Coffee, me & 3micro cafés

The topic of this article is coffee, so let me start by talking about my relationship with it. I’ll get straight to the point—I had no relationship with coffee before moving to Paris. 😅 Surprising, isn’t it? A grown Turkish adult resisting the reality of Turkish coffee! What can I say? I didn’t like it, couldn’t like it. However, shortly before moving to Paris, when opportunities arose to meet other parents after dropping off or picking up my daughter from school, the stress of the inevitable question, ‘Shall we grab a coffee?’ pushed me to take an interest in coffee. With a little research, I realized that Paris wasn’t much different from me when it came to coffee. Parisians drink bad coffee at bistros. I’m talking about 2017. Back then, there were no more than ten third-wave coffee shops in Paris. And yet, the French played a significant role in the global spread of coffee. They smuggled coffee seeds from Madagascar and planted them in their colonies in the Caribbean islands, including Haiti, ensuring they didn’t miss out on the coffee trade. In fact, the first coffee shop in Paris, Café Procope, opened in 1672. And yes, it’s still open today—though it’s no longer a café, but a restaurant.

The third-wave coffee shops I discovered in 2017 all sourced their own beans—they were both roasters and cafés. As I slowly tried them all, I began to explore the vast world of coffee. During this time, I also read three books: Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science, The New Rules of Coffee, and The Curious Barista’s Guide to Coffee. ☕️ Meanwhile, I witnessed Paris’s coffee scene evolve. According to an article I read, specialty coffee sales in France have risen by 14% since 2019, reflecting growing demand for artisanal and ethically sourced coffee. The overall coffee market is expected to grow by about 1.14% annually between 2023 and 2025. Another study suggests that the French coffee market will see a compound annual growth rate of 5.7% from 2024 to 2030. I couldn’t find any official figures on the number of coffee shops opening and closing in Paris. If you ask me, it feels like a new one opens almost every day. 😂 The meaning of the word ‘café’ has also become quite muddled. There are the classic spots selling good coffee and a few pastries, but then there are also places serving tapas and wine. The ‘café’ scene in Paris has grown more diverse and layered. Of course, being an old-school person who enjoys simplicity, I’ve dedicated this article to three micro-coffee shops. I must admit, the idea of running a place like this is always lingering at the back of my mind. While I keep dreaming, let me introduce you to three young men who’ve turned their dreams into reality with their micro coffee shops.

photo by Asli

The first café is the oldest among the three. I say ‘oldest,’ but they’re all very new. Mini Café is Loïc’s place, and its location is one of my favorites. It’s been open since January 2023. Loïc spent a few years in Asia, where he had the chance to visit coffee plantations in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Honestly, I can’t think of a better motivation to come back to Paris and open a café. He enjoys all coffee drinks, as long as they’re well-executed. Over time, he’s worked with various roasters, but currently, he serves coffee sourced from Frukt, a Finnish roaster. Loïc’s thoughts on the Paris coffee scene align closely with mine: good coffee is becoming a part of French life, creating opportunities for new investments, concepts, atmospheres, and recipes. Mini Café is located on the Île Saint-Louis, just next to Île de la Cité, the island at the heart of Paris where the city was founded. After visiting Notre-Dame, you can stop by to try their coffee. Don’t worry—the usual tourist crowds aren’t an issue here. Especially on sunny days, it’s a joy to hang out around Loïc’s café.

photo by Asli

photo by Asli

Since you’ve visited Notre-Dame and made your way to Mini Café, you must have an interest in history. In that case, head over to Bastille, one of the most important squares in Paris and French history. From there, it’s just a 13-minute walk to Abner’s place, Saint Barista. Isn’t that a fantastic name? He opened the shop in June. Compared to the other café owners, he seems the luckiest to me because he was practically born into the coffee business. He said; “My grandfather had a coffee finca in Guatemala, my home country.” Although he didn’t take an interest in coffee until he was 17, he grew up observing how his family managed the business. When he applied for a job at 17, he had to complete coffee training, and that’s when he finally embraced the family trade. Drawing on all these experiences, Abner loves connecting with his customers, sharing both his coffee and his craft, and getting to know the people who walk through his doors. He doesn’t have a preference for coffee from a specific country; instead, like me, he enjoys tasting and drinking coffees that are made with care and passion. Lately, he’s been experimenting with Aeropress brewing and is increasingly pleased with the results. He prefers to work with a different roaster every 2-3 months. While I was preparing this article, he was collaborating with DAK, a Dutch roaster with Canadian roots. He also offers flexibility to his customers by providing two espresso options.Abner hopes to see a friendly community develop in the Paris coffee scene, where business owners and customers take care of each other. From what I’ve observed over my seven years in Paris, if business owners or chefs do their job well, Parisians always support them and show their loyalty. I believe Saint Barista has the potential to thrive for years to come.

photo by Asli

photo by Asli

Now, let’s move on to our last micro-coffee shop, the newest of the trio. By the way, I assume you’re still continuing your tour of historic squares and have now arrived at Place de la République. 😁 (For some reason?!? 😁) When you’re tired, I have another great coffee recommendation just six minutes away on foot: Press Café. This is the newest spot, having opened in July 2024. I think it’s the perfect time—August in Paris is quiet, making it easier to settle into a new shop and routine.David got hooked on coffee six years ago and has been planning to open his shop for three. He found inspiration in the small coffee shops of Amsterdam and Japan. Colombian coffee is one of his favorites, standing out just a little more than the rest. At Press Café, David works with two excellent roasters. He uses espresso beans from Honduras roasted by Lomi, where he’s found a nice balance. For gentler brewing methods, he chose fruitier beans from Colombia and Brazil roasted by Fève. Another thing I love about Press Café is the music selection—David has great taste. While the shop isn’t big enough to sit and relax inside, you can enjoy the music and coffee outside on a nice day. David also sees the Paris coffee scene as inspiring and full of potential. He believes many neighborhoods still need good coffee shops and quality coffee.

