well hello lovie
Two weeks in Paris, and had my bank balance or waist line allowed it, I could’ve easily stayed another two weeks! My plan was to pick an arrondissement per day and wander, explore and soak it all in. I didn’t want to do the touristy thing and visit every museum/gallery and monument, but instead, take in the unique flavours of each area and focus as usual, on the food/wine and shopping. Here’s some of my fave arrondissements we explored and my tips for each. Enjoy!
Louvre/Opera (1st Arrondissement)
Such a beautiful area and you could absolutely visit the Louvre or the Musée de l’Orangerie (impressionism art) but I chose to wander this area at it’s quietest, on Christmas Day morning, and just enjoy the beautiful spaces without going in. It’s a grand area, with palaces and statues at every turn!
eat/drink
- We were lucky enough to stumble into a fabulous cafe (Le Nemours), filled with locals and have a delicious Croque Monsier, so if you’re in the area I’d highly recommend it.
- On the border of 1st and 2nd is Au Pied de Cochon. A traditional french bistro who specialises in using pork from nose to tail but also has an impressive seafood selection. We ate here twice – lunch and dinner….we were that impressed. The moules & frites was a definite highlight followed oh so closely by the gooey, nourishing French Onion Soup….oh, but also not forgetting the 19 hr slow cooked Pork Belly with the Paris Mash – aaaagghhh!
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- Palais Royal is just lovely to wander through. It’s not too big and you can take in the manicured gardens, the black and white chessboard type sculptures and the metallic balls (you’ll know when you see it!)
- We accidentally discovered the eastern side of the Louvre Palace, called the Colonnade which then leads to the Louvre. Now, this isn’t any ordinary courtyard – it’s a stunning example of French classical architecture. When you walk through it to the Louvre – it just seems tiny in comparison.
Sentier (2nd Arrondissement)
This is the area we based ourselves in and stayed in a cute little airbnb. The location for us was perfect as we pretty much walked everywhere and when we did need to use the metro, we had 3 stations within a few minutes walk which gave us endless options as to the lines we could use. The highlight of this area was definitely the food and the shopping.
eat/drink
- The street of Rue Montorgueil was a massive highlight for us and became our unofficial grocery shop. It was filled with high quality producers across seafood, cheese, charcuterie, bakery goods, meat and poultry and the list could go on. It was also beautifully decorated with lights for xmas and had endless cafe’s and bars. We loved wandering along the street and stockpiling our backpacks with delicacies for the apartment.
- Frenchies – one of the dining highlights of our trip. Frenchies is located in the most gorgeous little street – Rue de Nil. There’s a seafood shop, patisserie, fruit & veg grocer, coffee supplier/shop. Frenchies also rules the street and has several outlets including a wine cellar, casual day cafe, night wine/food bar and a more upmarket restaurant. We want to the night wine/food bar and it opened at 6.30pm so we didn’t want to be the first to arrive so got there at 6.35pm and got the last table!!! This place was pumping and it didn’t disappoint. An amazingly exhaustive wine list for the size of the tiny place and a lovely selection of share plates to match your wine throughout the evening. Cosy, share tables, an eclectic mix of tunes playing in the background and a growing lineup of locals and tourists peering in anxious to get a seat. We couldn’t believe our luck and ate and drank as slowly as we could, to soak up the atmosphere – love love love
- Le Pain Quotidien – what a gorgeous little pastry shop that also doubles as a cafe. What made this one stand apart for us is that it actually head some “healthier” options and had a really homely, farmhouse feel about it. The almond croissant was my go to (yes, I know that’s not healthy……but an almond is a nut, right?)
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- Take your time and wander up Rue Montmartre. Here you’ll find mid to high end boutiques covering handbags, jewellery and parisian designed clothing labels covering bohemian, romantic and classic styles. My faves were nat & nim and nina kendosa.
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- this area for some reason also has a lot of street art. Living in Melbourne, I’m such a fan of the different street art styles, so wander the area and you’ll see it here in the most unexpected of places.
