So I did. Pastry chef, blogger, and author David Lebovitz just launched a new iPhone application last week called “Paris Pastry Shops” that includes 300 of his hand-picked favorite places in Paris to indulge in sweets.

Lebovitz, a favorite resource among expats, tourists and locals, took a few minutes to discuss how to find the right pastries at the right price in the City of Light.

If you found a €2 coin and had a sweet craving, where would you go?

I would probably go to a really good bakery and get a croissant such as the ones listed in the app, like Blé Sucré (Square Trousseau 7, rue Antoine Vollon). Generally you can get one for €1.05, and that’s a really good deal.

What’s the worst way to waste money on pastries or chocolate?

I think people shouldn’t necessarily assume price goes with quality. There are a lot of neighborhood bakeries that make very good pastries but that are not famous and are not Ladurée or Pierre Hermé (which are good, but you can do very well in neighborhood bakeries spending a fraction of the money for exceptional quality).

In the app we tried to include things that were not necessarily well known but were places for people who are a little more adventurous and looking for bargains.

Why an app for the iPhone?

I started a guidebook several years ago and I spoke with several of my publishers who said guidebooks are going out of favor. I figured a lot of people come to France for pastries and chocolates and ice cream, so this was a natural fit.

When smart phones became more prolific, it seemed like the perfect format for this sort of application. It can be updated and readers can add their own favorites and share things. The price of the app is also lower. Plus you can include hundreds and hundreds of photos, so even if you’re not going to Paris you can still enjoy the pastries.

Are there any sweets you don’t like?

I don’t like desserts that are heavily sweetened. I like caramel that’s slightly burnt, lemony things, bitter chocolates. I search for things that are more balanced, things that have a sweet edge.

What’s your favorite splurge?

I would go to Fouquet and get a big box of the chocolate covered spice wafers called “croquantes.” They are addictive and exceptional. I’d get a big tin of those and eat them all by myself.

Favorite neighborhood for sweets?

There’s a high concentration of very good places in the 6th because there are lots of tourists and lots of money there. But I think if you explore the 11th there are lots of good places, like Blé Sucré. I think that this part of Paris is a lot more interesting.

Farthest you’ll travel for a sweet?

I won’t take three Metro lines. Generally two is my maximum. If I have to change more than two Metros I won’t bother.

Do you ever get sick of pastries or chocolate?

Not really. I actually like to taste a lot of things. It’s hard for me to eat a whole pastry. It’s more interesting to try bites of different things. I like bite-sized pastries. I kind of graze, so I’ll sit around and eat little bits and bites of things, instead of an entire cake, which is good for my waistline.

For more information on his new app, check out David’s blog at www.davidlebovitz.com

The post Paris: David Lebovitz reviews Paris’ best pastry shops appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Just ask and you shall (hopefully) receive:

1. Water at meals

All meals, from the ritziest restaurant to the lowliest donor kebab, should come with a free pitcher of tap water. Even an espresso comes with a glass of room temperature hydration.

If you don’t have a pitcher when your food comes, simply ask for “une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plait,” and don’t hesitate to ask for refills.

2. Bread at meals

Bread is also a staple at the table, so don’t hesitate to ask for it. In typical restaurants, mustard, salt, pepper and bread will be put on the table before you receive your meal. Of course there are many exceptions, but if you’re having a sit-down meal, asking for bread (“le pain, s’il vous plait”) will surprise no one. This is the birthplace of the baguette, after all.

3. Maps

Tourists hitting the streets of Paris with their guidebook maps are often disappointed by the missing streets and tiny Metro maps printed inside the cover of their books. Fortunately cartography is a big business in Paris. Metro maps, in both large and small formats, can be obtained for free at most Metro stations. (Simply ask for “un plan de Metro, s’il vous plait.”)

And the Galeries Lafayettes, one of Paris’ famed department stores, prints free city maps (“plan de Paris”) that can be found in the reception areas of most of Paris’ hotels and hostels, along with other major tourist sights.

