Paris: A City Guide

This is like sharing a piece of my heart. It is a mesmerizing city with amazing culture, fabulous food and wonderful sights. It is also big and spread out. Which can be overwhelming and hard to navigate, especially on the first visit. To help put you at ease so you can enjoy this magical city, I’m sharing a few tips for getting around and my favorite spots to help narrow down your millions of choices. Go with the mindset that you’ll be coming back so you don’t feel like you have to do it all.

Quick Tips:

There’s a rumor going around that the French are rude: this is just absolutely NOT true. Just like any beautiful place, they are proud of their country — and should be! Learn the basics, “Bonjour” , “S'il vous plaît” , and “Merci” and be polite as you enter each place. If you respect them and their culture, you will experience some of the kindest people you’ve ever met.

My advice on getting around the city: walk or ride the electric bikes. This is a city that’s meant to be seen. Of course the subway is helpful occasionally, but you won’t get the full experience under ground. Within the last couple of years, the city has become a bike friendly place with new bike lanes that make it easy to get around. And it truly feels like you’re flying. THIS was my single favorite part of Paris.

To Stay:

Hotel Grands Boulevards

This boutique hotel is located in the 2nd Arrondissement, which is within 10 - 20 min walking to the best restaurants, markets, shops and museums. The interiors are elegant but playful. You’ll receive a real key to your room, making you feel right at home.

The rooms are gorgeous and cozy. You may read reviews that will say their rooms are small. But like any city hotel, they’re going to be a little tight. Ours was the perfect size for what we needed. And it opened up to a private terrace which was great for an afternoon read.

The restaurant is in the center of the hotel with a glass ceiling that opens up to the sky on those beautiful days, making it perfect for enjoying that morning cup of espresso in your slippers.

My favorite part of the hotel was the rooftop terrace bar — The Shed. Even if you’re not staying here, I recommend coming for an afternoon cocktail to see the hotel and try my favorite drink, The Old Cuban. They also have an amazing speakeasy bar, The Shell, on the main floor. We did not get the chance to try it out because the weather was incredible and we spent most of our time on the terrace.

A Perfect 1B AirBnb

This AirBnb is located right down the street from Hotel Grands Boulevards. If you prefer more space and living like a local, an Airbnb is a great choice. There are several across the city. But I’m sharing the adorable flat we stayed in because it was perfect for a couple and a great location.

When searching for an AirBnb, I highly recommend filtering by location. There are many great looking flats in the city, but seeing as you’ll mostly be walking around and enjoying the city, focus on where it’s located over the best looking pillows.

To Eat:

Morning

Dreamin’ Man — This was my absolute favorite coffee in the entire city. It’s a rustic little coffee shop in the 3rd Arrondissement, on the edge of Le Merais. If you’re primarily looking for Parisian Cafe’s, then it may not be a place for you. However, if you love really good coffee and super cool places, I highly recommend making a stop here. It reminded us of our little coffee shop in Nashville, so it felt a bit like home.

Holy Belly — Don’t be deterred by the long line that may follow out the door, it’s worth the wait. And it’s quite possibly the best brunch in town. The housemade granola was delicious, a great shareable item as you’ll also want to try the famous pancakes and the eggs any style.

Sunday in Soho — Make reservations. We got very lucky to be able to walk in without reservatoins, however, they are very popular and prefer if you have a table reserved in advance. This was one of my favorite breakfasts I had in Paris with my girls friends. It’s beautiful and the food is outstanding.

Shakespeare & Co — This is the famous bookshop & coffee shop that was a gathering place for great writers like— Hemingway, Stein, and Fitzgerald. It does bring about a lot of tourists but if you love books, it’s definitely worth a visit. I am a huge fan of reading and even some of the writers that used to visit here. It’s right along the Seine and directly across from Notre Dame. Which is a beautiful area to visit even if you’re not a book worm.

Ten Belles — We didn’t get to this one on this trip. But it’s high up on our list. They have a couple of locations, which can make it an easy stop if you’re planning to go to these neighborhoods.

Le Peloton — Another great stop for good coffee. It’s a quaint little place that brings about a lot of bike riders. We had a blast riding a bikes to this one and chatting with the people here.

Any Parisian Cafe — There is a cafe on every corner in Paris. Each with amazing croissants and coffee. If you are quickly starting off your day and don’t have time to figure out where these other locations fit into where you’re heading, just walk and find a cafe that looks good to you and I promise you’ll be in love.

Other great options — Partisan or Paperboy. We did not get to these places but they were recommended to us by a friend that lived there for a time. So I trust these are amazing. If you’re still looking for more, Gina from GinaGoesTo has a great list of places here.

Night

Chez Janou — This is your traditional French restaurant. It will capture you the moment you turn the corner. It’s lively place filled with the french locals. I recommend reservations, however, we went last minute and put our name on the list. We had to wait about an hour, but it was the perfect evening to grab a glass of wine and enjoy the night air while we waited.

