There are few places in the world to find a better meal than Paris. Waiters and retail workers have a reputation of being a little snooty to Americans, but I've found that if you try to be polite, in French first, they will likely switch to English as soon as possible and be very helpful. A simple "Bonjour" when entering a store or a restaurant will do wonders.
Now that you've got that down, here are some of my favorite places for eating, drinking and shopping.
As I said in Part 1, I spent most of my time in the Saint Michel-Latin Quarter-Luxembourg area, so naturally, my favorite places are in that area. But every area has its own charming restaurants, shops and bars. Other favorite areas: Le Marais, Bastille, and Monmartre.
Food and Drink
Not counting the fancy, reservation-required restaurants, choosing a place to eat in Paris is done on more of a "stumble upon" basis. Unless you are unlucky, most cafes have amazing food and you won't go wrong sitting at any cafe along the streets of Paris.
That being said, here are a few places that I loved:
Le Jardin d’en Face – In Monmartre. Tiny restaurant but delicious food. It’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Ever.
Brasserie Lipp and/or Les Deux Magots – Boulevard Saint Germain. These two restaurants are almost right across the street from each other. They were both famous Hemingway haunts. Because of that, they run on the slightly more expensive side. I’d recommend Deux Magots; the atmosphere is not quite as stuffy as Lipp.
Laduree – On the Champs Elysses. Famous for their macaroons and tea.
The Best Falafel in the World – in the Marais, Rue de Rosiers. That is literally the name of the place.
L'As Du Falafel is also on that street and is incredible. The lines for both of these are usually pretty long, so I'd suggest going early.
Restaurants on Rue de la Huchette – Saint Michel metro stop. Il Gigolo Italian is great for pizza/pasta. The gyro place to the right of it (they put the French fries in the sandwich) was my favorite.
Crepes – Street vendors are all over the place, especially in touristy areas like Saint Michel and Jardin de Tuileries.
Le Loir Dans La Theieri -- Brunch place in the Marais on Rue de Rosiers. It's an adorable little tea restaurant with incredible fried eggs, coffee and fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice.
The Pink Flamingo -- Near Canal St. Martin. You order your pizza, they hand you a pink balloon, then they will find you with your order out by the canal. It's a cool experience in a beautiful area of Paris where few tourists go. And the pizza is incredible. I recommend the Paella Pizza!
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| Good for big groups, too! |
Shopping
Rue de Rivoli – From Rue Saint Jacques, walk north across the river and the Isle de la Cite until you get to Rue de Rivoli, which is where all the H&M-type places are located. You can follow it all the way down to the Louvre and Champs Elysses.
Boulvard St. Honore/Champs Elysses – Higher end places but fun to go to.
Shakespeare & Co. – The famous English bookstore and another Hemingway place. I would get lost downstairs among all the famous titles, and then take my journal upstairs to sit by the window facing Notre Dame and write. If you buy something, make sure you ask for the official Shakespeare & Co. stamp to mark your book!
Boulevard St. Germain -- Lots of fun shops on this street, some unknown, some well known like Zara and LOFT.
Rue Mouffetard – Cobblestone street with cute shops, and places to buy cheese and wine. Place de la Contrascarpe is a great plaza with restaurants flanking its fountain.
Nighttime Activities
Similar to the Food section, bars work on a “stumble-upon” basis. That’s the best way to do it, in my opinion. Nighttime is also the best time for picnics that
I discussed in Part 1.
Wide Open Spaces -- on Rue St. Jacques, an English bar with great original cocktails and a fun atmosphere.
Piano Bar -- on Rue de la Huchette. Drinks are kind of expensive, but the live music always makes it worth it.
Requin Chagrin – Irish bar in the Place Contrascarpe off Rue Mouffetard. It has a great little outdoor area where I've spent hours people watching (a typical Parisian pastime).
Café Universel – Jazz Club on Rue Saint Jacques. The mojitos are fantastic, and they have jazz every few nights. They're also open for lunch and made a great cafe au lait.
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Paris has been written about so much, that often times it's difficult to find anything new to say. I would encourage anyone who is going to Paris for the first time to not get stressed out if you don't see every single tourist attraction on the list. If an American's pace is "go-go-go," a Parisian's is "enjoy-enjoy-enjoy." The Mona Lisa will always be there, but the kind waiter willing to help you with your French will not, nor will that gorgeous sunset sinking over the Seine on a summer night. So enjoy, and discover the Parisian in you.
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