The post Paris walking guide appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>Unfortunately, my husband’s work makes it near impossible to travel internationally 10/12 months of the year. So we are pretty much confined to July and August for travel. Which means, I need to keep this travel bug contained for the better part of 6 months. So, to pass the time I will just be over here planning itineraries and looking through my old travel pics. Anyone else have millions of itineraries planned for trips you have never taken?? Yep, that’s me.
In the meantime, I thought I would share a walking guide to Paris, my all-time favorite city in the world (shocking). So here are my favorite neighborhoods to get lost in and stops you MUST make along the way.
First, it is important to understand how Paris is laid out. It is divided into 20 different arrondissements, which are basically just different neighborhoods in the city. The Seine divides Paris in half, separating the Left from the Right bank. You cannot travel to Paris without doing both sides of the Seine, because they are equally amazing yet so different.
Photo from: Girls Guide to Paris
If you are looking for the tourist’s guide, this is not it. While it would not be a trip to Paris without taking in a few tourist sites, like the Eiffel Tower or Sacre Coeur, I prefer to spend the majority of my time in Paris roaming the streets in pursuit of food + shopping ;).
MONTMARTRE
18 arrondissement
Montmartre is equally charming + overrun by tourists. This area of the city can get CRAZY crowded, so I would recommend waking up bright and early and having the streets to yourself. Paris really doesn’t start to wake up until 9 or 10am, so grab an early coffee and make your way up to the 18th. Montmartre is crowded for good reason. The views of Paris cannot be beat and the streets are SO colorful. It feels like what I would imagine Paris was in the 1920s, quaint and filled with tiny terraces and authentic cafes.
Sitting at the top of the hill is the Sacre Coeur and a majestic carousel. I would highly recommend making this your first stop and taking in the views of Paris from the top!
From the Sacre Coeur, make your way up the hill to Le Consulat. If you can snatch a table outside, bravo. But be warned that it is probably overpriced and a half dozen tourist groups will walk by during your cup of joe. If not, just a passing by is worth your while. Again, this will undoubtably be overrun by tourists by midday, but for good reason. The street it sits on (before it is packed shoulder by shoulder with people) it quintessential old world Paris and needs to be seen! It looks like it is straight off a postcard.
Make your way back down and stop by the Le Moulin de la Galette. You will immediately recognize the facade and windmill, which have been immortalized by countless artists. We did not eat here, but if you can get a table, I have heard the food is amaz.
You MUST walk past Le Maison Rose on your way back down. It is a tiny pink cafe surrounded by a wall of ivy. We stopped in here for a bite because, well, it is a pink restaurant in Paris, so that is reason enough.
Another place that is worth a walk past simply for the the green storefront + lavender vines.
SAINT GERMAIN DE PRES
6 arrondissement
Saint Germain is in the heart of the left bank and might be the best walking neighborhood in Paris. I think Saint Germain will forever and always be my favorite arrondissement of them all. We stayed here on our honeymoon because we really wanted to buy a piece of artwork on our honeymoon as our wedding gift to eachother and St Germain is known to be the artist/gallery hub of Paris. We fell in love with it for a million more reasons.
Because macarons. That’s it.
It is kind of a tradition of mine to make this my first stop when I get to Paris. I love everything about this place…the tiny, crowded outdoor seating, the snotty waiters, the overpriced salad, and the views + people watching you take in while sitting there. It opened in the 1880s and since then it has been flooded with the creme de la creme of Paris. Sit, eat, watch, enjoy!
Home to the Luxembourg Palace and gorgeous grounds, this makes the perfect stop for an afternoon stroll or snack on a park bench. Last trip to Paris, Blake and I picked up croissants, baguettes (carb + carbs + carbs while in Paris) and a bottle of wine and enjoyed it next to a gorgeous fountain in the gardens. I should mention that we never quite figured out if we were breaking any laws by drinking a bottle of wine in the park, but no one stopped us so we will consider it a win.
If you are looking to do some serious damage and accomplish all your shopping in one place, this is the most charming shopping mall you will ever meet. When in Europe I am usually overcome by a strong desire to take advantage of the Euro savings and shop some of Paris’ finest brands. While I would love to drag my husband up and down Avenue Montaigne and hit every single store front, that makes for a rather grumpy afternoon. So, Le Bon Marche is a one stop shop with the best shoe department in the world, which makes for a very happy wife and husband. If you want to stop into Saint Laurent and it’s friends, Saint Germain has a smaller storefront for most of the big designer houses.
I went here for the first time with my parents on my first ever trip to Paris :). A fight broke out in the back of the restaurant between a bunch of drunk old men! It was a very memorable dinner. But it was and always will be the most delicious seafood in Paris, in my opinion. This is on the pricier side, but they have an awesome/cheaper lunch menu. And, it’s sister restaurant, Semilla, right across the street is also great and has a more casual feel.
