Best places to be and be seen in ... Paris
Paris is definitely one of the top cities in the world to be seen in. It’s the best of the best when it comes to the latest fashions, culinary delights and fine art. It’s an elegant city of wide boulevards and historic architecture, but it’s also modern, hip and edgy.
Where to sleep?
Hotels here are mostly housed in traditional French mansions and townhouses. There is a good mix of classic and elegant hotels, hip design hotels and those with plenty of character.
Le Meurice is decadent, lavish and luxurious, with gilt edged ceilings, crystal chandeliers and elegant fine art decking the walls. It glitters in gold and marble and overlooks the stunningly sculpted Jardin des Tuileries. Rooms have elegant period style furniture, silk and satin sheets, Italian marble bathrooms and beautiful balconies.
Hotel Lancaster is run by the Spanish Hospes Hotel group and is located near the Champ-Eylées in the centre of the city. It is housed in a traditional French townhouse and still retains some period features, rare antique furniture, porcelain and paintings. It has all modern amenities, a cool courtyard garden and excellent restaurant.
Hotel de Sers is housed in the remodelled 19th century mansion of the Marquis de Sers and is a delightful fusion of contemporary design and classic features. Rooms have brightly coloured hip furniture with gilt framed paintings and roll-top baths.
Where to eat?
The French are famous for their culinary delights and if France has the world’s best food, then its capital Paris has the best restaurants.
Restaurant Lassere is definitely one of the best Parisian restaurants, a Michelin 2-star affair located near the famous Champs Elysées. This is French haute cuisine at its best, a gastronomic institution inspired by traditional French dishes with a unique twist. It has a beautiful Belle Époque style atmosphere with designer chandeliers and intricately painted ceilings. Try the macaronis with foie gras and truffles.
Roger Le Grenouille is consistently one of the most booked up restaurants in Paris, a small and cosy bistro located near the St Michel metro station. It’s a local favourite decorated in a traditional 1930s style with photos decking the walls and brass pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. They serve classic French food including frog’s legs.
The Guy Savoy is a new age contemporary 3-starred restaurant where every dish is presented like a piece of art. http://www.guysavoy.com/en/index It’s definitely one of the best places to be seen in the city.
Where to party?
Club Le Baron is one of the most exclusive nightspots in the French capital. Located just off the Champs-Elysées it is a chic lair filled with seductive red velvet cushions. It’s also one of the hardest clubs to get into and during Fashion week, anyone who’s anyone in the fashion world will try to be here.
The luxurious hotel Bar du Plaza Athénéé is one of the most hip and glamorous places to go for pre or after dinner champagne cocktails. It’s got a sculpted glass lit bar, New York style tables and bar stools and electronic menus.
La Closerie des Lilas is a Montparnasse institution and has been frequented by some very famous historical characters. It was a favourite haunt for Hemingway, Trotsky, Picasso and Fitzgerald. It has a cosy piano bar for drinks as well as a great restaurant.
VIP Room is the place to come if you want to party hard with the rich and famous. It’s one of the best places to see famous R’n’B and rap artists perform, as well as people like Madonna and Boy George, you can even see some of the famous Cirque du Soleil artistes perform here. The club is set out like a theatre, with glowing tables and chairs topped with ice buckets of champagne instead of seats.
Where to shop?
Paris has some of the best fashion and designer boutiques in the world, there are so many excellent places to shop here that it’s hard to choose.
The legendary Galleries Lafayette department store is the essential shop for fashionistas and is housed in a beautiful and decadent Art Nouveau building. Be sure to check out the weekly fashion shows here every Friday at 3pm.
Avenue Montaigne and Avenue des Champs-Elyées are the trendiest shopping streets in Paris filled with designer stores such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
For eclectic fashion, quirky boutiques, fine art, jewellery and antiques, head to the historic Marais Jewish quarter. You can find new up and coming designers located on Rue de Rosiers.
So, you don’t need to wait until Paris fashion week to be here, follow our guide for the most fashionable places to be anytime of the year.
