'How I Spent 72 Hours As A First Timer In Paris'
In the run up to the Olympics, Paris felt like the epicentre of global greatness more than ever before; all in one weekend, the national football team qualified for the semi finals of the 2024 Euros and the country’s liberal Left-wing party won majority seats in parliament. From what I hear, the city had a real buzz about it that it had never really seen before, unbeknownst to me as I'd never been to the City of Lights before until this summer.
Considering my career in the fashion industry, the fact I organise tickets for the ELLE UK team to Paris Fashion Week and Emily In Paris has made it the European city to visit, the fact I have only just visited the French capital feels slightly laughable.
But on arrival in Paris, I felt immediately at home. Like a long lost friend reminiscing about our youth, I smirked on spotting street names that I’ve typed into endless fashion week schedules and iconic landmarks, like the Eiffel Tour and the Louvre. Being a 'virgin visitor' in a capital city can often feel overwhelming, but going to Paris felt more like a long overdue reunion.
Paris has one of the most enriched cultural landscapes in the world, making it a challenge to see in just 72 hours. But armed with a to-do list of recommendations from colleagues and several Instagram accounts bookmarked, I devised my time by splitting my visits into manageable chunks, according to the arrondisement, ensuring some good lunch spots and watering holes were visited along the way.
Here's a first-timer’s guide to Paris, with tips on where to stay, where to eat and where to shop:
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Where to Stay
Hotel Château d'Eau
Suitably named after the street you’ll find it on, Rue du Château d'Eau – sits slap bang in Paris’ 10th arrondissement. Located a 15 minute walk from the train station, Gare du Nord, the former hotel has received a 1980s-inspired revamp by Charlotte Albert & Alexis Lamesta, the French design duo of Necchi Architecture.
Two huge ceramic panthers frame the reception desk to greet hotel guests and set the tone of Hotel Château d'Eau; imbued with attitude, animal prints are tastefully peppered throughout alongside hand-picked flea market finds in the ground floor fumoir space.
Looking to Paris’ seminal disco scene, the artistic community that came with it and New York’s Studio 54, each of the 36 rooms feel like stepping into a time machine. Taking aesthetic cues from American Psycho and Serge Gainsbourg, expect slick mirrored bedside panels, deep earthy hued carpets that extend up to the table consoles and domed stainless steel bathroom sinks.
Prices start from approximately £138.
Maison Delano
In the luxurious 8th arrondissement is Maison Delano. Inkeeping with the area's chic sophistication, the former 18th century mansion combines classic Parisienne architecture with understated design led pieces. Expect traditional cornicing and marble mantlepieces alongside Japanese controlled toilets and Scandi-inspired bouclé chairs. The terrace is an unmissable hotspot and perfect sun trap on long afternoons; dining options come courtesy of Michelin Star chef Thierry Marx.
Prices start from approximately £511.
Maison Proust, Hotel & Spa La Mer
Named after the famed French author and now renowned as 'the most romantic hotel in the world,' this Maison Proust-inspired sultry and sophisticated hotel make for the most memorable getaway. With just 23 boutique rooms, the hotel boasts a decadent Belle-Époque interior of flora and fauna amongst gilded artworks. Guests can also indulge by having a traditional hammam treatment in the Moroccan style spa.
Prices start from approximately £867.
Le Grand Mazarin
Minimalists, look away now. Le Grand Mazarin's ornately decorated hotel and spa in Paris' 4th arrondissement is a stone's throw from the Seine, just off the famous Rue de Rivoli. The hotel looks like it's been plucked from a Wes Anderson film - the eclectic design spans across the whimsical rooms, the painterly spa and the bar; the latter is tucked into the hotel's basement, encouraging nightcaps that make hours pass by in minutes.
Prices start from approximately £400.
Where to Eat
A stroll down Canal Saint Martin at dusk means a visit to Gros Bao, an easy-dining Japanese joint. With ruby red floors and vintage wall signage, the playlist is on point and the open kitchen leans itself to a relaxed atmosphere. The menu offers steamed dumplings aplenty and, for its namesake, huge bao buns. Opt for a host of small plates too; meltingly soft aubergines, a zingy cucumber salad and sweet and spicy mapo tofu (with a generous portion of Shanghai noodles).