The Marais (3rd & 4th Arrondissement)
Galleries, Cobblestone roads, Artisan Fashion Boutiques, Vintage shopping & Eateries. This area has so much to offer and you could easily spend a few days wandering the streets as there are laneways off laneways off laneways. Go and get lost!
eat/drink
- we discovered Maison Georges Larnicol – one of the most amazing chocolatiers in Paris. We walked out with a selection of chocolates and sweets but the highlight was the Kouignette (apparently, the fattest pastry in all of Europe). We had the rum and raison and also the raspberry, but the absolute winner was the salted butter caramel. it was like a croissant on steroids – crispy and flaky with the flavoursome centre and the pastry …….you could taste how much butter went into the making of this creation.
- we also had lunch at La Cidrerie du Marais. A little creperie that squashed us in like sardines but nobody cared because the crepes were generous, flavoursome and the waitress was rushed off her feet but had the biggest smile for everyone – such a lovely vibe. I had the crepe with prosciutto, roquefort cream and walnuts – otherwise known as a heart attack on a plate.
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- the streets we wandered up were around and including Rue Vieille du Temple however my fave was rue du Pont Louis Philippe where we discovered some beautiful jewellers and yes, I walked away with a beautiful pair of gold/silver hoop earrings made by a local jewellery designer. #noregrets
- we also discovered Le BHV – another department store but this one felt a little more grounded and they actually had sales on so……also more affordable. Super cute pink xmas decs added to the prettiness of it all.
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- not forgetting the Islands of Ile Saint-Louis and Ile de la Cite, and of course the Notre Dame. The gothic architecture is a wonder and up close the detail is magnificent.
The Latin Quarter (5th Arrondissement)
This was where we spent most of our time doing the Left Bank Foodie Tour. So check out that post, but in addition there was so many beautiful florists and other patisseries/bakeries that had not only the most delicious food in the window but the fit-outs were gorgeous also.
Saint Germain (6th Arrondissement)
Bohemian, up market, design, architecture, fashion forward – I loved this area! Again, this is one of those regions where you could just wander off the laneways and end up walking down a street, and spending the whole time looking up at the perfect black iron balconies decorated with plants and flowers to soften the sandstone. Super pretty.
eat/drink
- you really can’t go wrong with any of the cafes in the area but I’d recommend picking one off the main streets – they’re less busy and ooze charm.
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- we wandered up Rue de Boneparte from the Siene end and loved seeing all the art galleries, homeware shops which then turned into designer threads. Also don’t miss the Rue de Seine which runs parallel to Boneparte which also is just as pretty with yes…..more shops.
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- Jardin de Luxembourg – we wandered around this area for quite some time admiring the Palace, the gardens and the statues. Such a calm, elegant space.
Invalides & Eiffel Tower (7th Arrondissement)
This area is a mix of military history, elegant streets with pretty apartments and lots of ‘Paris must do’s’.
eat/drink
- head along rue Cler which is one of the best market streets in Paris with lots of pastry shops, cafes and market stalls.
- make your way to possibly the BEST Food Hall I’ve ever been to – Le Grande Epicerie. The range was amazing, the displays were inventive and mouthwatering and we loaded up enough goodies to see us through the next few days. I could live there!
- we also had a great dinner at Les Ombres. We booked here for dinner on Christmas Day as the menu looked great but also the view was magnificent. It was like you were sitting right under the Eiffel Tower – very special!
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- If you’re game, take yourself up Rue Saint Dominique and bounce from boutique to boutique whilst admiring the Eiffel tower as it comes into view with every second step.
- Walk up Rue de Bac & Boulevard de Raspail as they lead you to the shopping grand dame of Le Bon Marche. Each street has lovely shops to tempt you along the way.
- Le Bon Marche – an elegant department store with particularly beautiful ironwork. We bought nothing – but the experience of wandering around the store and admiring it was just as rewarding.
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- ok this one is obvious. The Eiffel tower! From my first day in Paris whenever I would catch a glimpse of it, I would take a sharp intake of breath as it really is quite magnificent. Day or Night, Cloudy or Sunny, it owns the skyline without being garish or imposing…..it just belongs.
- A nice way to approach the Eiffel Tower is to start in the 18th Arrond at the Trocadero as you’re up on high looking down on the Tower. Great for photos and a nice walk past fountains to actually get the to the Tower.
- Another must do is to explore Les Invalides – a beautiful collection of buildings with a military focus including an army museum, a stunning gold leaf dome and the tomb of Napoleon.