One common feature of these three places is that, as long as there isn’t a line behind you, you can enjoy a delightful conversation with Abner, David, or Loïc. The chats often start with coffee but naturally flow into life. This even made me wonder—could baristas take the place of bartenders we see in movies, the ones who love to chat and listen to people’s troubles? 😁

My Routine

It's clear that I haven't been able to establish a rhythm for my writing habit. We can debate whether I'm putting in enough effort, but after a certain age, when you change countries, many old and new habits take different durations to settle into a routine than you might expect. Especially, like me, if you come to a country with your spouse’s assignment without finding a job, and if you don't know the language at all, then your situation becomes even more challenging. It's essential to find activities that will become part of your new life and keep you disciplined. It could be something as simple as taking your child to and from school. This is very important to me; chatting with my daughter while going to and from school, witnessing her growth, is one of the most enjoyable ways. As she grows older, our walking time has decreased, but that's okay; every age has its pleasures. Next year, she'll be in sixth grade and will prefer going to school without her father. This means that I'll need to develop a new habit for mornings next year. It might be exaggerated, but wouldn't it be great if I started doing sports, right?!?!

My second routine in Paris became "going to the market." Except for school holidays, you can see me every Wednesday at Avenue President Wilson market. Located between Iéna Square and Alma Square on Avenue President Wilson, the market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, opening early in the morning and closing at 2:30 PM. Frankly, the variety of products on Saturdays is much better than Wednesdays; if you have the chance, I recommend going on Saturdays. I'm not saying this because I go there regularly, but among the markets I've seen while walking the streets of Paris, this is one of the best. One of the characteristics that make up the city's spirit is each neighborhood's own shopping streets and local markets. The Parisians' commitment to this culture is one of the most important factors for me to love this city. Watching an elderly Parisian with a grumpy look and a seller who you wouldn't believe enjoys his job sharing recipes with each other in a butcher's shop is a wonderful moment for me. So when the "home delivery in 15 minutes" initiative came to Paris, I told my friends it wouldn't work, and I was right. Especially in food shopping, reducing or cutting off the contact between seller and customer, like trying to change the culture of Parisians, is also not possible.

In the 20 arrondissements of Paris, 72 markets are set up. You can check where and on which days they are set up on the city's official website. To rent a space at the market, you need to obtain permission from the local municipalities. The process typically begins with the applicant applying to the relevant administrative authority, which evaluates the suitability of the vendor and the products they plan to sell. Among the key requirements are providing fresh and locally sourced products, offering a variety of items, keeping the stall clean and organized, and clearly displaying prices. Additionally, local authorities expect vendors to create a friendly and professional atmosphere by communicating with customers in a warm manner. Generally, the places where the products come from and the production methods (such as organic-bio) are indicated on the labels.

Seeing dried grapes, dried apricots, dried figs, and quinces coming from Turkey through the labels makes me very happy, indeed. Here, at one of these stalls, there's Azdine. I can say that I made my first attempts at speaking French with him at the market. He's so polite that he has been putting up with me for years. In addition to dried fruits from Turkey, his stall also offers many varieties of nuts, mezes, and the types of olives that I buy most frequently. In France, olive and olive oil consumption is significantly lower compared to Italy, Spain, and Greece. So finding olives that suit my taste is not easy either. Thanks to Azdine, he allows me to taste 2-3 varieties before deciding which olives to buy. He has been doing this job for 30 years. Azdine's attitude reminds me of the vendors in Yeşilköy market from my childhood. Always cheerful, always talkative, and always loud. The flower stall across from him is his favorite because the scents wafting from there especially in spring make him very happy. He says that chatting with customers is the most enjoyable part of his job, and indeed, in the small question-answer interviews I conducted, all the vendors mentioned that chatting with customers is their favorite part of their jobs.

Azdine was the last to reply to my e-mail so he deserves my “sympathy” (photo: Amber)

One of the most enjoyable conversations you can have is with Carine, right next to the Azdine’s stall. She has been at the helm of her own company, BaraPatates, since 2007. In my opinion, she's the queen of the market. The quality of the products on her stall is always top-notch, and she has a variety of mushrooms that you won't see at any other stall. Because she also loves cooking at home, she pays great attention to ensuring that the products on her stall are as high-quality as those she brings home. She doesn't put any product on the stall that she doesn't like. This attention to detail and pursuit of good ingredients is a tradition passed down in her family because Carine's family has both a catering company and butchers. Now she's passing this tradition on to her children. One of my favorite moments at the market is when Carine shares recipes with a very chic Parisian woman. I know, this might get me into trouble in the future because when I improve my French to that point, Carine won't want to see me around her stall anymore because I'll be trying to ask for a new recipe every time. One of the things market vendors dislike doing the most is carrying crates, and Carine thinks the same way, rightfully so, she even had to undergo shoulder surgery because of it.

Kneel before the queen of mushrooms ! (Photo: Amber)

Another market vendor who doesn't particularly enjoy the setup stage is Herminia 'Mimi' Pereira at the Saint Vrain cheese stall opposite Bar a Patates. Setting up Mimi's stall is more challenging. The care needed to transport cheese and other dairy products is different from that needed for potatoes and onions, of course, so preparing the stall requires a serious level of concentration and patience. Once that's taken care of, the job becomes easier. Mimi's favorite moments in her job are when customers are told to her how satisfied with the products they purchase. I recommend visiting the Saint Vrain stall especially on Saturday mornings; the variety of cheeses there can be overwhelming. Lastly, let me tell you why Mimi and I get along so well: Both Mimi and I love comté cheese the most among all the cheeses. Actually, this isn't all that rare because it's really hard not to love comté. It's made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the France-Comté region near the Swiss border in eastern France. It's one of the most produced cheeses in France, and its production process undergoes strict controls, including calculating how many cows can be on how many square meters of land. These standards are referred to as French Appellation d'origine Contrôlée (AOC). By the way, Comté pairs beautifully with the white wines of the Arbois appellation in the Jura region. You should try it when you come to Paris.

note for the smart-a.. ; we are aware that the cheese is not comté but we like this photo the most.

