I have had the wonderful fortune of being able to visit Paris twice in the last few years and for a…read morecity that didn't even make it to my top 20 places to visit in my lifetime, it is an incredible metropolis that you should really consider passing through, at least for a week. The culture and history are amazing (which are givens) but what will totally knock you off your feet is the food. People will tell you that but it will still shock you when you put a pastry or a bite of a galette (of the sort from the Brittany region) in your mouth. Okay, all of that is to say that while there are great things to experience in Paris, you will find that service is not exactly what one would call friendly or hospitable. I get it, I'm an American and Yanks are entitled and pompous. I totally understand that and I know that no matter how much I jump up and down, shouting to you that I'm not that way (especially since I'm the child of immigrant parents of an extremely humble background), you will remain skeptical. That's okay. I have come to understand that Parisians are not what we here in the States would consider exactly "warm." But I accept the cultural difference and am more than happy when I can have a cordial exchange with business owners/managers and their employees. I don't speak French, but I learned the obligatory "Parlez-vous anglais?" in deference to the country's official language. I heard the cashier speak English to the customer in front of me but when it was my turn, both she and the manager on shift looked at me blankly so I politely (and timidly) asked my question. The man acted indifferently and said flatly, "A little." So I ordered my cappuccino, feeling embarrassed. I paid and left. I understand that Parisians are tired of Americans and their expectation that everyone speaks English (I have witnessed this and know it to be generally true) but when your customer tries to communicate with you and your place of business is in an international airport (8th busiest in the world in passenger traffic, at that), you would think you could be a bit more understanding. I won't change the world or this place with my review, but there you have my two cents. Oh, and the cappuccino was quite good.

Salad Nicoise was surprisingly good, especially for airport food, and reasonably priced at around…read more6.5 euro. Made for a great substitute for the typical in-flight meal on the Transatlantic Delta flight. Fresh orange juice and macchiato were also good.

We had a simple lunch for three. One had quiche, which she liked a lot. The other two had…read moreopen-faced hame sandwich (Tartine), which was decent. All came with a fresh salad. We also had coffee and a coke. Total bill was 44 euro. A large basket of bread and several bottles of water were provided. Les Fontaines is situated right on the Fontaine Stravinsky outside the Pompidou Center, so there was plenty of entertainment and a broad open space with entertaining water spouts and fountains. All in all, a pleasant lunch, excellent waitress, and a relaxing time at a decent price.

Move over macarons, I've found my new favorite Parisian pastries. Eclair's' have always been my…read morefavorite, but L'Atelier puts an elegant spin on the classic. During my visit, I went wild and ordered 10 mini eclairs. 5 savory 5 sweet. Yes, they make savory eclairs. I ordered the foie gras eclair, jambon comte, catalante and baltique. The eclairs are basically split in half and stuffed with a savory delicacy of your choice. The exterier bread had a soft sweetness to it which complimented the saltiness of the interior contents. Everything was amazing, but the foie gras and salmon were definately my favorites. Oh, and the jambon. Oh, dangit. nevermind. they were all equally amazing and delicious. For the sweets, I ordered a wide variety of basically most of the display case. Nutella, Cafe, Caramel, Chocolate, green tea..YUM! Each eclair is made with love, the presentation was beautiful, and the taste was amazing. YUMMMMMMMY!

Although this place offers interesting and modern flavors for eclairs and desserts, it is by far…read moreNOT the best place for eclairs in Paris. If you're looking for really good traditional Parisian desserts, I would look elsewhere. They have both mini and regular sized eclairs. We got 2 mini eclairs + 2 coffees for 10.50 euros-- not totally cheap, but worth a try for the Nutella eclairs and the nice modern seating area. The coffees were also Nespresso, which made the prices especially offensive. Overall, I thought the eclair pastry itself wasn't very good at all (a little stale even), but the fillings were pretty good!