Ask anyone that you talk to about their dream destinations and three out of four will name Paris as a top choice and for good reason. The city of love is not just for couples, but it has endless experiences for everybody. Although you could probably stay here for a whole month and still not see everything the city has to offer, here we will list the top things that you will love about visiting Paris. Enjoy!
Gastronomy
The food experience is #1 on this list because Parisian cuisine is truly world class. From Michelin star chefs to cafes, hole in the wall restaurants, local bakeries and outdoor markets, the food in Paris will have you drooling with excitement. Apart from traditional French cuisine, you will also find some amazing Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian restaurants throughout the city, a reminder of their French Indochina past. You’ll also find other excellent ethnic restaurants such as North African, West African, Lebanese, Syrian, Haitian and Polynesian; again reminiscent of their past as former French colonies.
Some of our favorite places from our last trip are:
Le Chalet Savoyard - This restaurant specializes in fondues and dishes that are from the Savoy region of France. The best part of the dining experience is when they bring a half sliced wheel of cheese and place it under a heating lamp so that it slowly drips onto your plate with your meal. Julian is not someone who likes to eat cheese back home in the USA, but this was no ordinary cheese. This was mouthwatering specialty cheese that paired beautifully with everything on the menu. The wines are also excellent.
TABLE - This is an upscale restaurant that was named in the prestigious Micheline Guide and is well worth a visit. All of the ingredients are locally sourced and the staff is very welcoming. The owner and head chef, Bruno Verjus, was even nice enough to take a photo with us. The emphasis here is on the palate and ingenuity of the dishes. Indeed, each dish seems to transform into different flavors as you continue chewing it in your mouth.
Boulangerie Patisserie Ounissi - This little gem is a local bakery that is owned by a friendly Moroccan family in the 11th arrondissement. They have the most amazing pain au chocolat and quiche recipes. Prices are also very inexpensive here compared to other bakeries in town.
East Mamma - This is a really popular Italian restaurant with lunch and dinner lines that wrap around the whole block. The food is authentic Italian and the pizza is Neapolitan, which is a beautiful reminder of our food experience in Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
Do et Riz - This is a non-descript Vietnamese restaurant that only locals know about. The food is delicious and authentic but be prepared to get there early in order to secure a table. This restaurant gets packed every single night of the week. Also, most of the staff do not speak English here so brush up on your French or Vietnamese.
Atelier Annam - This is another hole in the wall gem that only locals know about located in the same alley as Do et Riz. The noodle soup and other dishes of this Vietnamese restaurant are incredible. As expected, this place gets packed to capacity every single night of the week. Also, the staff here do not speak English so brush up on your French or Vietnamese.
Place du Tertre - Place du Tertre is a plaza located in the heart of the idyllic Montmartre neighborhood that is surrounded by brasseries. Pretty much any of these brasseries will have good food but the real selling point here is the view of the square itself, where you can see local painters with their easels, musicians playing guitar and other artists plying their trade. Make sure to grab outdoor seating. This square is so charming that you can easily spend an entire day just sitting and people watching while sipping wine, coffee and eating small plates.
Biscuiterie de Montmartre - As the name suggests, this place specializes in biscuits, cookies and the best macaroons that we’ve ever had! This is well worth the visit.
Some important notes about the food experience:
Portion size: The portion sizes are a lot smaller than what is served in the USA but the density of flavor is much higher. Rather than scarfing your food because you are hungry (as Julian often does), we recommend that you take the time to really chew your food and enjoy the experience of eating. This is especially true at higher end restaurants where the emphasis is on presentation and palate.
Restaurant Capacity: In Paris, once a restaurant is at capacity, they will turn people away rather than putting them on a waiting list. This is an important cultural distinction as unlike in the USA, restaurants in Paris do not constantly try to upsell customers or pressure them into leaving after they have finished their meal so consequently, there is less table turnover. As such, if you want to have lunch or dine at a popular restaurant, plan on arriving early in order to secure a table. At popular restaurants you will often see people queuing up outside an hour before they open in order to make sure that they have a chance at getting a table. Plan accordingly.
Sending Back Food: “You break it, you buy it” is the general attitude toward a customer trying to send back food. If you did not enjoy your meal and wish to be refunded or “comped”, the restaurant staff will act with nonchalance and disregard your request. In some cases, sending back food is considered an insult to the chef. Again, this is an important cultural distinction as food waste is treated more seriously than in the USA.
Service: For an American tourist, the service at restaurants in Paris may seem slow, depending on your expectations. But this does not mean that the service is bad. Rather, this is merely another cultural difference that needs to be acknowledged. Firstly, unlike the USA, waiters in France are paid a fixed salary and do not generally rely on tips/gratuity, so there is less incentive to constantly hover over a table. Also, there is an expectation that the customer should be left alone to enjoy their meal. The classic move in the USA where the waiter brings you your bill unsolicited (“I’ll just leave this right here, whenever you’re ready”) is virtually nonexistent in Paris and makes for a more pleasant experience as you can enjoy your time without anxiety about having to order something else in order to justify occupying a table/seat.
Arc de Triomphe
As you walk along the famous Champ-Elysees, you will see the famous Arc de Triomphe; an imposing monument built to honor those who fought and died for France in various wars.
For about 12 Euros ( $14.58 USD), you can climb the 234 steps to the very top for a panoramic view of the city. A great time to go is around sunset so you can see the city start to light up as it descends into nighttime.