(photo: Amber)

Talking about white wine immediately brings fish to mind. I confess, I never used to buy fish from the market in Turkey, so I didn't buy it here in the early days either. Then I put an end to this nonsense and started buying it. After making a few changes to the stalls over the years, I've been benefiting from Jean Pierre's 40 years of experience for the last 2 years, and I started buying fresh fish and seafood from his stall. His advice on how to cook them has improved the quality of our fish dinners at home. Jean's advice is very accurate because he cooks at home. Of course, Jean's least favorite thing about the market is the cold weather. The reason he complains more than other vendors is actually quite clear: in winter, having to clean fish with hands exposed to water! He's not entirely wrong, don't you think?

gratter & vider ; the first 2 French words i learned for fish shopping. (photo: Amber)

When Jean wants to buy something from the market, of course, he prefers vendors who bring organic products from their own gardens. One of these stalls is ValdemarBerreira's. They grow their products on lands 40 minutes outside Paris. You should see the variety of herbs in spring; they are incredibly colorful and fragrant, and towards the end of summer, they have various types of tomatoes. Valdemar took over this business from Joël Thiébault, who was famous as a supplier for starred restaurants, in 2016. His wife, Zilda, also joined the team. Like her colleagues, Zilda doesn't like the cold of winter or the "canicule" (heatwave) of summer. Since such good products pass through her hands, she uses them all in her own kitchen, and she can't resist sharing them with her customers if the new recipes she tries turn out successful. As a customer, what more could you ask for? Good ingredients and recipes; it's hard not to love this stall!

Zilda & greens (photo: Amber)

We've got the vegetables, fish, cheeses, and nuts; but where will we get the fruits? I'll answer right away; fresh fruits await you at Mourad's stall. Especially if you love berry varieties, they're always very fresh here. I can say that my daughter's obsession with Fuji red apples started because of this stall. I always have the opportunity to taste whatever fruit I want, just like I'm used to from Turkey. I'm always offered the fruit I want according to the season; this warmth and sincerity are the behavior I value most. Mourad might be the youngest person at all the stalls I shop at, both in terms of age and work experience: It's only been 10 years. I was there at 7 of it Mourad! He can't cook at home, but learning to cook is among his future plans because the products he sells put pressure on him. He says it doesn't seem possible to stay away from the kitchen when such good products pass through his hands, well, go ahead Mourad !

She knows why that apple is there. (photo: Amber)

Finally, let me tell you about the stall that makes me the happiest when I see it at the market. It's the stall of İbrahim and his family, meticulously making “gözleme” in their pristine white outfits. The only downside here is that they can't come on Saturdays because they set up their stall at the Versailles market on Fridays and Sundays. İbrahim also cooks at home because it's part of his family's traditions. They have different varieties of “gözleme” at their stall. My favorite is the one with baby spinach and feta cheese. They make sure all the ingredients they choose are additive-free. Therefore, the taste is equally excellent. We can't enjoy many good Turkish meals outside our home in Paris, but İbrahim and his family's varieties of "gözleme" delight us.

İbrahim’s flour toss. (Of course, he doesn’t do anything like this, it was just my absurd idea.) photo: Amber

Among the regular customers of this market, there are also famous chefs. During my Wednesday routine, I sometimes come across Matthias Marc and Takuya Watanabe. Of course, even though I feel excited to be buying ingredients from the same place as them, the lack of any similarity of the final dishes between what we cook at home and what they cook brings me back to reality. 😃

Serenity in Paris

When I started this blog, I thought that I would be writing regularly, but I have not been able to do that. Unfortunately, it has been a while since I’ve written something new. When I first started the parisbywalking account on instagram, my aim was to walk all of the streets of Paris and post pictures of buildings, statues, museums, graffiti, restaurants and views that I liked. I wanted to share these along with their stories and facts which I found amusing. The blog came later as a tool to share all this in more detail without the restraint of the limited space Instagram allows. Well, but what was next when all of the above was done? That part I hadn’t yet contemplated.
In the end, I walked and I walked and at last the city ended and there was nothing left to see. I thought, “So what now?” Yes there are still around 200 restaurants that I want to go to but I decided that I don’t want the next step to be to turn my account into a restaurant rec account. There are already a lot of accounts that do that, and they do it with a lot more technical background info added.
But then what could I do? I kept thinking and decided to focus on a question that I have been receiving from a lot of people around me lately: “We always go to the same places. You have been around the whole city, why don’t you take us to different places?”
It was around this time that on a wednesday at the Marché President Wilson one of my followers approached me and told me that she loved my photo and was always curious about the places that I posted about and asked me if I would recommend her a route to wander through. This suddenly helped me put it all together and come to a final decision.  
I had to organize walking tours in non-touristic parts of the city!

When I write it like this, it seems really easy right? Well for me, it was not so.

All my life, making decisions about business has given me nightmares and it has always taken me a long time to decide. Although in the end, my decisions never fail me, still this knowledge doesn’t make it any easier to take that final leap.  Well it is also because since I was 18, all my work dreams and plans have been taken away from me by outside factors in the end. Therefore you might understand me when I say that whenever I get a new idea, the second thought that comes to my mind is “Why bother, it won’t probably work out in the end” Maybe this is something that I should discuss with my own therapist and not here. 🫣

Well, if there are any psychologists among you, please DM me. 🤓

Ok, maybe it’s better I get back to writing about Paris.
In the end, I took that leap once again as a “micro-entrepreneur” to start my one-man company and finally I’m beginning to organize my walking tours. I have already done a couple of test runs. I have already announced the structure of the tours on Instagram and I will soon be announcing upcoming tour dates. Here I wanted to explain in more detail why I’m starting from 20th Arrondissement. In a documentary I watched recently, they were talking about the benefits of writing since it allows you to come up with and realise things that you hadn’t thought of before. Let’s see what writing about the contents of the tour will bring out about the 20th Arrondissement. Before all else, we should all agree that I’m not a professional tour guide, which means these will not be tours full of historical and technical information about the area. More likely, they will be sightseeing tours where we chat about our own Paris stories. In our last trial tour, two friends who have moved to Paris at the same time as us confessed that they hadn’t seen any of the streets on my route before even though the route was only 30 min away from their home by metro. But like they also commented, it is way easier to have someone guide them through what he has discovered before rather than trying to find these places by themselves. I believe the fact that no one has any time to waste any more helps a lot what I’m doing.

