My picks in Travel

Cheat Sheet: Paris

Top picks for hotels, restaurants, fashion, museums, spas & more

The City of Lights is so alluring that I never fail to succumb to its eternal magnetism each time I return. To ensure some joie de vivre for your next visit, I've put together a list of Paris highlights, from stylish hotels, hidden gem museums, and chic fashion boutiques to my favorite restaurants and the best spas and hair salons where Parisians go to look as gorgeous as their hometown.

WHERE TO STAY IN PARIS

Hotel Lancaster

8th Arrondissement
Hotel Lancaster Paris luxury boutique hotel near Champs Elysees 8th Arrondissement restaurant
After a hectic day on the Champs Élysées, you'll find a perfect hideaway in the nearby Hotel Lancaster. Housed in a 19th-century private mansion, with 57 rooms and suites, this charming and discreet property is ideal for privacy-seekers—no wonder Marlene Dietrich was a frequent guest. It's been a hotel since the 1930s and is brimming with exquisite antiques ... read more about Hotel Lancaster
www.hotel-lancaster.fr | Phone: +33 1 40 76 40 76
7 Rue de Berri | Paris 75008 France

Hotel Plaza Athenée

8th Arrondissement
Hotel Plaza Athenée luxury hotel Paris near Champs Elysees bar restaurant spa nightlife Alain Ducasse 8th arrondissement

After a recent renovation, the Plaza Athenée is back in business with a bang. 145 rooms and 43 suites boast warm colors, classic furniture, and views over chestnut trees lining the Avenue Montaigne, the peaceful Cour Jardin, the Montmartre rooftops and Eiffel Tower. If Art Deco style is more your thing, book a room on the top two floors. All bedrooms have modern touches ... read more about Hotel Plaza Athenée

www.plaza-athenee-paris.com | Phone: +33 1 53 67 66 65
25 Avenue Montaigne | Paris France

Hotel Fouquet's Barrière

8th Arrondissement
Hotel Fouquet's Barrière luxury hotel Paris near Champs Elysees bar restaurant nightlife 8th arrondissement

This refurbished 19th-century building with 107 rooms is one of the new grand dames on the Parisian hotel scene. Perfect for working or playing hard; business travelers will love the scanner, printer, and color copier integrated into the desk, while those with more free time on their hands can chill-out in the internal garden or head to one of the largest indoor swimming pools in Paris. Don't miss ... read more about Hotel Fouquet's Barrière

www.fouquets-barriere.com | Phone: +33 1 40 69 60 00
46 Avenue George V | Paris France

Hotel Bel Ami

6th Arrondissement
Hotel Bel Ami boutique hotel paris near St. Germain museums shopping trendy 6th arrondissement
Trendy Rive Gauche hotel, superbly located if you love St. Germain. The minimalist, arty feel extends to the (small) 115 rooms with deep earthy tones and subtle lighting. The rooms are bland and I repeat: very small (often the case in Paris) but it's a good base to be on foot and in Parisian style. Love the welcome gift—a box of cookies from my favorite Parisian patisserie, Ladurée ... read more about Hotel Bel Ami
www.hotel-bel-ami.com | Phone: +33 1 42 61 53 53
7-11 Rue St. Benoit | Paris France

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome

2nd Arrondissement
Park Hyatt Paris Vendome luxury hotel spa restaurant Michelin star bar nightlife shopping 2nd arrondissement
Yes, it's a Hyatt ... but as my Insider Federico says, "Park goes before the name Hyatt"... Just a few paces from the Place Vendome, near the boutiques of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore and within walking distance of the Louvre, the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome's location brings back all the reasons why Paris is so special. ... read more about the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
www.paris.vendome.hyatt.com | Phone: +33 1 5871 1234
5 Rue de la Paix | Paris France

Hotel Particulier Montmartre

18th Arrondissement
Hotel Particulier Montmartre, A Serene Retreat in Paris, France
A directoire style villa turned five-suite hotel, Hotel Particulier Montmartre  is accessed through a secret passage way—definitely not something you would stumble upon while out for a stroll.  Inside it's an oasis of modern style and comforts that juxtapose nicely with the ... read more about Hotel Particulier Montmartre
Phone: +33 (0)1 53 41 81 40
23, Avenue Junot | Paris 75020 France

