Where to eat breakfast in Paris

For my money, Bulgaria is one of the best breakfast countries in the world.  (For my money explained below in the English notes.)  Yoghurt, figs, amazing doughnuts, coffee–on and on, at least if you have the good luck to be offered it in a farmhouse in Koprivshtitsa, which I did.  Japan is another marvel in the breakfast department, at least if you’re being served it in a hotel–fish, rice, pickles, and some miso soup make for a great start to your day, actually.

France is a different story.  If you’re travelling in Paris and therefore not eating out of your own kitchen, the cafes will basically offer you two options:

1. Something that they’ll call a “French” breakfast: coffee, juice, and a piece of baguette with butter and jam, or a croissant.
2. Something that they’ll call an “English” breakfast: coffee, juice, some sort of sausage, an egg or two, and baked beans.

You can make it for a while on the “French” breakfast, especially if you add a piece of fruit–I do, every day–but, personally, I can’t make it all the way to lunch on that, and in a country where people don’t really snack, that’s a problem.  The “English” breakfast: baked beans and a nasty piece of sausage for breakfast?  Not on an empty stomach.

This morning, though: this morning I happened across a good breakfast for 10 euros.  The place: Le Campanella, 18 avenue Bosquet, right on the corner of avenue Bosquet and rue Saint-Dominique.  Drink not included, so it was maybe 12.50 with coffee.  Sounds like a lot, but I’ve seen more charged for those English breakfasts–a lot more.  10 euros got me four eggs sunny-side-up, my choice of meat, a salad, and of course some bread.  The best part?  I learned how to say “sunny side up” in French!  The only wrinkle: there’s a 15 euro minimum on credit cards, and I was out of cash, which is why you see that little “to go” box on the front-most table in the picture–I had to buy a piece of apple buy to have a large enough bill to justify using a credit card.  Poor me, I know…

The location is quite close to the Eiffel Tower, and it would make a lot of sense to start your day with breakfast at Le Campanella, and then head over to the Eiffel Tower, stopping on the way there at L’esprit du Sud-ouest for some very non-touristy sportswear, following up the Tower with lunch on the rue Cler.  Just sayin’.

French notes

• les oeufs au plat: eggs sunny-side-up.

English notes

• for my money: in my opinion.  How it was used in the post: For my money, Bulgaria is one of the best breakfast countries in the world. 
• in the X department: when you’re talking about X; concerning X; related to X.  Tough to define!  Here are some examples, and my attempts to explain them.
  • Again, it should be of no surprise that Fox News takes first place in the lies department.  Meaning: you shouldn’t be surprised that with respect to lies, Fox News has the largest number.  Source: here.
  • Since I failed epically in the marriage department, I think dating is out.  Meaning: since where marriage is concerned, I failed very badly, I don’t think that dating is something that I should do.  Source: here (scroll down to the comments).
  • If the Leafs pick up Neil as well, the team is going to put Burke’s Ducks squad to shame in the dirtbag department.  Meaning: if the Leafs hire that guy, then they’re going to be even more richly endowed in dirtbags than the Ducks.  Source: here.
  • How it was used in the post: Japan is another marvel in the breakfast department.