Paris: the limestone labyrinth of Haussmann splendour where the global standard for fashion, food and philosophy was forged, ticks all the boxes for mini moons, honeymoon pit stops and starry-eyed romantic escapes, a deux. Between morning promenades through the watercolour Tuileries (having explored Rue Saint Honoré’s goldmine of boutiques) and afternoons peering over Parisian rooftops from Plaza Athenee’s Wes Anderson balconies, it’s hard not to be romanced by this beguiling city.
As well as its celebrated dose of antiquity – from Renoirs and Picassos to 18th century poets’ drinking dens and splendid Gothic monuments – Paris’ new groove is taking shape and is well worth exploring. Head to the 11th quartier to see it in its full glory, where a host of pocket-sized hotels and concept stores confer along its bustling streets, folding global philosophies into locally-minded businesses; or le Marais where sustainability underpins many of the independent boutiques and restaurants, the latter a melting pot of global flavours.
While the Left Bank’s café culture and intellectual habitué is alive and well, the arrival of a series of high-octane hotels (such as Lutetia and Cheval Blanc) and glossy restaurants has revived its Jazz Age spirit that once moved Hemingway’s pen. Head north to Pigalle, Paris’s Red Light district of Moulin Rouge legend, then up into the hills of Montmartre where film-set streets zigzagging down steep hills are lined with thrumming brasseries, preloved stores and humble (and heavenly) boulangeries.
But the unrelenting joy of Paris, is that no matter what quartier you find yourself in, and no matter what time of day it is, scrumptious food, joie de vivre and romance is never far away. From buzzing local bistros to sprawling Sunday flea markets, here’s our insider’s guide to Paris.
Do
Deyrolle
This larger-than-life cabinet of natural history curios may be blissfully off-the-beaten track (for most tourists), yet is well known amongst the Parisians for its exotic taxidermy. Founded in 1831 by famed entomologist Emile Deyrolle, this Parisian institution is a bell jar and wooden case maze of taxidermy and natural history specimens – offering visitors the chance to study the form and features of all creatures great and small, from polar bears to iridescent beetles. deyrolle.com
Musée de la Vie Romantique
If the Louvre’s vast maze of art feels overwhelming, head to Montmartre’s prettiest museum instead. This was Dutch artist Ary Scheffer’s fairytale home which now showcases artefacts and exhibitions celebrating the Romantic period. Ivy, flower and wisteria twist and weave throughout the villa’s pretty courtyard where a greenhouse doubles up as a café, serving cakes and french pastries. museevieromantique.paris
Merci
Everyone loves a concept store, but it feels like Merci got there first. Come here for anything and everything from cashmere scarves and minimalist mugs to dry flower bouquets and second hand books… the classic film-themed cafe meets all French patisserie expectations. merci-merci.com
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
This cinematic cemetery, where mist collects around a tangle of imposing tombs and leaves sweep the cobbles carriages once passed over, is well worth the trip out to the 20th arrondissement. Within Paris’ largest cemetery you’ll find the tombs of Molière, Oscar Wilde and Frederic Chopin, to name but a few. Pere-lachaise.com
La Boutique de Cara
From velvet Yves Saint Laurent coats to Chanel shoes, this Marais institution is a firm favourite among Paris’ preloved cohort. Save up before visiting and be prepared for an honest appraisal of each outfit from the (flawlessly glamorous) shop assistant. laboutiquedecara
Musée Bourdelle
Once the home and workshop of sculptor and Rodin pupil, Antoine Bourdelle, this charming off-the-tourist-track museum in the 15th arrondissement peers into the city’s artistic 20th century soul. Look out for students and artists calmly tracing the sculptures from their chairs with charcoal. bourdelle.paris
Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen
No trip to Paris is complete without trawling through the trinkets of one of its famous flea (puces) markets. Saint-Ouen is arguably the city’s most famous, and definitely its largest, selling anything and everything from antique Chateaux hauls to zeitgeisty mid-century furniture. pucesdeparissaintouen.com
Eat
Le Fumoir
Natural light spills in through the windows of this Palais Royal-facing brasserie, then dances along Scandinavian-style wine glasses and dark, varnished wood. Capturing the jazz age spirit of the 1920s, Le Fumoir’s moody interiors are a refuge for celebrities sipping on Kir Royales, in-the-know visitors tucking into photogenic plates of beef tartare and locals armed with strong coffees and cigarettes, who line the film-set-ready terrace. lefumour.com
Bonne Aventure
For those diving into Le Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, this is where to come with your haul, or to break up the day – the area’s only elevated restaurant. Ex-Frenchie chef Alcidia Vulbeau knocks up tasty plates of chicken with burrata, soba noodles with duck, lava cake and the likes of, from Wednesday evening to Monday. bonneaventure.fr
Fauchon
Dating back to 1886, this French gourmet food and delicatessen maison remains the gold standard for scrumptious patisserie and, essentially, French tapas. Its tearooms are an opulent time warp, where pink-tied waiters float discreetly between tables of ceviche, chorizo and endless rounds of perfectly-baked cakes. fauchon.com
