Paris
Five Fine Things Not to Miss for Food and Shopping
I am just back from a four day trip to Paris with two of our best friends. Given that it was a (romantically) rainy winter weekend, our trip was essentially focused entirely on eating and shopping. The only other things we did were drink, walk, and relax at our amazing hotel pool. I loved where we stayed, Hôtel Le Grand Mazarin, because it was perfectly situated walking distance from almost everything we wanted to do, is in the heart of the best shopping area, has a strong focus on good design, had exceptionally comfortable beds, and the gym/pool/steam rooms were amazing. I booked it through my friend Bella Darden of Mindholiday, and here’s the thing: if you already know where you want to stay, she charges nothing to book your hotel. And she’s able to hook it up with amazing perks like upgrades when available, early check-in and late checkout (which is crucial coming off a red eye), and usually a hotel credit and free breakfast. It seems too good to be true, but it’s not.
I feel so lucky to get to take trips like this - quick little breaks from the usual rhythm of my life that energize me, give me quality time with people I love, and get me thinking and seeing the world differently.
One thing that I find a bit overwhelming is going to a city and getting so much feedback from people, articles, and Instagram about all the things you must do and see and eat; especially in a city like Paris where there an endless amount to discover. We went on this trip with our friends Hannah and Fred who have excellent taste in food and wine and are as obsessed with eating well as we are, plus they are much more seasoned in the city and so they entirely took the lead in planning and directing once there. Rich and joked that we had a dining concierge (Hannah) and a Beverage Director (Fred), making the experience one of total relaxation and indulgence for us.
So, in an effort to keep this a reference for the very best of what we ate and shopped, here are the five place I would urge you not to miss and will absolutely return to on my next trip.
Septime - From what I hear this is a tough reservation to score - so we were so thankful Hannah made it happen. I loved going for lunch where we got to spend a leisurely 3.5 hours drinking, enjoying incredible, thoughtful food, and bantering with the staff. The space is lovely and unpretentious. Enjoyed every second here.
Lunch at Septime Le Bon Georges - This is a classic French Bistro with an unfussy but polished atmosphere. The food was incredible and hit the nail on the head for all the French classics. I loved the vibe, the chalkboard menu, the perfectly executed fries, and the oeufs mayonnaise. They are knowns for great wine and the wine menu is bigger than a bible. Supposedly this is also hard to get into so plan accordingly.
Lunch at Le Bon Georges Parcelles - This was another place we did a leisurely long lunch with gorgeous wine in a serene and casual atmosphere where the food was simple but incredible. The sweetbreads and the cheese course and the constant flow of freshly cut bread were all welcomed. I love a spot like this!
Lunch at Parcelles La Maison d’Isabelle - Hannah and Fred really love croissants. So much so that they have matching tattoos of them! So when they told us these were the best in Paris I was confident, but admittedly when we ventured into a touristy area and sat on a line full of people in the rain I started to second guess a bit. I should not have, because this is their thing and it totally delivered, and then some. We tried a few other things at the bakery that were just fine but the croissant was probably the best I’ve ever had!
Hannah and Fred with warm croissants from La Maison d’Isabelle Comptoir De Vie - Last but not least, the most fun meal we had and the best tasting menu I’ve ever had (at least to memory). This is a ten top bar tasting menu led by a 34 year old Irish chef who serves you every dish himself and has a fun staff that makes amazing cocktails and chats you up throughout dinner. It’s elevated but ultimately casual, as it’s attached to a wine shop where people can have bites and buy bottles throughout the night. The dedication to creative food here was so cool to see but nothing was funky or experimental - just 9 courses of incredibly delicious food that blew us away.
The final course at Comptoir De Vie
In order to make this a full resource for Paris, I also wanted to share my five favorite stores. These are the ones that I would want to send you to and will be sure to return to on my next trip. Shopping in Paris is so much fun because it is abundant with multi brand boutiques, French brand shops, specialty vintage and some great department stores. But, of all the many, many stores I stopped into, here’s my five favorites:
Le Bon Marche - The very best department store! I like that you can go to see so many French, European, and international brands in one space. I love that the interior is open and lovely to be in, and that they have a really great food section in the bottom floor as well as art installations throughout and kind of everything you need for a few hours out of the cold, or hot, all in one place. Typically on vacation I may feel guilty being inside for so long but the architecture, diversity of brands, and fun things throughout like art installations and pop-up (when I was there there was a special Dior showcase with passed bites and champagne happening), makes this place different.
Le Bon Marche La Bonne Brosse - This is a specialty store for brushes that you may have heard of recently as they’ve started wholesaling in the US. though I’ve heard great things and seen them around, I liked going to their own store to learn more about the brand, hear their recommendations for my hair type, and try their hair care products too. As you may know, I love a good brush! This is a good starter brush for anyone. I left with a few, because they make really nice gifts!
La Bonne Brosse Trudon - It wasn’t until looking this up that I realized we actually have a store here in NYC, but stumbling into the flagship boutique in Paris was a total joy since this is the only candle brand I really love and feel passionately about. The store is a total jewel box full of the best candles, gorgeous packaging, and a subtle perfection that is in everything this company does. I left feeling excited and more passionate about their business than before!
Shopping at Trudon Antoinette Poisson - This is a French textile, paint and wallpaper brand with a gorgeous store. They sell things you can take home like notebooks, matches, keepsake boxes and little lampshades but what I fell in love with were the wallpapers and the clever boarders and trims that I really hope to use in my next wallpaper project. Also, across the street is a vintage archive store called Preclothed that I loved going into but was very much about archival fashion from brands like Hermes and Celine, so was perhaps a bit lost on me.
Wallpapers and Trims at Antoinette Poisson Rendel Eyewear - I love sunglasses and own far too many which is why I didn’t buy these, but seeing this picture again makes me regret that! I was unfamiliar with this brand before but passed a few of their stores throughout the city. They had lots of great options for lightly tinted lenses (which I love), high quality looking frames, and a surprisingly good price point.
Though some of the stores on this list are ones you can also find in the US, going to the Paris store is fun experience of its own. I also like stopping into some of my favorite French brands with many stores throughout the city like Soeur, Sandro, Sezanne, Tara Jarmon, Officine Universelle Buly, Bon Point (for kids clothes), Sabre (for silverware).
I’m excited to keep sharing travel recs in this newsletter and to have a place both for you and for me to go back to reference. If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help, just email me!
xx, Madison
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So glad you had a great time!