Let's Go To Paris

Croissants and Steak and Butter, Oh My!

Paris is easily one of my favorite cities I’ve ever visited. I love everything about it… the architecture, the food, the shopping, the layout. Truly obsessed. Now that I’ve been twice (and plan to go back many more times) I thought I’d round up some of the places I visited and meals I loved.

Just to be clear, I’m not a Paris expert and this isn’t meant to be a full-on guide. It’s more of a personal diary, a collection of spots I enjoyed in case you want to use it as inspiration for your own trip.

Food

The food is incredible which should not come as a shock. French cuisine is one of my favorites. I’ll start with the casual quick spots, then touch on restaurants, finish with bakeries and ice cream!

Casual

Chez Aline

This sandwich shop is super local and uses such fresh ingredients that by early afternoon, most of the menu was already sold out. With that being said, they were determined to make us something we’d love. I went with a classic cheese and butter sandwich, and Andrew got a jambon beurre.

And when I say local, I mean it. She literally ran out of the shop to grab bread from across the street just to make our order. Unreal.

Caracter De Cochon

People go nuts for this sandwich shop, but I’m not sure it’s worth the hype or the wait. We stood in line for almost 90 minutes, mostly because they only let one party in at a time to explain every single menu item in detail.

Were the sandwiches good? Yes. But I’m pretty confident you could find another great sandwich in the city without the long line.

Dumbo Smash Burgers

If you are over French cuisine and need a break, I suggest hitting up Dumbo for a very smashed and very crispy burger. The lace is perfect. It’s casual and quick. I love the hot pepper addition of the side too.

Restaurants

Frenchie Wine Bar

My favorite spot I ate at in Paris. To me, this place is the definition of a perfect restaurant. No reservations, cozy atmosphere, a small focused menu, great wine, and amazing staff. I loved everything about it.

The entire menu was delicious..start with the maple bacon scones. The wine was excellent and surprisingly affordable ($6), especially compared to NYC prices where I’m used to paying $18 a glass.

I truly love it here. I still need to try their Michelin-starred tasting menu across the street, though I’ve heard the wine bar is actually the better experience.

What To Order:

• The entire menu and some wine

Reservation? Walk-in only.

La Renommée

The Hogsalt team has done it again, but this time in Paris! They have a small upstairs area with mainly French cuisine and then a downstairs speakeasy-style vibe with a smaller menu that features items like the “West Village Style Cheeseburger”.

I recommend dining upstairs first then moving downstairs for dessert and a drink. It’s the perfect way to end the night. S/o Judy + Eliot from Beli for that tip!

What To Order:

• Escargot

• Steak Au Poivre

• Rabbit Pasta

• Chocolate Mousse

Reservation? Yes, we made one weeks in advance.

La Bourse et La Vie

This bistro is on the fancier side of the places I visited but it was excellent. They served my favorite steak frites of the trip. The tartare was also fantastic. I walked in for lunch right at noon, but if you want to go, I recommend calling ahead for a reservation.

What To Order:

• Steak Frites

• Steak Tartare

• Leeks

Reservation? No, walked in but I recommend making a res.

Le Café des Musées

I stumbled into this bistro in the late afternoon after hearing it’s THE place to get beef bourguignon, and honestly, I can see why. It is the richest most decadent beef dish you could dream of. They pair it with a fat dollop of mashed potatoes and it’s the perfect combo. We also tried the white asparagus, which was fantastic and smothered in a creamy hollandaise. Ended with the cheese plate for fun.

What To Order:

• Beef bourguignon

• Asparagus

Reservation? No, walked in.

Bistrot Paul Bert

Every single person and their mother told me this is the best place for Steak Frites in Paris, and it was very good, it was. BUT I think my preference for this dish is still La Bourse. I will say though they have some of the best fries ya girl has ever had. They were pillowy yet crispy and just a perfect fry.

What To Order:

• Steak Frites

• Steak Tartare

Reservation? Walked in but would recommend a reservation if you can.

L'Escargot Montorgueil

Our Airbnb host told us to go here so I knew it was going to be good coming from a local. It’s on a veryyyyy cute street and they have excellent escargot. On the nicer side.

Ferdi

The Kardashian’s favorite burger in the world…. and it is good. But I really think beyond the burger there isn’t too much else holding this place afloat.

Les Artizans

We stumbled into this spot for a little post dinner dessert and wine. It was just about to close and the staff was wonderful.

Places I wanted to hit but ran out of time!!!!!

• Septime

• Clamato

• Parcelles

• Chez Janou

• Kubri

• Mokonuts

• Le Tagine

• Le Mary Celeste

• Breizh Cafe

• Marches Des Enfants

Sweets!

Mamiche

My favorite bakery that I went to! There was a looong line but it moved fairly fast. They have a really nice selection and a fair mix of savory vs. sweet. Known for their babka but I think the other options were stronger.

