Some places I'd recommend in Paris

Two summers ago, Briony and I spent the weekend in Paris. I did a then-uncharacteristic amount of advance research (which I then repeated in advance of the Morocco trip - I'm a changed man) and since then, I've been sharing this list with people who are departing for Paris. I kept losing the email, so I'm now putting it on the blog - which seems appropriate, since it began as a blog about travel.

Right, the first thing is to read David Lebovitz’s blog. Here’s the section he calls my Paris. Most of what I visited came from him. For gigs and general cool stuff, read Vingt Paris magazine. Take note that David Lebovitz occasionally gets very excited about cafes that will be extremely familiar to any habitué of East London. My suspicion is that this is because if you live in Paris, the Parisian-ness of everything gets a bit overwhelming. This is not a problem for the weekender.

 Also, check out Chocolate and Zucchini – mostly a cooking blog, but this section is all about things to see and do in Paris.

Now, some highlights from our weekend: 


Amorino is a chain of gelaterias – not exclusive to Paris, but damn good (in fact, there’s one in London, I just discovered). Anyway, you’re bound to pass one while you stroll in Paris, and you should go in and get a cone. Having said that, the best gelato we had in Paris (or in my case, sorbet) was at Grom (81, rue de Seine (6th))

 

There’s great coffee at Cafeotheque (52, rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, 4th), though it’s a rather un-Parisian café (kind of American, actually).Rather than sitting inside, I’d recommend getting your coffee to take away and going to the Seine (very nearby) and dangling your feet over the side. To really get the most out of this experience, get some pastries in advance.

 

Since I'm allergice to dairy, I've never experienced the crepes and gallettes at Café Breizh, but I'm reliably informed by Briony that they are amazing (109 Rue Vieille du Temple, 3rd). They also serve oysters on the half shell, and delicious cider, so I did OK. Take note that they're closed on Monday and Tuesday.Post-crepe, take some time to wander around Le Marais (the neighbourhood that spans the 3rd and 4th arrondisements). Lots of cool shops and galleries, and a Picasso museum, though it was shut when we were there.

 

Had a great time at the Bastille Market, which goes on a Sunday. Lots of tasty food (and lovely fountains). We bought mushrooms and garlic and took it back to our flat, where we made pasta in a kitchen that was literally inside a cupboard.

 

Shakespeare and Company (37 Rue Bûcherie) is possibly the most famous English-Language bookshop in the world (almost certainly the most famous outside Anglophone countries). Has a great history, and still has the bohemian vibe (there’s a piano upstairs that anyone can play, most of the books upstairs are for browsing only and can’t be bought, and there’s a typewriter which, again, anyone can use. I love it.

Monet's water lilies in the Orangerie gallery are absolutely brilliant, and worth queuing for.

If you've got time, and the weather's nice, just go hang out by the Canal St. Martin in the early evening. Chez Prune is supposed to be particularly nice. I’ve never actually had a drink in the area but I walked through, and I was really impressed.

 

And I'll conclude with a practical tip:buy one of the Paris A-Z’s (they aren’t called that, they're called "Plan de Paris par Arrondisement" but they’re the same idea). You can get them from most newsagents. They’re divided up by Arrondisement, and they make life simple (my copy is blue softcover).