Paris
Paris rewards a long weekend and a full week equally. Go in April or October — or New Year's Eve, if the occasion calls for it. Never August, unless you want the city to yourself, which is actually not the worst thing. The light in spring and autumn explains why painters kept coming back.
Stay at Hôtel Balzac — our top pick, quietly exceptional just off the Champs-Élysées, bar worth staying in for. Nolinski Paris is the alternative: same standard, on the Avenue de l'Opéra with the Palais-Royal around the corner. Every hotel below has been personally vetted.
For dinner: Maxim's on the Rue Royale first — since 1893, the most beautiful dining room in Paris, the sole meunière non-negotiable. Lapérouse on the Quai des Grands Augustins is the oldest restaurant still operating, private upstairs salons bookable — we celebrated New Year's Eve here once, the bill was high and the memories will last a lifetime. Smoking optional. Chez Georges near the Bourse since 1964 — phone reservations only, the waiter brings what he thinks you should have, correct every time. Le Voltaire has the Seine terrace and a steak tartare that makes others feel apologetic.
Two mornings worth building around: Le Meurice for Cédric Grolet without the queue at his standalone shop. Noir in the 2nd for the best espresso in Paris.
For drinks: Les Ambassadeurs inside the Crillon — one of the most beautiful bar rooms in Europe. Harry's New York Bar since 1911, Bloody Mary invented here. One drink at each.
Three galleries: Bourse de Commerce for Tadao Ando's intervention inside a 19th-century exchange. Fondation Louis Vuitton for Gehry's building and one of the finest contemporary collections in Europe. Musée de l'Orangerie for Monet's Nymphéas — go in the morning, when the light comes in correctly.
Where we'd stay
Paris's boutique hotel market has had a genuinely exciting five years. These are the properties that earned the recommendation.
Hôtel Balzac
8TH ARR · CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES · FROM ~€350/NIGHTReopened 2024 on the site of Honoré de Balzac's last residence. Festen Architecture, one Michelin Key, Pierre Gagnaire restaurant. Quiet street just off the Champs-Élysées. The secret bar is the reason to stay.
Also Worth Considering
A Step Above · For the Right Occasion
The Paris palace tier — among the finest hotels in the world.
Restaurants
The restaurants near the tourist monuments are performing for visitors. Walk past them. The ones below are cooking for Parisians.
Coffee, Bakeries, Desserts & Snacks
Paris takes its bakeries more seriously than any other city. These are the addresses that justify the reputation.
Bars
Paris bars range from the historic to the genuinely great. These are the rooms worth being in after dinner.
Shopping
The best shops are not on the Champs-Élysées. They are in the covered passages, the quiet streets of the Marais, and the arrondissements tourists have not yet discovered.
La Grande Épicerie
7TH ARR · Food HallThe food hall attached to Le Bon Marché. Save room for the pastries — their bakery is excellent. Have a Saint-Honoré. The cheese counter and prepared foods are worth the detour.
E. Dehillerin
1ST ARR · Kitchen EquipmentThe professional kitchen shop supplying Paris chefs since 1820. Copper pots, carbon steel pans, equipment that will outlast everything else you buy in Paris.
Dover Street Market
1ST ARR · Fashion & PerfumeRei Kawakubo's multi-brand concept store. The perfume store in a separate space is particularly worth visiting. The fragrance selection is unlike anything in a conventional boutique.
Mariage Frères
4TH ARR · TeaFrench tea since 1854, and the best tea house in the world — competing with Fortnum & Mason in London and, honestly, winning. The Marais flagship on Rue du Bourg-Tibourg is the one to go to. Buy a tin of Marco Polo and one of whatever they're recommending that season.
Jacques Solovière
2ND ARR · ShoesHandcrafted shoes made in France. The last is the most elegant available in Paris at this price point. The loafers are the thing to buy.
Debauves & Gallais
7TH ARR · ChocolateThe oldest chocolatier in Paris, supplying the French royal family since 1800. The pistoles — thin discs of flavored chocolate — are the reason to go. On the Rue des Saints-Pères.
