My darling Paris.

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t want to love Paris. Loving Paris seemed so cliche. Everyone wants to see Paris. And I really tried my hardest not to care all that much about the hyped city.

But I was oh so wrong. Paris is everything you want it to be. It’s as magical as the movies. And, to my surprise, it’s the first city that I wasn’t ready to leave.

 

Where to stay

After visiting Amsterdam, we learned our lesson on location. We knew our days would be full to the brim with sights so we wanted to stay somewhere central that we could return to mid-day for power naps.

After our Air BNB canceled two hours after our promised check-in time, we ended up having to find a hotel last minute. We had our hearts set on staying in the Le Marais district and decided to stay at the Hotel Paix Republique. It ended up being perfect and we loved our stay there. We walked everywhere (including an hour and a half walk to the Eifle Tower). And there were so many great bars and restaurants close by.

*For those interested, Air BNB completely refunded us after our host cancelled and offered us an additional 50%/per night of our original booking price.

Where to eat & drink

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Republique of Coffee

2 Boulevard Saint-Martin, 75010 Paris, France

Go here for the best chai & avocado toast you’ve ever had.

 

Season

1 Rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003 Paris, France

Go here for creative & healthy breakfast dishes. Try the green pancakes and anticipate a bit of a line to be seated, it’s a popular place.

 

Paris New York

1 Rue Perrée, 75003 Paris, France

Go here for burgers and an AMAZING interior. The servers are friendly and it’s the perfect spot to chill after a long day.

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Eric Kayser

Go here when you’re mid-sight-seeing and want a quick, affordable French lunch. They are scattered all around the city and their baguettes and pastries are everything you want a Paris meal on-the-go to be.

 

Grazis

91 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, France

Go here for delicious pizza, a chill vibe, outdoor seating in the summer and a MASSIVE wine selection.

 

Le Refuge

72 Rue Lamarck, 75018 Paris, France

Go here when you’re walking around Montmartre. It’s just outside the tourist streets and the perfect Parisian cafe for a quiet glass of wine or cocktail.

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What to see & do

Picnic by the Sienne

Grab some cheese and a bottle of wine and head to the Sienne for a sunset picnic! In the summer, there are bars that line the river, people dancing and an overall great vibe.

 

Notre Dame

This was my favorite “famous” sight we saw in Paris. Make sure to reserve a time online to climb up the tower to the top. The view is unreal.

 

Tuileries Gardens Carnival

What’s better than a Ferris wheel outside the Louvre with views of the Eifle Tower?

 

Rue Cremieux

This was the only thing we didn’t have time to do, but wish we had! It’s the most colorful street in Paris and looked absolutely beautiful to explore.

 

Centre de Pompidou

Paris’ modern art museum. So many interesting pieces by both modern day artists and classics like Matisse, Picasso and Dali.

You can definitely see Paris in 5 days. But it would be so nice to spend a little longer there and take things slower. I think a full week would be perfect.

Have you been? What were your Paris Faves?

xx,
Ariel