Paris is one of my favourite cities in the world and is truly a special place for two of my biggest passions: food and design.
After reading David Lebowitz’s recent newsletter on his Favorite Paris Restauraunts and Alison Roman’s latest Paris Recap, I was inspired to give some recommendations of my own.
It’s worth noting that Parisians have incredibly high standards - especially when it comes to food, wine and pastry - so it’s pretty hard to go wrong.
Galerie Patrick Seguin
Located in the Bastille region is one of Paris’ best private galleries: Galerie Patrick Seguin. The gallery specializes in Jean Prouvé, but also has works from other renowned French designers like Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret, and Le Corbusier.
Vanves Flea Market
Paris is famous for its flea markets and the Marché aux puces de la porte de Vanves is no exception. Although it’s a little out of the way, it’s totally worth it because it’s less touristy than other fleas and has plenty of gems.
One of the best meals I’ve had in Paris was actually at a food truck here. The croque-monsieur and frites were truly life changing.
L’Arpège
Going to Alain Passard’s legendary restaurant L’Arpège has been a dream of mine for many years. After months of trying to book online, I finally made it to the waitlist and managed to secure a spot.
This was my first three Michelin star experience and I didn’t really know what to expect, so I kept it simple and ordered the gardener’s tasting menu and a glass of wine.
Everything was incredible, but the highlights for me were the risotto, the Arpège egg, and an incredible tomato gazpacho. The constant flow of fresh bread was a treat as well. I don’t usually gravitate towards fine dining, but this was truly a unique and incredible experience.
Bambino
Paris is home to a lot of great natural wine bars, but as far as I can tell there’s none hotter than Bambino. Located in the 11th, Bambino features an incredible wine list and an even better sound system.
Casey Casey
Stepping into the heavenly bright Casey Casey store in Paris is the closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience.
I’ve always been a fan of their billowing silhouettes and crisp cottons, but have unfortunately never owned any, because of the high prices (as mentioned last week by Jonah from Blackbird Spyplane). Hopefully that changes soon.
Poilâne
Paris has no shortage of incredible croissants and the only way to find your favourite is to try as many as possible. If you get lost and don’t know where to start, Poilâne has been around since 1932 and makes an incredibly traditional version.
Lemaire
The Lemaire store recently moved to a new location on Rue Elzévir in the heart of the Marais. Their previous location used to be my favorite store in Paris, and the new spot did not disappoint. The space is adorned with white walls and Moroccan tiles, creating what feels like a modernist take on a medieval castle.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what some of your favourite Paris spots are in the comments down below.
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-Nick