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier
1ST ARR · PerfumeAmbre du Népal is the best candle in Paris. This is not a small claim. The house has been making gloves and perfume since 1988.
Charvet
1ST ARR · Shirts & TiesPlace Vendôme since 1838. The shirt maker that all other Paris shirt makers are measured against. The tie selection alone justifies the visit even if you buy nothing.
Cifonelli
8TH ARR · Bespoke TailoringOne of the great bespoke tailoring houses in Paris. The Augusto Cifonelli shoulder is one of the most recognized details in European tailoring. By appointment.
Jovoy
1ST ARR · Niche PerfumeThe best niche perfume shop in Paris. François Hénin's selection is extraordinary and his knowledge of the houses is genuine. Allow two hours.
Palais Royal Arcades
1ST ARR · Shopping ArcadeThe arcades that wrap the Palais-Royal garden are still the best hour you can spend shopping in Paris. Didier Ludot has closed — a genuine loss — but what remains is serious: Rick Owens, Stella McCartney, Lemaire, Maison Kitsuné, Serge Lutens. Walk the full perimeter before buying anything. Then go back.
Barthélémy
7TH ARR · CheeseThe finest fromagerie on the Left Bank, supplying the Élysée Palace. The Saint-Nectaire and the Comté are the benchmarks.
L'Éclaireur
8TH ARR · FashionA multi-brand concept store that has been ahead of the curve in Paris retail for thirty years. The Champs-Élysées location has the best selection.
Puiforcat
8TH ARR · Silver & TablewareThe silversmith to the French court, operating since 1820. The tableware and flatware collections are among the finest produced in France. Avenue Matignon.
Épices Roelinger
2ND ARR · Spice MerchantChef Olivier Roelinger's spice shop on the Left Bank. The blends are specific, considered, and impossible to replicate at home without coming back here.
Chapal
8TH ARR · Leather & AviationThe heritage leather brand that supplied the French Air Force. Aviator jackets, leather goods, and clothing with a genuinely specific point of view.
Dries Van Noten
7TH ARR · FashionThe Belgian designer's Paris flagship, worth visiting for the space as much as the collection.
Husbands
2ND ARR · MenswearA small menswear brand near the Palais-Royal making relaxed, considered clothes in good fabrics. The linen suits are the reason people find it.
Saint Laurent Babylone Bookstore
7TH ARR · BooksThe Yves Saint Laurent Foundation bookstore near the museum. The design and fashion book selection is the finest in Paris.
Ex Libris
4TH ARR · BooksA bespoke bookplate atelier in the 7th that handcrafts personalised ex-libris — the small decorative stamps that mark a book as yours. Founded by Lauren and Igor to revive a 450-year-old tradition. Order one with your name or a custom design. The kind of Paris gift that requires no explanation.
Lemaire
3RD ARR · FASHIONThe quiet French luxury house that does restraint better than anyone. The Rue de Poitiers store is small and worth the detour if you are serious about tailoring done without announcement.
L'Étrange
3RD ARR · CURIOSITIESA curiosity shop near the Marais that sells antique perfume bottles, scientific instruments, and taxidermy. Buy nothing, look at everything, leave thinking about one thing the whole afternoon.
Rubirosa
1ST ARR · BARBERSHOPThe barbershop in the 1st that has been cutting hair properly since before proper haircuts became a trend. Book ahead.
Papier Royale
4TH ARR · STATIONERYHandmade paper, marbled notebooks, and the particular pleasure of spending money on something entirely useless and completely beautiful. On the Île Saint-Louis.
Le Prince Jardinier
1ST ARR · GARDEN & LIFESTYLEGarden tools, linen shirts, and the kind of horticultural aesthetic that makes you briefly want to move to the countryside. In the Palais Royal. Hard to leave empty-handed.
La Boutique at Hôtel Le Crillon
8TH ARR · IN-HOTEL SHOPThe in-hotel shop that does it right: small selection, excellent things, no pressure. The candles and the ceramics are the best arguments. Good for gifts that don't look like souvenirs.
