In Paris, I found that almost everyone speaks English. I would mangle an attempt at speaking French and most everyone was kind enough to respond in English. I tried to visit the less touristy spots, but apparently this is hard to come by in Paris. Then I went to Spirit Cafe and had a very authentic French/Thai experience.
My husband and I stumbled across this place on a rainy day wandering through Paris. We went at lunch time and seemed to be the only tourists in the entire place. No one spoke English, which I appreciated! We are in France, after all.
In the US, I love Thai food and eat it regularly. I have my favorite dishes and so does my husband, so we thought it'd be interesting to see the difference in the interpretations of typical Thai dishes. They did not have an English menu, so I could only understand about half of what they offered, but did my best to order what I thought would be good.
While the dining experience was slightly confusing (I don't speak the greatest French...), the food was delicious! I had some sort of vegetable spring roll to start, and a tofu curry as a main. I don't remember the appetizer that my husband ordered, but he got fried rice as his main. Everything we ate was freshly prepared and flavorful, and slightly different than the Thai food we experience in the US, but still very good.
I'm sure that if I tried to find this place again without the help of a map, I would be lost. But the best part of travel is discovering hidden gems off the planned schedule... that is not listed in the English guide book. Overall, very pleasant experience. read more