The 20th Arrondissement has been a later addition to the Paris city limits. Charonne village which used to have vineyards is also a part of this arrondissement. A part of my tour takes us through the village’s main road which still exists today. A lot of the streets on the route have an architectural style completely different from the rest of the city. It actually feels like a small town. I think this is the main reason why I decided to start my tours from this area. When we first moved and before I started my Instagram account I remember very clearly thinking that what makes Paris so powerful and famous cannot only be the grandeur of the citycenter, there must be something more and I have to find that out. As I walked through all of the arrondissements I believe I understood it better. I think the power of the city comes from the variety it offers. Both the variety in human profiles and the variety of architectural styles work to form an harmony that adds to the magic of the city.  What sets the 20th apart from other arrondissements is that it also includes a agroecological farm. Although it is stuck between buildings, it still maintains a sustainable farming system that also gives job opportunities to those in need, while also arranging workshops for students and gives the city habitants a chance to connect back with the land. You can also buy fresh vegetables and herbs for your own kitchen. I have read that there are also a couple of restaurants in the area that source their produce from this farm.

What else is on the tour? In summary; for example, although it doesn’t appear very exciting on the first look, the street where the tour begins from has been around since 1672. Then we walk though a street where obviously the most plant loving neighbours of the city have come together to live and come upon an extraordinary artdeco church. From there we move onto the part where the vineyards used to be, although they have lost their battles to urbanization long ago. However we discover that there are still some dead-end alleys in the area curiously. We come out on a plaza that I love which was chosen in 2020 by The Guardian as the most authentic neighbourhood of Europe and we use this opportunity to take lovely pictures of the place. Next we see one of the biggest and therefore most unexpected statues of the city and ask ourselves “Why?” Right after, we see another building where we once again ask “Why?”, I try to explain you the why, although I’m not sure how convincing the answer is, because personally I, myself, am not convinced. We come to “La Môme” Square where we discuss the statue made in his honour and what the architect was probably thinking when he was creating it. When we reach the square, it means that we are almost done but you have to soldier on for a small climb up two more streets to finally reach the really surprising and awarding end of the tour. We end in a totally unexpected neighbourhood where we cannot help ourselves and start the actually pointless discussion of what it would feel like to actually own one of these homes and wondering who lives here. In the end, if you have enjoyed the tour, I will also be recommending 2 restaurants and a wonderful café to rest your tired feet and enjoy yourselves. The cafe is both a nice way to end the day after lunch or for those who want to skip the lunch part. Especially the serene part at the end of the tour makes one feel as if they have gotten out of Paris, therefore I decided to name this tour “Serenity”. I loved to give this tour such an appropriate name without thinking that now I would have to keep naming all my forthcoming tours. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Fondugues-Pradugues

If someone were to ask me what would be my biggest learning, especially from the start, but also from the rest of the pandemia, it would be that we have to be more in-touch with nature, have to respect it and refrain from a life-style that would be harmful to it. As we were raiding the fresh produce sections of supermarkets on those first days, which one of us did not brood over the question of whether we would be able to continue to feed ourselves in the days to come? Remembering the indispensability of agriculture was a slap in the face. Which one of us did not finally understand the brutality and the barbarity of zoos (expect for foundations that treat and rehabilitate animals) during this period. For two months, we were prisoners in our own homes, the places where we usually feel the most comfortable turned into a psychological prison for most of us.  In a way, we are actually still detained in some form of confinement. We cannot stroll outside without a mask. How terrible that is! We try to breath in oxygen, our most basic need as humans, through a mask when we are outside. Nobody actually knows or explains the long-term effect this might have on our health. We are waiting for our turn to get vaccinated. We are waiting for a vaccine that was developed in a rush so that we can go back to ‘normal’, be able to go outside without a mask and hug loved ones again. One cannot stop himself from asking, how is it possible to develop a vaccine against a virus that we still have so little knowledge about. Anyway, this is not a pessimistic article. On the contrary, it will be an article talking about an amazing place. It is about a place that is in nature, respects nature and therefore takes its energy and strength from nature, the Fondugues-Pradugues winery and the pop-up restaurant right in front of it.

First let me tell you how we came upon it. You might remember from previous articles that choosing restaurants on holidays is my responsibility in the family. And I’m usually successful in my choices, but a failed attempt last summer led to my wife discovering this place. As you see there is a good in everything, a bad choice led to an amazing discovery. We were on our way back from a very average restaurant near Saint Tropez that had attached crowds who were totally happy with anything as long as it was Italian and there was pizza on the menu. While driving, we saw a garden full of light beneath tall trees that you wouldn’t realize was there if you were not looking in that direction. We couldn’t stop then but we marked it on Google maps and continued on our way. Because it was a long holiday, we were trying to go easy on our budget and therefore ate at home most of the time, choosing dinners out very carefully. It made me very upset that I had wasted one of those treats, but the prospect of a good discovery lifted my spirits a little; I can turn into a very unpleasant person when I’m disappointed. After a little research, we decided to try it for lunch one day.