Pick up baked goods from Mamiche to see you from breakfast to lunch with ease. Our top tip? The almond and chocolate croissant is mind-blowingly good, as is the caramelised sweet bread that once bitten into is soft and pillowy; like a hybrid between French toast and a crème brûlée. The star of Mamiche is the focaccia sandwich, filled with antipasti courgettes and Fromage à Pâte Dure (which literally translates to hard cheese, and tastes similar to parmesan).
There's one bistro that takes the biscuit when it comes to Parisian dining, and that's Chez Janou. Famed for its decadent chocolate mousse, the understated yet wildly popular restaurant is totally worth the wait. Expect all the usual and wonderful French fare; share mussels au gratin to start and order the haddock brandade for main (a creamy mixture of potato and smoky fish, served with a punchy dollop of aioli). Befriend your waiter and you’ll get a shot of pastis to end a truly veritable feast.
Grab a pre-Eurostar snack at Le Mansart, which is located a stone's throw away from the Moulin Rouge. Devilled eggs and a fresh fennel salad with orange, apple cider vinegar and Greek yoghurt make for a perfect light lunch and are an effortless crowd-pleasing starter to recreate once back on home turf.
Where to Drink
Le Gare Le Gore in Paris’ 19th arrondissement is one of those places where hours can seemingly go by in minutes. Entirely worth the journey on the Metro, the music venue sits beside an abandoned railway line. During the day, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a crisp pint of Blanche away from the crowds but it comes alive in the evening with jazz and techno.
Le Petit Martin is a traditional neighbourhood spot encapsulating all the best tropes of a truly great bar; a striped canopy over shoulder-grazing seating to encourage conversation no matter the language barrier, cured meats hanging behind glass covered in chalked pricing, locals that you think are bar staff, bar staff that you think are locals. By the second visit, you'll be shaking hands with the landlord and grazing on olives and a baked camembert studded with pine nuts in the late afternoon sun.
The 10th arrondissement has a multitude of bars to pick from, and luckily the Hotel Château d'Eau sits near a helpful crossroads of great ones. Sit outside Le Napoléon and slurp through a bottle of Côtes du Rhône while people watching. Le Chateau D’Eau (next door to the hotel, also named after the street) feels akin to Soho’s Blue Posts pub; perching on a corner and attracting a well-dressed crowd, the Aperol Spritz’ go down more than smoothly under its red neon signage.
What to See
Of course, as a first timer, it would be rude not to tick off Paris’ great sights. Walk to Notre Dame, via the Centre Pompidou, then head towards the Louvre and rest your feet in Jardin des Tuileries. From there, a long walk down the Seine towards the Eiffel Tower then across to the Arc de Triomphe before getting on the Metro down the Champs-Élysées is a must.
Before departing the city, head to the Sacré Coeur and Montmartre and, if you can, squeeze in a trip to Le Marais for some vintage shopping. Near Place Vendôme you'll fine the Hotel Costes lifestyle boutique which is filled with beautiful home accessories and rare limited edition vinyls.
The suggestion of spending a sunny day in a cemetery may sound slightly morbid, but the Père-Lachaise Cemetry is captivatingly beautiful. It is the most visited necropolis in the world and has the graves of some of the world’s greatest talents – think Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf. Its labyrinthine pathways take you up tiny cobbled staircases and around grand pillared buildings amongst endless flower covered graves. It’s free to enter and, spanning a staggering 110 acres, you can get lost in there for hours.
What to Wear
Parisienne style is unanimously chic, but for a flying visit to a city with very changeable weather, it is essential to pack cleverly. Take separates that can be layered, and kept casual for daywear. Come the evening, swap in an effortless crisp white shirt and some statement jewellery. You'll need a bag that's big enough to see you from dawn to dusk, so opt for a neutral colourway and a roomy shape for versatility. Boat shoes are the shoe du jour and are the perfect option for walking around comfortably in something a little more put together than trainers. And it wouldn't be true French fashion without wearing a striped jumper - this one from Samsoe Samsoe is a subtle nod to the classic Breton.
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