winter in paris
Paris is just as beautiful in the winter as it is any other season. I was lucky enough to visit the city for my birthday and had so much fun I was ready to book my ticket back as soon as I got off the plane in NYC. Since we only had a few days, we needed to plan our excursions and restaurants with care and I wanted to share some recommendations from our trip.
I discovered this AMAZING feature in Google Maps “Places” that allows you to create your own map to help you plan what you want to do in a certain area. I used different colors and icons to indicate what was where throughout Paris which was great when we were trying to pack things together in the same area to save time. I also used Google Calendar to help plan the days out in appointment style and sync up with my husband so he could also see what we were going to do. Life saver alert.
Where do I begin with the food in Paris? We looked to our friends for initial recommendations for the spots we knew we would have to get reservations in advance and then sprinkled in a lot of sweets and spontaneity while there. You do need to plan dinner out a bit more, so be sure to book before you arrive. Your hotel can usually assist with booking.
Marché des Enfants Rouges - The oldest covered market that is rather international in cuisine. It's a great low key spot where you can have baklava, cheese, sea urchin, wine and crepes all in the same location.
Seasons - Great breakfast spot where you can pretend you are a local. The items on the menu look familiar such as avocado toast or yogurt and granola, but they are so much tastier.
Fulgurances - Hands down the best dinner I had in Paris. Fulgurances is an incubator for up and coming chefs to help them further in expressing their craft. Absolutely adored the chef in residence, Antoine Villard and his creations. We should have more incubator restaurants - such a great idea.
Café de Flore - One of the oldest classic style coffeehouses in Paris where Picasso came to sip and see the beautiful people stroll past. This is a no frills spot where you can get eggs, pastries, baguettes and a solid espresso.
Angelina - Get the rich hot chocolate and a croissant here for a late afternoon break. The hot chocolate is what they are known for. We took our hot chocolate and pastries to go since they were closing for a private event, but it was still worth it.
Monsieur Bleu - Dinner with a view is what this restaurant is all about. Eat in the lounge and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle every hour in the evening while crunching on your green beans, sipping wine and tasting tuna tataki.
Bar Hemingway - I could spend hours in this bar sipping on their grand marnier bevy (I want to say it was the Adeline) chatting with Colin Peter Field, the mastermind behind the glorious cocktails. He's quite the celeb at the Ritz Paris and super personable.
Five full days in Paris was still not enough to see all Paris has to offer, so we made sure to visit our top choices. As far as transportation, the city is so walkable so that would be my first choice, then the metro and then cabs or Ubers.
Place Vendôme - Walkable area with great sights and upscale shopping on Rue Saint-Honoré.
Louvre - See the Mona Lisa and The Wedding at Cana. Spectacular. Ask your hotel for tickets vs. buying in advance. We were able to get tickets that allowed you to visit any time of the day vs. selecting a specific slot required during online purchase.
Musée d'Orsay - The museum used to be a train station that was at risk of being demolished before it became what it is today. Take a walk through the sculptures on the main floor or view the paintings of classic artists throughout.
Versaille - The opulence of the palace is of course expected, but still exquisite. I found myself taking notes for my future home with some of the decor. You'll need to carve out a full day for your visit and purchase your tickets in advance.
Marie Antoinette's Estate - About a 30 minute stroll through the gardens from the palace is MA's estate. This estate feels more like a home than the palace, so I could definitely understand why she enjoyed staying here. We got a little lost roaming the gardens, but it's ok to get lost sometimes.