Our first time was lunch on a very hot day. But the tall trees were casting a lovely shadow, and their leaves were fanning a cool breeze against the heat, therefore we were very comfortable at our table. This is one of those places you always imagine coming upon in small towns and villages. The tables are set apart from each other under the shade, the ground beneath you is pebble and earth, you are surrounded by colorful flowers, sitting right at the edge of the vineyard, the vines fully blossomed green because the harvest is very near, the view of a village set among trees on the opposite hill, an open kitchen and a vehicle that acts as an open bar with wine fridges set on its body. It is set very far from the road, and the parking space is in the opposite direction, therefore you are totally secluded from the noise and the dirt of the road and traffic. The only thing you can hear is birdsong and the wind, of course if you have not come with a very talkative company. I must add that, apart from a huge garden, there is also a petanque area so that kids can also enjoy themselves. And we were very lucky because another kid around Yasemin’s age came right after us and we could easily leisure in this amazing place for more than 2 hours. Our second time was for dinner and a friend of my daughter from school and his mom were accompanying us. The petanque area was a huge rescue once again.

For dinner, I would recommend you to reserve because they say they are fully booked most of the time. Our dinner started off with a reservation confusion. But dear Joshua Clever solved it with a very polite attitude and this way we had a chance to meet the person in charge of the restaurant part of the project. Joshua, after earning a “Natural Chef” certificate, has worked as a chef for 10 years before getting himself out of the kitchen. A restaurant manager with a kitchen background is always a good idea. If you have any questions about the food, you have someone very knowledgeable about the recipes and the ingredients to enlighten you. Joshua met Stephen Roberts in Chicago and they also lived together in Paris. When the project first came up, Stephen invited Joshua to join him here. He told us they had a good year even with the pandemia and he is planning to be here in 2021 as well to help with the new tasting atelier. He says that he loves the south of France especially in summer and plans to spend time here as long as he can.

The Fondugues-Pradugues is 18 hectares in total, 15 of which are vineyards. Laurent Nouvion’s mother Danielle Rey bought her first land in the 60s and and in time proceeded to buy adjoining plots to reach the size it is today. Danielle is a fifth generation wine-maker from the Languedoc region. You could say that as a family they know what they are doing. Hahaaha We met Stephen Roberts at the end of our dinner. Stephen is Laurent’s husband and has been living in France since 1999. He might be the newest addition to the family in the wine business but the greatest change has come through him. Stephen has worked at United Nations before and he has always been actively involved in environmental issues. Especially after their first daughter was born in 2010, he has wanted to take more responsibility about the issue. He started this first in his own land. He converted their holiday home into a working farm where their children could grow up in a cleaner and healthier environment. While studying wine, he also continued work to prepare the land for organic production. They harvested their first produce in 2014. He explains this process as follows:

“We added horses to work the land and sheep that come in winter and eat our ground cover. Biodynamic farming became a logical continuation after organics since the charter is very cohesive and helpful in choosing when to work on the vineyard according to the astrological and lunar calendars. Natural wines is a result of this coherence as well since following all these basic rules in farming and wine-making help make wines that taste like the place or terroir, I believe our wines are a true reflection of the Ramatuelle plain, which has its own special micro-climate. I use temperature control in order to keep our rose wine light in color and fresh, and this year is our first year of using zero sulphate in the winery during harvest, we have finally achieved this and I am very proud.”

Eventualy they became the first vineyard to receive the Demether certificate in the region. (Demether certificate is valid in 50 countries, given out since 1928, verifying that the production is compliant with the biodynamic regulations accepted internationally) They are growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Rolle, Cinsaut, Chardonnay, Mourvèdre, and Merlot grapes. They produce about 25.000 bottles every year but are aiming to increase this up to 60.000 with new investments. 80% of the production is bottled as rosé and 20% as red, but he added that they will start working on white production next year. Towards the end of dinner, Joshua had a surprise for us. He gave us a bottle without a label. He said for now we are sharing this with friends and family only. How lucky we were! It is a wine of %100 Mourvèdre that they are planning to label in 2021. Who knows, maybe this summer I can write once again from Fondugues-Pradugues and get a chance to babble on about this wine.

So far we have talked about the magic of the place, the visions of Stephen and hospitality of Joshua, but we haven’t talked about the last person who has made this place perfect in my opinion. Valentine Costuna. Valentine is a 29 year old Australian chef. His passion for cooking is inherited from his family. Both his mother’s delicious cooking and the fact that both his father and grandfather being chefs, have led his to start working at a fine-dining restaurant when he was only 15. Even though he is only 29 years old, he has a lot of experience up his sleeve. He talks about some of his previous experiences before Fondugues as follows:

“I have been very fortunate to cook in quality kitchens all over the world. Some of my favorites and most impactful experiences were at Moxhe - a magnificent, charming seafood restaurant in Sydney. The powerhouse classic québécois bistro Joe Beef in Montreal, Canada. As well as a restaurant that was ranked 32nd in the world whilst I was there, Astrid y Gaston in Lima, Peru! I was also very fortunate to cook on expedition vessels in the Arctic and Antarctic for a couple of years. These experiences were indeed full of highlights.”

When I asked his about his own cooking style, what he feels about sustainability and what he likes cooking best, the responses I got were exactly as I had imagined them to be. They were totally in line with the vision of Stephen about the place.

“ I describe my food style at l'éphémère to be "refined, rustic" cuisine du marché. I deeply believe that cooking seasonally and sustainably is essential; not only in the restaurant business but also for in our homes and in our lives... Not to mention for the planet! I am pleased to see a resurgence of both farm to table and sustainable cooking in the restaurant world. We certainly need it.

I love most to cook with fresh & especially live seafood. I have worked closely with fish and seafood for many years and I love it so much because it is the most incredible expression of freshness. The difference between fresh fish that has been caught, killed & handled properly to another product, is so pronounced. This quality of seafood of course exists in France but I do miss the blend of these products with strong, spicy and herbaceous flavors that is so brilliantly done in Asia.”

One of the other things I was curious about was wine pairing because Fondugues serves only its own wines. Therefore I was curious whether he felt limited by this and what he did to overcome it.