What to get:

• Chocolate Flute

• Vanilla Cream Puff

• Cream Filled Beignet

Du Pain Et des Idées

I think this was the most “touristy” of the group with the escargot pastry being the star. The almond croissant was INCREDIBLE though. I thought this was a solid bakery but if you are running low on time I would prioritize Mamiche.

• Sacrisan

• Escargot (tons of different flavors)

• Almond Croissant

La Maison d’Isabel

The famed croissant spot that everyone and their mother was losing their mind over. As much as I like the croissant the PAIN AU CHOCLAT was the STAR!!!! I genuinely could not stop eating it.

Poilane

This was not on the original itnerary but I was feeling a little light headed while waiting for Caracter De Cochon. They were sold out of almost everything by 11am except for this apple turnover and apple croissant. I went with the turnover and it was solid for what it was. Filled with an applesauce of some sort. I want to go back and try more.

Buddy Buddy Coffee

Soooo this spot infuses house made nut butter into every one of their drinks and that was just too tempting for me to pass up. I got a chai and it was so decadent and rich but I loved every sip. I also got a homemade PB cup and she was thiqq. Worth stopping if you love nut butter and coffee.

Bachir

Lebanese ice cream spot that coats every last bit in pistachios (if you want it) anddddd it’s delicious.

Berthillion

The king of ice cream in Paris it seems. Most restaurants carry it and the shop had a line 40 people deep on a random Monday afternoon. Their ice cream is very very good and there is so much variety. You can grab a seat and enjoy or take it to go.

Things To Do

Shop

I mean obviousssslllyyyyyyy the thing to do is shop but there are so many street markets, vintage shops, and boutiques to hit. Le Marais is an incredible neighborhood to shop in so I definitely recommend spending an afternoon there.

• La frange à l’envers- fabulous second hand store with great brands

• La Shoperie- cutie vintage shop

• Jimmy Fairly- Eyewear shop similar to Warby Parker! Loved their glasses

• Polène- Gorgeous bags

  

Picnic at the Eiffel Tower

One of my favorite things we did was go to La Grande Épicerie and pick up a bunch of snacks - cheese, meat, a baguette, wine, you get the idea. This market is absolutely insane and worth the trip even if you’re just browsing.

We brought everything to the Eiffel Tower and had a little picnic there. It was so nice to have a laid-back night with such an incredible view. We were amateurs and didn’t bring a blanket or anything to sit on, but the grass worked just fine (although I would suggest you bring something).

Louvre Museum + Photobooth

Maybe I’m not the biggest history buff, but I do enjoy a good museum. Since this one is incredibly massive, you probably won’t see it all unless you’re really committed. It’s still a fun way to spend a few hours.

Pro tip: head down to the Louvre shops and take Photo Booth pics. There’s never a line, and it’s such a cute memory to take home.

Montmartre

The cutest little neighborhood. Be prepared to hike up a ton of steps and hills but once your up there, it’s a nice area to stroll around. I’m not sure it’s a spot I would stay and have lunch just because it seemed to be more touristy than anything. I bought a little painting from a man there and I’m obsessed with it.

Things To Know

• The French are not mean??? It’s a stereotype. Be respectful and you’ll receive the same in return.

• Wear comfortable shoes (this isn’t ground breaking but we walked 50 miles in the 4 days we were there).

• Hit a French pharmacy!!! They carry products like Caudalie for a muchhhh more affordable price than what they sell it for in USA. Leave room in that suitcase in general for shopping.

• Strikes happen often! I’m no Paris expert but I do know they tend to strike a lot. The first time we went they were striking outside of the Louvre and it was closed because of it. So just be aware - nothing to be concerned over though.

• Try to learn even just a bit of French! I make sure I know at the very least greetings and how to say please and thank you no matter where I go.

• The city is super walkable if you are willing. Some things may be 30-60 minutes to walk to but the city is very walker friendly and you never know what you’re going to find on the way. Ubers are accessible and so is public transit.

• French Butter is life changing. You can get that shit vacuum sealed and take it home with you.

• I would recommend staying in the 3rd arrondissement. It’s a really cute area and it was really easy to get to all of the places we wanted to hit. I am not going to recommend a hotel because I simply did not love the place we stayed at. The first time we stayed in an airbnb which was nice but I’m back on the hotel grind.

• Most restaurants only do one or two seatings for lunch and close at 2 or 3 until dinner. Restaurants that stay open during this time will usually have a “service continu” sign out front.

• French Bee is THAT girl. I booked with them in the winter because I saw a cheap $500 round trip flight from NYC and was a little nervous because I had never heard of them before. Excellent experience for a budget friendly flight to France IMO. I’ve had worse on airlines like United in the past.

Sorry I don’t have more but hoping this gives you even just a littleeeee bit of help or inspo for your trip if you are planning on hitting Paris. And if you are just here to read- please know ILY!!!!!!!!

xoxo Kaitlyn