CRUSH Reader Sarah wrote to ask for Paris tips and recommendations.
Dear Sarah: First off, I have been to Paris twice in April over the years — bring an umbrella! — it rained every day both times. But only a light rain, and nothing will dampen your joy at being there at the start of spring.
This is by no means a comprehensive guide, but I’m sharing my notes on Paris.
Enjoy!
Concierge Services that will make your reservations / get your tickets / book your appointments for you - contact them as far in advance as possible.
- Where Should I Go? I used this concierge for my recent trip. I sent Jeremie and Linda a list of restaurants to book and things I wanted tickets for, then they made further suggestions based on my taste. They price by the number of things you want reserved.
- Paris Perfect Concierge I didn’t use this one myself, but a friend who regularly stays in the Paris Perfect apartments (and likes them) recommended this one.
- Bespoke Custom Art, Design & Fashion Tours The Seen Paris for contemporary art and design access and Le Coup De Foudre for fashion and design (and related) experiences.
Favorite half-day private tour (would do another one):
La Route des Gourmets food market tour, Marche d’Aligre, 12th (David Lebovitz’s favorite food market in Paris)Interesting dive into Parisian food culture if you want to understand eating in France. Covers the meaning of different food denominations and types of bakeries as well as how to shop at one of the open air food markets, led by a former restauranteur, Carole Metayer. (We arranged custom, private.)
Reliable Car Service:
- Allocab (download the app). You can reserve pick-up in advance, it is higher price than a taxi but well below private car service prices. I reserved in advance for a pick-up at our Air BnB for every evening reservation so I knew we would get there on time.
For buying inexpensive luggage
to haul things home in Rayon d’Or, locations all around Paris.
What I read on Paris dining/food:
- David Lebovitz’s Substack
- Let’s Eat Paris, a thoroughly researched book by Francois-Regis Gaudry, a French food journalist; also follow him on Instagram @frgaudry
For jazz, Sunset Sunside Jazz Club, 1st - Tiny underground joint
Swanky late-night (post-show) cocktails/dinner: Prunier (recently renovated, gorgeous art deco spot - make sure you go upstairs to the bathroom)
Favorite Bistro Lunch: Fontaine de Mars, 7th
Favorite Lunch: Mokonuts, 11th
Favorite upscale, elegant “stylish, people-watching lunch” (recently opened stunning, soaring space in a jewel-toned, ombre velvet kind of way): Le Grand Cafe, (at le Grand Palais), 8th. (Also would be good for cocktails or dinner. The food is well executed traditional brasserie food, solid, but not orgasmic. But it’s a lovely experience.)
Hip, pint-size Japanese-French fusion spot in a trendy neighborhood: Cuisine, 50 rue Concordet, 9th (small menu but a fun change of pace).
Touristy but if you need post-shopping late afternoon champagne: Hotel Crillon Bar Les Ambassadeurs
Also touristy, but ebullient and worth it once: Moulin Rouge
Classic Authentic Restaurant List
not showy, not trendy, diehard Parisian/French.
(I try to pull 2-3 lunches or dinners from this list each visit).
- L’Ami Louis
- La Poule au Pot
- La Petite Chaise
- Le Petit Lutetia
- La Renommee
- Robert et Louise Biche
- Le Petit Celestine
- Chez Jais
- Chez Allard
- Chez Yvette
- Chez Julien
- Comptoir du Marche
- Le Collier de la Reine
Restaurants I Want to Try for the First Time
(probably got these from DLebovitz, or a friend with an apartment in Paris who goes there often):
Shopping:
My “must hit” stores for personal shopping : (no dedicated U.S. retail stores, can’t get (easily or at all) in New York/US - there are many more stores I pop into (like Balzac) but these are the ones I make sure get to when I’m in Paris). (* indicates a splurge):
- CityPharma, 6th. For sunscreen (ISDIN and Anthelios), A313 (Vitamin A), Nuxe Oil. Or just tell them you want their best anti-aging products…
- Typology at Printemps Haussmann. This French cosmetic line with a cult following (of which I am an avid member) has only one retail location in the world and it’s on the ground floor at Printemps Haussmann. I stocked up, then got Rayon d’Or for extra luggage to check going home.
- Crimson (cashmere), 8th
- Herbert Frere Soeur (leather goods - non-trendy, well-made purses and belts), 2nd
- La Veste & Maria de la Orden (both are fun Spanish clothing lines), 6thMajestic Filatures (cotton / cashmere basics), 2nd
- Bourrienne Paris (gorgeous white “poet” shirts you can’t get anywhere else and etc.), 10th
- Landline General Supply Store, well-curated European home goods, clothing items, including their wildly popular jelly sandals, 11th
- Dore Dore for cashmere socks, 12th
- *Charvet (tailored custom shirts), 1st
- *Julie de Libran - limited edition seasonal collections from former Prada and Sonia Rykiel designer, 6th
- *Moon Younghee - one of a kind, bordering on avant garde dresses, coats. Only place you can get them, 3rd
- *Rosset Gaulejac Joaillier - one of a kind, gorgeous jewelry pieces, 6th
- *Marie Daage - custom dishes, choose your design/color, 6th
- Louise Carmen (expect a line) - I got a custom leather notebook from this very trendy store, and my friend got one for her college-aged daughter. Two weeks later the NYT published this article about how Louis Carmen custom notebooks were the trendiest things for It-Girls to bring home from Paris. Needless to say, she was looking pretty cool in her daughter's eyes right about then. Score.
Best Shopping Streets to wander down (by Arrondisement):
- Palais-Royal Area, 1st: elegant streets near Palais gardens - curated vintage, etc.
- Best streets: The Galerie Royal Arcades, rue St Honore (near Cafe Verlet), rue d’Alger, rue de Richelieu, rue des Petit-Champs.
- Pair shopping in 1st with lunch at Le Grand Cafe or Francois Felix
- Saint-Germain-des-pres (6th/7th).
- Best streets: rue Cambon, rue Bonaparte, rue Jacob, Boulevard Saint-Germain, rue du Bac, rue de Grenelle
- Favorite clothing stores: La Veste, Maria de la Orden (both are fun Spanish clothing lines), Julie de Libran, Rosset Galejac Joaillier, Marie Daage
- Pair shopping in the 6th/7th with lunch at Fontaine du Mars, 7th
Shopping in the 7th
To explore other neighborhoods:
- The Haut Marais (3rd)
- Best streets: rue de Poitou, rue de Saintonge, rue Charlotte, rue Pettee, rue Debelleyme.
- Cool, fun, avant garde, favorite Marais stores: Nike Librairie, Courreges, Dover Street Market, Leclaireur, Parts of Four, Lobscur
- Strasbourg-Saint Denis (10th) former gritty neighborhood-former textile/garment district.
- Best streets: rue de beau repairs, rue d’hauteville, rue Pierre, rue de Chabrol, cite Berger, petites Ecuries, rue de paradis, rue de Caire
Some favorite hotels
that may not be on your / every stylist’s hype radar:
- La Fantaisie, Pigalle
- Le Grand Mazarin, five star in the Marais
- Pavillon de la Reine, Marais
- Le Bristol, my favorite in the “super luxe” category
- Pavillon Faubourge Saint-Germain
- Hotel des Academies et des Arts, budget-friendly Left Bank with character
Found these overrated, too touristy or just not worth the effort:
- Foundation Louis Louis Vuitton, Foundation Cartier - absent a specific exhibit you really want to see
- Private flea market tour
- Officiant Unierselle Buly (custom perfume)
- Le Bon Georges (for dinner - we enjoyed our lunch there)
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