The Paris email (part one)

I absolutely love Paris. It’s kinda cliche but damn it is such a great city. I visited for the first time with my Godmother when I was 16. Again at 26. And then twice when I was 30, once with Jono and once with a girlfriend.

I was chatting to a colleague the other day who is spending 2024 embarking on solo adventures through Europe. I am so excited for her and her first stop is Paris! She was saying she felt a little bit deflated about Paris with people saying it wasn’t that great and potentially a little overrated. WELL LISTEN HERE! Paris is fantastic!

A couple of negative things people say

1. The Parisians aren’t friendly – so what? They’re busy and tired and stressed and you’re in their way. Londoners are a pretty unfriendly bunch too but that hasn’t given London a bad rep. You’re not on holiday with them so why does it matter? Start all interactions with a “bonjour”, say “merci”, smile and make an effort. You’ll be absolutely fine.
2. It’s a dirty big city – well ya? What did you expect? It’s home to 11.2million people (that’s more than London’s 9.7m population). It’s a giant sprawling city chock-a-block packed with gems. There’s a metro for speedy zooming. And if you’re not enjoying a pocket – well you have options – go find somewhere else!

Honestly, embrace it. Paris is a great city!

Restaurants we loved in Paris

– Frenchies wine bar
I love this place so much. I have visited three times now and it has been GREAT every single time. There are no bookings but you pop your head in and they’ll let you know the wait time. It moves quickly enough and I would recommend waiting. Depending on how busy – you either wait outside or can wait at the wine bar with a glass of wine. The wine bar is the little sister of Frenchies, their Michelin star spot. We haven’t visited the main Frenchies before but it is on the list. The best game plan is to order the ENTIRE menu and get their brilliant sommeliers to suggest a great bottle of wine. If they have sweetbreads on the menu – order them!! They’re insane and the best I have ever had – think crispy crunchy KFC-style sweetbreads. I dream of this restaurant.

– L’As du Falafel
Best falafel in the world. Honestly insanely good. I have been three times now – once seated and the other times as takeaways. It’s of course lovely to sit down but the queues can be super super long. There are two queues – one for takeaways and one to sit down so make sure you’re in the right one for you! There’s a little park just up the way if you do opt for a takeaway.

– Cafe Louis Philippe
One of the oldest bistros in Paris and super old school. Typical bistro experience. Would recommend the duck and fries or the plate of the day. Must have wine!

– Candelaria
Great Mexican food and frozen margaritas. Loved the pulled pork tacos, the chicken tacos and the nachos. Drink LOTS of margaritas. It’s busy and crazy and fun. There’s also a hidden bar through the fridge in the back.

Sweet treats we loved in Paris

– Cedric Grolet
Incredible bakery. Seriously, check out their Instagram. INSANE! Grab a pain au chocolat for immediate eating and beautiful pastries to take home. There’s unfortunately a long queue and it doesn’t move fast. You can pre order baked goods for a much speedier turnaround a couple of days in advance. It’s definitely a must visit but be warned it’s stupid expensive.

– Hot chocolate from Angelina’s
Is this a little touristy? Aaaaa yeah – but baby, you’re a tourist! Embrace it! Angelina’s is famous for their hot chocolate. It’s very much chocolate in liquid form vs your traditional chocolate dust meets milk. It’s super smooth, rich and delicious. Definitely opt for the side of whipped cream to stir through! The dining room is beautiful and opulent which really makes it feel like a special occasion. I saw lots of finger sandwiches and patisserie on other tables and it all looked great. There was a queue when we arrived but sit tight as they turn tables pretty quickly.

Places we visited but weren’t our favourites

– L’Aperge – urgh. If you were around at the time you’ll know how much we didn’t love this spot. I cried in the bathroom ahead of dessert because not only did we spend as much as one month’s rent on dinner – it wasn’t that great. It’s a Michelin three star restaurant. But ya, not for me. It’s boring and uninspired. And the staff are so far up their arses I’m surprised they can walk in a straight line.

Places on our next visit list

– Pink Mamma – instagram crack
– Racines
– Frenchies
– Grazie in Bastille for pizza
– Septime
– Clamato
– Les Papilles – no menu, no choices, four courses
– Le Relaisde l’Entrecote in Saint Germain for the best steak + chips + simple salad
– Les enfants du marché

Things we did when not eating

Right about here, I’d be diving into a few non-food related recommendations. The problem is I have too many and this post was getting a little insane! Please head over to The Paris email (part two) here to read how best to spend your time between wining and dining.

Where we stayed in Paris

We have stayed in two lovely spots in different areas that I’d recommend. Both had easy access to the metro which made it easy to get about.

From my weekend away with Tegan we stayed at Hôtel Des Deux-Iles – Notre-Dame. It’s just across the water from the Marais (4th arrondissement) which is one of my favourite pockets. The rooms were little but had a big bed and a good bathroom. Extra points for the gorgeous lobby where you could curl up for tea and cake in the afternoon. All accommodation options get bonus points for complementary tea and cake in my books.

Jono and I stayed at Le Basile Hôtel in the 9th Arrondissement home to the Palais Garnier opera house and Galeries Lafayette. I booked this through the Amex Hotel Collection programme for Amex card holders. I like the programme because if you book for two nights they’ll upgrade your room if available and give you $100 of room credits. We’ve used this programme in both Berlin and Paris and it’s great for a bottle of wine or room service snacks! The hotel and room was lovely – particularly big rooms for this city!

Have the best time in Paris

with all my love, Tahlia