Throughout lockdown, I longed for the familiar pleasures of walking the streets of Paris. Stopping at a boulangerie for freshly-baked pastries, an indulgent bistro dinner of steak frites and spending hours exploring a museum.
At the end of last year (pre-Omicron travel madness), my wish was granted and I spent a magical few days in the French capital with my mum. The streets were noticably quieter than usual, apart from the crowded Champs-Élysées, but it still felt like the same, charming Paris.
Here are some of the fantastic places we visited on this whirlwind trip…
La Samaritaine
Our first stop was La Samaritaine, the iconic Pont-Neuf department store that reopened last summer after being closed for over 16 years. LVMH has transformed the historic 19th century building from a bazaar selling everything under the sun to a shimmering temple of luxury. It really is spectacular!
All of the top tier designer brands are there, as you would expect, but what makes the store stand out is its modern, playful approach, with the quirky Boutique de Loulou lifestyle shop, the incredible beauty hall filled with cult products and cute patisserie counters by Bogato and Dalloyau.
We met my friend Coralie for a long-overdue coffee at Parisienne, a casual cafe by Petit Plisson with classic French pastries and light salads. It’s a great spot to know about for a quick refuel.
We stayed until the early evening and then walked along the Seine, over to the Left Bank for dinner.
La Laiterie Sainte Clotilde
La Laiterie Sainte Clotilde on Rue de Bellechasse is a gorgeous little bistro by Jean-Baptiste Varenne, housed in a former dairy. It’s a real neighbourhood gem with a mostly Parisian crowd and lovely staff who really look after you well.
To start, we had a creamy, velvety Pumpkin soup and a punchy Roasted cauliflower with harissa – both were full of flavour and well-seasoned.
We couldn’t resist the tender, juicy Steak with peppercorn sauce and sautéed baby potatoes. It was a classic done exceedingly well with very high quality meat, a moreish sauce and more crispy potatoes than you could ever ask for.
Dessert was an indulgent Gateau ‘Chardon’ au chocolat, which had a rich yet light fondant texture inside. I would definitely visit again, as it’s an interesting yet dependable place for a good dinner, however I’d be keen to try the weekday lunch set menu at 30 Euros for 3 courses.
Thierry Mugler: Couturissime
Fashion exhibitons at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs are always spectacular and I’m so pleased we had the opportunity to see the most recent opening, Thierry Mugler: Couturissime. This major exhibition explores the couturier’s stellar career with works dating from 1973 to 2014. It feels especially poignant and vital since his passing in January this year.
The world of Mugler is truly glamorous and exotic, which the curator has expertly captured across both floors. Be prepared to be wowed by rows of mannequins in cutting-edge ready-to-wear, sculptural haute couture and iconic stage costumes worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Linda Evangelista and Jerry Hall.
The exhibition has an immersive feel with scene-setting light and soundscapes and a subtle trail of the famous fragrance ANGEL, complete with an enormous, diamond-encrusted bottle to admire.
You can also delve deeper with rare photographs signed by Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton and Ellen von Unwerth, as well as unpublished archives and mesmerising films of pivotal catwalk shows.
I could have easily spent hours there, but we were also keen to see the Cartier Islamic Arts exhibition just across the hall. It featured the most dazzling fine jewellery with enormous diamonds and gems, ancient sculptures and miniature paintings.
Café de Flore
For a moment of Paris nostalgia, we headed over to the Left Bank for a light lunch at the historic Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain. After a bit of queuing we were seated at one of the coveted terrace tables – perfect for indulging in the time-honoured sport of people watching.
While the location is undeniably fabulous, the excruciatingly long wait to be served and the unexpectedly bland Soupe a l’oignon gratinée made it my least favourite meal of the trip. Next time I’ll play it safe and stick to the excellent chocolat chaud and tarte tatin.
La Grande Épicerie
The afternoon still ended on a sweet note with a sweep around La Grande Épicerie, the magnificent food hall at Le Bon Marché department store on Rue de Sèvres. We refuelled over an exquisite Tarte framboise and Praline cake and pots of Earl Grey tea from the patisserie.
Paris food halls are an absolute joy and this one is widely regarded as the best in town. Every time I visit, I promise myself to book an apartment for a week and cook with these exquisite ingredients.
