Paris, France

Paris to me is the most beautiful city in the world. Period. I have yet to encounter a more aesthetically stunning city in my years of travel. The culture is infectious, the food is delicious and the Parisian are well…Parisian, which is really all part of the charm.

This list would not be possible without the help of my good Parisian friends who always have the best recommendations, Daphne et Nico and my best friend & accomplice Shadi who’s recommendations are in purple.

Hotels:

For full disclosure, when I am in Paris I stay here: http://www.vrbo.com/254756 It is possibly the most wonderful place one could stay in Paris and I highly recommend you renting it if you plan on staying there for more than a few days. It is truly unique to experience living like a local in Paris, getting your own baguette and cheese…that being said, these hotels are pretty great too.

Hotel du Petit Moulin
http://www.paris-hotel-petitmoulin.com/index.html
Different French fashion designers designed each room with different themes in mind. It is located in the Marais (3ieme, 4ieme), which is a wonderful neighborhood (used to be the old Jewish quarters), quite central and filled with rich history, fun shops and great restaurants.

Villa Mazarin
http://www.villamazarin.com
This is another small hotel (30 rooms) in the Marais area which exudes Parisian style with good service.

Hotel Amour
http://www.hotelamourparis.fr/
Located in the 9th arrondissement, this very trendy avant-garde style hotel is perfect for the nightlife impresarios. The owner also owns “Le Baron” a well-known club.

Hotel Verneuil
http://hotel-verneuil.com/
Located in the 6th arrondissement, not far from the famed Laduree macarons on Bonaparte st. this is a quaint little hotel decorated in old French designs.

Hotel Le A
8th arrondisserment
http://hotel-le-a-paris.com/
Cool & modern, the 26 rooms each correspond to a letter in the alphabet and each have a distinctive theme.

Le Eiffel Seine
http://www.eiffelseine.com/index.html
15th arrondissement, located very close to the Eiffel tower, as the name suggest, this pretty little hotel (45 rooms total) has attractive prices and presents a lovely décor.

More expensive hotels: These are still for the most part boutique hotels but on a more elaborate scale…in case you need to celebrate a very special occasion!

Hotel Meurice (1e)

www.meuricehotel.com

L’hotel (6e)

www.l-hotel.com

Murano urban resort

http://www.muranoresort.com/murano_fr.html

Hotel sezz

http://www.hotelsezz.com/

Restaurants:

• Chez Benoit 20, rue Saint-Martin, Paris 4, Tel: 01 42 72 25 76 http://www.benoit-paris.com/ Founded in 1912 and recently bought by Alain Ducasse, a very traditional and delicious French brasserie with theatrical setting and attentive service. Reserve well in advance
• Le grand Vefour http://www.relaischateaux.com/vefour 17 rue de Beaujolais 75001 One of the best tables in Paris and in France, must be reserves ahead of time and go for a jog before the 4 hour meal!
• Sardegna a Tavola 1, rue de Cotte 75012 Tél : 01-44-75-03-28 Some of my most wonderful friends took me here and I will be forever thankful, because it has become one of my favorites restaurants (and Monica Bellucci’s too I hear)! Located in the 12th arrondissement- it is Italian at its best
• Café Marly 93, rue du Rivoli, 75001 Paris, 01 49 26 06 60 Near metro Palais Royal Musee du Louvre. If there are too many tourists at the Louvres, I always stop here first!
• Aromes et Cepages, Marché des enfants rouge- 33 bis rue Charlot Neighborhood market with a great spot for a laid back breakfast
• Le dome du Marais, 53 Bis, Rue Francs Bourgeois 75004 09 63 58 99 32 Very romantic, beautiful setting, delicious
• Le Comptoir du relais, 5 Carrefour de L’Odeon French bistro at its best
• Hotel du Nord 102 Quai de Jemmars, 75010 Paris T 01 40 40 78 78 www.hoteldunord.org Great for lunch if you are walking near the canal St Martin
• Le Café de Flore, 172 Boulevard St Germain (absolute must- a staple in Paris) A classic, sit outside and people watch, its wonderful!
• Robert et Louise, 64, Rue Vielle du Temple 75003 T 01 42 78 55 89 A French classic in the Marais
• Le Loir dans la Theiere, 3 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 T 01 42 72 90 61 Wonderful place for a lively and delightful brunch, French-style!
• Le pre verre 8 rue Thenard, 75005 T 01 43 54 59 47 Wonderful French bistro with lots of flair
• Restaurant le Floors 100 rue Myrha (18th) T: 01 42 62 08 08 Hautes burgers!! “It’s quite expensive but everything is handmade and the choice is amazing so it’s worth paying for!”
• Le Café Charbon 109, Rue Oberkampf 75011 T: 01 43 57 55 13 An institution among les bobos http://www.fra.cityvox.fr/bars-et-boites_paris/le-cafe-charbon_4109/ProfilLieu
• Le Pause-Café 41, Rue Charonne 75011 T: 01 40 21 89 06 Another institution among les bobos, scenes from the movie, “Chacun cherche son chat” were filmed here. Huge terrace and great for sunny days
• L’Eléphant bleu, 43-45 rue de la Roquette, 75011 T 01 47 00 42 00 A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Thai http://www.blueelephant.com/
• Le Café des anges, 66 rue de la Roquette 75011 T 01 47 00 00 63 Close to it is a little club that serves the best mojitos (if only I could remember its name)
• Le Café Flore Dude… A-M-A-Z-I-N-G chocolat chaud
• Angelina’s, 226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 T 01 42 60 82 00 Super touristy but again A-M-A-Z-I-N-G chocolat chaud (chocolat africain… it’s a meal)

