Paris Local Market Food Tour with Wine Tasting

Not enough knowledge. We felt she bought expensive items for picnic she took home and didn't know enough of history, food or background. She did not buy wine or drink and we could not sit down to eat. Our least favorite tour so far

Laurel was very friendly and fun to be with. I would have liked more personal visits to one or two of the vendors to see how they processed their wares. We had a wonderful stop in a Chocolate Shop and met with the owner who discussed his choices of his chocolate sources and how chocolate is made etc. Excellent stop. I would have liked more visits like this one. Perhaps a Patisserie where we could see how different breads or patisseries were made. Butter is so special in Paris. It might have been fun to know the sources. A stop with a specail grocer who told us about where they get their fruits and vegetables. A little hands on would have enhanced the Tour. Laurel picked up some great samples of meals, cheeses and butter, even truffle butter to share with our group of four. The little park was okay where we shared the samples, but I would have preferred a stop at a local brasserie, set up ahead of time where we would have picked up wine to share or water at a table. We did need liquid for our repast. Overall, very good.

We were a bit disappointed. The experience of being in Paris was wonderful, but for the price, this tour left a lot to be desired. Our docent arrived late, and overall, I expected more. She was knowledgeable, but could have been better organized. She gave us a nice introduction to the market. The idea of a market walk is fantastic, but I think for this price point, we expect more. An interesting example - in the cheese shop she asked, "before I buy anything, is there a cheese that someone knows they want", and I mentioned that I loved mimoulette! And she said, "no, we're not getting that." I was happy to trust her judgement, but she didn't ask for any input from us on our preferences. And then, two of us absolutely hated the cheeses that she selected. Then she chose a wine without consulting us. It was the bargain wine at the place that lets her bring her own food. The bathroom was beyond gross. I've been to Paris many times and spent a lot of time in Europe and this was by far the most horrific bathroom experience I've ever had. She served strawberries from the market that weren't cleaned in any way. Two colleagues of mine came home extremely ill last summer from fruit they purchased in a Paris market, so this may be me, but it seemed like rinsing the fruit or having the fruit wash (spray) on hand would have been nice. Overall, we enjoyed our day. But for two of us, we spent 140 euros for the walk (total). If this was 35 euros a person, I would think it was adequate. Interestingly, we paid for the tasting, and didn't choose or enjoy the cheese and wine that was purchased. So, I would encourage some improvement to the market walk. Lastly, I have taken the time to be honest and open in my feedback in the interest of helping you to improve the experience. I would appreciate it, however, if you would refrain from relaying this feedback to the docent who led our walk, Alisa. Thank you.