Joyeuse Saint Patrick!
The City of Light will be The City of Green today.
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day. For many, it’s a day to wear green and drink Guinness Beer. If you’re in Paris, there are plenty of ways to get in the spirit of Joyeuse Saint Patrick.
As part of Tourism Ireland’s 7th annual Global Greening initiative, the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and the Roue de Paris (Big Wheel) at the Place de la Concorde, as well as many other buildings in Paris and elsewhere in France will be lit up in green. Take in the light show by walking or perhaps a cruise on the Seine River. (Note: It’s curious that the Eiffel Tower isn’t on the list.)
Paris has plenty of Irish pubs to celebrate the day:
O’Brien’s Irish Pub
77 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris
O’Brien’s Irish Pub is always busy.
Phone: +33 01 45 51 75 87
Hours: Monday – Thursday, Noon – 2:00 A.M., Friday & Saturday Noon – 3:00 A.M., Sunday 5:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M.
Metro: La Tour-Maubourg or Invalides
Located in the 7th arrondissement a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, O’Brien’s is a reasonably priced pub that was always busy during my last trip to Paris. Besides alcohol, they serve mouth-watering burgers and a different dessert created by their chefs is featured every day.
The Green Goose
19 rue des Boulets
75011 Paris
Phone: +33 09 82 37 73 41
Hours: Lunch: Mon-Fri, 12:00 Noon – 3:00 P.M.; Dinner: Mon-Sun, 6:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M.; Weekend Brunch: Sat, Sun & Bank Holidays, 11:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Metro: Rue des Boulets or Nation
Funny enough, this relatively new Irish pub in Paris doesn’t serve Guinness though they do serve handcrafted beers, including……. They also serve a fairly extended lunch and dinner menu, and brunch on the weekends (I have my eye on the Eggs Benedict. Mmmmmmmmm.) The Green Goose is often reviewed as the friendliest pub in Paris.
The Harp Bar (see their Facebook page)
118 boulevard de Clichy
75018 Paris
Patrons enjoying a Celtic game at the Harp Bar.
Hours: 5:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M. Daily
Metro: Blanche or Place de Clichy
Located next to James Hetfeeld’s Pub at 118 boulevard de Clichy, The Harp Bar is a sports pub featuring a Celtic game always showing on the big screen TVs, a pool table downstairs, and plenty of beer and food. This is a must-stop for any Celtic fan.
How about a dessert? Maison Dalloyau teahouses and patisseries will celebrate the day by dressing up the religieuse (“nun”) pastry — a type of eclair — for St. Patrick’s Day, filled with chocolate coffee cream and a bit of Irish whiskey, topped with a chocolate hat and an edible four-leaf clover.
If the religieuse pastry is too rich for your taste, try a pistachio-flavored macaron (“macaroon”), available at patisseries (“pastry shops”) all over Paris.
Au revoir!
References: “Religeuse,” by Wikipedia, CCBY 3.0. “Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day: What’s On?” Bonjour Paris, March 8, 2016.
Eiffel Tower lit green by Jerome Bon, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. O’Brien’s Irish Pub by Loren C., Yelp, CCBY 2.0. Image of The Green Goose by TripAdvisor, CCBY 2.0. Image of The Harp Bar from their Facebook page, CCBY 2.0. Image of religieuse pastry (made by Dalloyau) from BonjourParis.com, Google search, CCBY 2.0. Macarons (pistachio and cassis) from Laduree by Jamie Anderson, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.