“We have a chalkboard menu that changes in some way each day. This allows me to cook simply, yet freely. We offer both wine flight options with matching tapas as well as a chef’s inspiration menu which can be paired with wine. Actually, consistently pairing the same wines with different foods can teach us how foods pair differently with the same wine given their characteristics. So even though it can be restricting in ways, it's also educational and fun.”

Another object of interest was what kind of an adaptive rhythm he found as he was working on French soil known for its intricate bureaucracy, with a half French half American family. This is personally what I like the most about Paris and the South of France, the variety but I wanted to know what an Australian thought about this.

“We feel that we have magically found a way to find likeminded people, in the oddest of circumstances. Fortunately we have a similar concept on what good service is, as well as appreciating each other's style and taste. I am impressed with how we are able to bounce off of one another and how we continue to find inspiration and execute our ideas together”

I found out that I took a while for Valentine, Stephen and Joshua to find each other on skype. A lot of people were involved from the old owners of Yard to Septime to people in Quebec but eventually it has ended up in a perfect collaboration. And I’m so glad that it did. There are two chefs that Valentine follows all the time, Francis Mallmann and Alain Passard. He finds both their stories and kitchens magical and he romances dreams where he finds himself chatting with the two around an open fire in the garden. I definitely think that he should at some point work in Paris. Well, this might be a little selfish on my side, but he has actually had pop-ups in Paris before, only never stayed permanently.

By the way Valentine if you are reading this, I have some good news for you too. Stephen wants to give you your own garden if he can find a good gardener. Wouldn’t it be just great, you would collect your produce in the morning, cook it during the day and we’ll come and eat it at dinner?

(Last minute information: Valentine won’t be in Fondugues-Pradugues 2021 summer because of the Covid situation in Europe.)

Let's Go !

I know it is a little strange to do the opposite of what everyone’s been doing lately.

I’m no internet and social media expert, but you don’t need to be one to know that most business are moving their activities onto instagram, facebook and other similar social media applications. Well then, why have I decided to move in the other direction and became obsessed with opening this web site? This is my first article on the site, beginning the page with me trying to explain why I have chosen this route. And here is the first reason: Feeling very limited with the caption space in instagram. Sometimes, when I want to combine my impressions about a restaurant or a place I like with my personal stories, captions and comments are never enough to express myself, and I need to cut down on what I want to say. I don’t like this limitation. I’ve thought that since there have been so many limitations on all the other activities in our lives for the past couple of months, I might at least enjoy the freedom to write about Paris as much as I want.

Good for you Okan, do that! Right?

So far, I’ve been both very lucky and unlucky in my business life. I spent my childhood and teenage years playing basketball, I was actually quite good. I always thought my future was in basketball. Right before that fated last practice, I had even learned that I was to be recruited to the national team in my age group for the upcoming Mediterranean games. I was very motivated and at the top of my game. However at our last practice before a tournament the next day, the person guarding me stepped on my foot right as I was jumping and I injured my knee. Since we were going away on a tournament the next day I didn’t have a chance to see a doctor about the injury and our coach Murat didn’t want me to risk myself by putting me on the court in any of the serious games. Therefore I missed my chance in the national team selections that summer and after that could never reach my previous form nor motivation.  It is very hard for a young player to get back to previous form when he cannot find any real support during or after his injury. Well, at least I personally was not at that level of maturity.

While I was studying at the university, I was also working with my father at our family business. A workaholic father who had been working since 13 years old, sometimes even at holidays and me by his side. I was very lucky because he always valued my opinions and encouraged me. He approved all my efforts to establish a more corporate structure within the company, increase production quality and he was very proud of me because we had started exporting too. However through all these changes, I couldn’t change his mindset of figuring things out along the way, and unfortunately because of a little too much ego and pride, him getting sick and my inexperience all came together and made things go downhill, crushing my dreams about the future of the family business.

Then Lokanta MAYA came along, during one of the hardest periods of my life. I can never be grateful enough to Didem for showing the courage to introduce me, who couldn’t tell the difference between lamb shanks and chicken thighs, into the food and beverage industry as her partner. I can say that I moved from the hardest period of my life into the most enjoyable. Especially in the first few years, I worked like crazy and learned so much. Some of the wonderful people I met during this period became an indispensable part of my life. However in 2016, along with the economic and political decline on our country, unfortunately this business also slipped from my hands due to forces beyond my control.

2017 brought us to Paris, a city I had visited for only a couple of days before and loved, and the city we were now to live in. Therefore I first had to learn the language and then develop some business ideas. At the beginning I was very motivated to learn French, but all the irregularities of the language and my total disability in pronunciation really discouraged me. With the boldness my relatively older age brought on, I persevered to speak, and was unbelievably understood most of the time... However when it came to the other person replying back to me... That’s where I was totally lost. It was basically impossible for me to understand what people said on the street. This is where the advantage of being a couple who completes each other comes into play, my wife could understand French better, and I could speak without any control on the grammar, totally reckless. But if she wasn’t there with me, god help me!!! My fight with French still continues today. I keep enrolling in courses. No way, I’m not giving up!

Because of my previous experiences in business, I’m looking at things more cautiously, or in other words, I’m on pause at the moment. A while ago I had a stirring, an idea to have a nice café. A café centered around Turkish coffee, with a small bakery menu put together by recipes of my chef friends, a small commercial space dedicated to arts and design objects by Turkish artists. I even convinced my friend Bahar to design the wall and shelf space for the store. I finalized the feasibility study, shook hands with Osman, an architect friend living in Paris at the end of a very drunk lunch. However a few days later one of the biggest and most violent demonstrations in French history since 1968, the yellow vest riots in Paris began. Restaurants and cafés in most of Paris had to guard their spaces from ruin for many Saturdays to come. Saturdays became days of voluntary isolation, almost as if we were unconsciously preparing ourselves for what was to come soon. Just as the yellow vest demonstrations were losing their strength, this time the biggest public transport strike in French history began. Naturally, this all made me think maybe this is not the right time to invest in a café and I put the project on hold.

