A little help
- Thread starter MoTheMan
- Start date
ROAD TRIP!!!
the last time i was in paris i wasn't smokin cigars so no personal experience... but i found the icg international listings to be great. they had belgium dead on. here's what i found for paris:
City: Paris
Name: La Casa Del Habano
Location: 169 Boulevard Saint-Germain
Phone: 01-45-49-24-30
Fax: 01-45-49-65-64
City: Paris
Name: La Cave a Cigares
Location: 14 Boulevard Haussman
Phone: 01-47-70-73-62
City: Paris
Name: La Civette Euryal
Location: 16 rue Linois
Phone: 01-45-75-55-81
City: Paris
Name: La Civette du Palais Royale
Location: 157 rue Ste-Honore
Phone: 01-42-61-61-07
City: Paris
Name: Flammes et Fumees
Location: 22 Avenue du Maine
Phone: 01-45-40-41-78
City: Paris
Name: Flor de Cuba
Location: 1 Avenue Raymond Poincare
Phone: 01-47-04-90-50
City: Paris
Name: Maison Lemaire
Location: 39 Avenue Victor Hugo
Phone: 01-45-00-75-63
City: Paris
Name: La Pot a Tabac
Location: 28 rue de la Pepiniere
Phone: 01-45-22-29-14
City: Paris
Name: Tabarium
Location: 27 Avenue des Gobelins
Phone: 01-47-70-11-51
City: Paris
Name: Tabac du Dome
Location: 108 Boulevard Montparnasse
Phone: 01-43-35-23-41
City: Paris
Name: Tabac George V
Location: 22 avenue George V
Phone: 01-47-23-44-75
City: Paris
Name: Tabac le Lotus
Location: 4 rue de L'Arcade
Phone: 01-42-65-35-36
City: Paris
Name: La Tabagie
Location: 10 rue de Depart
Phone: 01-45-38-65-18
City: Paris
Name: Tabatiere Odeon
Location: 128 Boulevard Saint-Germain
Phone: 01-46-34-21-89
City: Paris (La Defense)
Name: La Civette des Quatre Temps
Location: Centre Commercial des Quatre-Temps
Phone: 01-47-74-75-28
also- check out this place... you can rub elbows with movie stars and politicians: http://www.boutique22.fr/ i think if woody allen smoked cigars you would see him there :r
anyway- a full report when you get back please
the last time i was in paris i wasn't smokin cigars so no personal experience... but i found the icg international listings to be great. they had belgium dead on. here's what i found for paris:
City: Paris
Name: La Casa Del Habano
Location: 169 Boulevard Saint-Germain
Phone: 01-45-49-24-30
Fax: 01-45-49-65-64
City: Paris
Name: La Cave a Cigares
Location: 14 Boulevard Haussman
Phone: 01-47-70-73-62
City: Paris
Name: La Civette Euryal
Location: 16 rue Linois
Phone: 01-45-75-55-81
City: Paris
Name: La Civette du Palais Royale
Location: 157 rue Ste-Honore
Phone: 01-42-61-61-07
City: Paris
Name: Flammes et Fumees
Location: 22 Avenue du Maine
Phone: 01-45-40-41-78
City: Paris
Name: Flor de Cuba
Location: 1 Avenue Raymond Poincare
Phone: 01-47-04-90-50
City: Paris
Name: Maison Lemaire
Location: 39 Avenue Victor Hugo
Phone: 01-45-00-75-63
City: Paris
Name: La Pot a Tabac
Location: 28 rue de la Pepiniere
Phone: 01-45-22-29-14
City: Paris
Name: Tabarium
Location: 27 Avenue des Gobelins
Phone: 01-47-70-11-51
City: Paris
Name: Tabac du Dome
Location: 108 Boulevard Montparnasse
Phone: 01-43-35-23-41
City: Paris
Name: Tabac George V
Location: 22 avenue George V
Phone: 01-47-23-44-75
City: Paris
Name: Tabac le Lotus
Location: 4 rue de L'Arcade
Phone: 01-42-65-35-36
City: Paris
Name: La Tabagie
Location: 10 rue de Depart
Phone: 01-45-38-65-18
City: Paris
Name: Tabatiere Odeon
Location: 128 Boulevard Saint-Germain
Phone: 01-46-34-21-89
City: Paris (La Defense)
Name: La Civette des Quatre Temps
Location: Centre Commercial des Quatre-Temps
Phone: 01-47-74-75-28
also- check out this place... you can rub elbows with movie stars and politicians: http://www.boutique22.fr/ i think if woody allen smoked cigars you would see him there :r
anyway- a full report when you get back please
mrs bi-polar
Young Ape
Have fun, and smoke a good one for me near the champs de elyse!! Watch out for the ugly american rips, so act canadian!!