Aux Crus de Bourgogne
After some more shopping and strolling around the Left Bank, we headed to the lively Montorgueil quarter for dinner at Aux Crus de Bourgogne on Rue Bachaumont. This historic bistro was revived by new owners Jérôme and Stéphane Dumant in 2019 and is known for its regional French gastronomy cooking and Burgundy wines.
It was once a haunt of writer and cultural minister André Malraux, although today you could imagine Wes Anderson perched at a table, scouting his next filming location.
The return of the great French brasserie (a trend bubbling away in Paris over the last few years) really satisfies the craving for familiarity and rollicking good times, especially in this age of uncertainty. This is definitely something you can find here, feasting on hearty Lyonnaise dishes and having a laugh with the most charming waiters in Paris.
We had the most fantastic Poulet au vin jaune & morilles, which was served in a rustic copper pot with spongey morels to soak up the rich, creamy sauce. Coq au vin was equally indulgent and boozy with the finest farm-style chicken that you can only seem to find in France and ribbons of fresh tagliatelle.
For dessert, we did the unthinkable and ordered Mousse au chocolat & Madeleine twice, just in case it wasn’t so sharable. Little did we know that it would be a monster-sized mousse filling an entire Le Creuset pot with two giant madeleines. However, I don’t regret a thing, as it was so thick and velvety and the madeleines were crispy and golden, straight from the oven – a moment of absolute heaven!
Montmartre
We made the most of a bright and sunny morning and climbed up the millions of stairs to the Sacré-Cœur. It was lovely to explore Montmartre and follow the winding, cobbled paths and spotting pretty landmarks like Le Lapin Agile, Place du Tertre, Le Consulat, Place Dalida and La Maison Rose.
A new discovery was Vignes du Clos, an urban winery on a sunny hillside in Montmartre. Paris’ oldest vineyard was created as a green space by the City of Paris in 1933 to protect the plot of land from being developed.
It’s generally closed to the public, but in October, the vineyard opens the gates for guided tours as part of the city’s Fête des Vendanges (a five-day grape harvest festival).
Hotel Amour
After such arduous hill climbing, we were ready for lunch at Hotel Amour, one of my old favourites in Pigalle. It always has a good vibe and sitting at a table overlooking the garden is just delightful.
We both managed to squeeze in one last Steak frites and it was a winner (although I would have liked it to come with a sauce).
Galeries Lafayette Gourmet
Our last stop of the trip was the wonderful Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, which has changed a lot since I last visited. The most exciting part for me is the deli, bakery and patisserie section that takes up almost the entire ground floor.
It was a chance to load up on baked goods from Babka Zana, a cute bakery in the 9th arrondissement that has a counter here. We tried the sticky, delicious Babka rolls in rich Chocolate hazelnut and fragrant Pistachio and orange blossom flavours.
It was also a good call to bring home a large Babka cake, packaged majestically in a pastel pink and gold box, to keep the Paris memories going.
Hotel Keppler
Our home for the weekend was the elegant Hotel Keppler, designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, located in a Haussmanian building on a quiet street just off the Champs-Élysées.
The hotel features 48 guest rooms and suites (some with balconies and Eiffel Tower views), plus two cosy library lounges and a fitness room and sauna.
Our Executive Room was bright and comfortable with timeless black, white and vibrant yellow accents. The large marble bathroom had a TV in the mirror, a powerful shower and bathtub, fluffy bathrobes and slippers and a full set of Hermès Eau D’Orange Verte bathroom products.
Breakfast was served downstairs overlooking the leafy private courtyard and everything was excellent. The buffet was petite but full of high quality items like scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, pancakes and crepes, cured meats and salmon, French cheese, luxury yoghurt and fruit juice. You can also order fresh eggs and omelettes cooked to order.
The lovely staff took good care of us, serving freshly-made coffee and tea and a basket of pastries and baguette to our table. It was the highlight of our stay and definitely worth booking.
We didn’t spend much time in the hotel on this trip, as we were out exploring from morning to night, but it was still a very enjoyable stay.
Have you been to Paris recently? Where are your favourite places to visit?
All photos by Chérie City
