WhyTravel

Chez Hannah

It will come as a surprise to no one that Paris and food go hand-in-hand. There are countless books and articles and blogs dedicated to the topic, and if there aren’t poems, then there should be. An easy internet search or a conversation with a Parisian will get you quickly to the best baguette, croissant, macaron, cheese shop, caramel, crepe, fries, butter, ice cream, escargot, hot chocolate, praline, tomato tart, … well, you get the idea.

I recommend that you put falafel on the top of your list. It is worth a journey or a detour. The Rue des Rosiers in the Marais neighborhood is the center of Paris’ falafel district, with several falafel places within sight of each other. L’As du Falafel makes everyone’s lists, including this post by Serious Eats. You’ll enjoy a wonderfully satisfying meal, but the lines there are usually long, sometimes down the block. I’m sure that is aided by the photos posted of celebrities, such as Lenny Kravitz, eating there.

However, I skip L’As and head down the block to Chez Hannah. At all the falafel places, you can order your sandwich as you wish, with a choice of toppings. I order Chez Hannah’s hot-out-of-the-fryer eggplant, which is piled on the falafel balls, vegetable slaw, and tahini sauce. The mix of warm, cool, crunchy, and creamy is heavenly. One pita sandwich is probably big enough for two and a half meals.

Warning: although you can walk around with the stuffed pitas, sit in the restaurant or find a bench, or you risk losing half of it down the front of your shirt. You do NOT want to do that.