For a night on the town:

• Au Georges- au centre G. Pompidou 19, Rue Beaubourg, 75004 Paris, 08 26 10 04 78 Go for the view not the food!
• Le fumoir, 6 Rue de lAmiral Coligny 75001 Where the cool kids get drinks after work
• Kong, 1 Rue du Pont Neuf, à la Samaritaine, 75001, Paris, 08 26 10 05 75 To experience Sex and the City in Paris
• Barrio Latino, 46-48 Rue du Fbg Saint-Antoine http://www.buddhabar.com/ Part of the George V entertainment group, great for big groups and a big night out
• Barlotti, 33 Place du Marché Saint Honoré http://www.buddhabar.com/ Beautiful design & pretty people watching
• Music-Hall, 63 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt http://www.music-hallparis.com/
• L’Alcazar, 62 Rue Mazarine http://www.alcazar.fr/Home/index.php Fun for drinks

For pure deliciousness:

• Pierre Herme www.pierreherme.com There are a few locations, the one we go to is 72, rue Bonaparte in St Germain…but be prepared to wait, the line often goes around the block!
• LaDuree http://www.laduree.fr/ There are a few locations in the city, check the website for the one nearest you (either Champs Elysees, Rue Royale or Bonaparte). Don’t just wait in line and order macarons to go, sit down and stay for a proper lunch, it’s quite the experience.
• Pain de Sucre 14 rue Rambuteau, 75003 www.patisseriepaindesucre.com Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. My wonderful friend Daphne made me discover this little wonder tucked away in the Marais. I have a slight obsession with macarons and these are the most incredible ones I’ve had, EVER, and I try a lot of them! They also have many other little extraordinary edible wonders!
• Francois Pralus, Maitre chocolatier 35 rue Rambuteau, 75004 T 01 48 04 05 05 Just across the street from Pain de Sucre is this little minimalist patisserie, which incidentally I discovered by way of Daphne’s husband Nico, lover of all good things! He told me they had a specialty I would find nowhere else…and he was right: les brioches a la praline rose, possibly one of the most divine things ever tasted! A must!
• Berko, 23 rue Rambuteau 75004 T 01 40 29 02 44 www.berko.fr Cupcakes!! Decadent but yummy! http://www.hotels-paris-rive-gauche.com/blog/2009/02/16/berko-cupcakes-tarts-cheesecake-rambuteau-paris/
• Poilane, 8, rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 http://www.poilane.fr/pages/en/company_boutiques.php For their yummy tartelettes aux pommes, get them hot!!

Where to walk:

• La rue des rosier, the old Jewish quarters is beautiful
• L’ile Saint Louis
• Montmartre in the 18ieme is beautiful at night
• Le Canal St Martin (10e)
• Le jardin du Luxembourg (6e)
• Place de Furstenberg http://www.parisbestlodge.com/apartmentparisfurstenberg.html
• Les passages couverts http://www.parisinconnu.com/passages/
• La rue des martyrs http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/02/27/travel/27martyrs.html
• La rue Mouffetard (and close-by le Jardin des Plantes)

Museums and other fun things:

• Le musee Carnavalet 23 rue Sevigne, 75003 01 44 59 58 58 http://www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=6468 Wonderful French interiors and very often, classical concerts in one of the magnificent rooms of the museum

• Maison Europeenne de la photographie 5/7 rue de Fourcy, 75004, T 01 44 78 75 00 www.mep-fr.org There are always beautiful exhibits in this small three-story museum.