Grands Boulevards (9th Arrondissement)
Wide grand boulevards which are believed to be the best boulevards of Paris. This is where two of the largest department stores are housed and of course, they are surrounded by the usual high street labels. Gallery Lafayette is a must do!
eat/drink
- Lafayette Gourmet – I was completely in my happy place here. Several levels of foodie goodness you can buy to take away or sit and eat. The ground floor housed about 10 small outlets/displays of the top specialist of various delicacies including macrons, charcuterie, pastry etc.
- We had a fantastic lunch at one of the outlets – Cinco Jotas which specialised in charcuterie. Sitting at a marble bar whilst our food was sliced freshly in front of us by the meat masters was a great treat and the food itself……divine!
- Angelina’s – one of Paris’ most famous cafe’s. There are several peppered around the city but we went to the one in Lafayette. Most notably, it’s hot chocolate (best in Paris) and signature pastry – Mont Blanc (meringue, lightly whipped cream, chestnut cream vermicelli) was rich and delicious, we were grateful we’d chosen to share one between us.
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- Galleries Lafayette – an art nouveau architectural beauty. It’s essentially spread across 3 buildings – Womens, Mens and Gourmet. The womens has a magnificent ceiling which you can view from the ground floor and as it was xmas they’d decorated the space with a massive tree hanging suspended in the space. The shopping itself is mid to high end but the real focus here for me was the buildings itself and the Gourmet food hall.
- Printemps was the other big department store across the road. This was also beautiful and worth a wander through but Lafayette is still my pick.
Montmartre (18th Arrondissement)
Think winding cobblestone road up a steep hill with ghosts of artists past. This is the charm of the village of Montmartre, and although every second shop is a tourist trap with tacky souvenirs, there is still so much atmosphere and charm that it’s a lovely half day experience.
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- start at the Place des Abbesses and walk into the garden which has the ‘wall of love’ – I love you written in 250 languages. Super cute.
- From there walk up to the Sacre Coeur – just follow the stream of tourists and be warned – this is a steep walk! Take your time, stop frequently and look behind you at the great views of Paris.
- The Sacre Coeur is a beautiful Roman Catholic church and located at the highest point in the city. It’s free to walk through the cathedral and well worth doing as the ceilings are beautiful and use lots of gold!
- The view from the Scare Coeur is the reason most people visit. You have a full vista of the city of Paris and even on a foggy day the scene was impressive.
- You can then walk from the Sacre Coeur down the grand staircase, through the village of Montmarte to the train station. Lots of little shops – again, most are touristy bar a few great patisseries, chocolatiers and my favourite little Paris clothing boutique (Nina Kendosa).
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- if you’re looking for a tacky, fun, gimmicky gift from Paris – this is definitely the spot to purchase it from!
- I love (read- bought a lot of clothes from…) Nina Kendosa. A Paris label where it’s one size fits all, and is best described as a romantic yet casual style.
Some final tips
- Using the Metro – is not only ridiculously easy but they are so frequent you’re never waiting long, even if you have to change lines which is quite common. The most difficult part for us was buying our first ticket! As a tourist, your best bet is to buy the individual tickets rather than a month or tourist pass. Most stations have a machine when you can buy any number, we bought a cache of 10 – just don’t lose them as they’re small little pieces of thin cardboard. The first station however we went to didn’t have a machine so we found an open air newspaper stand near the station entrance and bought 2 tickets there to get us started.
- Coffee – the French generally have really crap coffee. if you drink a flat white or a latte then order an Americain and ask for milk to be put in it or on the side. If you actually ask for a Latte then expect the price to be doubled and it looks like this crazy coffee in a glass with cream and froth on top.
- Wine – on the list don’t expect for it to be listed as Syrah, Merlot etc – it’s listed by the region and you should know the specialty wine grape used in each region …..clearly! My advice, ask the waiter their opinion on what would bet match your meal – we did this and never had a bad match.
- Walk. We walked about 10-12km’s per day and it really is the best way to experience a city! We only used the metro if we had to start somewhere a bit too far, but then walked our way back. Once you get a sense of which direction the Seine is, the landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame pop up and keep your direction on track.
Paris is truly a beautiful city. I was struck by the friendliness of the locals, how easy it was to converse in English and how strong the focus is on producing high quality food and wine. Naturally…..I’ll be back!
Be Fabulous
Lisa xx
well hello lovie 