Paris

Bonjour! The iconic Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, great cheese with even better wine, how can you not love Paris?

The city of love is full of secrets, some yet for me to visit. From cobblestone streets in Montemarte to beautiful facades- there is always a reason to visit Paris.

I visited Paris a few times and it’s one of those places where I will always go back for a weekend getaway. Paris is always a good idea.

WHERE TO STAY IN PARIS:

Hotel Plaza Athenee – one of the highest rated hotels in the city of love. Hotel Plaza Athenee is a historic luxury hotel, with a Dior spa, elegant interiors and a hip cocktail bar. Hotel Plaza Athenee is a beautiful jaw dropping hotel that has plenty of romance. The red roses over each balcony make it so romantic and welcoming – I’m already waiting to book my next stay there.

Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal – one of the most posh hotels in the city of love. Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal focuses more on the kinds of essentials that make a hotel grand; service, quality, comfort, extremely friendly. Despite its name, this discrete hotel is one hopes to stumble upon. It’s located in the heart of Paris; a two minute walk from the Louvre and opposite of Emily in Paris’s office. Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal is an gorgeous chic hotel surrounded with some of the city’s most upscale shopping and a neighborhood filled with lots of Paris’s top sites and museums.

Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal is located in Place De Valois. Yess, if you’re a big Emily in Paris fan- this is exactly where the Netflix series was shot. Her office at Savior is located in the courtyard behind this hotel right next to the storefront of Galerie Patrick Fourtin. Fun fact: this is an upscale antique shop in real life in which you can visit!

Here’s a few shots of me in front of Emily’s marketing company, Savior.

There is so much beauty in Paris. As you wander the streets, you will find so many beautiful facades. Cafes, champagne bars and restaurants, each and every corner puts you in such awe.

THINGS TO DO IN PARIS:

The Arc Di Triomphe – One of the cities most iconic and impressive monuments. The center is pretty busy but wander around all 12 avenues and you’ll find the cutest gems. When visiting the Arc, be sure to purchase a ticket to go up the flight of 284 stairs for such an amazing view of Paris. The viewpoint looks like a postcard and is one of my favorite viewpoints in all of Paris.

The Beautiful Paris Sunset – To catch the sunset view in the photo below, go to the top of the Montparnasse Tower. From the observation deck, you can see the entire city. This was the best place to take a photo of the sunset. Keep in mind, the drinks at this lounge are very expensive, but forget the drinks, just go enjoy the breath taking view and lounge around on the balcony for the views. The Montparnasse Tower closes at 1030pm; so I highly recommend going around sunset hour to capture the moment I did above and enjoy this view with some cocktails.

Eiffel Tower – I mean you can’t really avoid the iconic Eiffel Tower now can you? The tower can be seen almost all over the city and it’s spectacular when the lights come on at night. I’ve been up to the top on the tower on my very first trip to Paris and I will say it’s a great experience. Yes it’s a little scary going up in the high speed elevator but the views from each deck are impressive.

Keep in mind, there are tons of picket pocketers around the Eiffel; so if you wish to enjoy without them, go early before the circus comes in.

The classic tourist photo is from the steps opposite the Tower itself leading to the Trocadero gardens. Get here early or you’ll get plenty of tourists around. I got here at 6am and was lucky enough to get a few snaps of the Eiffel.

An alternative, is the River Cruise along the Seine River. If you only have one day in Paris or only have a few hours, you can take the river cruise around sunset. Our first evening, we took the river cruise to get an idea of where most of the tourist attractions were. For first timers in Paris, it really helped. I was able to see most of the sites from the river; so as we were strolling the streets of Paris, you had an idea of where to go.

The Museums

To be honest, I haven’t been inside the Louvre. I’m sure its pretty. But I just don’t like waiting in a long line to see a painting of Mona Lisa. Sorry Mona. The Louvre is breathtaking from the outside of what I have seen. The architecture speaks for itself.

Musee d’Orsay is another popular museum in Paris. It’s not as busy as the Louvre, yet it’s worth checking out. They even offer a High Tea service. It’s located near the River Seine. This museum holds mainly French art. It houses the largest collection of impressionists masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet and Van Gogh just to name a few.

Notre Dame De Paris – (Our Lady of Paris) – Catholic Cathedral located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Also another iconic monument of Paris. You just can’t come to Paris and not see this. You can’t? The Ite-la Cite Neighborhood is tucked away surrounding the Notre Dame with cute cafes and artists around the river.

Near the Notre Dame, tucked away near Shakespeare and Co., there is a a very underrated Turkish restaurant, “Restaurant Istanbul.” The food is to die for; from the amazing hummus and pita bread to delicious chicken shawarma. This is a great place to stop on your way to Latin Quarter.

Palace of Versailles – Also known as the “Hall of Mirrors” is now open as a museum and is very popular among tourists. To be honest, during our first trip to Paris, I felt like we were on the go a lot and weren’t able to just take in the beauty of Paris. I could stay at the Palace of Versailles all day just to admire the beauty of it. The Hall of Mirrors was one place that I could spend a few hours taking millions of photos…..There’s always next time. From my experience at the Palace of Versailles, I will tell you this much that it’s beautiful. There are so many museums in Paris and this had to be one of my favorite ones. I loved the architecture and the aesthetics. This would make a perfect place for an engagement photo session.

Explore Montemarte – up on the hills of Paris, is one of it’s finest and prettiest neighborhoods, Montemarte. Home to Sacre-Couer, cobblestone streets and quaint cafes. This is the place to wander around and get lost in the city. Definitely wear comfortable shoes because there are tons of steps.

“…Before you die, live” -Shakespeare

CAFES IN PARIS:

Odette Paris – A beautiful hidden gem tucked behind Shakespeare & Company. It is located just off the island where Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle are located on the side street.

Cafe De Flore – One of the oldest cafes in Paris. It’s a historic charm and has remained unchanged since World War 2.

Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole – Home to Wisteria is one of the prettiest cafes in Paris all year around. In spring, is when its covered with tons and tons of purple wisteria but don’t worry; if you aren’t visiting in spring- it’s still covered in vines and colorful chairs to make for a perfect facade. The cafe is located on the same island on the Seine where Notre Dame Cathedral is.

La Maison Rose – One of the Most photographed cafes. It’s popular because its a pink building on cobblestone street in Paris. It’s best to get off at the Lamarck Caulaincourt -the closest metro station for easier access.

Le Consult -One of the busiest cafes in Paris. Le Consult is located up in Montemartre which is known to some very narrow streets and some of the best coffee shops.

BARS IN PARIS:

Bisou– The ah so chic Parisian bar with super stylish decor. And the cocktails, even prettier. There’s no menu – so you just tell the bartender what you like and he’ll whip something delicious for you.

Pink Mamma– A friendly trattoria- but the bar here, ooolalala. From their intensive list of wines to their cocktails, you can’t go wrong with having a drink here. The aesthetics here are of course stylish and Instagram worthy and it’s definitely worth the hype. I highly recommend booking in a reservation here as this place has a line of tourists and (locals) waiting for an overload on carbs and cheese.

Le Brebant– When tropical meets vintage. The interior is what caught my eye and later I found out this is one of the oldest in the city. In the split-level inside area it has vintage, mismatched chairs, basket lamps and floral wallpaper. I’m sure you’ve seen this place explode all over your feed. This is great for people watching whilst enjoying your favorite cocktail.