At the same time, relying on the memories of success from Lokanta Maya and the fact that some of my best friends are chefs, the dream of having a restaurant in Paris is a dream I entertain all the time.  On a period when the idea was particularly vibrant on my mind, we started discussing with Mustafa where we could start from to achieve the dream, and guess what happened.  I’m sure you can guess the answer. Covid began. Mustafa had bought a ticket to visit me in Paris. We were going to talk and share ideas but it never came to be. I guess this is a sign from the universe big enough to tell me not to enter the gastronomic scene of Paris. Hahahaha

And this was the second reason why I wanted to create this web site; to pour my heart to you!  ahahahha

Ok, ok, now I’m straying from the subject. Let me get back to what I was saying. What was I saying? Aha! The website. I love to share and it will make me very happy to continue what I’ve started on instagram and share this amazing city with you. We can also go into more personal territories from time to time, such as being a stay home dad and husband in Paris or whatever else I have on my mind at the moment. Being in Paris during a global epidemic is a whole subject on its own for example. Who would have thought I would be in Paris during the times of corona. We could also be talking about anything and everything that impress me the most in Paris, naturally focusing on themes around food such as product quality and variety. We could also talk about things that I hate the most about Paris, such as dog shit left on pavements. I’m going to say “let’s first start and we’ll see where it goes from here”. The old me would have already thought 50 steps ahead, found a million reasons why not and quit. But this is me, on the path to change.  “Let me begin...…” There will also be a second groups of articles on the page, the “Guest posts”. I will ask friend who have lived or are currently in Paris to write about their own Paris, their own ideas and subjects they are more knowledgeable in. Maybe I could even get ‘rival’ instagrammers who share posts about Paris involved too, why not? I hope my posts filled with likes and loves about the city will help you have a good time too.

I think this is what we’ve needed and missed the most this past year, to be happy, cheerful and to hug loved ones. And on this emotional note, it’s time to end this very first article of this website.

South of France II - Grimaud

This article has been written on 31.08.2020

After moving to Paris, one of the major changes in my lifestyle was to spend most of my time walking the streets. I used to not like walking very much, and after 6.5 years working long hours in the restaurant and the office, I had actually become very lazy physically. Luckily we moved here and I could finally put an end to my physical expansion. Since I was already walking back and forth from all the French lessons, school runs with my daughter and house chores, I decided to walk all of the arrondissements of Paris in my free time, both as something to do for myself and to keep walking. That was how the idea for my instagram account parisbywalking was born. As soon as I printed separate maps for each arrondissement, created an appropriate Spotify playlist and had my orange marker, I was invincible. Noone; the yellow vests, strikes, rains, even the snow of 2018, nothing could stop me. I walked with every chance I got. I loved being on the street. Until now, I have finished 14 arrondissements and have 6 more to go. I had aimed to finish walking these after schools started, however it will not be as easy as I had hoped because as of August 28, wearing masks have become obligatory in the street as well. And taking long walks while wearing a mask is not very appealing to me. It seems it will take longer than I anticipated to reach my goal.

As someone who had been constantly outside for the past 3 years, staying at home for 2 months after March 16 was not very enjoyable. Of course I was very grateful to get through this period physically and mentally healthy, with my family, however the longing to be on the street, on a garden, even a balcony became unbearable both for me and my wife. Eventually, when domestic travel was allowed, we started looking for a house to rent with a garden that would also accept our cat. We thought it would be enough to at least be out on a garden, however small, keeping away from the crowds. Our 15 day search had a happy ending, though now we know all of the airbnb listings there are from the west to the east, from the north to the south of the country.  Eventually we found dear Éric’s house in Grimaud, which had a garden where tomatoes, zucchinis and herbs grew, the terrace had an electric barbeque, and most importantly, our 5 year-old cat who had not set foot outside before was accepted. We had not heard of Grimaud before. Most of our friends hadn’t either. The modern and tasteful decoration, the garden and the location, only 5-25 minutes from public and private beaches were what affected our speedy decision. Our only mistake was the day we decided to set off. The 8.5 hour drive took 12.5 hours. And it wasn’t because there were accidents on the road or anything, there was nothing of the sort. Only the whole country decided to drive south that day and we didn’t know that. Plus, as someone who had very recently shown an amateur interest in biking, I decided to take our three bikes by car, but had no idea how to attach the car kit which caused a 2 hour delay on our departure, making everything worse. I would like to use this chance to apologize to my wife, my daughter and my cat once again.

Mino @ Éric’s house

Grimaud

Grimaud is a beautiful village set on a hillside in the bay of Saint-Tropez, full of stone houses with colorful shutters and doors, adorned with flowers. It is named after its landlord at the end of antiquity era, however its actual history is a lot older. There was a time, with 1.000 residents, it was the biggest village in the region. Even what we know today as Saint Tropez bay was once called Grimaud. This beautify commune doesn’t only consist of the village, but has a Unesco heritage harbor too. Until 1960s this area was a swamp used for agriculture and hunting. In 1964 architect François Spoerry started planning the area as an harbor town. He designed what all seamen dream of, a town where you could deck your boat in front of your house. He built more than 2.400 homes, 1.100 of which are independent villas, and more than 7 km of canals, turning the place into a touristic harbour which today attracts more than 500.000 visitors every year. Though seeing the boats docked at the harbour, it doesn’t look like a lot of fishermen live here anymore. But don’t assume that tourists can roam anywhere in the facility, they are allowed access only to certain areas. However you can rent electric boats to wander through the canals. I must warn you though; because the boats can be rented out by anyone, possibly totally inexperienced, they are extremely slow. Don’t do it if you cannot spare the time, because it’ll be a while to go out and come back. There is a farmer’s market at the harbor every Sunday and Thursday, from 8.00 to 13.00 . Honestly, it wasn’t as good as I’d imagined it to be, however we could find green and black olives that are not easy to come by in Paris, and we were happy.  The tomatoes were very good too, although they couldn’t compete with the tomatoes of Canakkale. However when later we found a nice feta at the market in the village, we were almost able to recreate a traditional Turkish breakfast. I have two more places to mention at the harbour. One is a fish restaurant called La Table du Mareyeur. It was opened in 1989 by Caroline and Ewan Scutcher. The minute you enter, you feel that this is a family restaurant; you are greeted with a warm smile, accompanied to you table on the terrace over the water and the service through the lunch is comfortably rhythmed to make you feel at ease. There is a permanent menu and also daily fresh fish from the fish market. I had a chance to taste the fish both with and without sauce because my daughter prefers it so, both was very well cooked and delicious. You can also order the shellfish platter as a starter but I would recommend you to save yourself for the fish. Are you one of those people who can have ice cream after dessert? If yes, have your dessert at the restaurant, but I would recommend a nice romantic walk and an ice cream place in the harbour: J’aime les Glaces (meaning I love ice cream) My daughter repeatedly tested and approved the artisanal ice creams and sorbets of Madame Dumontier.

