The Original Guide to Paris

Pre-trip culture checklist

WATCH: La Belle Personne
Paris is the setting for most of director Christophe Honoré’s films, including La Belle Personne, a modern-day adaptation of French novel La Princesse de Clèves set in the 16th arrondissement. Watch to see Léa Seydoux in one of her first roles and heartthrob Louis Garrel as a perfect Nemours. Garrel also stars in Honoré’s Dans Paris and Les Chansons d’amour, a musical filmed in the 10th arrondissement. All these French names making you feel a bit lost? Watch all four seasons of Call My Agent to make sure you recognise the French celebrities you might run into along the way.

LISTEN: La Femme
Originally from Biarritz, in southwest France, French indie band La Femme has played so many venues around the city (including Hedi Slimane’s first show for Celine in 2018) that they have become honorary Parisians. Watch their latest music video, Ciao Paris, for a blast of their signature synth-pop featuring unironic berets, vinyl skirts, shots of the Eiffel Tower and broken English lyrics. Brush up on their discography – the band’s first album, Psycho Tropical Berlin, is the unofficial soundtrack of Paris in the 2010s – while waiting for their next, Rock Machine, out on 11 October.

READ: L’Etiquette
Is your wardrobe ready for a trip to the capital of fashion? Available in both English and French, biannual magazine L’Etiquette bills itself as a ‘guide to men’s clothing’ but delivers serious sartorial inspiration for both genders. A celebration of durable and timeless items, we particularly love the opening section of each issue, an old-school ‘What they are wearing’ featuring stylish individuals from all walks of life donning their most treasured possessions. Good to know: its style bible, The 100 Wardrobe Pieces You Need, is available as a digital edition that you can download to your phone and check out while hitting the shops. Finally, be sure to pack Paris-set Love Me Tender by Constance Debré. An autofiction about a woman losing custody of her son because of her sexuality, this short and gripping read is currently being adapted into a movie starring Vicky Krieps.

A local’s view

“It’s a bit clichéd for a pastry chef, but I first came to Paris when I was 20 years old and had a pain au chocolat that changed my life. I moved here in 2015 and my favourite is still from Pâtisserie Ginko. When I opened JJ Hings, we had to do a lot of explaining: ice cream is quite traditional in France, so people weren’t familiar with most of our flavours. But to my surprise, the ice-cream sandwich became our top seller. What I love about Paris is that it is so walkable: I like going to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont or exploring the 10th and 11th. For coffee, I go to Caphette, a French-Vietnamese spot that also serves delicious scones. Oobatz has amazing sourdough pizza (the corn pizza is a must) and insane wine. And my absolutely favourite restaurant is Le Cheval d’or, a nod to my Chinese roots.”

New view

La Petite Ceinture, or ‘little belt’, is an abandoned train line running around Paris that predated the Métro and has been closed since 1934. Some of its former stations in the North of Paris have been transformed into unique venues: check out the music programme at Le Hasard Ludique, a bar and events space with colourful outdoor seating, and don’t miss the winter markets and cute urban farm at La Recyclerie.

Rainy day saviours

Visit some of the city’s most famous independent cinemas: catch a classic at Christine Cinema Club or check out the Louxor, an incredible Art Deco cinema with a Neo-Egyptian façade. Fancy a private viewing? Each room at Hotel Paradiso has its own projector and 3m screen and all the streaming platforms you can dream of.

The Original

Bouillons, cheap and cheerful brasseries, are a must-visit when in Paris. An insider’s tip: avoid the queues at the most historic one, Chartier, in favour of Bouillon République or Bouillon Pigalle, two new generation restaurants where you will find the same oeufs mayo, steak-frites and red wine but with the revolutionary option of online booking.

Bird’s-eye view

Forget the Eiffel Tower. The best (and most affordable) view of the city is from the Sacré-Coeur (above), right at the top of Montmartre. Hop on the cable car for the price of a Métro ticket and take in the broad view of Paris, before heading to the back of the hill for romantic drinks along the picturesque steps. We like La Halte or L’Été en Pente Douce.

As seen on screen

Order a crème brûlée at Café des Deux Magots, as seen in Amélie. Toss your flip phone into one of the fountains on the Place de la Concorde, an iconic move captured in The Devil Wears Prada. Go for a stroll along the Coulée verte René-Dumont, where long-lost lovers Jesse and Céline reunite in Before Sunset. Linger in front of Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe at the Musée d’Orsay like Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl. Maybe you’ll run into your own Prince Grimaldi?

Access all areas

Paris can be an overwhelming sensory experience. For a welcome break from the crowds, head to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement, where you’ll find more than 25 hectares of greenery with caves, waterfalls and a lake with ducks and moorhens. The picturesque belvedere at the top of the central hill is the ideal spot to gaze over the city in a calming setting.

The sensory six

The road trip

You’ll need to trust us on this one. The one restaurant you need to try is a) about 40km south of Paris and b) run by two Australian chefs. On the grounds of the Château de Saint-Vrain, Le Doyenné is a restaurant and guest house in a gorgeous old barn, complete with a cosy fireplace for chilly winter evenings. Food is farm-to-table and, at around €120 for a five-course meal, is very decently priced for a Green Michelin-starred restaurant.

Where next?

Still hungry? Lyon is said to be the birthplace of French gastronomy: it’s where the best French chefs train at the Institut Paul Bocuse and learn their trade in the city’s many bouchons – traditional restaurants serving regional dishes. Stock up on saucisson and Saint-Marcellin, a famous local cheese, at the Halles Paul Bocuse, then walk up La Croix-Rousse to sample its trendy wine bars. We like Satriale and La Madone on the Place des Capucins.