When my dad suggested to the family at Christmas that we all go to Paris over my spring break, I was understandably ecstatic. However, when I tried venturing into the land of day dreams to get excited about the trip, no imagery came to mind.
We had never been to Europe together as a family, and I simply could not picture it. Would we all be decked out in stripes and berets, holding baguettes? Honestly this cliche description is not far off from how we actually did look in Paris.
In any case, if you’re entertaining the idea of enjoying a trip from the “American Riviera” to the “French Riviera,” here are my best tips for the ultimate Paris getaway.
Transportation
If you don’t want to deal with the hullabaloo of parking your car somewhere near LAX and shuttling before a long international journey, treat yourself to the Santa Barbara Airbus.
After my 12 hour flight home, I was in full-body gratitude for the fact that I didn’t have to worry about shuttling and driving myself, and could just watch the sunset over the ocean as I eased back into SB life.
You can leave your car at the Sears parking lot for two days and then purchase a cheap pass for the remaining days. Delta took great care of us on our smooth and easy flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport. It was a staggering difference in the level of customer service and comfort from my usual airlines.
Where to Stay
We loved the Seine-adjacent, outdoor cafe, art gallery-filled Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood in the 6th arrondissement. The Citadines Hotel provided a clean and lovely touchpoint from which to experience the rest of Paris, especially with their convenient in-room kitchenettes and the complimentary latte/cappuccino/hot chocolate maker, which we frequented multiple times a day.
Where to Eat
Cafe Buci, right around the corner, provided the perfect, indoor or outdoor, traditional-but-welcoming, something-for-everyone, delicious first meal of the trip (and many more thereafter). After our nine hour red-eye flight, a faulty shower, and a power outage in our hotel room, we rambled over to Cafe Buci feeling the fatigue. However, with a cold glass of French rose and a bountiful cheese plate with seemingly never-ending baguette, my spirit was quickly restored and amplified. The service feels like a warm hug, as does their Beef Bourguignon – the ideal comfort meal for a chilly night.
While I thought I’d be up and at ‘em, finding a new boulangerie each morning, I’m also a creature of routine and when we honed in on the family-owned Thevenin for our croissant-fix, we didn’t look back. Each evening or morning, we’d pick up a bunch of these buttery and tender yet flaky pastries and enjoy them with our complimentary lattes from the comfort of our Hotel, easing into the day.
If you’re looking for a modern coffee experience, Bonjour Jacob is your spot. This hip vinyl, magazine, and coffee bar looks like it might be the kind of minimalist spot that could be cold, but the service is warm, the flat white is strong yet creamy, and it’s always refreshing to go analog and browse some good old fashioned magazines.
For a traditional specialty from Brittany, make your way to the popular creperie Breizh. We enjoyed a savory breakfast-for-dinner situation with ham, Emmentalar cheese and egg buckwheat crepes, and my sister loved the salmon and white asparagus seasonal special. Pair them with a crisp glass of Sancerre or the “Cider of the Moment” and you might just want to come here for all three meals of your day.
If you find yourself in the Marais, which you should, the art galleries, nightlife, and history of the city’s most famous Jewish neighborhood is more than enough reason to get there, Le Barav is a must.
After an engaging visit to the free and history-packed Musee Carnevalet, we were hungry, and this casual wine bar down the street was just the cure. It has an authentic Parisian energy, with wooden fixtures, a cellar next door, and a dazzling selection of inexpensive wines. It was arguably the best crisp rose I had on the trip and was a measly five euro. I’d provide more detail, but it was listed on the menu simply as “Pink.” Their cheese and charcuterie boards are as fun and funky as the vibe. Follow a board up with one of their satisfying “Croques to Share” like the delightful truffled ham and cheese with onion confit. Lean back, strike up a conversation, look at the rain outside and post up, you’re basically a local now.
If you start to feel a bit homesick, there’s no better cure than James Beard Award-winning Chef, Mashama Bailey’s L’Arrêt by The Grey. After a decade of tremendous success with her iconic restaurant The Grey, in Savannah, Georgia, Bailey joined forces with restaurateur, author and speaker Johno Morisano to bravely open a restaurant in the 7th arrondissement. Together they have created a bridge between Parisian bistro conviviality and the techniques and flavors of Port City Southern cuisine.
We were endeared to this beautiful spot from our first entrance as we sturdied up our best, “Bonsois” and were greeted with a smile and a “Good evening.” I guess we weren’t fooling anyone, and neither was the restaurant. With a bold menu that starts off with hand pies instead of cheese plates, there’s a refreshing confidence and authenticity in the food; it’s not trying to be anything other than itself. And thank goodness it’s not; the “Handpies du Moment” were warm buttery pockets of bacon and caramelized veggie heaven, which we liberally dipped in the addictive green chimmichuri-esque sauce.
Leave it to a Southern restaurant to produce the best duck I had in Paris. I could see why my formerly vegetarian friend refers to duck as her “gateway meat.” Their version was wildly tender and complemented by flavorful smashed potatoes, complete with cream, scallions and salsa matcha. Our tastebuds were singing, and you’re sure to hit all the harmonies when complementing the meal with one of their perfectly-balanced cocktails, like the French 75 or a full-bodied glass of Bordeaux.