You can find more information on the Arc de Triomphe at: http://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en/
Montmartre
Montmartre is what people envision when they dream of Paris. Cobblestone streets, winding alleys, painters, musicians, art galleries, cafes, and pastry shops characterize this neighborhood. You can hire a local artist to paint your portrait for about 100 Euros ($121 USD or whatever you manage to negotiate), take a little train known as the “petit train” which circles around the neighborhood or sit at a café or brasserie and people watch. Either way you choose to spend your time here, Montmartre is the idyllic Parisian neighborhood.
You can find more information on Montmartre and things to do at: https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/walks-in-paris/montmartre-village-in-paris
Sacré-Coeur
Located in Montmartre and sitting atop the highest point in Paris you will find the basilica of Sacré-Couer. The building itself is quite impressive, with its all white exterior and opulent paintings on the ceilings. At sunset, you can sit on the steps of the cathedral with a beer or wine in hand and watch the sun set over the city.
You can find more information on Sacré-Couer at: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/
Eiffel Tower
This architectural wonder is the most iconic symbol of Paris and it is in fact one of the most visited monuments in the world. Just browse anybody’s social media feed when they are in Paris and they will always have a picture of them at the Eiffel Tower.
For between 10 - 25 Euros ($12 - $30USD) you can explore the different floors of the Eiffel Tower. On the second and third floors (in Paris they start counting floors from 0 so these would be the 1st and 2nd floors), there are restaurants and buffets where you can stop to enjoy a meal and scenic views of the city. You can also dine at a Michelin star restaurant called The Jules Verne. On the very top floor of the Eiffel Tower there is a champagne bar where you can toast your flutes as the sun sets over the city.
For us, the most romantic time to go was at night, when the Eiffel Tower lights up and sparkles.
You can find more information on the Eiffel Tower at: https://www.toureiffel.paris/en
Louvre Museum
The Louvre is the largest art museum in the world housing many masterpieces, with its most recognizable piece being the Mona Lisa. If you have time, you should plan a full two or three days to visit the Louvre. That’s not an exaggeration either. The Louvre is so big and has so many levels that it really will take you that long if you want to see everything that the museum has to offer. In addition to the museum, there is also an underground shopping mall with easy access to the train station.
You can find more information on the Louvre Museum at: https://www.louvre.fr/en
Notre Dame
This cathedral is a masterful example of medieval French Gothic architecture. Unfortunately, following a serious fire in 2019, parts of the cathedral are closed to the public while restoration works take place. In either case, you can marvel at the architecture from the outside and we’re optimistic that it will be restored soon for future visitors.
You can find more information on Notre Dame Cathedral at: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71475/Cath%C3%A9drale-Notre-Dame-de-Paris-et-son-tr%C3%A9sor
Pantheon
The Pantheon is a mausoleum that was built to house the remains of distinguished French citizens. It is an impressive structure, modeled on the Pantheon in Rome, and many of our modern history’s most important people are buried there such as Louis Braille, Marie Curie, Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and others.
You can find more information on the Pantheon at the following: http://www.paris-pantheon.fr/en/#
Basilica of Saint Denis
This cathedral was originally built to house the tomb of Saint Denis, a patron saint of France who was beheaded in the 3rd century CE but the cathedral later became the burial site of almost every king and queen in the history France since the 7th century CE. The architecture of the cathedral is gothic in style and it is well worth the visit.
You can find more information on the Basilica of Saint Denis at: http://www.saint-denis-basilique.fr/en/Explore/History-of-the-monument
Palace of Versailles
Versailles is the fabled estate of the French monarch Louis XIV and roaming its gardens feels like being in a royal playground. It’s located just an hour train ride outside of Paris and the estate is so big that you will need more than a day in order to see it all. In fact, Versailles is so charming that you will probably want to keep coming back even after you have seen it all.
You can rent a golf cart in order to move around the estate and see the different mansions of King Louis and Marie Antoinette. You can also rent a rowboat for a romantic and relaxing day of rowing throughout the gardens via the grand canal or marvel at the impressive fountains. Either way you choose to explore it, Versailles may end up being your favorite part of the trip (it was for us!)
You can find more information on Versailles at: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/
Vaux le Vicomte
If you want the experience of being on a royal estate like Versailles, you can also head to Vaux le Vicomte, a Baroque French mansion and gardens that is located just a 35 minute train ride outside of Paris in the French countryside. Since most tourists don’t know about Vaux le Vicomte, you can appreciate the chateau without the crowds. It was built by Nicolas Fouquet, the former finance minister of king Louis XIV. After King Louis XIV attended a party at Vaux le Vicomte, he had Fouquet imprisoned on embezzlement charges because the party and mansion were so ostentatious that the king became jealous of its magnificence.
Today, the estate is open to the public and it only costs about 20 Euros ($24 USD) to enter. To get there, you will have to take a train from Gare de l’Est in Paris (heading in the direction of Provins on Line P) and get off at Verneuil l’Etang train station where you will take the “Chateaubus” shuttle.
You can find more information on Vaux le Vicomte at: https://vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/decouvrir/
Hotel National des Invalides
This is a museum complex of French military history and it is really interesting to see the different military uniforms as well as weapons that were used by the French armies over the centuries. Most impressive of all is the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte which is located toward the end of the complex if you are entering from the entrance by Invalides metro station.
You can find more information on Hotel National des Invalides at:
Museum: https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/your-visit.html
Tourism Office: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71310/Hotel-national-des-Invalides