how girls and women are, they can go on forever. Non-stop chatting. It’s been 5 years! A lot can happen in 5 years time. Some people fall in love, get married, have kids and divorce in a span of 5 years. Well, luckily, none of those happened to us, haha.
This is what we ate:
Did we like our food? Well, they were okay, although I was expecting more considering the restaurant has a name. It’s a popular place and not a cheap one so any visiting diner would obviously carry some sort of expectation when dining here.
I’d like to summarise this restaurant as a great chic place to dine out with friends if you are particular about the ambiance, location, view, and crowd.
Travel Period: December 2018
Destination: Paris, France
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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
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