Don’t forget, in Europe, they’re not focused on turning tables, so get dessert! The rich chocolate pots de creme or nostalgic apple crumble with chantilly creme are the sweet ending you’ll want to linger over.
As a wine geek, I knew I wanted to do some kind of tasting experience, but didn’t want an over-choreographed group tour. I longed to stumble upon a charming little wine bar and somehow find a bartender/sommelier that felt distinctly Parisian yet spoke enough English to share their knowledge on French wine in a way I could imbibe. As if out of a dream, Chez Nous appeared on Rue Dauphine, around the corner from our Hotel. On our first night walking to dinner, I spotted the glowing, hole-in-the-wall-yet-upscale-bar and grabbed my sister, declaring, “We’re going here!”
On our second-to-last night, we made it happen, and I was so excited that I almost felt it had to disappoint. Instead, they over-delivered. Laurent our friendly wine-tender was certainly French, but spoke English fluently enough to dazzle us with information about the Loire-valley Sparkling pétillant naturel we started with, a crisp Rose from Piemonte, and various tastes of all of his favorites, including, the GSM jewel of the Southern Rhone valley, a velvety and robust Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The food rivaled the wine in terms of quality and were my favorite bites of the trip. A charcuterie board overflowing with Jamon Serrano, brie and the star of the show, thinly shaven ribbons of delicate truffled gouda, served with a generous sprinkling of pine nuts and olive oil. The piece de resistance – thick slices of fresh Salmon Gravalax; each slice melted in our mouths and we had to close our eyes in reverence. But don’t close your eyes for too long here; the buzzy yet cozy vibe is too much fun.
On one of those rainy vacation days when we weren’t quite sure what to do, that’s when I remembered the one spot my friend Elly recommended, a cute cafe for lunch and people-watching: Tram. With a stylish bright interior brimming with fresh flowers, a record player, artsy books and warm cakes streaming out of the oven, we knew we’d made it to the right place. Steps away from the Pantheon and the St. Genevieve Chapel, this gem of the Latin Quarter makes well-deserved cameos in both “Midnight in Paris” and “Emily in Paris.” The food was incredible, but the winning dish was perhaps the least glamorous; the housemade sausage and smashed potatoes. We basically all stole my sister’s lunch, which she generously shared.
What to See
Walking down from Tram, we made our way to the stunning even in the rain, tulip-filled Jardin du Luxembourg. On the way, we soaked up the sights and smells of Paris first with hot croissants from the bustling La Maison d’Isabelle and then sampled our way through the funky cheeses, rich chocolates, pralines, and fresh flowers, of the busy Marché Maubert, an open-air market slinging the greatest hits of Parisian delicacies.
For museums, the less-crowded Musée de l’Orangerie located in the beautiful Tuileries Garden is the dream spot to intimately experience art. The building was originally constructed in 1852 to serve as a winter shelter for the orange trees in the Tuileries. Yes, the two-room wall-to-wall expanse of Monet’s Water Lilies is a miraculous draw, but it was the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections of Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and contemporary painter Alex Lenoir, that really drew me in and provided the contemplative experience that I hope for when experiencing art.
For lovers of Django Rheinheart’s improvisational guitar, craving entertainment but in a decidedly non-tourist atmosphere, do not miss the gypsy jazz show at 9pm at Le Piano Vache in the heart of the Latin Quarter. The jaw-dropping guitar solos, the fiddle player who smiled with such delight it was permeable, and the authentic joy that spread from both musicians to the enthusiastic yet reverentially-attuned packed-like-sardines audience, was nothing short of awe-inducing.
Another decidedly different but nonetheless authentic Parisian musical experience is a night at the historic Au Lapin Agile, a historic gathering place where French song, poetry, and storytelling has spread though the cozy wooded living room-like setting since the late nineteenth century. Tucked into a quaint hillside perched above the bustling Montmarte neighborhood, nestle close to your friends and neighbors for an intentionally simple, stripped-down night of entertainment. Singing along is encouraged, and as we did our best to keep up with the French lyrics, laughing at times, we couldn’t help but beam at all the faces lit up by the glowing candlelight. While the cold rain came down outside, I felt the Christmas spirit of a chalet in the French Alps. We were especially taken with the talent of the accordion player who sauntered between tables with ease and the vocal prowess strong enough to ensure the large accordion played second fiddle to her amazing voice.
One of the most special experiences was a yoga class I was lucky enough to wake up on time for at a charming studio called Yoga Matcha around the corner from our hotel. The sweet instructor led us down the mysterious stairs into a sparkling cave where we enjoyed a peaceful vinyasa practice accompanied by a lovely soundtrack and a fantastic upper body workout. Upstairs I got to know the other ladies in the class as we relaxed in the cozy lounge and the owner made us custom matchas. What a gift!
I could go on about all of the other gems of Paris but this would turn into a book rather than an article. Perhaps it’s indicative of the slower pace of life in Europe, and the deep, lingering beauty in even the smallest moments that explains why I struggled to keep this piece short. I’ll close with the encouragement to absolutely visit Paris if you can, and if not, find a way to romanticize life. From this trip I’ve learned that creating and appreciating the beauty around us is an integral part of the joie de vivre.
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