How To Travel Through Paris In Julia Child's Footsteps

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When Julia Child first arrived in Paris in November 1948, she was, by her own estimation, "a six-foot-two-inch, thirty-six year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian." After several years of living in the City of Light with her husband Paul, Julia transformed into a French speaker, a graduate of the famous cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, and a soon-to-be co-author of the landmark cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Today, travelers can follow in her footsteps, visiting a few Julia Child landmarks around town, including her apartment and cooking school, a famous café, plus more of her favorite places to eat.

This suggested walk, which begins in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and ends in Les Halles, takes a little over an hour to complete — but you could spend a whole day with leisurely stops along the way (which you'll likely want to do). Start your nostalgic stroll at No 6, Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where you'll find Les Deux Magots, an historic café where Julia enjoyed her first Saturday breakfast in Paris in 1948. She wrote about the experience in her memoir, "My Life in France," co-written with her grand-nephew Alex Prud'homme. "We ordered café complet," she wrote, describing a classic French breakfast of coffee, a croissant, and a baguette with butter and jam. "Paul was amused to see that nothing had changed since his last visit, back in 1928." 

The same could be said today: The famous literary café has a timeless air, with wicker chairs and tiny round tables snugly set up on the sidewalk, ideal for sipping a café au lait in the sunshine while people-watching — an ageless Parisian pastime. About a ten-minute stroll from the Jardin du Luxembourg, Les Deux Magots is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

From Les Deux Magots, it's about a 20-minute stroll along Boulevard Saint-Germain to 81, Rue de l'Université in the 7th Arrondissement ("Roo de Loo," as Child called it). The second and third floors of the elegant Parisian building were home to both the couple's onetime residence and L'École des Trois Gourmandes, the cooking school Julia founded with her collaborators Simone ("Simca") Beck and Louisette Bertholle.

Long gone are some of the Parisian street markets where Julia did her food shopping, though some historic shops on the blocks near her old apartment are still in business. You'll walk past them as you make your way to the stylish Hôtel Pont Royal (rooms from around $300 per night, plus tax) where the Childs lived for a month when they first arrived in France (about a ten-minute walk from the apartment). From there, you'll cross the Pont Royal bridge, taking in views of the Seine on your way to Place des Victoires (about 25 minutes). 

Having arrived at Place des Victoires, sit down for lunch at Chez Georges, one of Julia's favorite restaurants. An institution in Paris since 1926, this iconic brasserie still serves no-nonsense French food, according to reviews. The romantic Art Nouveau interior is a lovely setting to sample one of Julia's favorite dishes, sole meunière – pan-fried Dover sole served with a sauce of brown butter, lemon, and parsley. This simple dish made her fall in love with French cuisine (although that meal was at La Couronne in Rouen, Normandy where her cross-Atlantic ship arrived from America). Chez Georges is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday from noon to 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. 

Alternatively, continue to nearby Les Halles (another seven minutes on foot from Chez Georges) and dine at another of Julia's most beloved eateries, Au Pied de Cochon. The brasserie serves delicious classics like French onion soup, cassoulet, and frogs' legs, and the place practically never closes — the kitchen only shutters for a few hours each day between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

For more gourmet adventures in Paris, consider booking a spot on one of Island's top-rated food tours in Paris, according to reviews. Fans venturing outside of Paris might want to consider a visit to Julia Child's former cottage in Provence, a fairytale-like escape near Grasse where travelers can take cooking classes.