Ever heard of Paris?

The list I send to my people. Hotels, restaurants, museums, shopping, croissants, yoga, wellness, and some of my gate kept spots! :)

I’ve gotten to know Paris over the years, and this is the list I share with my closest pals. I know this isn’t your first Paris guide, but there might be a few spots here that aren’t on your radar. I’ve also surely missed a bunch and because you all have amazing taste, I’d love to hear from you! Let’s treat this as a living, breathing list—send me a note with any favorites I missed, and my Board of Directors and I will review, approve, and update accordingly.

I’ve already hit my Substack email length limit, so a few heavy hitters had to be cut...

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Hotels

• Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs – Cute and affordable on the left bank

• Hôtel Balzac Paris – Not my favorite neighborhood but the design is incredible!

• Hôtel du Quai Voltaire – Chic and on the Seine

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Restaurants

Rather than a long list, I’m going to organize this by three vibes: The Classics, Girl Food, and Romance. At the top of each list, I’m going to pick my “essential” for each category.

The Classics

• Au Moulin à Vent – My favoriteee classic bistrot on the left bank

• Bistort des Tournelles - In the Marais. Amazing vibe and classic French food

• Bistrot Paul Bert – For steak frites and running into people

• Chez L’Ami Jean – Loud, delicious, get the rice pudding!

• Jais – Dinner, local, very good

• L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre - Stand at the bar and get oysters. Fun vibe. Left bank

• Le Petit Célestin – A gem by the Seine, great any time of day. Beautiful outdoor seating, good for big groups

• Le Petit Lutetia – Easy classic option on the left bank
  

Girl Food is my favorite food. If you don’t know what girl food or girl dinner is, think… tinned fish, natural juice light red wines that are maybe chilled, crudite, ceviche, an herbaceous salad, meats and cheeses and other things on a board. Restaurants with great lighting! The Via Carota and Cervos vibes of Paris.

• Frenchie Bar à Vins – Little delicious bites and wine, no reservations. The restaurant Frenchie across the street is also very good, but I prefer the wine bar. This street is super fun during the day too for a coffee!

• Amatxi - Basque food; share plates, good energy and vibes

• Clown Bar - Dinner, fun crowd

• Bar de la Croix Rouge – Cute for a glass and a snack

• Clamato – Septime’s seafood sibling; no reservations

• Gramme – In the Marais. Lunch or breakfast. The congi is so good

• Mehmet – Turkish food, amazing option for a post flea market lunch

• Oenosteria – Wine bar with Italian bites

• Cosi – Sandwiches, great for quick and easy, might be a line but it goes fast

• Deviant - Same owners as Vivant 2. Amazing food

• Les Enfants du Marché – In the heart of Marché des Enfants Rouges, so special

• Septime – Worth the effort to get a rez

• Soces – Relaxed and cool, delicious lunch spot. Open Wednesday - Sunday

• Bistrot Tontine – Natural wine, good food

• Vivant 2 – Natural‑wine bistro. Same owners as Deviant. Cool vibe
  

Romance (favorite date spots)

• Parcelles - Love this restaurant. Maybe my favorite? Great for lunch, amazing date spot

• Cache – Means hidden in French. Dinner, fish. Delicious!

• Tarantula – Best new restaurant in Paris, can DM for reservation

• Le Cheval d'Or – Hot new restaurant, amazing food, date spot

• Ellsworth - Septime’s other restaurant. I like! Date spot

• Ogata – Japanese, fancy. The space is transportive. Great adjacent shop with ceramics and incense.

• Le Duc – Old-school seafood for very fancy lunch

• Table Bruno Verjus – Spiritual fine dining

• Verjus – Gorgeous, fresh. Loved for dinner

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Cafés, Tea & Boulangeries

• Café de Flore – People watching, cafe, tourists and locals

• Days - Great coffee, like NY coffee

• Laïzé Palais‑Royal – Beautiful coffee and tea near the Luvre

• Le Moulin de La Vierge - in the 2nd. Amazing croissant

• Tapisserie Charonne – Great coffee, croissants

• Ten Belles - Many locations. Coffee is great. Vibe is just OK

• Terroirs d’Avenir – Favorite croissant. Gooey. Perfect little street

• Toraya France – Japanese tea perfection

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Bars & Nightlife

• Bar Principal – Great cocktails in a cute area in the 11th

• Chez Papa Jazz Club – For jazz, not fancy, very French.

• Crazy Horse – Sexy cabaret and amazing lighting. Fun night.

• La Baron Rouge – Not fancy, very french. Natural wine and oysters on the sidewalk.

• Le Bar des Prés – Great vibes and sushi-bar-meets-cocktail-den

• Montana - Cafe Flore nightclub

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Shopping

Vintage

• EM Archives – Beautiful vintage

• Preclothed – Beautiful vintage. Hermes, YSL, Romeo Gigli

• RESEE – Vintage, and my favorite friend in Paris, Mattie works there! Tell her hi from me

• Skat Vintage – Good vintage

• Thanx God I'm a V.I.P. – Vintage

Luxury

• Beige Habilleur – Elevated essential menswear. Great sweaters

• Charvet – Custom shirts, boxers, amazing house slippers

• Dary’s – Antique jewelry

• Dries van Noten - Love the Paris store

• Fortuny - For inspiration and beauty

• Sabbia Rosa – Delicate lingerie in sherbet colors

• Zimmerli - Handmade Swiss cotton underwear

Home

• City Pharma - Best pharmacy

• Galerie Paradis – Furniture, homewears

• La Soufflerie – Handmade glassware
  

Food

• La Grande Epicerie du Bon Marche - For butter!! Beurre Bordier, best butter in France, plus ninety types of yoghurt

• La Manufacture de Chocolate - This chocolate spot next to Bastille is run by France’s most famous chef, Alain Ducasse. It’s also the only french chocolate shop to make the chocolate from scratch along with all the ingredients that go in

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Yoga

• Jivamukti Yoga Paris – Great teachers and classes. Take class with Conor, Gibran, Rebecca or Klara Puski.

• Kind Yoga – Warm, modern, community-oriented with cafe; take class with Tatiana.

• Modo Yoga – Heated, take with Sasha Nelson.

• Naya Studio – More Ashtanga based - take class with Krista Cahill or Rachid

• Rasa Yoga – Take class with Kat Chareon or Anne Francin

• Riise Paris – Take Gab’s class.

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Beauty & Bodywork

• The Aesthetic Club - Massage with Linda

• Biologique Recherche - Great facial. Go to the one on the left bank NOT champs Elyse!

• Elaine Huntzinger - Acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, buccal massage

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Culture

• Azzedine Alaia Foundation - Museum and cafe

• Giacometti Institute – Quiet, sculptural, meditative

• Galerie Jacques Lacoste - 1930s French vintage furniture

• Maison de Verre – Worth the effort to book if you can!

• Palais de Tokyo – Contemporary

• Paris Opera Ballet – Elegance, drama, BEST ballet company in the world, best building to see opera or dance!

• Picasso Museum - My favorite! Get tix in advance

• Rodin Museum Meudon – Outside of city. Peaceful, poetic, and rarely crowded. Rodin’s sculpture studio and home. Like it more than the regular Rodin Museum

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Gate Kept Spots! 💌