Dining in Style with BonAppetour

Imagine having the opportunity to eat in an apartment that is too beautiful for words to do it justice, with a host that not only cooks the finest French cuisine but also welcomes you into their home with open arms. Sounds like something out of a food lover’s fairy-tale, right?

Well, thanks to BonAppetour it doesn’t have to be. BonAppetour offers every foodie the chance to turn their dreams into reality.

So what exactly is BonAppetour?

BonAppetour is an amazing company which gives you the chance to dine with locals in over 80 cities worldwide. The idea is this: you get to experience traditional local cuisine cooked by great chefs in their homes. The ultimate authentic experience abroad!  It’s an experience like no other where you make friends, have fun and eat delicious food. Known as the Airbnb of the food world, BonAppetour is a must for any food lovers.

So how was my experience?

My night with BonAppetour was, by far, the most unique dining experience I’ve ever had and I made some really magical memories!

We were told that the dinner would take place in a “chic apartment in the 8th arrondissment”  but nothing could have prepared me for the apartment that we dined in. When I walked through the door my jaw hit the floor and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The apartment (shown above) was magnificent and absolutely breathtaking. I had never, ever, seen an apartment like it and I still can’t get over how spectacular it was.

We were welcomed by Florence, a kind and sweet woman whose family has lived in Paris for over two centuries. She showed us into the living room where our aperitif was waiting for us. We started with champagne from her family’s vineyard accompanied by some kidney bean paste and olive crackers, smoked salmon crackers and fresh cherry tomatoes. It was the perfect aperitif, opening up our tastebuds for the heavenly food that was to follow.

Florence then led us into the dining room with a short pit stop at the hidden door. Yes, you heard that right, the apartment has a secret door that conceals a spacious bathroom on the inside…just another of its unique quality’s! The dining room boasted a large elegantly decorated dining table, a tall wine rack (plein de vin et de champagne, bien sûr…) and an oil painting of a variety of oozing French cheeses.

Dinner began with a Crème de Parmesan served with coulis de tomates et poivrons piquillos, tuile parmesan et poivre. It was absolutely delicious and the perfect starter because it was light and fluffy and didn’t sit on your stomach. The tomatoes and peppers gave it a tangy edge which mixed perfectly with the parmesan cheese style mousse. We all scraped our bowls clean it was so delectable!

Next came the Bouillabaisse de poulet au safran avec sa sauce rouille. Bouillabaisse is traditionally a fish stew originating from the city of Marseille but Florence’s recipe replaced fish with chicken in a rouille sauce which consists of olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper. Accompanied with some tasty red wine it was the perfect dish for the drop in temperatures we were experiencing and made me excited for winter and all the warm, stew dishes that go hand in hand with this season.

This delicious main course was followed by a cheese plate with goats cheese and blue cheese fresh from the morning market. In fact, Florence went on to explain that all the produce she had used to make our meal had come from the market. How French and how authentic! I personally couldn’t wait to see what was for dessert.

Dessert was, of course, absolutely delicious as well and I couldn’t get enough of the poires au vin, recette du chef Roger Vergé. Poires au vin literally translates to Pears in wine and is a traditional dish made with Beaujolais wine. It is sweet without being too sweet and the pears soft texture means that the dessert seems to melt in your mouth! A very traditional French dessert that has survived the tests of time.

It’s clear from the time and effort that goes into her food that Florence is a modern-day food lover. When we spoke to her during the meal she explained that her love of cooking comes from her mother and her grandmother. She also admitted that her family were very traditional cooks and that now, she prefers to add a touch of modernity to her dishes. Her priorities when cooking are: taste, freshness and gourmandise! 

I had a terrific evening with Bonappetour and would recommend them to anyone visiting or even living in Paris! If you are interested in booking a dinner with Florence or other hosts in Paris then head on over to www.bonappetour.com and use my promotional code when booking  (ABROADBA20) for a special 20% discount! Don’t miss out on this fantastic and unique experience in the heart of Paris.