ReadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2025

Moveable Feasts

A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST FOOD & DRINK BOOK OF THE YEAR

Chris Newens author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Profile Books Ltd

Published:3rd Jul '25

Should be back in stock very soon

This hardback is available in another edition too:

Moveable Feasts cover

A rising-star food writer takes us on a gastronomic adventure around Paris and its melting pot of cuisines

WINNER OF THE JANE GRIGSON TRUST AWARD 'Thoroughly entertaining (and hunger-inducing)' The Times 'An inspiring feat of curiosity and appetite' Spectator Paris has a justifiable claim to be the centre of European gastronomy - but beyond its trademark terrasses and zinc-topped tables, what can its cuisine tell us about the city? Chris Newens, an award-winning food writer and long-time resident of the historic slaughterhouse quartier Villette, takes us on a delightful gastronomic journey around Paris' twenty spiralling arrondissements, seeking out, sampling and attempting to recreate a dish that represents each as it is today. Hemingway wrote that 'wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast'. From Congolese cat fish in the 18th to Middle Eastern falafels in the 4th, to the charcuterie served at the libertine nightclubs of Pigalle in the 9th, Newens lifts the lid on the city's ever-changing, defining and irresistible food culture. 'A joy and an education for anyone who loves Paris' Diana Henry, author of From the Oven to the Table 'A gorgeous romp through the city's culinary past and present that made me hungry for Paris' Olivia Potts, author of A Half-Baked Idea

Thrilling [and] lucid... Moveable Feasts is unassuming, full of authenticity * New Statesman *
His writing is engaging, perceptive and clear [and] expands our sense of the city * Observer *
An inspiring feat of curiosity and appetite * Spectator *
Thoroughly entertaining (and seriously hunger-inducing) * The Times *
A deep dive into a city you thought you knew, revealing something much more complex. Newens is the perfect companion, curious and knowledgeable. A joy and an education for anyone who loves Paris -- Diana Henry, author of From the Oven to the Table
A gorgeous romp through the city's culinary past and present that made me hungry for Paris. Fun, thoughtful and comprehensive. -- Olivia Potts, author of A Half-Baked Idea
One of the best books of the year so far. Up there with Liebling, Hemingway and Orwell when it comes to capturing Paris and her food -- Tom Parker Bowles
Mr Newens' style is light and conversational, yet the themes of his book are grand - noble, even... Far more than a sermon on the art - and ardour - of French cooking, the book offers a searing social history... A must read. * Country Life *
More than A Moveable Feast, Newens recalls another culinary Paris chestnut, George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London... methodical and charming, Newens starts his research the old-fashioned way, by talking to strangers, waylaying Sri Lankan plongeurs on a sleeper train and sniffy haute bourgeoises after church * Irish Times *
A delicious journey through Paris. Chris Newens shows us the city from a fresh, modern and diverse perspective. He makes me want to follow his trail -- Sami Tamimi, chef and co-author of Falastin
There is a distinguished list of writers through time talking of their love of Paris and French cooking. Each new generation brings forth both the familiar as well as tucked away gems, both old and new, that show how a great city evolves constantly. Chris Newens does just that with this charming book on a latter-day Paris -- Jeremy Lee, author of Cooking
A must-read for anyone planning to go to Paris this summer, or indeed, ever. C'est si bon! * The Idler *
An enchanting Waltzer ride around Paris' twenty districts, each of their hunger-inducing stories beautifully told with wit and intrigue. An absolute must read for Paris lovers everywhere -- Carolyn Boyd, author of Amuse Bouche
A homage to the vibrant multicultural city of today, Hemingway's Paris, and the City of Light across all the ages, this joyful delicious book is a feast for all the senses -- Ned Palmer, author of A Cheesemonger's Tour de France
Transporting the reader from the dazzling heights of Parisian fine dining to market stalls and kebab shops, this culinary Odyssey through the city of lights is both fascinating and wonderfully entertaining. For anyone who has been to Paris, it will make you want to return, and for those who have yet to visit, it will inspire you to book your tickets. Moveable Feasts is an utter delight -- Ferdia Lennon, author of Glorious Exploits
A fascinating approach to Paris, multicultural and varied... It made me want to get on a Eurostar immediately -- Annie Gray, author of The Bookshop, the Draper, the Candlestick Maker
Newens is equipped with curiosity; honesty; an eagerness to try out new recipes; wry, self-mocking humour; modesty and friendliness... The flattened spiral map of the city comes alive, its snail shape uncurling into narrative , as Newens winds his way from the twentieth arrondissement to the first * Times Literary Supplement *
A wonderful read... If you're visiting Paris anytime soon and intending to eat well, then you can't do without a copy of Moveable Feasts * Engelsberg Ideas *

ISBN: 9781805224204

Dimensions: 220mm x 144mm x 36mm

Weight: 460g

368 pages

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