Clamato — This was the best meal we had in Paris—fresh oysters and the most simplistic unique dishes. They do not take reservations so I recommend going a bit early to get your name on the list. It’s sister restaurant, Septime, is next door which was recommended several times to us but they’re booked out months in advance. So if you get in there, let me know how it is.

Onii-San — A Japanese meal that will blow your mind. Their dishes were incredibly unique. I recommend allowing the chef to choose your meal because you may find yourself trying something you would’ve never ordered and being forever grateful.

Lou Lou Montmartre — Located in Sacre-Coeur, you can feast on these small, but tasty dishes while enjoying the most amazing view of Paris. Sacre-Coeur is the highest point in Paris and it is definitely worth the trip. If you don’t go get to dinner here, I definitely recommend finding another gem in the area so you can experience the views.

Les Fous de l'Ile — This adorable restaurant sits right near the Seine and walking distance to Notre Dame. Go for a post dinner stroll, grab a bottle of wine and enjoy the views.

Monsieur Bleu — You’ll feel like your Emily In Paris while dining here. I’m 99.9% confident I spotted Lucas Bravo on a date here. This was one of the more magical places to eat, especially with your girl friends or even a romantic date. You have great views of the Eiffel Tower and if you go for dinner, you’ll catch the tower sparkle on the hour.

TIGERMILK — Looking for Mexican cuisine? I know it seems strange to be enjoying anything other than croissants in Paris, but this place has some of the best Mexican dishes I’ve ever had. This is a great option if you need to mix it up and enjoy a Margarita.

Picnic — in the park or by the river. Go to a market to grab a baguette, cheese and wine and take it to one of the beautiful parks or sit by the river. Maison Plisson is a great option to get your picnic supplies.

If you’re still looking for more, Gina from GinaGoesTo has a great list of places here.

To Drink:

The Shed, at Hotel Grands Boulevard — The adorable outdoor terrace on top of our hotel. It’s a great choice for an afternoon cocktail or pre-dinner drinks. It’s a small terrace so I recommend reservations, especially on those perfect weather days. My go-to drink was the The Old Cuban.

Bar Hemingway — An ode to Hemingway, of course. This cocktail spot is a little speakeasy inside the Ritz. It’s definitely a bit more bougie, which makes for a great pre or post dinner date spot. They’re known for their famous Martini and let me tell you, it’s famous for a reason. It’ll be the best Martini you ever taste.

Little Red Door — Not your basic cocktails. This place is special because they’re known for their farm to table cocktails. They craft the most unique, specialty cocktails highlighting fresh ingredients. For example, they work with the best Walnut farmers in the area to craft a drink that accentuates their freshly grown walnuts, giving a twist to your favorite classics.

Cambridge Public House — A taste of England and a touch of France mixed into a speakeasy pub. Not sure that makes sense? Just go and see for yourself. We loved this place. It was super laid back but their drinks were nothing but top notch. Get to know the guys behind the bar because they’re a lot of fun. You may end the night raising a glass with them and their favorite Mezcal.

To See:

Louvre Museum — An obvious choice. But a fair warning: do not expect to see everything. You would have to live in the museum for 3 months to see it all (that’s a literal fact). Go in with a plan to see your highlights (Mona) and then get the hell out of there. I definitely recommend getting an audio guide in whatever museum you go to, as it makes the experience more meaningful.

Musée d'Orsay — Not as “famous” as the Louvre, but in my opinion, way better. It’s smaller and easier to navigate. We hit the top floor to see Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet and Monet and many others. It blew me away. All those pieces you spent your childhood learning about in history books are there staring at you in the face and blowing your mind. They also have a beautiful restaurant you can enjoy to grab lunch and a glass of wine.

Seine River — The Seine is truly magical, especially at night. We took a river cruise tour which can be super touristy, but it is so fun. If you do the night tour, it’ll take you past the Eiffel Tower when it lights up. It lights up on the hour starting at 10 until 1. There are also dinner cruises that are a blast, but keep in mind you’re paying for the experience. The food is good, but don’t expect it to be a memorable meal.

Luxembourg Gardens — A beautiful place to go for a stroll and see the locals enjoying the easy going Parisian pace.

Sacre Coeur — This is the highest point in the city and you can see all of Paris from here. The views will take your breath away. It’s also a fun little neighborhood to walk around in and see all that it has to offer. BUT BE WARNED: during peak travel season, this place is packed with tourists and can quickly squash the ambiance. Try visiting earlier in the day when people haven’t started moving yet. There are also a lot of vendors trying to sell touristy junk, so just look past them.

Eiffel Tower — We can’t forget the staple. I hope I don’t ruin the tower for you with this review, but here goes my honesty. If you’re there to experience the real Parisian culture, don’t spend your time planning your trip around the Eiffel. She’s beautiful and iconic and definitely worth going to see and enjoying a crepe under her presence. However, take a picture, move on and enjoy the rest of the city.

**Disclaimer: these are just a few things we did and loved. There are many other amazing things to eat and see in Paris, so don’t let this be your only guide. If you questions, don’t hesitate to ask! I’ll be going back this summer and will update my list as I experience more of what Paris has to offer.