Thanks for the advice mrs bi-polar, and BTW, welcome to CS!
DAVE!!! I nearly peed in my pants when I saw that list.
Whoa dude!!
That's mighty awesome of you.
I'll be in Paris hanging out with a close friend of mine from NYC who's half french and knows that city well, so guaranteed I'll be taking him about for some sojournes in search of an ultimate cigar experience.
Thanks again. Till we meet sometime soon, I'll owe you one (just name it).
MoTheMan
DAVE!!! I nearly peed in my pants when I saw that list.
Whoa dude!!
That's mighty awesome of you.
I'll be in Paris hanging out with a close friend of mine from NYC who's half french and knows that city well, so guaranteed I'll be taking him about for some sojournes in search of an ultimate cigar experience.
Thanks again. Till we meet sometime soon, I'll owe you one (just name it).
MoTheMan
Feedback from Paris
Well, got back at the end of last week.
Paris was grand. Here's a low down on some of the highlights!!
First of all, let me dispell the myth. I did not find Parisians to be rude at all. A bit rushed maybe, kinda' like New Yorkers, but not rude. In fact most Parisians I talked to had a very genuine interest in Americans and many things American.
My French is what's left over from high school and not very good. When I asked someone if they spoke english or spoke to them in simple French I found that many would take the opportunity to practice their French with me. Generally found the French to be a very warm people who look up to America for many shared personal values related to freedom of speech and expression.
Now, if there's one word to describe Paris it's decadent!! The foods, the wine, all those thin Parisian women , the art & history, and of course the chocolates . Just wonderful!!
Found Paris to be a VERY smoke friendly city. Every restaurant I went to allowed smoking, and at almost every restaurant I could see at least one patron smoking a cigar. Although most restaurants didn't have any kind of special ventilation units, the second hand smoke wasn't a real bother.
Now, for the important stuff!! CIGARS!!!!
The prices weren't cheap but weren't out of reach either. It seems that prices in Paris were pretty consistent no matter where I went, which suggests that cigar importation for the Paris market was through a single source (Altadis?).
Thanks to robmcd for the string on Parisian shops to visit, so let me add some updates!!
First stop, the Tabac George V. Small humidor with very small selections. Didn't really hang out there, just kept moving.
Nest stop was the Tabac le Lotus. A bigger humidor that was walk-in. More selection of nicer stuff, so I bought a few singles of stuff I hadn't tried before. Nice place but it seems that the sales lady helping me was very nervous and not the most helpful. I know it wasn't the language barrier because I had a French friend with me who was translating. didn't leave a lasting impression on me dso I didn't go back.
A short while later I happened to walk right by a place called the Cigarium, also in the La Madeleine district of Paris (right bank) not far from le Lotus. Similar sized small walk-in humidor with a small but satisfyingly diverse selection. BUT, the customer service here was superb. Very friendly and willing to go to measures to satisfy the customer. I went back the next day to pick up a few 5-packs of Siglo I's that had some very nice age on them.
But the most impressive store by far was the La Casa del Habano. A bigger walk-in humidor with a a somewhat bigger and more diverse selection, but it was the rest of the store that impressed me more. Beautiful decor with marble floors and wood veneer everywhere. The place rediated class!! The split level shop had an upstairs that was dedicated to cigars and other smokes and a downstairs that had a small bar and further in the back a small lounge area with a nice scattering of cigar magazines (both American and European). The seats were very soft leather and the ambiance friendly. This was the only place in Paris where I found other cigar smoking Americans.
The most impressive thing about this shop wasn't the cigar selection but all the accessories and memorabilia (i.e., autographed cigar boxes & portraits, some of which were for sale). The accessories (cutters, humidors, leather carriers) were definately high end and of excellent quality. Many were very functional showpieces and they just made me drool. This place is a must visit.
Now the last stop was an unexpected one. Figured that when I got to the airport I'd pick up a few smokes at the duty free along with some liquor prior to boarding the plane. Well, at the Charles de Gaulle airport, E-terminal (where a lot of US flights originate) they don't sell cigars at the liquor shop. Instead there is a dedicated cigar shop in front of gate E50, and man, their selection was terrific and included an abundance of the large sizes and guages that Americans love so much. No break on prices though, pretty much the same as at all the Parisian shops, but the one sales person there was helpful and willing to remove all bands from the cigars and pack them "generic". I declined, instead opting to put my purchase along side my liquor purchase in the duty free bag and declare my "tobacco" purchase along with my liquor purchase on the customs form coming into the US. Had no problems there.