4. Samples

This one’s delicate. Free samples are abundant in Paris – if you know when to ask. Many chocolate shops will offer a taste if you linger long enough, but play your cards right. If the shopkeeper can tell you’re going to buy something, he or she will have fewer qualms about offering up a sample to help you decide. And sometimes not.

When you stroll through outdoor markets, merchants are all too eager to have you taste their pineapples and mangos, so just say “Merci!” and taste away. Cheese shops will also be fairly willing to cut you a sliver if you ask to taste the difference between two choices, if you’re clearly going to purchase some fromage.

5. Toilets

While there are many free public bathrooms that look like small space pods located throughout the city, bathrooms are also available with any purchase at a café. If you purchase a café or a Perrier at the café bar (remember, it’s cheaper at the bar than at a table), you can ask for the bathroom without worries.

Note: If the bathroom door looks like it is coin-operated, simply ask for the “jeton” (token) from the server and he or she will hand you a silver coin that will open the door.

6. ATM withdrawals (for Bank of America clients)

Free money? Well, almost. If you want to avoid paying pesky bank fees, you can withdraw without charge from the BNP Paribas bank if you have a Bank of America account. If this applies to you, you will curtail any travelers’ checks or foreign exchange fees that have troubled travelers for so many years. (Read our guide to ATM bank fees for Americans abroad.)

7.  Wi-Fi

I’ve said it once and I’ve said it again: paying for the internet in Paris is a scam. With Paris’ public Wi-Fi program, and the various wireless networks available in cafés and McDonald’s, there is no reason to drop a dime to check your email.

For more information, read my previous post on where to find free Wi-Fi in Paris. Trust me, it still works as long as you have a smart phone or laptop.

Your favorite free things in Paris?

What other freebies have you found in the City of Light? Tell us, Cheapos, in the comments section.

The post Paris: 7 things that are always free in Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Your fan,
Earl, New York, New York

DEAR Earl: As a lover of sweets, I don’t just nibble and tell, Sweet-tooth, I nibble and yell! So this week, let’s chat about JUST desserts. Here’s a Theadelectable list of my favorite pâtisseries and boulangeries in the City of de-Lights, created to set your taste buds and the (late) summer sun on fire!

Bow Wow Wow, Cheapos, who wants candy?

You better shop around

You’ll find pâtisseries on practically every block in the city, so keep your head and be selective. Feeling all Nancy Drew? I recommend starting your gastronomical quest with window shopping (or lèche-vitrine, “window licking”) because sometimes it is possible to judge a place er, window display. The goods are usually clearly marked with descriptions and prices. Have a question? Just ask. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a line snaking out the door. That’s always a good sign!

Try a little tenderness

Let them eat cake at Le Coquelicot

Receive service without a smile? It happens (though rarely), but don’t take it personally. Rude customer service is hardly limited to France. So if you run into it, either make your purchase anyway or just move on to the next shop. Sometimes, Cheapos, they’re not out to get you, they’re just not into you.

More often than not a wink, smile and a “bonjour” will break the ice. And please note: The places listed below have treated me like a queen for years. Kindness always wins my loyalty and hard-earned euros.

It’s no accident that macarons pop up a lot in this list—after all they’ve been a dessert staple in old Parigi ever since Catherine de Medici introduced them from Italy in the 16th century. Long live the queen!

Gérard Mulot
76 rue de la Seine, 5th Arrond. (Métro: Odéon)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 43 29 92 83
Web site
5 stars on the Theadelectable scale

Don’t miss the macarons, the petits fours and bright orange boxes Mulot packs them in! I have my friend Sandrine to thank for introducing me to this place. (Sandrine, by the way, taught Kirsten Dunst how to play the harp for the title role in Sofia Coppola’s film, “Marie Antoinette.” But I digress, royally …)

Macarons at Ladurée

Pâtisserie Arnaud Larher
53 Rue Caulaincourt, 18th Arrond. (Métro: Lamark-Caulaincourt)
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 57 68 08
Web site
5 stars on the Theadelectable scale

Get your zoo on here with their fantastic animal-shaped chocolate sculptures (and the striped brown boxes they come in, recalling the bars of menagerie cages).

