Monday, January 11, 2016

Paris: Where to Stay, What to See + Eat + Do


Right before Christmas, we took a short trip to Paris with my family and we had so much fun! I love visiting Paris in December and we were especially lucky as the sun was shining for our stay!

John suggested that we pick a hotel in the 9th arrondissement to be within walking distance of all the major department stores and most of the tourist attractions (my mom and my brother had never been to Paris before), so I booked Hotel Opera Faubourg - part of the Best Western Premier collection.

It turned out to be the perfect location: within 10 minutes walk of Galeries Lafayette and a similar distance from lots of terrific restaurants as well. The rooms were small, but comfy, and they came with an amazing balcony view. One morning, John and I woke up early to watch the sun rise together. It was so lovely.



My dad (who loves to sketch) spent hours on that balcony sketching the Parisian rooftops! But most importantly, the hotel was about 2 minutes away from a wonderful little boulangerie: John and I would head out when it opened at 7:30 in the morning to buy freshly baked croissants, pain au raisin, and pain au chocolat.


So worth the early start.

Our Eurostar arrived late to Paris on Friday night, but I still managed to book a restaurant for 9:30 pm prior to our arrival.

We had no idea what to expect when we stepped through the curtain at Les Saisons (52 rue Lamartine, 75009 Paris): the dining room seated only about five or six tables downstairs, with an estimated three more upstairs. But oh my goodness - the food was so, so good. Possibly the best dinner I've ever had in Paris!


The ingredients were delicious and fresh;  the menu small, but well curated. We had an excellent view of the tiny kitchen, and we all watched in awe as the chefs whisked, sliced, tossed, and seared with effortless precision. Head Chef Jonathan Lutz served us several of the dishes himself, beaming when we congratulated him on the delicious entrees and happily chatting to us (in French and English - though John's flawless French is always invaluable!).

If you're planning a trip to Paris soon, I'd highly recommend booking a table at this fantastic little restaurant. It's a gem.

On our "shopping day" (and you can't plan an itinerary in Paris without a shopping day!) we paid a visit to Galeries Lafayette to see their beautiful annual Christmas tree, which I love to see. This year's tree was no disappointment:


We browsed the food hall of Le Bon Marche (which was absolute mayhem, btw - everyone was stocking up on caviar, truffles, and fois gras a mere five days before Christmas!) before indulging in a bit of a shopping spree on Champs Elysees, where my mom became the proud new owner of a beautiful Longchamp handbag and my parents splurged on not one, but two pairs of cufflinks for John at Montblanc as his Christmas present - lucky boy!

A bit dazed from our shopping extravaganza, we soon found ourselves lining up at the famous Chartier restaurant (where they play up the rude French waiter stereotype, when in reality, they're all really very nice!) for escargot and this yummy sorbet I had for dessert:


By the time we headed off to Gare du Nord for the next leg of our trip to Bruges, I'd felt like we'd really "done" Paris properly: from browsing the famous Marche Richard Lenoir food market for local foodie must-haves to making a late-night visit to see the Eiffel Tower, we'd truly made the best of our pre-Christmas visit.

Lots of wonderful memories there. Do you have a trip to Paris planned this year? What are you hoping to see/do? I'd love to know!
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24 comments

  1. A local boulangerie & a late night visit to the Eiffel Tower are simply Parisien essentials!

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  2. Eeek! I'm going to Paris on Friday!!! This post has made me even more excited :)

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    1. No way, Angie! How fun - AND you'll be there for all the sales, lucky! Have the best time.

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  3. Galaries Lafayette looks so gorgeous around this time of year!! I love your recommendations!

    http://thecourtneydiaries.com

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    1. Thank you, Courtney! I love shopping in Paris - so many brands we can't find in the UK (or US!)!

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  4. Just beautiful! I loved reading this on a grey Monday - lovely writing, Jaime. Lx

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  5. What a lovely trip! So cute that your Dad likes to sketch. I think it's awesome that he finds time to do just that. You should post one of his sketches!

    Hope you are well. x
    Veronica

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    1. Thank you, Veronica! I actually wrote a post about my dad's beautiful sketches here, if you'd like to see! http://www.angloyankophile.com/2016/01/the-best-housewarming-gift-ever.html

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  6. I love Paris so much, I've gone in the summer & fall, but never during Christmas time. I must!!

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    1. It's so beautiful, Farrah - I think a winter trip is a must for you!

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  7. What a beautiful time of year to have visited Paris! Definitely bookmarking this post and adding Les Saisons to my list for when I visit next :) xxx

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    1. I'm thinking of making an annual visit to Paris around the same time - it really gets me into the Christmas spirit, Ayushi! Definitely bookmark Les Saisons ... it was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had, so special!

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  8. Les Saisons sounds amazing. This year is the first in a long time that I don't have any Paris trips planned but that will hopefully change! x

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    1. It was such a lovely restaurant, Lily - highly recommended! You might just need to take a little cheeky mini-break there soon ;)

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  9. I spent Christmas in Paris in 2001 as my brother was living there at the time. So beautiful, especially the decorations at LaFayette! :) I can't wait to go back!

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    1. I know that Galeries Lafayette is SUPER touristy, but I don't even care, because it's so beautiful and it's such a wonderful shopping experience!

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  10. My parents loved the Galeries Lafayette as well, I think there is something about being older and love shopping as they were mesmerised with the place decked out in full glory! That Christmas tree looked pretty impressive :-) Looks like you had a lovely time hun! xx

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    1. Haha, totally! We had such a wonderful time. I loved seeing my mom's expression when we went to the Eiffel Tower at night, and how she just wanted to sit and admire it for a while. xx

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  11. It amazes me how much there is to see and do in Paris. Swap in different seasons and your head could explode with how much there is to see! That Christmas Tree is gorgeous, and your bed looks so comfy. Paris is probably beautiful all the time, but visiting during Xmas-time/winter seems extra special :)

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    1. It amazes me too. I've had a love/hate relationship with that city for some reason - sometimes I love it and sometimes it just rubs me the wrong way. That's part of its appeal, I think. I love all the different little pockets you can explore; a bit like London. A lot like London, in fact. Both really special cities :)

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  12. Oh Jamie, Paris has to be my favourite city in the world and you have just awakened a deep desire to go back by whatever means necessary!I don't have a trip planned (yet) but last time I went managed to take in a show at the moulin rouge and visit the catacombs, as well as the usual Eiffel Tower and Monte Marte excursions. Loved this post ❤️

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    1. Thank you, my love! I'm not surprised that it's your favorite city - it's got all the beauty, the glitz, the glamour and the romance! xx

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