Heidi Ellison

Heidi Ellison, a long-time Paris resident, is a freelance journalist specializing in art, travel and literature. Her articles have been published in dozens of international publications, and she has contributed to a number of guidebooks on Paris and France.

Les Pinces

Surf and Turf the French Way

February 16, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Restaurants

This will be a short review, but not as short as the menu at Les Pinces, a new restaurant in the Marais where you can order only three things: a whole lobster, a lobster roll or a côte de bœuf (prime rib), each one priced at €25.

Zébulon

Scoring High at Palais Royal

February 9, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Archive, Restaurants

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Pirouette, a great little bistro near the Forum des Halles, and now I have tried its new baby sister, Zébulon, in another part of town where it’s often hard to find a reliably good meal, near the Palais Royal.

Le Bichat

Worthy Food, Rollicking Atmosphere

February 5, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Restaurants

A very un-Parisian restaurant recently opened in the slowly gentrifying area just north of the Canal Saint Martin. Le Bichat has no telephone, takes no reservations, has no table service and serves a limited selection of organic food that wouldn’t excite the taste buds of any discerning gourmet.

Timbuktu

Timbuktu

All-Too-Human Side of Jihad

January 28, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Film

In the popular imagination, Timbuktu may represent the back of beyond, but there’s certainly a lot going on there in the eponymous new film by Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako, which has been nominated for the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language … Read More

Paris Fashion Week: Men

January 26, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Shopping

Peekaboo Penises and Butt Plugs The men’s fashion shows in Paris last week were far more exciting than usual. This year, for the first time, men’s penises popped out of their garments on the runway, courtesy of Rick Owens (now … Read More

Prémices

One Logical Conclusion: An Excellent Meal

January 25, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Restaurants

The working premise of this review is that if you eat at Prémices, you are sure to have an excellent dining experience. The restaurant’s decor is the first sign that you are in for something a cut above: it’s simple but elegant, with bare stone walls, an assortment of variously shaped black light fixtures and crystal shades casting spangles of light around the room, with its white-clothed tables.

Pirouette

Turnabout Is Fair Play

January 21, 2015 | By Heidi Ellison | Archive, Restaurants

The dire dining situation in the area around the Forum des Halles seems to be turning around, or should I say pirouetting, since I recently ate at a good bistro there called Pirouette. The restaurant is located on a small hidden square in a strange one-story structure with high ceilings and big industrial windows that looks as if it had been tacked onto the building next to it. Its large, traffic-free terrace must be a pleasant place to sit in warm weather.