Paris – c’est la vie

If you not just want to go from sight to sight in Paris, but experience the great food, wine and culture you should follow my recommendations bellow which I have collected throughout the years living in this beautiful city.

See map below for directions

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discovering the city

Walking is a great way to get around, but you also can use the public bikes, which are very popular in the city. You find stations everywhere. Here is how it works: www.velib.fr

Make sure to include the following spots in your bike or walking tours:

• Coulée verte is a green old railway pathway
• Canal de Saint Martin, you can cycle along the canal from Republique to the beautiful Parc de la Villette.
• Pere Lachaise, biggest cemetery I have ever seen.
• Rue Montourgueil is a lively pedestrian area with many shops and restaurants.

For “First Timers”:

• Walking tour 1 [big sights]: Arc de Triomphe – Champs-Elysees – Place de la Concorde – Jardin de Tuileries – Louvre – Opera Garnier – [take the metro to Anvers] Sacre Coeur
• Walking tour 2 [Marais – jewish neighborhood, Falafel, vintage stores]: Bastille – Place de Vosges – Rue des Rosiers – Rue des Archives – Centre Pompidou – Hotel de Ville
• River Cruise Seine: Eiffel Tower – Musée d’Orsay – Notre Dame – Hotel de Ville

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my favorite restaurants and cafés (for food)

• Café Burq is a cozy French restaurant in the middle of Montmartre. Daily delicious menus with vibrant flavours and quality ingredients.
• Chez Gladines is a basque restaurant near Place d’Italie, quite hectic and packed, but best value for money dishes in town. Try the duck in roquefort sauce.
• Lui L’insolent is a small French restaurant near Cimtière de Montmartre. Three delicious options for a perfectly prepared dinner menu. Make sure you reserve your table in advance.
• Tribeca mediterranean restaurant near Eiffel-Tower in nice pedestrian area with many market stands (where they get their fresh ingredients from). Very reasonable prices and friendly waiters.
• Coquelicot is where you can take a great petit-dejeuner (breakfast) or brunch in a traditional bakery next to metro Abbesses.
• Chez Marianne is my favorite Falafel place of the many in Rue de Rosiers, because it comes with eggplant on top. If the line is too long for a table, just take the delicious Falafel sandwich.
• Comme des poissons is the best sushi place in Paris for me, not that far from trocadero near Rue de Passy. All ingredients are super fresh, the place is authentic and tiny. I loved their Sashimi. Reservation recommended.
• Café Mosquee de Paris offers moroccan tea and sweets in a very special atmosphere as the café is located next to the mosque (which you should visit, too).

Also good: Le pain quotidien (breakfast/brunch) and Chez prosper (lunch/dinner).

For special occasions:

• Les Ombres is a restaurant with view to the Eiffel Tower and besides the view also the food is delicious.
• On board of the boat Cailfe you can dine while enjoying the views from the Seine.

my favorite bars (for drinks, music and fun)

• Point Ephemere is a concert place, restaurant/bar and art gallery at Canal de Saint Martin. Great for art and music lovers and hipster 🙂
• Rosa Bonheur is a lively bar in the beautiful parc Buttes-Chaumont. Great beer. Great people. Great music.
• Café Charbon is a nice place to start a night out at Oberkampf. Very nice interior and good beer.
• Bar du Marché is a cosy bar close to Odeon and the nicely dressed waiters a very friendly. Great area for an apero.

my favorite concert places (for dancing)

• La Bellevilloise is a great place for concerts and dancing on two floors. They have also a very good restaurant and Sunday brunch. Check out their program.
• Fleche d’Or has great gigs, too. Nice concert hall, not too big.
• Alimentation generale has a very diverse program from salsa to singer-songwriters to rock. It’s always been fun.

Guide for Concerts etc. in Paris: http://www.lylo.fr

my favorite inspirational places (for culture)

• Centre Pompidou, especially the temporary exhibitions are always awesome.
• Musée Rodin, have a piquenique in the parc of the museum (if the weather is nice).
• Musée européenne de la photographie, superb for photo lovers
• Grand Palais, check out the temporary exhibitions, they are special and phenomenal.
• Musee d’Orsay, is a former train station that has been transformed to a great museum.
• Theatre de la Ville, has the best dance performances I have ever seen. Booking in advance is a must.
• Opera Garnier, ideally with reservation for an opera or ballet, otherwise just book the tour. This building is amazing from inside.

my favorite paris souvenirs (for shopping)

• Kusmi Tea from one of the many stores in town where you always get a sample cup Croissants and baguette e.g. from my favorite bakery at Gambetta (Maison Lecorvaisier)
• Sel de Camarque from any of the supermarkets
• Wine at Lavinia highly professional personnel who can explain you the world of French wine Roche Possay products.

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accommodation (for sleeping)

My guests enjoyed their stays at Mama Shelter and Nadaud Hotel. I also would recommend to take an airbnb which is centrally located (Republique, Marais, Grand-Boulevards, Palais Royal, Opera). There are certainly many great places on the other side of the river, but I am just a “rive droit” – person since my five flats have always been on the northern bank of the Seine.

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sports

La Gym Suedoise for a great workout with lots of fun and music. They are all over in Paris in gym halls or discos for only 10 Euros. The one at “Paris 4 Saint Merri” at 12:00 may fit in your schedule for sweating out the remaining alcohol from the night before 🙂

Running along the Seine, the Canal de Saint Martin or in any other of the many parcs.

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and…

my favorite radio station in Paris is radio Nova 🙂