Paris, France

​On a recent trip to visit Elliott who was shooting in England, he surprised me with a trip to France. I’ve been to Paris a number of times as a younger gal. I’ve even driven through France into Germany as part of my 8th grade, school-organized field trip (#malibu). While this was originally written years ago, this entry is now a combination of the last few times we've visited as adults over the course of the last few years.

Stay

• Le 123 Sebastopol- A fantastic hotel near the Republique area that is all movie themed. Each floor is dedicated to a different artist, there is a movie theatre in the basement you can rent out and watch movies in, a quaint bar and delicious (albeit, random) morning breakfast. Darling, perfectly located to everything if you are a walker. 
  

• Hotel Amour- Ugh, just to die. A VERY fantastic and very Parisian spot in South Pigalle. The elevator fits one human and a suitcase. This place is not for someone looking for a normal Marriott. It’s hip, unique and all of the rooms are different- ours was black, dark turquoise and had mirrors on the ceiling with old (very risque) photos dotting the walls. I am avoiding too many details so my site doesn't get taken off the internet.
  

Eat

• Just sit your ass down in front of the Eiffel Tower- get champagne and cheese and just CHILL. Ain’t NUTHIN wrong with being a tourist for a hot second.
  

• The day you go to Notre Dame (which you probably will) leave some time to walk to Île Saint–Louis which is the tiny island BEHIND it. There is a tiny sandwich store named Boulangerie St. Louis located on the main street. Grab a sandwich (ask for mayo!) and bottle of wine from the nearby Nicolas bottle shop (sick name) and go find a grassy spot to sit on the Seine.  It’s gorgeous. There is also a DELICIOUS ice cream place on the island called Berthillon. Get. The. Pear. Flavor. It sounds weird, but it’s not.
  

• Brassiere Lorraine: Sidewalk restaurant in the 8th Arr. that Elliott and I went to and it was delicious! We had oysters and a WHOLE sea bass cooked in salt. We made friends with an old Parisian mom/daughter pair to our right who didn’t speak a lick of English. We also made friends with a nice couple to our right who spoke only Spanish. You will eat well and make wonderful new friends at this beautiful restaurant.
  
• Verre Vole- A beautiful wine cave and restaurant in the Canal St. Martin area. We had a lovely dinner in this quaint spot and they paired wines with each dish so perfectly. Reservations highly recommended. ​
  

• Hotel Amour - We had a very late dinner in our hotel restaurant although I will admit I found the restaurant online before the hotel. The restaurant itself is a locals hot spot for cocktails and fun meals with an INSANELY beautiful courtyard. Order the steak tartare and make a reservation- it’s always packed. Also a great spot for coffee in the morning- we had the best cappuccinos of our lives here.
• Cafe de la Poste- In the Marais when you are craving a rose and a breeze, grab a seat here. On a perfect corner with perfect people watching, you can’t go wrong.
  

Drink

• Hotel Providence- Stop by for a bottle of champagne and bit of foie gras if that tickles your fancy. Tables outside allow for fantastic people-watching.
• Just wander around and find a nice table at an outdoor bistro. Our favorite areas are the Marais, Pigalle and around Montmartre.
  

Do

• Walk: Walk everywhere. Put your cell phone away and check out the cool street art. Walk down Rue Saint Honore by all of the embassies and look at all the beautiful stores, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo. Super fancy- awesome window shopping (or real shopping if you fancy). Walk down by the Seine. Walk around the Marais.
• Catacombs: Don’t read about them, just go. And expect to wait in a line, so bring ice cream.