La Ville-Lumière, or City of Light, is architecturally privileged, gastronomically perfect, utterly romantic and culturally diverse. It is no wonder Paris is the most visited city in the world, it is simply magnifique! Visitors can enjoy walks in the beautiful parks and gardens, shopping in the huge variety of fashionable trend-setting establishments and an array of Parisian sightseeing. Take a stroll along the elegant Rive… Read more »
Local: Paris
Yves Camdeborde is all the rage and considered one of the best chefs in Paris nowadays. He has four eating venues in close proximity to one another, offering formal dining or French “tapas” style bites. We started our evening at L’Avant Comptoir de la Mer, enjoying some oysters that looked tempting on the window display. The tiny venue has other delicious seafood on offer as… Read more »
The L’Epi Dupin is a tiny elegant contemporary bistro with amazing food in Saint Gemain that has been unanimously highly rated by our travelers and followers. Do not miss out and book ahead! Many locals love it and usually queue up for a table while the chef cooks delicious dishes using local seasonal products. We tried the “menu dégustation” and did not regret it: escargots,… Read more »
The venue lies in Saint Germain des Prés, on a street full of cafes, bars and restaurants, and has lovely terraces, quite pleasant on good weather days. The overall ambience could not be more joyful. The specialties are seafood and fish, yet Huguette serves them in creative ways, ranging from crude (raw versions that have become quite trendy) and ceviches or dim sums to the… Read more »
We actually wanted to keep the Ma Salle à Manger a secret, as we fear once this gem is discovered it may well lose its allure. But, such is the pleasure of the dining experience, we decided to share it, but just with you. We love this small typically French bistro for two reasons: the food is delicious and the location is simply the loveliest… Read more »
Breizh Café has the best galettes (savory) and crepes (sweet) in Paris, and you will not find better quality and creativity in fillings like you do at Breizh. We so liked the galettes we ended up paying more than one visit to the café. We recommend the lovely eatery in Saint Germain de Près and, if the weather is good, that you sit outside a… Read more »
Soufflés are so French, non? And the ones at Le Récamier are considered the best in town. Do not go if you are in a hurry, as soufflés take time to cook to perfection (see the original version of the film Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn)! We voted the airy mushroom soufflé as most flavorful one, the cheese soufflé was also delicious and from the sweet… Read more »
We elect Pierre Hermé the best pastry shop in Paris. In a city with an enormous amount of high quality pâtisseries, it was no easy feat to select one amongst so many other excellent choices. But the thing is: the pies, macarons, cakes and pastries at Pierre Hermé are unbeatable. Some of our preferred ones are the Montebello, made with almond dough covered with pistachio… Read more »
One of the trendiest restaurants in Paris nowadays, Kong has also become quite popular with travelers due to its modern French-Asian fusion cuisine and its amazing architecture: a glass and iron dome with great views and decor by Philippe Starck. It turns out that the food is excellent as well and the service was very agreeable and efficient. We started our feast with a delicious… Read more »
The Sainte-Chapelle is an enchanting gothic style chapel, and it is rather bemusing that travelers, and occasionally locals, do not know about it. Located in the île de la Cité, the oldest part of town, and only a few blocks away from famous Notre-Dame cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle has some of the most impressive stained glass windows we have seen in Europe. The upper chapel is… Read more »
Gourmands beware: the following will get your cravings going! You will probably pass by the Tour Eiffel in your next visit to Paris, and if that is the case just continue your stroll… from the Tour Eiffel, walk along the open spaces of Champ de Mars (security permitting), stop at pâtisserie Lenôtre at École Militaire for a delicious pain-au-chocolat, or any other mouthwatering traditional French… Read more »
The Louvre and D’Orsay museums are in most travelers’ lists and we certainly recommend visiting these traditional and incredible museums. But why not consider other interesting options of less visited cultural venues? Palais de Tokyo is intriguing as a place that refers to itself as an anti-museu: in this very exciting contemporary art venue, exhibitions aim at fostering debate over what art is all about.… Read more »
A must in the City of Light, this tour is particularly special since you will see most of the beloved Paris attractions lit up and it seems the city has a different atmosphere. Most of the tours start in Marais, pass by the Place des Voges stunning square, then by the Louvre Museum, cross the river Seine and some of its bridges, the Eiffel Tower,… Read more »
One of the up-and-coming areas in town, the quaint Canal St. Martin is still an unknown place for many travelers, but a hotspot for locals who like cool areas and a hipster vibe. Take a stroll in the Canal’s walkways amidst charming iron footbridges, quays, unique boats and locks, fashion shops like Antoine & Lili or Babel, graffiti walls, small art venues or the Artazart… Read more »
Perhaps you are in Paris for an extended stay, have been to Paris too many times (never enough, in our opinion) or maybe champagne is your top priority. In any of these cases, why not consider taking a 40 minute high speed TGV train to Reims and spend the day tasting France’s national treasure? As you arrive in Reims, Maison Mumm is walking distance from… Read more »
Parisians endearingly call rue Mouffetard La Mouffe. It is one of the oldest and most traditional streets in Paris in the heart of the Quartier Latin, a very traditional region of town where world known Sorbonne University is located. La Mouffe is very lively and Hemmingway used to call it “a wonderful narrow crowded market street”. This vibrant street is well worth a stroll for… Read more »
Location, location, location. If your chosen area is the Rive Droite than the Opéra Richepanse is one of the best hotel options in Paris. A five-minute walk in different directions will take you to Place de la Concorde, Madeleine Church, Louvre Museum and the Tuileries Gardens, Place Vendôme, and fashionable Rue Saint Honoré, as well as to metro stations. This boutique and small hotel is… Read more »
A really nice hotel in Rive Droite, conveniently located a twelve-minute walk to either the Louvre Museum or the Marais neighborhood. It’s near theaters, the Folies Bergere cabarets and the Opera. The hotel is beautiful and its style is Art Nouveau with a contemporary twist, many of its features are actually original, like the mosaics on the ground floor, some of the sculptures and the… Read more »
Le Senat is located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés right across the street from Jardin Luxembourg, it is a perfect pick if you enjoy walking around (in this case wonderful) gardens or exercising in fresh air. The building is quite old yet has been recently renovated to become a very pleasant venue for a relaxed stay in town. The reception and lobby areas are nice with a modern… Read more »
The Hotel Madison is conveniently located in the heart of charming Saint-Germain-des-Près, on Saint Germain boulevard and just a few steps away from traditional cafes Deux Magots e De Flore, or from some of the new and best restaurants and cafes in town. Still not far from the Rive Droite and elegant 1st district, where you can visit the Louvre, Tuileries Gardens, Place Vendôme, all… Read more »
