paris address book

Earlier this month, my best friend and I finally fulfilled our decade-long plan to go to Paris together for the first time. Even though I've had a whirlwind few weeks since I got back, I had the good sense of writing down all the notable places we went before I start forgetting. Below is a map I put together on Google Maps and notes for your reference. Photo diary coming soon!

Vivian's Paris Address Book

To see / do:

Musée de l'Orangerie: A small but beautiful gallery famous for housing Claude Monet's water lily paintings. 1st Arrondissement

The Louvre: Perhaps the most famous art museum in the world, and for good reason. Yvana and I spent over 10 hours here, thanks to extended hours on the first Saturday of the month. They have extended hours every week on Wednesdays and Fridays as well. 1st Arrondissement

Musée d'Orsay: A Beaux-Arts train station-turned-art museum on the Left Bank of the Seine. It has the largest collection of impressionist art and 19th century French art. 7th Arrondissement

Musée Rodin: The Hôtel Biron is home to Auguste Rodin's sculptures, drawings, and photographs. Many of his most famous sculptures, such as The Thinker and the Gates of Hell, are in the gardens in the front of the building. 7th Arrondissement

Jardin de Tuileries: Located between L'Orangerie and the Louvre and directly across the Seine from Musée d'Orsay, this garden is a perfect break between galleries. 1st Arrondissement

Jardin de Luxembourg: Another lovely garden located in Saint-Germain. Stop here to sit, relax, read a book, eat some chocolates (see chocolatier recs in my "to eat" section). 6th Arrondissement

Shakespeare & Company: Iconic independent English-language bookstore next to Notre Dame. If you've ever asked me for travel recs in my most-frequented cities I always sneak some bookstores and libraries when I can. 6th Arrondissement

Existentialist cafes - Les Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore: These classic French cafes are known haunts of French existentialists and American expats from the first half of the 20th century and right next door to each other in Saint-Germain. We went to Les Deux Magots for breakfast when it was less crowded. 6th Arrondissement

Champs-Élysées: "The world's most beautiful avenue" certainly has some of the most prettiest stores and storefronts on one street. 8th Arrondissement

Shop at Le Marais: Seemingly endless streets of international chains to local boutiques. Come here instead of Champs-Élysées for your one-stop-shopping fix. 4th Arrondissement

Wander around Montmartre: One of the best views of the city can be found on the steps of Sacré-Cœur. Charming neighborhood to walk around. We found a patisserie that won best croissant here before heading over to my favorite meal in Paris (Le Table d'Eugene). 18th Arrondissement

Château de Versailles: A short train ride outside of Paris this palace is well worth the day trip. We went on a Wednesday, one of the least busy days of the week, so the crowds were quite sparse by late afternoon. If it hadn't gotten so windy Yvana and I would have spent more time exploring the sprawling, impeccably manicured gardens behind the palace; something for next time.

To eat: 

La Table d'Eugene: My personal favorite of our Michelin-starred meals. Delicate, flavorful, and gorgeous presentation of a modern interpretation of French food. We did the prix fixe lunch and made reservations in advance. 18th Arrondissement

La Truffiere: Although the restaurant name implies truffles, we opted for the six-course discovery menu which was largely truffle-less aside from the black truffle caramel at the end of the meal. There's a separate €220 truffle tasting menu if you're up for the splurge. Still a fantastic Michelin-starred experience. 5th Arrondissement

Benoit: The third and most traditionally French of our Michelin-starred meals. The ambiance, decor, and food are comparable to what you would expect from a classic French bistro. 3rd Arronidissement

Les Comptoir de la Gastronomie: A shop and restaurant known for all things duck. Foie gras ravioli and duck breast were great. 2nd Arrondissement 

Jin Xin Lou: A Chinese takeout restaurant featuring four-course French dinners. Yvana's family friend in Paris invited us to their partial class reunion here on one of the nights where the son of the mom and pop owners of the Chinese takeout side was putting his French culinary skills to use by serving French food to dine-in guests upon request. Worth a visit if you find yourself on this side of town! 13th Arrondissement

Le Mechoui du Prince: Get Moroccan food while you're in Paris. The tagine and couscous here were excellent. 6th Arrondissement

El Nopal: My boyfriend had been telling me about the cactus quesadilla he had at this hole-in-the-wall stand by the canal for a full year until I finally made it out to Paris. Turns out it was a 5 min walk from one of the hostels we stayed at! The tacos were alright but the aforementioned quesadilla really was that good. 10th Arrondissement

Patrick Roger: My favorite of the half dozen or so chocolatiers we went to. Don't be intimidated by the avant-garde chocolate art and sterile displays—the dark chocolates are exquisite and they balance unique flavors, from jasmine green tea to yuzu citrus, very well. I recommend the Saint-Germain location so you can try them by the piece; the Marais store we stopped by only sold bars and pre-assembled boxes. 6th Arrondissement

Henri Le Roux: Best caramels I've ever had—after all, they invented salted butter caramel. Pick out a bag full of your favorite flavors or take home some chocolate bars with caramel au beurre salé. 7th Arrondissement

La Maison du Chocolat: Another amazing chocolatier worth visiting. Our favorites were the ones with pralines. 1st Arrondissement

xoxo, vivian