La Tournée des Grands Ducs (literally, The Tour of the Grand Dukes) is a common saying in France to refer to painting the town red, Dionysian style, or rather … Russian. The term has it roots in the habits of two Grand Dukes of Russia – Vladimir and Alexei –  the mischievous sons of Emperor […]

Michael Eloy gives us some real hooves-on-the-ground intel on the situation in Paris… : When I head out on a Trufflepig research trip, I make sure to go prepared. Prepared for my work assignment obviously – but also prepared to take photos, which is my main hobby. On this current research trip in Paris, I knew I would […]

There’s probably something you look for immediately on your first day exploring a new destination. Maybe it’s the most interesting museums, delicious street food, local markets; everyone has their go-to travel highlights. As for me, after a long journey to a new city, I often steer myself toward the places where people rest—eternally, that is. […]

Your trip planners and planning assistants here at Trufflepig travel a lot. Put all of that jet setting together, and you’ve got yourself a fine selection of previously enjoyed (and eagerly photographed) foods from around the globe. Every lunch hour we end up pining for one faraway dish or another; we’ve decided it’s time to […]

The sheer size of the Louvre—bigger than an airport and more labyrinthine—can be overwhelming; but even more daunting than that is the sheer academic weight of all those masterpieces staring down at you; centuries and centuries of art in room upon room of scholarship. All those dates to learn, those artistic genres to distinguish, those […]

It’s pretty hard not to fall hard for France (as you may have read in Jack’s article from a few weeks ago). The whole country is just so visually appealing and culturally captivating. I was in Paris for a couple of days recently and walking around the city I was reminded how insanely and wonderfully […]

I’m a girl of simple tastes. I’ll always choose a burger over filet mignon. Comfy sneakers over high heels. A cabin in the hills, not Beverly Hills. That being said, I must admit that I do love gold. Or at least I thought I did until I decided to spend an afternoon at Château de Versailles, […]

While Paris’s 6th arrondissement might have a long and illustrious history in literary and artistic spheres, but it is its contribution to the world of sinful sweets that interests me most on this overcast morning. Bypassing the Café de Flore and its adjacent Picasso sculpture, I set off on my guided walk with Context to […]

Over the centuries, Paris has given us a lot to be thankful for. And now, for design lovers, there’s one more reason. Merci (that’s me telling you the name of a store, not saying “thanks”). A ten-minute walk north from Place des Vosges, Merci is the new hotspot for contemporary design. It’s mildly easy to miss given that […]

There’s a theory that suggests you must do something for 10,000 hours before you really master it. By conservative math, Trufflepig co-founder Jack Dancy has been planning trips to France for about 30,000 hours. Ooh la la. This partly explains why he’s so good at it and why he was once again named to Conde Nast […]

Okay, so you haven’t quite gotten around to planning that late December holiday getaway. You don’t need more guilt heaped on your work-weary shoulders. But you do need some help. The Christmas to New Year’s travel window is a busy one, so there’s no more time to waste. Here’s a rundown of of what could […]

At the two opposite extremes of Burgundy are the best two chateau hotels in France: Chateau de Bagnols in the Beaujolais, and Chateau de Vault de Lugny in the Morvan. Sandwich your wine-drinking time in the Côte d’Or with a stay in each for a truly rich time (in every sense). These are two truly […]

Sometimes when I’m hungry and wondering what restaurant will suit for the evening, I don’t go to a restaurant. I go to a Cave. A favourite blog tells me that everything cool in Paris was made popular by Americans and is mostly manufactured by the Chinese. That really made me laugh. But while it may hold true […]

What qualities are hardest to find in Parisian restaurants? Reasonable prices. Service with a smile. Flexible opening hours. Chez Casimir has them all—and they serve brunch! You’ll think you’re in America. Until you taste the food, that is. Vive la France! In fact I’m talking about two places: the side-by-side Chez Michel and Chez Casimir, […]

Christian Constant is to bistro cooking what James Brown is to soul. Trace the lineage of his sous-chefs and their sous-chefs from his time as chef at the Hotel Crillon, and you’ll find all the best 40 EUR meals in Paris, scattered around in some of the most unlikely places. If things go well, I’m […]

Deyrolle is Paris’ famous taxidermy shop, where luminescent green Polynesian butterflies line the walls and stare down on stuffed jaguars and polar bears (all of which are for sale). And it famously burned down in February 2008. Thanks to a public auction and a very wealthy owner, but mostly due to the fact that the shop is as dear […]