Fondue Fun

Few meals can rival the conviviality of gathering around a fondue pot. This Alpine-style dining has long been popular in Paris, and among my favorite fondue addresses is Pain, Vin, Fromages in the Marais. This cozy spot, not far from the Centre Pompidou, serves six different versions—a classic Savoyard mix of cheeses, and others with curry, herbes de Provence, goat cheese, Roquefort, and a Norman treat made with Camembert and Pont-l’Evêque. The three different kinds of bread—traditional, sesame and poppy seed are a nice touch, too.

Pain, Vin, Fromages, 3 rue Geoffroy-l’Angevin, 4th, 01.42.74.07.52. €25. website

In a spacious white dining room decorated with Alpine bric-a-brac, Les Montagnards offers not only fondue but also raclette (a specialty of the Swiss canton of Valais, in which the flat surface of a half-round of raclette cheese is heated and scraped onto diners’ plates) and tartiflette (melted Reblochon cheese served over sliced or diced boiled potatoes, with or without lardons). There’s also a wonderful selection of perfectly sliced charcuterie served on a wooden platter that makes a great starter.

Les Montagnards, 58 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1st, 01.40.26.68.75. €30. website

In the Latin Quarter, La Grange Saint Michel is a popular spot where the menu includes classic cheese fondue along with fondue aux cèpes and a fondue bourguignonne—cubes of beef held on a skewer and individually poached in a pot of boiling oil on the table, then dressed with béarnaise and other sauces.

La Grange Saint Michel, 11 rue Saint Séverin, 5th, 01.43.26.36.30. €25

Prices are per person without wine.

Originally published in the February 2011 issue of France Today; updated in November 2012

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