Ora La Caserne
This ethically-driven restaurant takes a seasonal approach to its creative menu which consists exclusively of vegetables and fruit. The cavernous, romantically lit space is also a lesson in sustainability, proving that upcycled or second-hand interiors can be just as beautiful (if not more) than brand spanking new ones. Here’s where to dine if you care. lacaserneparis.com
Gigi
Celebrating the Milanese way of life, just with views of the Eiffel tower and a pastel Seventies interior, Gigi is one of the most talked about restaurants in Paris. The latest cool haunt from Paris Society, this is high-octane in the Instagrammable sense, with tasty Italian plates (expect osso bucco, linguine alle vongole and torte al limone…) and top-notch people watching. gigi-restaurant.com
Restaurant Le Dalí
An opulent ode to Salvador Dalí, one of many eminent, eccentric guests to have graced Le Meurice’s lavish rooms – for Dalí, at least a full month per year, this restaurant is where old world splendour and modern simplicity coalesce. Come here for French classics with a twist – smoked aubergine, steak lathered in garlic butter and washed down Champagne, all served on dainty plates under a vast canvas painted by celebrity designer, Philippe Starck’s daughter, Ara Starck. dorchestercollection.com
Drink
Le Très Particulier
Tucked away in a Parisian, Wes Anderson-ready Mansion in Montmartre – the former residence of the Hermes family and now Hotel Particulier – is a kitsch, velvet-clad bar serving grown-up cocktails. Named after classic films, they’re infused with herbs from the hotel’s hidden courtyard – where a glass of rosé during the summer months is a singular pleasure. Hotelparticulier.com
Le Bar Kléber
Undoubtedly one of Paris’ most decadent bars, where gilded mouldings and opulent mirrors fill every inch of wall space, Le Bar Kléber is worth dressing up for. Wash down some oysters with Champagne, or keep it simple with an Athena’s Martini while marvelling at the silk wall tapestries – commissioned in Vietnam to honour Henry Kissinger’s negotiating the end of the Vietnam War in 1973, with the Paris Peace Accords. peninsula.com
Little Red Door
This is the brainchild of Experimental Cocktail Club protégé, Timothée Prangé and Dotan Shalev, whose creative energy has turbocharged the humble cocktail menu and manifests in various eccentric vessels. This sultry, off-grid dive has a cabaret like quality (albeit a lot smaller), with thick curtains then the main show: mixologist wizardry. lrdparis.com
Stay
La Reserve
While honouring its Belle Époque bones, Jacques Garcia’s overhaul of this exquisite Triangle d’Or hotel is distinctly modern, particularly in the rooms where smooth lines and restrained furniture press against grand wall mouldings. La Reserve delivers on the opulence you’d expect from the previous home of Napoleon’s half-brother, and yet, within its gilded ceilings and pillared rooms, a smart-casual tone pervades. It’s unstuffy. A mix of Parisians and international guests sip coffee in the hotel’s pretty courtyard, couples get cosy in a warm, wood-clad library and bon viveurs dip into a refined Japanese-French menu at destination restaurant, Le Pagode de Cos. Doubles from £810 (lareserve-paris.com)
Lutetia
A spirited £177m overhaul of this storied Parisian building has restored it to its original, Jazz Age glory (and won back its glamorous clientele). Pared-down contemporary rooms blink out to sparkly views of Paris through Juliet balconies and a splendid Art Deco lobby welcomes locals en route to the buzzing Bar Joséphine. Hunker down in Lutetia’s vast marble-clad spa, having explored the warren of antique stores, brasseries and top-drawer restaurants on the hotel’s doorstep. Doubles from £843 (hotellutetia.com)
Hotel des Grands Boulevards
This lo-fi, hip hotel in Paris’ bourgeois 2e arrondissement is an affordable (but no less beguiling) option for a Parisian weekender. Tucked down an understated alley off Boulevard Poissonnière, the hotel is perfectly placed for languid afternoons spent zigzagging through Montmartre or piercing the very heart of Paris and its famous attractions after a few glasses of courage from the roof terrace bar. Hotel des Grands Boulevards is a masterclass in polished bohemia, a riot of kitsch colours, rustic tableware, zeitgeisty lighting – all hallmarks of Experimental Cocktail Group, responsible for this unpretentiously cool hangout. A light-filled atrium thrums with creative types by day and a delicious mix of all tribes and candle-lit corners by night. Doubles from £199 (grandsboulevardshotel.com)
Le Meurice
A riot of opulent architecture, lavish furnishings and extraordinary history, Le Meurice is the city’s grande dame. Picasso was married here, Dalí lived here and now an 18th century spirit fuses with Philippe Starck’s contemporary vision. Within its noble walls lie a mix of French fancy and cutting edge modern furniture. Upstairs, it’s rooms play to the very best city clichés: fancy cornicing, flamboyant headboards, thick, heavy curtains and views of the twinkling Eiffel Tower. Restaurant le Meurice serves high-octane déjeuner and dîner beneath chandelier’d splendour and pâtisserie wizard, Cédric Grolet’s freshly-baked Madeleines and brioche Bundt cakes decorate tables in the communal spaces. Doubles from £937 (dorchestercollection.com)
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