Old Fashioned Club
6TH ARR · VINTAGE MENSWEARThe vintage menswear dealer that sources properly. American workwear, military surplus, the occasional hunting jacket that is better than anything new. Worth going through the racks slowly.
Pouchard Paris
6TH ARR · LINENTable linen, bath linen, bed linen — all in weights and colours that the mass-market versions approximate and fail to replicate. Near Saint-Sulpice. The kind of shop that makes you think about your own house differently.
Mellerio
1ST ARR · JEWELLERYThe oldest jeweller in Paris, on the Rue de la Paix since 1613. Come to look, stay to learn something about the history of French jewellery. Not cheap, not trying to be anything other than what it is.
To do & see
Paris has been producing things worth looking at for several centuries. These are the experiences worth building your days around — beyond the obvious.
Paul Bert Serpette
Saint-Ouen · Flea MarketThe best section of the Marché aux Puces — Allée 1 and Allée 3 for serious antiques dealers. Saturday and Sunday mornings. Go early.
Fondation Louis Vuitton
16TH ARR · MuseumFrank Gehry's building in the Bois de Boulogne is reason enough. The contemporary art collection inside makes it Paris's most significant contemporary museum.
Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection
1ST ARR · MuseumTadao Ando's intervention inside the 19th-century commodities exchange. The Pinault collection's Paris home — the building is one of Ando's finest European projects.
Canal Saint-Martin
10TH ARR · NeighborhoodWalk the canal on a Sunday morning when the roads are closed to cars. The locks, the iron footbridges, the cafés with their chairs out. The 10th and the 11th at their most Parisian.
Foldérol
11TH ARR · Wine & Ice CreamWine and ice cream in the 11th. The combination is correct. The natural wine list is serious and the ice cream is made in-house. Go in the late afternoon.
Palais de Tokyo
16TH ARR · MuseumThe largest contemporary art museum in Europe. Open until midnight. No permanent collection — only temporary exhibitions. The Monsieur Bleu restaurant inside has one of the great Paris terraces.
Hôtel de la Marine
8TH ARR · MuseumThe former royal furniture depository on Place de la Concorde, open since 2021. The 18th-century apartments are restored exactly. Free on the first Sunday of each month.
Fondation Cartier
14TH ARR · MuseumJean Nouvel's building on the Boulevard Raspail is one of the finest pieces of contemporary architecture in Paris. The garden is public and worth sitting in.
Musée de l'Orangerie
1ST ARR · MuseumMonet's Nymphéas in the oval rooms they were designed for. Go in the morning for the best natural light. The Walter-Guillaume collection downstairs is consistently undervisited.
Les Enfants du Marché
4TH ARR · MarketThe covered market in the Marais — producers, wine merchants, cheese makers, prepared foods. The natural wine section is excellent. Saturday mornings.
Grand Rex
2ND ARR · CinemaThe largest cinema in Europe, opened 1932, Art Deco interior entirely intact. See anything, just to be in the room. The backstage tours are also worth an hour.
Saint-Roch
1ST ARR · ChurchThe church Louis XIV's architect designed where Corneille, Le Nôtre, and Diderot are buried. Napoleon fired grapeshot at Royalists from its steps in 1795. Quiet, uncrowded, extraordinary.
Day trip — Airelles Versailles
Versailles · Special OccasionThe only hotel inside the Palace of Versailles grounds — inside the Château de la Reine building. A completely different version of the palace. Book months ahead.
Day trip — L'Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay
Cernay-la-Ville · Country Escape50km from Paris in the Chevreuse valley. A 12th-century Cistercian abbey converted into a hotel. The kind of escape that makes Paris feel like it is in another country.
Le Pavillon Nicolas Ruinart
REIMS · DAY TRIPAn hour from Paris by train, but worth it for anyone who takes Champagne seriously. The chalk cellars are extraordinary — forty metres underground, carved by monks — and the tasting that follows is the best argument for making the trip.
Worth skipping
Every recommendation, mapped.
We have pinned every hotel, restaurant, bar, and shop from this guide into a single Paris map. One tap and it lives in your Google Maps — ready for the trip.
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