LE MARAIS
3 & 4 arrondissement
I have to be honest, until two trips ago, Le Marais was not even on my radar. I had never ventured to that part of Paris and really had never even heard of it. Two trips ago I stayed on the Right Bank for the first time, so I walked through Le Marais by chance on my way to a restaurant, then again the next day on my way to another restaurant, and the same thing the following day. Well, turns out it is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris and is in the midst of a food revival. Almost all of the restaurants on my must try list are in Le Marais, or nearby. The streets are quaint, cobblestoned, and lined with vintage shops. If that doesn’t sell you…I don’t know what will. I loved Le Marais so much, that on our last trip I picked our hotel solely off its proximity to it.
This is a good place to start. It is a quintessential Parisian square lined with red brick buildings. Enjoy a coffee and croissant on a bench then pick the cutest street and just get lost in this adorable neighborhood!
The list of amazing breakfast places in Le Marais is long. This is maybe the best avocado toast in Paris. But that is the extent of their brunch menu. For my favorite brunch spots in Paris, see HERE!
Vintage shopping is always on my itinerary in Paris. It has some of the best vintage shopping in the world. Vintage Bar is a high end vintage shop with some AMAZING finds. Start here and venture onward. There are also some awesome art galleries nearby!
The antique shops in/near Le Marais are also awesome. Village St. Paul is a couple blocks worth of the cutest vintage/antique shops. It is ABSOLUTELY worth a venture in that direction!
If you are staying elsewhere in the city and want to make an entire day out of Le Marais, head to Au Passage for some of the best wine you will ever have. It was recommended to us as the hang out spot for Sommeliers on their off nights in Paris, so you know the wine must be amaz. We told the waiter what we like (my wine knowledge is seriously basic, so the extent of it was “full bodied red wine, NOTHING SWEET!”) and he nailed it. He was also funny and so eager to talk to us about the states and wine there and it was just a really fun experience all together. We got an app too, some steak chimichurri thing which was lick the plate good. Then we moved onto the final stop on my Le Marais list!
Whenever we are in Europe, we have to get some good old fashioned Italian style pizza. Da Vito might be our favorite we have ever had. Bold statement, I know. I don’t know if it is still technically Le Marais, but it is close enough to put it on this list. If you are making your way towards Bastille, it will be on your way. The pizza is to die for, but even better is the atmosphere and staff. It is teeny tiny, so come prepared to wait. But, there is an awesome speakeasy past the cooler in the back. Order an old fashioned and a champagne (served out of an old fashioned coupe) and sip while you wait for the gooey, cheesy deliciousness coming your way!
For more Paris recs, see my weekend guide to Paris, HERE! Paris, I cannot wait until we meet again…
The post Paris walking guide appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>The post The Best Brunch Spots in Paris appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>Although we did not have an itinerary, I did have a long list of restaurant choices scattered throughout the city. I always do some intense food research before we travel, and this trip was no different. But I think there is always a perfect mix between planned meals and spontaneous meals. Some of our very favorite meals, ever, have been restaurants we just stumbled upon while getting lost in a city. And this trip we discovered a few gems that way.
Yes, I am basic and I love brunch. So on vacation, brunch is the most important meal of the day. Every morning, I had a general idea of which area of the city I wanted to explore. Whatever direction we were headed, we stopped somewhere along the way for an amazing brunch. So, here are my four favorite brunch places scattered throughout Paris and a few others I am dying to try:
1
Holybelly
10th
Without question, this is my favorite brunch in Paris. Actually, this is my favorite brunch I have ever had in Europe. I discovered it last trip to Paris and HAD to go back. It was only five months ago that I last ate here, and in those few months they renovated the entire restaurant and it was even cuter than before. It is in the 10th, which is the place to be for great food in Paris right now. While I enjoy a cappuccino from time to time, I really just want a black cup of coffee when I wake up. In Europe, a good cup of drip coffee is hard to come by. Holybelly has GREAT drip coffee. We stopped here on our way up to Montmartre. Get there early (for Parisians, 10 is early), or you will wait in line for a table. By the time we left, the line was halfway down the block.
2
Paperboy
11th
Le Marais became my new favorite area of the city to get lost in, this trip. St. Germain used to hold that place in my heart, and it is still amazing, but I love discovering new areas of the city. We spent a lot of time in Marais this trip. I love that usually while you are in Marais, you are surrounded by Parisians speaking French, as opposed to tourists speaking English. Paperboy is just past Marais, in the 11th, which is scattered with the cutest shops and restaurants. Paperboy is what minimalists décor dreams are made of. It is tiny and staffed with the friendliest Parisians. And the food is AMAZING. Blake and I both opted for the Formule Brunch, which is 26 euros worth of deliciousness. They have an a la carte menu as well, with much cheaper options. We sat here for hours, enjoying our brunch and eaves dropped on Parisian conversations around us.
3
Fragments
Fragments is not so much a brunch spot as it is a coffee shop with amazing avocado toast. The food options are limited to avocado toast with a poached egg, pastries, and a yogurt parfait. But, these are all the options you need, as the avocado toast is delicious. Located in Marais and on the cutest tiny street, this is a great place to start off your day roaming the streets in Marais.
