Paris for Connoisseurs
With the Fashion Week having come and gone, hotel rates in Paris are once again affordable. The fashion metropolis is not just a destination for fashionistas, but has so much more to offer with its exciting mix of art, couture, and culinary culture; the city is always worth a weekend trip. Let yourself be inspired, and rediscover Paris – far from the trodden tourist trails!
8 Tips for a Smashing Weekend:
Tip 1
If you are travelling with lots of luggage but love to move freely, we suggest you book a hotel room on the right bank of the Seine and in the «Superior» category at the least. Background to this is that the rooms on the Rive Gauche are smaller, often having the size and shape of shoe boxes.
Tip 2
Our latest hotel discovery: La Maison Favart is located directly beside the Opéra Comique. This splendid temporary home reminded us of a meringue – fluffy, pastel-coloured, but not too sweet.
Tip 3
If you love to breathe Parisian morning air, do skip breakfast at the hotel and go to a Café around the corner instead. This is where we go for our first cup of tea – served with a Pain au Chocolat fresh from the oven – our Café of choice being Mariage Frères. This is not only more affordable than the breakfast surcharge at the hotel, but is also at least as delicious!
Tip 4
If you are a chocolate fiend, Maison Angelina will seem like paradise to you. The main store is perfectly located for a stopover during your shopping trip along Rue Saint Honoré. Do not let yourself be discouraged by people queuing outside the store – the queue moves very quickly. If you don't have the patience to wait in line, just move on past the queue, take the door to the right of the entrance and enter the store directly. We recommend the chocolate tea and the candied hot chocolate «L’Africain» as the perfect souvenir for anyone with a sweet tooth back home.
Tip 5
If you've already been to the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay, why not try something different and see the Musée des Lettres et Manuscripts? Taking a private guided tour, you will learn many fascinating anecdotes, e.g. from the life of famous French writers like Alexandre Dumas. For instance, Dumas gave a richly ornamented and illustrated copy of «The Alchemist» to Russian Czar Alexander I in the hope of being awarded a medal. In the accompanying letter, he addressed the Czar as «beacon of wisdom». Yet Alexander was not one to fall for flattery, and gave Dumas a signet ring instead. Feeling slighted, Dumas wrote the novel «The Fencing Master» about the revolt of the Russian nobility against the Czar in 1825. Today, either work is about as famous as the other.
Tip 6
Attention oyster lovers: For the freshest oysters anywhere in Paris, go to Huîtrerie Régis. In order to get one of the six coveted tables, you must be at their doorstep at 12:00 noon sharp because no reservations are taken here. It is well worth the trouble, though, and you will be rewarded with a table and magnificent oysters for being prompt. Yummy! That said, be sure to follow the rule that tells you to steer clear of this delicacy during the months with no “R” in the name.
Home-made tureens at La Régalade
Tip 7
If you fancy wining and dining with the locals, you should make your way out to La Régalade in the 14th Arrondissement. Bruno Doucet is easily the most charming host in Paris, and serves a authentic, fresh market cuisine. If you show up late, however, you will forfeit your reservation. While waiting in line over a glass of wine and home-made pâtés, you will get to meet other foodies, and may compare culinary notes.
Tip 8
Not quite ready to call it a day, we move on to the plush and chi-chi bar of the Hôtel Costes for a nightcap. The rooms, decorated in opulent boudoir style, are full of beautiful people, and are rich in sex appeal. The way the guests parade themselves is part of the total art work of the Costes. We love the bar and restaurant where people party hard – after all, you don't come here to sleep.
Ready for more? We have compiled another 15 hotel and restaurant recommendations for Paris for you – each one of them tested in person, on location. Paris vous attend!