There’s nothing quite like Paris in the rain. The forecast called for showers upon our arrival, and the thunder and lightning show we received after arriving at the hotel certainly delivered. But as the weather goes in Europe, if you wait five minutes, it will probably change. And it did just in time for aperativo hour on the 34th floor of our hotel.
I was a bit nervous about the dinner I had booked if it was going to be raining. You see, Bustronome brings new meaning to the term “meals on wheels.” The idea here is that you see the sights while eating your meal as the bus winds around the different arrondissements. I feared that the visibility might be compromised for us diners, not the driver. But Mother Nature cooperated and we were treated to a unique and excellent culinary experience under the domed glass roof of a double-decker bus.
Our evening started adjacent to L’Arc de Triomphe. As the six courses (and wine pairings, if you opt-in) were delivered, I had a lovely conversation with the owner’s daughter. Once she discovered that I spoke French, she insisted that we only converse that way for me to practice. Bien sur! The six courses included a raw salmon starter with yuzu, chestnut cream soup with roasted morels, a roasted cod with barley risotto and crisp carrots, a filet of beef with parsnip purée and beef jus, a cheese course of Ossau-Iraty, and a decadent Opera Gateau chocolate mousse cake for dessert.
This gourmet travel experience cost €120, and the wine pairings were extra. The food was excellent considering it was being served from the lower level of a double-decker bus navigating Paris’ sometimes unforgiving cobblestone streets. And the menu rotates just like the wheels on the bus, so there are often repeat guests. That should tell you that it’s a lovely way to dine in a city that has the most One Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. 639 to be exact.
We snaked from the right bank to the left bank as the sun set over Paris taking in sights and monuments like Place de la Concorde, Musée du Louvre, Hotel de Ville, the Pantheon, Place Vendome, and more. It ended up being a completely clear evening, which gave awesome views from the bus’s large picture windows and glass domed roof. This made the final stop at the Eiffel Tower picture-perfect, as it was timed at 10:00 p.m. for the light show.
When you only have 24 hours in Paris, you have to make the most of it. Mine came on a work layover, or a paid vacation as I affectionately refer to it as. So, Bustronome was a genius way to kill two birds with one stone. If you’re headed to Paris with a limited amount of time, I definitely suggest this as an option. It’s easy to book on OpenTable.com, and they were extremely responsive over email with a quick question that I had.
Bustronome operates three buses in Paris, along with a London bus as well.
Bustronome Voyage Gourmand
Culinary Hopscotch 