Mama Shelter

20th Arrondissement
Mama Shelter, A Design Inspired Hotel in Paris, France
Just off from the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, about four miles from the center of Paris, is Mama Shelter—a cool and quirky hotel, with Philippe Starck's signature stamp.  Opened in the fall of 2008m it's a favorite of business travelers for its efficiency and price tag ... read more about Mama Shelter
www.mamashelter.com | Phone: +33 (0)1 43 48 48 48
109 Rue de Bagnolet | Paris 75020 France

WHERE TO EAT IN PARIS

Restaurant File: Paris

Maison Blanche restaurant dining Paris France bar nightlife champs elysees
Maison Blanche
Go here for a table with a view. Perched on top of the Theatre des Champs Elysees on Paris's fashion avenue, Maison Blanche is a stylish restaurant with a clientele to match. The all-white space is on two levels—the Baie Vitrée with floor-to-ceiling windows and a dazzling panorama of the city skyline ... read more about Maison Blanche and other top restaurants in Paris

WHERE TO SHOP IN PARIS

Eight Great Parisian Boutiques

Liste Rouge boutique Paris shopping designer fashion

Liste Rouge
8th Arrondissement
Affordable but stylish bespoke shirts—great for the man in a hurry, especially as once you've been measured you can order online. Easy or what? No wonder it's such a celeb favorite. And it's not just shirts; they do cashmere and accessories like cuff links and ... read more about Liste Rouge and other top shopping boutiques in Paris

Florist File: Paris

Les Mille Feuilles florist Paris floral designer gift wedding shopping flowers valentines day
Les Mille Feuilles
3rd Arrondissement
This floral design shop is worth a visit even if you're not looking to buy a bloom. Owners Pierre and Philippe are as much decorators and artists as they are florists, and the inside of their pretty boutique in the Marais district is full of antiques, objets and, of course, flowers. Expect to see ... read more about Les Mille Feuilles and other great florists in Paris

Chic Designer Handbags from Catherine Zarzecki Création

Catherine Zarzecki Creation handbag designer custom bespoke handbags purses clutches shopping Paris gift
Talented handbag designer Catherine Zarzecki blends ornate Rococo flourishes with elegantly austere craftsmanship to create her eye-catching purses and clutches, which she makes for select boutiques, or by custom order. A Paris-based Belgian native, Catherine has spent most of her professional life in the fashion industry and her designs reflect ... read more about Catherine Zarzecki Création
www.catherinezarzecki.com | Phone: +33 1 46 94 76 52

WHERE TO GET PAMPERED IN PARIS

Paris Beauty Experts, Spas & Salons

Hair Stylist Lucia Iraci Paris hair salon beauty experts spas makeup artist manicure pedicure massage

Hair Stylist: Lucia Iraci
Parisian socialites and celebrities flock to this hair oasis like a moth to a bright flame. Experience the Italian hair coiffeur-extraordinaire work her magic and try her exclusive hair products for ... read more about the Lucia Iraci hair salon and other spa and beauty experts in Paris

Men's Grooming Spas & Barbers: Paris

Nickel men's day spa barbershop massage grooming massage hair cutd

Men's Day Spa: Nickel
Philippe Dumont is a man's man, but one who thinks men deserve just as many treats as women. So he established Nickel, a straight-talking spa for the boys that tackles everything from "love handle" wraps to "morning after remedy" facials, as well as more intensive treatments ... read more about Nickel men's day spa in Paris

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN PARIS

Beautiful Hidden Gem Museums

Musée Edith Piaf in Paris

Musée Edith Piaf
They called her "The Little Sparrow," a voice that comes along once in a century, steals hearts with its melancholic resonance and filters into a city's heart and soul. Such was the short but extraordinary life of singer Edith Piaf, dead for more than 40 years, but whose memory lives on in a fascinating museum in Ménilmontant ... read more on the Musée Edith Piaf and other hidden gems in Paris

Related Files

If you like this round-up of my Paris picks, you may be interested in these other files:

 