• Les bains du marais, 31-33 rue des Blancs Manteaux, 75004 T 01 44 61 02 02 http://www.lesbainsdumarais.fr/ If you need a massage, steam or scrub this is the right place to go to, in the Marais you will find this wonderful little institute with lovely personalized service and Moroccan singing included in the price of the srub!

• Centre Pompidou 75191 Paris Cedex 04 T 01 44 78 12 33 http://www.cnac-gp.fr/

• Musee du Quai Branly 37 quai de Branly 75007, T 01 56 61 70 00 http://www.quaibranly.fr/ Is an innovative cultural institution: museum, educational and research centre and public living space all in one!

• Musee des arts decoratifs, 107, rue de Rivoli 75001 http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/

• Musee Nissim de Camondo, 63 rue de Monceau 75008 http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/ Our friend Julien swears this is the most beautiful little museum he’s ever seen, located in an “hotel particulier” it represents French interiors at its finest.

• Le Musée Picasso, Hotel Sale, 5 rue de Thorigny 75003 T 01 42 71 25 21 http://www.musee-picasso.fr/index.html

• L’Orangerie - Jardin des Tuileries 75001 T 01 44 77 80 07 http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/index_u1l2.htm

• Le crazy horse http://www.lecrazyhorseparis.com/ 12, Avenue George V, 75008 Ciché maybe, but very impressive and a great night out! If you book the late evening show, have a bite at Chez Francis before the show

• Maison de verre (house of Glass), 31 Rue St-Guillaume, 75007 Designed by Pierre Chareau with Bernard Bijveot in 1928 to 1932 its considered one of the most interesting architectural constructions and worth a visit

• Versaille http://www.chateauversailles.fr/fr/ If you have time and a car, this is most certainly one of the most spectacular sites in France, it’s a must!

Shopping:

• Rue Etiennes Marcel
• Le Bon Marche, rive gauche http://www.treeslbm.com/#home 24 rue de Sevres, 75007
• Colette, rive droite http://www.colette.fr/ 213 Rue Honore 75001, Fun just to look!
• Merci! 111, boulevard Beaumarchais 75011, 01 42 77 10 38
• Mariage Freres http://www.mariagefreres.com/ 35 rue du Bourg-Tibourg 75004- A lovely teashop and tearoom, definitely worth bringing some home
• And check out the following website for all the new exciting concept stores: http://www.paperblog.fr/1658748/merci-un-concept-store-qui-fait-du-bien-a-la-planete/

• Fragonard This parfumerie does not only sell perfumes but it is presented as a “Fragrance book shop” with a wide range of perfumes and cosmetics. They also carry an exclusive line of products called “maison et art de vivre”: table linen and bed covers, decorated with embroideries and very special gifts of all kinds. A great stop to get travel gifts for all!
• Les milles feuilles A quirky and unique design and home decor shop
• Baron-Y Hand-made men & women collections with beautiful  juxtaposed fabrics (think silks and leather) with refined & unexpected details
• Reperages Maison Modern home decor shop in the heart of the Marais that has flair and beautiful objects for a modern interior
• Pring Paris Shoes Sophisticated, highly original, cutting-edge creations of shoes & bags. All hand-made in the designers own atelier, Pring products feature a unique mix of high quality materials, like exotic snake-skin, French and Italian lambskins and sculptural shapes and whimsical details
• Patrick Allain, Fleuriste Going to a dinner party and want to bring something that your hostess will love? Ask for Carole at Patrick Allain to make you a sublime bouquet!
• Maison Clarté, 8 rue Charlot, 75003 Paris – Maison Clarté now has an exclusive partnership withRepetto shoes, a favorite among Parisians. The store resembles the abode of a classically elegant but trend-conscious women

And to really fit in, read this!

Guides we use for Paris:

Wallpaper City Guide, Paris, Phaidon

Louis Vuitton City Guide, Paris

Luxe City Guide, Paris

www.mylittleparis.com

http://paris-insider.com/

Keep checking the list as with most things in life it’s a work in progress and will always be updated!

Update: 3 days in Paris (Winter Edition 2009)

Update: Things we love (Paris March 2010)