Dining Out in Paris by Tom Reeves

Dining Out in Paris by Tom Reeves is the book you need before you arrive in the City of Light. A little reading up before you go is always a good idea, but this guide is different. Francophile and blogger Tom has stepped outside the square to find a list of eateries your bog standard guide would never list. He’s even found a vegan restaurant.

I have one e-gift coupon to give away to one lucky reader.

What I like so much about this guide is that Tom deconstructs the Parisian dining scene. It can be intimidating for first timers in Paris. He not only lists great places to dine, but also explores French dining culture and expectations. So the book is divided into two parts. First the etiquette of ordering food and how to shop, and then 12 amazing places to eat, where he’s done in-depth interviews at places featuring a wide variety of cuisines. No food snobbishness here. He even includes a food truck.

Tom is American, but he has lived in France full-time since 1992. There’s not a lot he doesn’t know about his adopted homeland.

In Australia we’re used to waiters hovering over our table and constantly asking how our meal is going and do we need anything else. In Paris, this doesn’t happen. Waiters attend to you, then give you space and privacy to enjoy your meal unencumbered by their presence.  Sometime this is perceived as non-attentive. But, says Tom, it’s just a perception.

Tom also runs a travel service called Discover Paris! and he’s written another book – Paris Insights – An Anthology. I thoroughly recommend his blog, Paris Insights. It’s meticulously organised, and he’s written posts on everything from romance to sculpture, from scams to chocolate, and of course, Americans in Paris.

Giveaway copy of

Dining Out in Paris

by Tom Reeves

If you’d like to win a copy of Tom’s lovely guide, then you probably know the drill by now. Leave a comment on this post, or Like and comment on Taste for Travel’s Facebook page. Too easy. I’ll throw your names into the battered sunhat on October 20 and pick a winner. Bon chance et good luck!