Overall, a great trip!! I can see why t's so easy to fall in love with Paris. So for all those planning a trip, bon voyage!
MoTheMan
Well, got back at the end of last week.
Paris was grand. Here's a low down on some of the highlights!!
First of all, let me dispell the myth. I did not find Parisians to be rude at all. A bit rushed maybe, kinda' like New Yorkers, but not rude. In fact most Parisians I talked to had a very genuine interest in Americans and many things American.
My French is what's left over from high school and not very good. When I asked someone if they spoke english or spoke to them in simple French I found that many would take the opportunity to practice their French with me. Generally found the French to be a very warm people who look up to America for many shared personal values related to freedom of speech and expression.
Now, if there's one word to describe Paris it's decadent!! The foods, the wine, all those thin Parisian women
, the art & history, and of course the chocolates . Just wonderful!!Found Paris to be a VERY smoke friendly city. Every restaurant I went to allowed smoking, and at almost every restaurant I could see at least one patron smoking a cigar. Although most restaurants didn't have any kind of special ventilation units, the second hand smoke wasn't a real bother.
Now, for the important stuff!! CIGARS!!!!
The prices weren't cheap but weren't out of reach either. It seems that prices in Paris were pretty consistent no matter where I went, which suggests that cigar importation for the Paris market was through a single source (Altadis?).
Thanks to robmcd for the string on Parisian shops to visit, so let me add some updates!!
First stop, the Tabac George V. Small humidor with very small selections. Didn't really hang out there, just kept moving.
Nest stop was the Tabac le Lotus. A bigger humidor that was walk-in. More selection of nicer stuff, so I bought a few singles of stuff I hadn't tried before. Nice place but it seems that the sales lady helping me was very nervous and not the most helpful. I know it wasn't the language barrier because I had a French friend with me who was translating. didn't leave a lasting impression on me dso I didn't go back.
A short while later I happened to walk right by a place called the Cigarium, also in the La Madeleine district of Paris (right bank) not far from le Lotus. Similar sized small walk-in humidor with a small but satisfyingly diverse selection. BUT, the customer service here was superb. Very friendly and willing to go to measures to satisfy the customer. I went back the next day to pick up a few 5-packs of Siglo I's that had some very nice age on them.
But the most impressive store by far was the La Casa del Habano. A bigger walk-in humidor with a a somewhat bigger and more diverse selection, but it was the rest of the store that impressed me more. Beautiful decor with marble floors and wood veneer everywhere. The place rediated class!! The split level shop had an upstairs that was dedicated to cigars and other smokes and a downstairs that had a small bar and further in the back a small lounge area with a nice scattering of cigar magazines (both American and European). The seats were very soft leather and the ambiance friendly. This was the only place in Paris where I found other cigar smoking Americans.
The most impressive thing about this shop wasn't the cigar selection but all the accessories and memorabilia (i.e., autographed cigar boxes & portraits, some of which were for sale). The accessories (cutters, humidors, leather carriers) were definately high end and of excellent quality. Many were very functional showpieces and they just made me drool.
This place is a must visit.Now the last stop was an unexpected one. Figured that when I got to the airport I'd pick up a few smokes at the duty free along with some liquor prior to boarding the plane. Well, at the Charles de Gaulle airport, E-terminal (where a lot of US flights originate) they don't sell cigars at the liquor shop. Instead there is a dedicated cigar shop in front of gate E50, and man, their selection was terrific and included an abundance of the large sizes and guages that Americans love so much.
No break on prices though, pretty much the same as at all the Parisian shops, but the one sales person there was helpful and willing to remove all bands from the cigars and pack them "generic". I declined, instead opting to put my purchase along side my liquor purchase in the duty free bag and declare my "tobacco" purchase along with my liquor purchase on the customs form coming into the US. Had no problems there.Overall, a great trip!! I can see why t's so easy to fall in love with Paris. So for all those planning a trip, bon voyage!
MoTheMan
thanks for the update mo... sounds like you had a great time. nothing's better than habanos shopping in person... the experience is almost as good as smoking them. the uniform pricing seems to be the norm rather than the exception... kind of unamerican if you ask me. welcome back.