…IN PARIS
I have way too much to say about paris but for now, here’s all my favorite places from gardens to galleries and cafes to vintage stores. a year’s worth of time there and these places are where I would tell any of my closest friends to go to.
favorite areas to focus your time
saint germain - I was lucky enough to get to live in this sweet neighborhood. propped right next to the seine and filled with an exceptional amount of galleries, classic parisian bistros and lots of shopping. it’s a more touristy area than others but not so much so that it feels overrun. and it is picturesque as ever. I would liken this to the greenwich village of paris.
the marais - one of the more young and busting areas of the city. lots of great vintage shopping, unique galleries and buzzy restaurants. if I were to liken this to a new york neighborhood I would call it the soho of the lot.
canal st. martin - easily the brooklyn of paris. filled with the most inventive restaurants in the city, the best vintage stores and has a more relaxed vibe in comparison to the more traditional parts of the city
cafes & bakeries
umami matcha - best matcha in paris
matcha social club - also great matcha (I do the matcha americano with a splash of milk), they have matcha soft serve too :))
fringe
coutume - two locations, good cafe to sit and read
back in black - they are coffee aficionados here and you can see their whole roasting process on display
cafe kitsune (palais royal) - if you’re going to kitsune then go to the one within palais royal, it’s one of my favorite gardens to walk through
plaq - some of my favorite hot chocolate and chocolate in general, it’s on rue de nil which features different specialized markets for all your grocery needs. everything is owned by the same restaurant group which started with the restaurant frenchie
love juice bar - girl has got to juice
brigat - one of my favorite croissants in paris and tasty pastries as well. the proximity to place des vosges is a plus too if you want to enjoy your treat in the park
babka zana - the name should speak for itself, pistachio and orange blossom flavors were my favorite. I got a honey-soaked semolina cake there once that I think about often
the smiths - you cannot go wrong with any pastry here. also their quiche is delicious
rose bakery at maison balzac - beautiful view of paris from a tucked away garden attached to a museum. I used to love taking a long walk over there on a saturday morning before heading to the marche president wilson
la glace alain ducasse - best gelato I found in paris
boulangerie chambelland - vegan, gluten free etc etc and everything is really tasty
restaurants
sugaar - one of my favorite places to catch a vibe in paris. intimate, sleek drinks and good food. a great place for a group dinner and a few cocktails. the outfits there are !!! best dishes are the raw shrimp, the confit tomato and the steak.
petit lutetia - buzzy french bistro, great for a group dinner
josephine chez dumonet - by far the best french brasserie i found while in paris. old school, only open on weekdays. i’ve never had a bad dish here but my favorites are the gazpacho, morels with foie gras, duck confit and pigeon. the bouef bourguignon is a TASK but hope that somebody you’re dining with takes on the challenge so that you can try a bite. this place lives somewhere special in my heart and I hold the recommendation near and dear
sol semollia - if you’re craving some butter-less food and fresh ingredients this is the place. everything is vegan, they have a limited menu of specials everyday but it is always delicious. it is unassuming and the staff is a delight
kubri - lebanese on the brink of marais and canal st martin. all the dishes are fresh and fun, the veggies and good and it’s a welcome break from your classic french fare
verjus - a tasting menu restaurant with an intimate and cozy feel
miznon - a staple spot if you find yourself hungry in the marais. they have locations in new york and london as well. the cauliflower hits the spot and the tahini sauce & pita seal the deal
rose bakery to go - perfect for an easy lunch, veggie-forward options with good flavor
cosi - delicious sandwiches, great for lunch
kaito - there isn’t a lot of easy or quality sushi options in paris but this place will suit all your needs, very small but nice to come to if you have a craving
clamato - a fan favorite for good reason. this place always hits the spots with its fish-forward dishes. there’s normally a wait but if you time it by going a bit earlier than you want to eat you’ll be able to get in for the most part. they have a wine bar called septime a la cave that you can have a few glasses at while you wait
jones - a french-meets-italian restaurant with unique dishes that satisfy a bit of both cravings. staff is very friendly and the wine selection is also superb - they’ll let you try a few based on what you feel like
cinq mars - another great bistro, in the 7th. gazpacho, potatoes gratin and chocolate mousse are musts
camille - if you’re in the marais and looking for a place for lunch that’s a bit more of a sit down (but not too fancy) this place is great. it has all the french classics and the ingredients are always fresh
le servan - worth a trip for the sardine toast alone. everything here is delicious with unique flavor. it feels fresh and like somewhat of a departure from the classic parisian fare. I came here for lunch once and I wish I had the chance to go again
gramme paris 3 & 11 - both are great, the chocolate chip cookie is delicious. the location in the 3rd is more central but a long wait, I love the location in the 11th for dinner
