Paris
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Paris - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Rue Montorgueil
LouvreRue Montorgueil was once the gritty oyster hub of Les Halles, but now lined with food shops and cafés, the cobbled street—whose name translates to Mount Pride—is the heart of one of the city's most culinary neighborhoods. History runs deep here. Monet captured the scene in 1878, when Montorgueil was ablaze with tricolor flags during the World's Fair (see the painting in the Musée d'Orsay). Honoré de Balzac and his 19th-century band of scribes frequented Au Rocher de Cancale at No. 78, whose famously crumbling facade has been painstakingly restored with gilt panache. Other addresses have been around for centuries: Stohrer at No. 51 has been baking elaborate pastries since 1730, and L'Escargot Montorgueil at No. 38, a favorite of Charlie Chaplin, is still graced by a giant golden snail evoking its most popular menu item. Relative newcomers include the luxury Nuxe spa at Nos. 32–34 and the Fou de Pâtisseries pastry shop at No. 45. The street extends onto Rue des Petits-Carreaux just before Sentier métro, home to an outpost of excellent Breton crêperie Breizh Café at No. 14. Browse the boutiques on Rue Montmartre, which runs parallel, or shop for cookware at Julia Child's old haunt, E. Dehillerin, still in business at 18–20 rue Coquillière. Rue Tiquetonne is rife with bistros, and once sleepy Rue St-Sauveur became a destination when the Experimental Cocktail Club (No. 37) moved in, joined by other trendy eating and drinking spots. The diminutive Rue du Nil is a foodie haven, home to Frenchie restaurant (No. 5) and wine bar (No. 6) as well as Terroirs d'Avenir's locavore shops and Plaq (No. 4), known for bean-to-bar chocolate. Even the area around Rue d'Aboukir, once far scruffier, is now a hipster fave thanks to the arrival of American-style baked goods like Boneshaker's doughnuts (No. 86) and Cookie Love's cookies (No. 84), as well as brunch spots Echo (No. 95) and Maafim ( 5 rue des Forges).
View Tours and ActivitiesRue Montorgueil, off Rue de Turbigo, Paris, Île-de-France, 75002, FranceSight Details
Rate Includes: Many shops closed Mon. -
2. Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Champs-ÉlyséesMarcel Proust lovingly described the genteel elegance of the storied Champs-Élysées (pronounced "chahnz-eleezay," with an "n" sound instead of "m," and no "p") during its Belle Époque heyday, when its cobblestones resounded with the clatter of horses and carriages. Today, despite unrelenting traffic and the intrusion of chain stores and fast-food franchises, the avenue still sparkles. There's always something happening here: stores are open late (and many are open on Sunday, a rarity in Paris); nightclubs remain top destinations; and cafés offer prime people-watching, though you'll pay for the privilege—after all, this is Europe's most expensive piece of real estate. Along the 2-km (1¼-mile) stretch, you can find marquee names in French luxury, like Cartier, Guerlain, and Louis Vuitton. Car manufacturers lure international visitors with space-age showrooms. Old stalwarts, meanwhile, are still going strong—including the Lido cabaret and Fouquet's, whose celebrity clientele extends back to James Joyce. The avenue is also the setting for the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race (the third or fourth Sunday in July), as well as Bastille Day (July 14) and Armistice Day (November 11) ceremonies. The Champs-Élysées, which translates to "Elysian Fields" (the resting place of the blessed in Greek mythology), began life as a cow pasture and in 1666 was transformed into a park by the royal landscape architect André Le Nôtre. Traces of its green origins are visible toward the Concorde, where elegant 19th-century park pavilions house the historic restaurants Ledoyen and Laurent. Soon, the celebrated avenue will once again live up to its name. By 2024, Paris plans to transform the avenue, drastically reducing automobile traffic in favor of expanded pedestrian walkways and hundreds of new trees.
Paris, Île-de-France, France -
3. Beaupassage Grenelle
St-Germain-des-PrésThis chic and sleek courtyard is home to a Thierry Marx bakery, Pierre Hermé café, and the very popular Certified Coffee where you'll usually find hipsters working on their laptops. There's also a nice collection of restaurants, a wine bar, outdoor seating, and contemporary artwork. Enjoy a gourmet snack or meal and soak in the modern contrast to the 19th-century limestone buildings on the street that hides this quiet haven of gastronomy. Enter from 83 rue du Bac or 14 boulevard Raspail, which features a 79-foot-long cardboard and wood forest by artist Eva Jospin.
14 bd Raspail, Paris, Île-de-France, 75007, France -
4. Carrefour de Buci
St-Germain-des-PrésA short walk from the neighborhood's namesake St-Germain church, this lively crossroads (carrefour means "intersection") was once a notorious Rive Gauche landmark. During the French Revolution, the army enrolled its first volunteers here. It was also here that thousands of royalists and priests lost their heads during the 10-month wave of public executions known as the Reign of Terror. There's certainly nothing sinister about the area today though: popular outdoor cafés brim with tourists and locals alike, and colorful coffee table books are sold alongside take-out ice cream and other gourmet treats. Devotees of the superb, traditional bakery Carton ( 6 rue de Buci) line up for fresh breads and pastries (try the pain aux raisins, tuiles cookies, and tarte au citron).
Intersection of Rues Mazarine, Dauphine, and de Buci, Paris, Île-de-France, France -
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