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Topics: Shops, Gifts, Finds , Wellness & Beauty , Epicurean , Travel
Geography: Paris, France
Tags: hotel, restaurant, spa, hair salon, nightlife, mens grooming, shopping, fashion boutique, designer handbag, florist, floral designer

3 Comments

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meri on Nov. 12, 2008

I'm surprised to see that there are no mentions of luxury contemporary apartments in Paris.  My friends told me about CobbleStay.com.  We haven't gone back to hotels since.  Prices slightly more than a hotel, much more freedom and space, just as much luxury, and feeling like you're home even when you're away.

antiquesdiva on Aug. 28, 2009

 

And of course what would a trip to Paris be without taking time to do antique shopping – hitting Les Puce starting, bien sur, at the world-famous “March� aux Puces de Saint-Ouen - Porte de Clignancourt”.  As lovely as Paris is with the Tour Eiffel and the Haussmanian buildings, this market is located in the hairy armpit of the city.  And trust me, Paris isn’t wearing any deodorant.  This isn’t a typical flea market filled with makeshift tents but, instead, well-organized permanent structures housing millions of euros of inventory, complete with 13 districts, 2,000 vendors and 7 miles of alleyways.   
As this is Paris, the flea market also boasts an assortment of eateries such as the singing Chez Louisette or the gourmet Le Soleil.  “Les Puce” is only open 3 ½ days a week -- Friday morning for the dealers and Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the mere shopping mortals.  On Mondays, half the vendors close early in the spirit of TGIM.
Perhaps the downside of the market is that “les puce” is the 4th largest tourist attraction in France with 11 million visitors per year.  For this reason, French friends advise “leave Clignancourt and their overpriced forgeries to the tourists.”  Personally, I ignore these naysayers, as I’ve found incredible purchases, once buying a Chest of Drawers that was later valued at 4 times the price.  I’ve found forgeries but vendors tend to confess when asked if something is a reproduction.
In Paris, I also peruse the 380 stalls set up Saturday and Sunday 7am - 1pm along the 14th arrondissement’s Avenue Marc Sangnier and Avenue Georges Lafenestre.  The Porte de Vanves Market has less panache than Clignancourt, but you’re more likely to find a bargain, especially during the last weekend in July when many of the vendors are departing for their working holidays as they select inventory while vacationing in France.
While the flea markets in Paris have a special place in my heart, I love to browse the upscale galleries where I do more sight-seeing than shopping.   Visiting galleries is like doing a wine tasting to educate the palate or touring a museum to educate the eye.  The 120 galleries in the Carr� Rive Gauche across the river from the Louvre in St-Germain-des-Pr�s literally have me licking the windows.  I can barely contain my drool when I cross the Seine to Le Louvre des Antiquaires on the other side of the museum where you’re given the option to purchase the type of treasures found within the palatial walls.   For more attainable prices, I head to Village Suisse, at 54, Avenue de la Motte-Picquet, in the shadow of the Tour Eiffel.
Speaking of better prices, you must go to the “Depot Vente de Paris” at 81 Rue de Lagny, in the 20th arrondissement.  One day I found a 1950’s black mirror tea trolley for a mere 15 Euros.  The 14th arrondissement’s Depot Vente d'Alesia at 117 rue d’Alesia carries equally well-priced antique, vintage and used items coated with a layer of dust, making you believe you have found a buried treasure.

cheriecity on Nov. 3, 2009

Mama Shelter is an excellent hotel if you're already familiar with Paris and can find your way around. It's quite far away from the action in the centre, but eastern Paris is becoming exciting with lots of boutique and art galleries opening.

Mama Shelter pay a lot of attention to details such as kiehls toiletries in your bathroom, a microwave in the room and an iMac, so you can access the internet and watch tv without hassle.

I've usually found deals for 89 euros a night, which is very reasonable when you see what you get compared to more central hotels. The restaurant is really buzzy and relaxed and I would recommend the steak frites followed by a chocolate fondant - typical french cuisine with a twist.  Mama shelter is so good, I'm returning next month!

Who's Suzanne? Because one person could never experience the best the world has to offer, a select team of experts delivers these honest, highly personal, and opinionated reviews of luxury products and services.