Cafe Charlot
38 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France
My favorite spot for a typical Parisian cafe tucked in the Marais. I always sit on the terrace to watch the world go by. I like to order a chocolat chaud, hot chocolate & croque madame, a traditional French open-faced ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top. Great for très French Instagram snaps.
Bouillon Chartier
7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France
I discovered Bouillon Chartier on my recent trip to Paris with my bestie Noelle. The restaurant serves typically French fare and is super affordable and delicious. At first we were weary when we showed up around 9p on a Thursday and there was a line out the door, but the line moved super fast and we were inside in less than 15 minutes. We enjoyed plates and plates of delicious food, I highly recommend the escargots even if you’ve never tried them – they’re only €6!
David Lucas Paris
20 Rue Danielle Casanova, 75002 Paris, France
French woman really do have a very effortless look that I’ve always admired. While I generally style my hair in very ‘done’ curls, I was excited to see how the masters at David Lucas Paris would give me a new French ‘do. The salon is located in the posh 2ème arrondissement in a gorgeous Haussman building. My stylist Nikolas first gave me a tailor-made Fusio Dose treatment from Kérastase – this included a full diagnoses of the condition of my hair so he could prescribe a custom mix. In my case, this meant a mix of the Concentré Vita-Ciment, to repair damage, with the Booster Brilliance to enhance my color treated hair. I couldn’t believe how soft my hair was after the blow dry! Nikolas used a large barrel curling iron to create soft, undone waves. I highly recommend this salon.
Ladurée
75 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France
It’s definitely a touristy spot – located right on the Champs–Élysées, but Ladurée is a French institution. After an afternoon of shopping it’s the perfect place to stop for tea and pastries. We sat outside under the heat lamps for hours enjoying finger sandwiches, macarons, lemon meringue & hot tea. It is pricey, but a yummy and convenient spot in central Paris.
La Favorite
6 Rue de Rivoli, 75004 Paris, France
My friend Angie Niles, author of Bright Lights, Paris introduced me to La Favorite when I was in Paris over the summer. We downed glass after glass of rosé, shoestring fries, escargots & a cheese board. A lovely terrace to relax and watch the city stroll by.
Le Peloton Cafe
17 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris, France
A charming, bicycle-themed cafe frequented by ex-pats, Le Peloton is a great place to grab a quick coffee and chat in english with the largely anglophone staff. They also run Bike About Tours from the cafe which is the #1 ranked Paris bike tour company on TripAdvisor.
Palais de Tokyo
13 Avenue du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris, France (photo c/o Wikipedia)
Not your typical touristy museum, Palais de Tokyo is off the beaten track in the 16eme arrondissement. Gerry and I visited the museum last year and we both enjoyed the modern art exhibitions. It’s also one of the only museums that stays open late with hours from noon until midnight every day except Tuesday. It even has a club called Yoyo inside the museum!
Printemps
64 boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
My favorite department store in Paris, Printemps is a stunning shopping destination that’s been around for 150 years! Every time I’m in Paris I always stop by Printemps both for luxury shopping and to check out the incredible (and free) view from the rooftop.
Jardin des Tuileries
113 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
My favorite park in Paris is Jardin des Tuileries. With an impeccably manicured lawn, tons of seating and the Tour de Paris ferris wheel, it truly is a sight to be seen. I even had my first few meet ups there!
La Seine
The Seine is the river that flows through Paris separating the city into the Rive Gauche, Left Bank & Rive Droite, Right Bank. One of my all time favorite Paris activities is having a picnic along the water with wine, cheese & bread. Also fun is a sunset cruise on the Bateaux Mouches with dinner and drinks – a lovely way to see the city in all it’s glory. And get a great view of the Eiffel Tower as it glitters!
Canal St. Martin
Canal St. Martin is a roughly 3 mile canal in Paris. The Canal St Martin neighborhood, located primarily in the 10eme arrondissement is hip with tons of cute cafes, restaurants and bars. Along the canal is another great place for a picnic!
Canal St. Martin is a roughly 3 mile canal in Paris. The Canal St Martin neighborhood, located primarily in the 10eme arrondissement is hip with tons of cute cafes, restaurants and bars. Along the canal is another great place for a picnic!
Riding Vélib
You guys know biking is my favorite form of transportation so whenever I’m in Paris I love to use the super cheap and efficient Vélib Bike Sharing program. Daily ridership in Paris is over 100,000! To get a bike you simply insert your card into the reader at any station and can use the bike for up to 30 minutes at a time for €1,70 for a day or €7 for the week.
Musée du Louvre
99 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
One of the most famous museums in the world with over 9 million visitors yearly, the Louvre museum is home to the Mona Lisa, among many prominent art pieces. I recommend buying your tickets in advance to save time and having a plan when entering the museum. It’s an enormous space with over 70,000 pieces of art! Don’t forget to check out the glass pyramid, designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei located in the courtyard of the Louvre palace.
More Paris posts here.