Paule Caillat
Posted on April 13, 2011 by Susie Hollands
Paule Caillat is a chef and the founder of Promenades Gourmandes.
1. What initially inspired you to move here or visit?
I was born and raised here, no choice.
2. Earliest Paris memory?
Going to the patisserie rue Saint-Dominique with my father to buy Choux à la crème for Sunday lunch.
3. Best neighbourhood you’ve ever lived in?
The 3rd, coté Arts et Métiers.
4. What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in Paris?
Honestly, at home with family and friends, and at the other end of the spectrum Arpège, I was Alain Passard’s guest.
5. Sexiest moment you’ve had in Paris?
Walking hand in hand in Paris with my chéri on a sunny morning.
6. What do you hate most about living in Paris?
The weekend crowds.
7. Who’s your favourite Parisian — be they living or dead, real or fictional?
Guy de Maupassant, Charles Baudelaire, François Truffaut, et Pariscope, my weekly bible.
8. Favourite cinema?
Max Linder for the space, but I don’t like their current programme.
9. Right bank or left bank? And why?
Raised on left bank, prefer right bank : more diverse and fun.
10. Favourite Caviste?
Legrand Filles et Fils.
11. Where do you go to escape the city?
Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse.
12. Where are the best looking girls or boys in Paris and why?
Now in the ‘Haut Marais’, where the young and beautiful hang around.
13. Where do you get your news?
France Inter and Rue 89.
14. Favourite museum?
Musée Carnavalet et Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
15. Favourite shop?
Bon Marché, Printemps for fashion, Lafayette Gourmet for food stands, Roellinger for spices, Jacques Genin for chocolate and caramel, Kitchen Bazaar for kitchen tools, and Merci for surprises!
16. Who’s the most stylish Paris personality?
Inès de la Fressange.
17. What is your favourite film set in Paris?
Baisers volés, Le Dernier Tango à Paris, French Cancan, Prêt-à-Porter, Chacun cherche son chat, Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, there are so many. Perhaps Le Dernier Tango.
18. What about Paris most inspires you?
The Palais Royal.
19. What makes someone a Parisian?
A subtle combination of arrogance, creativity, and curiosity for others, all of this with style and elegance.
20. What’s your favourite French word? (Swear words allowed!)
Génial (on a good day).
Zut, crotte (on a bad day).