Ladurée
21 Rue Bonaparte, 6th Arrond. (Métro: St Germain-des-Prés)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 44 07 64 87
Web site
Encore, 5 stars!

Ladurée’s pastel-colored macarons (in beautifully illustrated boxes, this time) inspired the color scheme of the set in Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette.” These little cookies make cameo appearances throughout the movie.

Le Coquelicot (“The Poppy”)
24 rue des Abbesses, 18th Arrond. (Métro: Abbesses)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 46 06 18 77
Web site
Simply Theadelectable!

They raise the bar—with their lemon bars and other Antoinette-worthy petit fours! Champagne, anyone?

Léonidas Chocolatier
65 rue de Rennes, 6th Arrond. (Métro: Saint-Sulpice)
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 22 00 52

18 rue Lepic, 18th Arrond. (Métro Pigalle)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 53 28 48 31
Web site
Five-o-rama!

More than famous for their sparkling (and tasty) Eiffel Tower sculptures, royal cameo candies and metallic covered chocolate hearts!

The post Paris: 5 pâtisseries to satisfy your sweet tooth appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Home sweeeeeet home

Vienna’s confectioners have been pouring, filling, and forming small candies for hundreds of years. Empress Sissi, for example, was a fan of candied violets. Feline aficionados have their own “cat tongue” chocolates, while dog owners can find canine-shaped gummy candies. We won’t even mention what you can find made of marzipan!

Demel has been in the candy business for over 200 years. Located at Kohlmarkt 14, customers can watch craftsman create as they peruse delicately decorated boxes of sweet treats. Altmann and Kuhne, at Graben 30, is famous for selling tiny, hand-made chocolate horses and angels sold in beautifully designed boxes shaped like miniature chests of drawers.

Prices vary depending on chocolate type, quality, and size. Some pieces are sold 10 for €1.50, others 10 for €4. Marzipan is available for 10 pieces for €2.50. Some cookies and cake slices sell for €4 (but you’ll probably have to eat these before you get home!).

While you’re at it…

Why not commemorate Vienna’s Kaffeehaus kultur with a napkin or two? In between savoring slices of apfelstrudel, guglhupf, or sachertorte, keep your eyes peeled for napkins illustrating the names and exteriors of the cafe. Guten Appetite!

The post Vienna cheap souvenir: Chocolates! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So, make sure your sweet tooth doesn’t go sour and check out four of Brussel’s best bet chocolate shops.

1) Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate
9, Rue de la Tete d’Or

Only a short distance from the Grand Place, the Brussel’s museum of chocolate will not only show you how chocolate is made, but teach you how to make some of your own. We’d opt for the demonstration titled, “How To Make a Praline” (everyday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)  It’s €5 to enter; €4 for students.

2) Planete Chocolat
24, Rue du Lombard

Sugar pies, ice cream, and hot chocolates in all flavors are made available at this chocolaterie. Take a tour of the museum first and learn the history and art of chocolate-making, followed by a tasting session. During the summer months, enjoy all your tasty treats outside on the terrace from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Contact the property for prices and tour availability.

3) Chocolaterie Duval
19, Rue des Chardons

Located only a stone’s throw away from Place Meiser, Chocolaterie Duval makes their own chocolate daily and personalizes it upon request too! The chocolaterie tour costs €3 per person, unless you want a guide (€40 and recommended for large groups). Workshops and specialty classes (like “Chocolate and Wine“) are also available.

4) Maison du Chocolat Artisanal
67, Rue Marche-aux-Herbes

Aiming to offer “the best chocolates from the master chocolate makers of Belgium,” Maison is just a short walk away from the Grand Place on a cute little street. The “House of Artful Chocolate” offers a cornucopia of Belgian goodies from pralines, to truffles, to marzipan.  A box of five chocolates will set you back €5 here, but it’s well worth it. Yum.

The post Brussels: Four chocolate shops to splurge for appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.