View from La Table du Mareyeur at Port Grimaud

The location of our house in Grimaud was so good that we didn’t have to get stuck in traffic at all. It is apparently horrible around St.Tropez.  And because there was no traffic, we could easily do our grocery shopping from nearby small gardens that grow fruits and vegetables. The best of them was Jardin de la Piboule.

They supply to the kitchens of a lot of chefs around Saint-Tropez. The creators of these 8 hectars of nourishing gardens are Yann Ménard and his team; they grow healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables with sustainable methods. It makes him very happy to share healthy produce with his visitors and believes that it is essential to inspire youngsters to continue the habit. Therefore he employs as many young people as he can. I was very impressed to read that he is also working on a law draft to be brought into force in 2022. The law will require school cafeterias to serve 50% local and 20% organic produce. The benefits of good nutrition on health cannot be denied and he especially underlines the effect of healthy nutrition on increased concentration, listening and reasoning levels in children. I’m talking about children and youngsters, but Yann is only 40 years old himself. He advocates for natural farming, permaculture, doesn’t use pesticides, uses natural fertilizer and chipboard, and let’s nature flourish on it own terms. He tries different methods to prompt microbic life-forms and mushroom growth. He says on his website that “the richer soil will encourage productivity, the vegetables will be equally fruitful as the soil is rich” You can see how much he respects the soil from the fact that he actually plows it with his beloved horse Traviata. He claims that Traviata can work as quickly as a tractor. We cooked all our olive oil dishes with his vegetables. I already missed visiting him every 2-3 days to buy fruits and vegetable.

Another location we bought groceries other than fruits and vegetables was La Halle de Grimaud. It is an organic market where most of the produce comes from local producers. I must admit that shopping all our charcuterie, meat, bread and wine at the same place made life really easier. There was a fish stall at the entrance as well but we preferred to go out to a restaurant when we wanted to have fish. If you love fresh goat cheese as much as I do, the many varieties available from local producers will make you very happy. A lot of charcuterie have also accompanied our rosé wine at sunset dinners in the garden. Yes I’ve said that we bought our bread here, but I must also mention the tempting Le Pâtissier du Château in the village. You can buy bread here as well. The bakery was founded in 1973 and today Chef Olivier Etchart and his wife have taken it a step further than his parents’ days without compromising on the quality. Oliver’s grandfather was one of the chefs of the Spanish King and therefore inherently it was impossible for him to have another job. They have modernized many traditional recipes, using local organic produce and have caused me to regain all the weight I had disciplined myself to lose during the quarantine. They have a tart made of regional herbs that resemble our ‘borek’. Ayca, my wife had to take the last two slices from me by force so that she could have lunch too, it was that good. If you know me, you know how much I love sharing normally. Each morning this magical shop entices its customers to line up in front of it to buy sweet or savory tarts, homemade foie gras and terrine, local olive oils, mustards, artisanal marmalades and many other delicacies. I would advise you to go early especially on Sundays because most of the items are sold out by noon. Dear Christel Etchart reminded me of my best friend’s mother during these busy hours. We lived in the same neighbourhood and therefore eating at each other’s homes was a part of our daily routine. Aunt Sevinç look so serious while she was cooking for me as well as her two sons that I would be scared to ask for anything until the food was served. I felt the same reservation when I had to order from Madame Etchart. Hesitance was out of the question when you were ordering. It took me 3 days to manage to buy mustard. On the first day I made the decision, second day I was scared because I might pronounce it wrong, but victory came on the third day, I had the mustard in my bag. J But on our last day I told her I loved her produce, “J’adore vos produits” in exact words, and she looked at me and smiled. I still don’t know whether she smiled at the clumsiness of my French or the fact that a foreigner loved her produce, but she smiled anyhow, I made her smile.

Le Pâtissier du Château

Another place we enjoyed in the village was Restaurant Apopino. Contrary to many restaurants in Paris, in the south you are always welcomed with a smile. Although at first we were surprised, we got used to it really quickly. This was also how dear Victoire welcomed us to Apopino. They have two terraces and we were seated on the terrace at the entrance. This was an ideal table for someone like me who loves to watch how the restaurant is run. The restaurant is located in a square away from the crowds of the village center, known only by locals. Because there are no other restaurants, cafés or bars on the square, it is very quiet. The square is called Pénitents. It was a perfect location for my daughter and her friend who joined us for the last week of our vacation. After having their grilled fish without sauce, they had the whole square to themselves to play as much as they liked, lost in their own world. The restaurant was opened towards the end of 2016 by Jacopo Brunero (an old financier educated at the culinary institute of Paul Bocuse), Dominique Calcerano (chef by occupation) and Victoire Silvant. It serves mainly French and Italian dishes made with local produce. The décor of the restaurant reflect the elegant, understated southern coolness. The real surprise is the window at the back overlooking an infinite green. We were really sad that we were late to discover this restaurant. Well, am I not writing this so that you will not make the same mistakes I did​?

Restaurant Apopino

View from Restaurant Apopino