Paris

leysin

Feb 14

WHERE TO STAY
I had the hardest time trying to figure out where to stay in Paris, but thanks to suggestions from a beloved colleague and from Freddy’s sister, we narrowed it down and found our hotel in the 9th. Having meandered the city quite a bit by foot, if I were to go again here are the three area’s I’d stay:

6th ~ we walked by this spot, Hotel Seven, hidden away in the Latin Quarter and I made a note to look it up because of how beautiful the vibe was. Staying in the northernmost part of the 6th, along the Seine, puts you at perfect walking distance to just about everything

2nd ~ if you want to be a bit closer to the tourist destinations (museums, palaces, Notre Dame, the Seine) the 2nd would be where I would stay because of its close proximity to both the 6th and the 9th

9th ~ nearby the Rue des Matyrs, we stayed at Hotel Bienvenue which was lovely, a bit bare-bones but with an appreciated aesthetic touch. Staying here was fabulous except when we wanted to go to a restaurant in the 11th or the 6th for dinner because the walk home would’ve been quite the trek

NEIGHBORHOODS

Pigalle SoPi in the 9th
Boulangeries, sustainable grocery stores, butcher shops, creameries, restaurants, and small boutiques down a long, meandering narrow street; a young (very hip) families vibe, think folks who work in a slightly creative industry for work, care about the environment, ride bikes to picnics on the weekends and have a few cups of tea/coffee before enjoying wine + cocktails in the late evening

Classique - fun cocktails, oysters, small bites
OMA - korean with a french influence, mom&pop style
Pink Mama - italian in an LA instagram influencer meets Paris vibes setting
Django - bar + small bites

Montmartre between the 9th and 2nd
Find all the (not so secret) passages du conduisants that follow along the main road. So many beautiful bookshops, art displays, coffee shops and restaurants with a bit more of an antique vibe when compared to the more modern aesthetic of the 9th

Rue Poissonnière meets Rue Montorgueil in the 2nd… and into Les Halles
This street has a slightly more spunky, youthful vibe than the 9th, with more prevalent quick meal restaurants (think a delicious bowl of ramen, tapas bar or dumplings) compared to more of the long, lingering meals offered in the Rue des Martyrs area and slightly to the west in the Palais area

Hoppy Corner - crazy busy, but best beer spot in Paris (think New England IPAs)
Experimental Cocktail Club
Petite Bao - part of the Bao family of restaurants, delicious dumplings and more
Bambou - thai fusion
Bar du Moulin
Motors Coffee
Comptoir de Gastronomie
Chez Camille
Frenchie (and Frenchie to Go)

Le Marais in the 3rd
If you’re wanting the slightly more aristocratic view of Paris, but without the feel of the overwhelming palaces and buildings you can’t really look into (head west for those), the Marais feels like a great compromise: beautiful architecture, chic shopping, an abundance of cafes abound

L’As du Falafel - eat your heart out falafel, best taken to go and eaten on a park bench at one of the nearby parks

Jardin de Palais Royale area in the 1st

Verjus & Twenty-Two Club - two Americans moved to Paris and opened a much-loved farm-to-table restaurant. While their restaurant’s building undergoes renovations, they’re offering intimate pre-fixe dinner parties in a private residence down the road from the restaurant
Kodawari Ramen (Tsukiji) - this funky spot has a long line out the door and a fascinating, street-food-vibe interior
Claus - breakfast/brunch spot

Saint Germaine + the Latin Quarter in the 5th
Particularly walking the Rue de Buci, a beautiful small street filled with cafes and restaurants. The lower/western sections of this area feels much more student-y, with late-night food options galore, a bit more grunge than the walking streets up in the 9th but also a bit more diverse and edgy. Meanwhile Les Deux Magots, Cafe de Flores attract a young instagram influencer crowd, as well as all the oldies that keep the cafes very classy and traditional Parisian vibes. Not totally sure they’re worth standing in line to grab a table, but there is something cool about sitting in the same cafe that so many famous writers frequented in their day.

Shakespeare & Co - famous, gorgeous English bookstore
Les Deux Magots - as classic a parisian cafe as it gets
Cafe de Flores - neighbor to Les Deux Magots, also a classic
Freddy’s Tapas
Jardin du Luxembourg ~ perfect for a picnic if the weather is nice

Place des Vosges between the 3rd and 11th

Chez Janou