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La Marine – Paris, France
Visited: September 2024
La Marine, a charming bistro nestled along the Canal Saint-Martin, turned out to be our favorite dinner spot in Paris on this trip. Combining great food, an attentive staff and a Parisian atmosphere that many people seek, La Marine checked all the boxes.
When we visited Paris in 2014, we had briefly explored this neighborhood, watching the boats pass through the locks on the canal …
… and made a note to return on our next trip.
Located in the 10th arrondissement, the tree-lined canal has pathways on either side for walking, running, biking and they even allow swimming in the summer.
The façade of the building is covered in pink roses and twinkling lights, while striped awnings shade the outdoor tables.
The interior is what you would imagine a French bistro should look like (perception is reality), including a fabulous pewter topped bar.
On this Friday evening, it was humming with patrons of all ages.
Tracy started with the classic Soupe a l’oignon gratinée(French onion soup) followed by a very good raviolis ricotta et epinards, sauce tomate basilic et parmesan (cannelli stuffed with spinach and ricotta).
Kim and Mary shared the Beignets de gambas (breaded shrimps) to start. Kim had the chicken and mushrooms with mashed potatoes for his main, while Mary had the special duck breast with polenta.
I opted to save room for dessert, skipped a starter and ordered a quite tasty Beouf Bourguignon. 
In Tracy’s words, “At our server’s recommendation Tom ordered the brioche French toast with vanilla-flecked ice cream, which he reluctantly shared with the table. Wow!”
“Reluctantly” might be an understatement. As I recall, while the others feigned fullness, I ordered the dessert I had been saving room for all evening. However, once my delectable looking brioche French toast with ice cream landed on the table, all of a sudden my supposedly full companions proceeded to tear into the French toast with reckless abandon. I managed only a few a few bites before the dessert disappeared. Breakfast, it’s what’s for dessert!
La Marine is open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In hindsight should have come to try breakfast or at least, for a late evening nightcap. There’s always next time.
La Marine
55Bis Quai de Valmy, 75010
(check website for hours)
https://www.lamarinecanalsaintmartin.com/