early june - rotating chefs, natural wines. i’m sure you’ve seen it on tiktok but it’s a cool spot and I frequented it offen
thoumieux - if you’re looking for a fun dinner, velvet chairs and piano music, this is the place
le burger fermier - located in the buzzy marche des enfants rouges, I have a friend who lists this as the best burger in paris and she’s right
the butcher of paris - also located in marche des enfants rouge, the name speaks for itself. roll up with an appetite for meat and wine and trust them with the rest
les enfants du marche - rounding out the mini guide of marche des enfants rouges with this seafood-forward spot. it’s always buzzing with people 3 glasses of wine too deep and we love it
restaurant trente trois - a great place to come if you find yourself around avenue montaigne. a delicious tasting menu restaurant that is great to go to with parents (or as a precursor to a show at crazy horse)
fontaine de mars - an old faithful bistro near the eiffel tower, if you time dinner right you’ll be able to pop out of the restaurant and see the tower light up on the hour a few steps later
wine bars & bites
chez nous - a friend favorite, get the truffle gouda
delicatessen cave
cravan - four story bar owned by moet-hennessy featuring unique offerings on each story and a built in rizzoli bookstore. super chic for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap. a great place to pair with a dinner at sugaar
nellu wine bar
freddy’s
bar etna
frenchie bar a vin
shops
less is more - vintage levi heaven
kiliwatch
vintage floor at galleries lafayette
the broken arm
bon marche
erem vintage
bobby
museums & galleries
musee l’orangerie - monet water lillie’s, say no more. try to come here as early in the morning as you can and if you’re in paris on a weekday then I recommend doing this then. it’s a special experience to get to visit the water lillies when the museum is as empty as possible. I would come here at least once a month while I was living there
musee picasso - a beautifully set mansion in the middle of marais displaying a huge collection of picasso’s work. watch out for this on the weekends, it can get crazy
musee d’orsay - between the louvre and musee d’orsay I would pick d’orsay everytime. the impressionist collection is unparalleled and if you buy tickets here you can also gain access to their offshoot location, musee l’orangerie
musee des arts decoratifs - situated right next to the louvre this museum houses a cool assortment of decorative arts and has feature exhibitions focused on furniture, fashion and more
louis vuitton foundation - a architectural beauty nestled in the central park of paris. their exhibitions are a joy to walk through and afterwards you get to reap the benefit of enjoying the surrounding park
musee marmottan - this museum houses the world’s largest collection of monet works and sits on the edge of the bois de boulogne park
rodin museum - hangout in the gardens for a while after you walk through the museum, it’s a very pleasant afternoon activity on the quieter side of paris’s 7th arrondissement
musee saint laurent - a perfect museum to spend an hour in. they are constantly rotating the collection they have on display. it’s an easy walk away from the popular avenue montaigne and it’s cool to see into the genius that was yves saint laurent
perrotin marais
carpenters workshop
pinault collection - the bourse de commerce is a building worth seeing on it’s own, slap a curated collection of art inside of it and you’ve
david zwirner gallery - from new york to paris to london to los angeles, this gallery always has a variety of contemporary artists that are worth the browse
azzedine alaia foundation - tucked away is this beautiful space dedicated to the famed designer. it’s an easy combo with a day in the marais and it features rotating showcases of his work that are always very well curated
parks
jardin luxembourg - a tuileries for locals. tucked on the edge of saint germain this is easily my favorite park in all of paris to spend time. do yourself a favor and sit in one of the elite luxembourg chairs (you can find them in tuileries and palais royal as well). the back of these chairs is set to the perfect degree to sit back and relax
place de vosges - nestled in the marais this is a great park to come to whenever you find yourself in the area, I always loved it on a saturday in the early afternoon
palais royal - I actively added a 10 minute detour to my walks just to come through this park. the shops surrounding the perimeter of the garden include some elite vintage stores, cute cafes, manolo blahnik and olympia le tan.
jardin tuileries -
markets & grocery - produce in paris is elite and these markets are a great way to see a more local side of the city (and get great fruits and cheese along the way)
marche president wilson - wednesday and saturday
marche raspail - tuesday and friday, organic on sunday
marche bastille - thursday and sunday
maison plisson - perfectly curated grocery store on the edge of marais
grande epicerie de paris - attached to bon marche, this place is my version of heaven. a grocery store you can get lost in. say no more
workout studios
snake & twist - french equivalent to solidcore or SLT
modo yoga - hot yoga studio, I love the hot pilates class and modo classes
dynamo - french soulcycle, they will not speak any english but if you’ve been to cycle classes before you’ll know what to do. I felt like I was in an SNL comedy skit everytime I did one of these
barry’s - they teach in english so if this is your cup of tea then it’s something to do
reformation - pilates class, it was a bit too slow for me but they the studio is nice