4
Café de Flores
6th
Call it touristy, call is cliché, but Café de Flores is just quintessential Paris to me. My last three trips to Paris, this has been my first meal when I step off the plane. Now, it has become a tradition of mine. Although it is filled with snotty waiters and overpriced food, I LOVE it here. You must go for an espresso and take in the sights. It is my favorite spot in Paris to people watch. It is also a great spot to kick off an afternoon of roaming the streets in St. Germain. Unlike the rest of the options on my brunch list, this spot is French food. But really, all I need is the amazing bread basket that comes with whatever you order. But they have just about every version of egg you could imagine, and it’s all parfait!
Since our last trip to Paris was during August, when half the restaurants close throughout the city, I thought I would share some other brunch spots that are on my list for the next time we go to Paris:
Cafe Operkampf
La Recyclerie
Cafe Bibliotheque
Le Used Book Cafe
Richer
Coutume Cafe
Cafe Chilango
The post The Best Brunch Spots in Paris appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>The post Weekend in Paris appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>With a 9 month old at home, work, and an all together hectic schedule, this was not a trip where I had every detail/outfit/meal mapped out and planned. Usually, I have a full itinerary and I fully vet every restaurant. This trip was a nice change of pace. The sole purpose of my latest trip to Paris was to eat amazing food, drink fabulous wine, and shop. So, if you are looking for a tourist’s guide to Paris, do not read any further.
Where to stay
I have always stayed on the Left Bank of Paris in my previous trips, but this time we stayed in the 9th arrondissement on the Right Bank at Hotel de NELL. For your first trip to Paris, I would stay in the 5th or 6th, but if it is your third or fourth trip, try something new! It was really fun to explore a new area of Paris and Hotel de NELL is beautiful!
My very favorite area of Paris is St. Germain de Pres. It has amazing shopping, amazing food, and you can walk to just about anything in Paris. Whenever we take a big trip, we like to pick out a piece of artwork during our travels. I love having little pieces of the world up on our walls at home. St Germain de Pres is historically the artist’s hub in Paris. You cannot walk a block without stumbling upon a fabulous gallery. Another plus, my very favorite Parisian café is in the 6th, Café de Flore. It is always my first stop.
Our favorite hotel in the 6th is Hotel Madison. Fun fact, we stayed there on our honeymoon and BB is named Blake Madison after both our alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Madison and our honeymoon hotel.
What to eat and drink
Paris is flooded with amazing restaurants. It is hard to go wrong. Some of my favorites from this trip:
Café de Flore: Quintessential Parisian café. The perfect first stop to sit outside and people watch
L’Avenue: Another delicious Paris staple. This was our first meal in Paris for our honeymoon. It has a heated patio, so you can sit outside, rain or shine.
Café Constant: A Michelin star we stumbled upon on our honeymoon. Went back this trip and it was just as amazing. Bonus, the Eiffel tower is a couple blocks away.
Dave’s: Hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. There is no menu and Dave takes everyone’s order personally. He will ask what you like and don’t like, then create a menu for you. Highly recommend!
Holybelly: The best brunch I have ever had in Paris.
Fragments: It is the perfect place to start your day with the most amazing avocado toast! And great shopping is just around the corner.
Hotel Coste: This hotel is steps from the Louvre and has a great lounge and bar area. And, it is the place to see and be seen. It is the perfect stop to enjoy a post-dinner glass of champagne.
Laduree: Macarons, obviously.
Where to shop
This trip we spent all of our time either eating or shopping. Personally, my favorite place to shop is St. Germain de Pres. You can find boutiques, vintage shops and most of the high end shops scattered throughout the 6th. Marais also has great shopping and a totally different vibe than the rest of Paris. If you are strictly interested in high end shopping, Avenue Montaigne is the place to be.
Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
Whether it is my first, second, or thirtieth time to Paris, I don’t think the Eiffel Tower will ever get old. But, the tourists and lines nearby can be a pain. This trip, we packed a picnic and people watched on the Right Bank of the river with a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower. After a couple days of hardcore shopping, it was nice to relax and enjoy the view. Paris, you are and always will be fabulous. I will see you again soon!
The post Weekend in Paris appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>The post When in Paris… appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>Parisians also always look fabulous. And as it was fashion week while we were there, we saw the best of the best street style. So, I packed my favorite and fanciest shoes and dressed them up and down all weekend long.
These really are my favorite shoes I have ever owned. They were a MAJOR splurge and the first time I ever bought really expensive shoes for myself, for no real reason whatsoever. When I make a major purchase, I am going to use it. I have worn these to death and they have held up. Weddings, bachelorette parties, girls night out, date night, and now, Paris!
Along with a great pair of nude pumps, I think the best shoe collections include a pair of rockstuds. Every month or so, they are on major sale on gilt or ruelala, so watch out for them. I have also seen some really good dupes out there. Take the plunge, you won’t regret it.
The post When in Paris… appeared first on But First Koffee.
]]>