I put together a list of restaurants and places to visit for Brooklyn since she’s going to Paris soon. Feel free to throw in your personal favorites!
Restaurants:
- Le chalet Savoyard – All you can eat raclette. Perfect in winter, still good in summer.
- Roomies – Burger place with excellent meat and cheese of your choice. There are 4 restaurants in Paris.
- L’alsacien near Chatelet – flammekueche
- Ground control – food court with bands, music sets, and events often happening
- Rue Ste Anne – a street filled with Japanese restaurants and shops. Personal favorite: Aki and their Okonomiyaki or Katsu Kare but any place is good, really. The streets around have started to open similar restaurants too so you can have fun exploring a bit.
- Mme. Shawn – Excellent Thai restaurant in different locations of the city. Usually packed.
- Kodawari Ramen - the best ramen place of the city. The inside looks like an actual japanese street.
- Maison Berthillon – Famous parisian ice cream shop located on St. Louis island behind Notre Dame. Expect a line at this time of the year.
- Amorino gelato
Places to visit, aside all the obvious touristy places:
- Paris Plage (Paris Beach) - offers places to relax and take advantage of leisure activities during the hot summer days. There are cool lawns, sun umbrellas, deckchairs, palm trees, cultural and sports activities. This year’s event is being held in the Parc Rives de Seine, and at the Bassin de la Villette.
- Le Jardin des plantes (garden of plants) – iconic garden at the heart of Paris, includes a cool zoo. Very touristy though, might be packed in July.
- St Martin Canal – A promenade along the canal that ends in the Seine. Many bars, restaurants, art galleries, and things to see on the way. The locals like to sit there and drink together at the end of the day during spring and summer.
- Le Marais - very popular district for its buildings of historic and architectural importance, also known for its art galleries, upscale restaurants and museums.
- Jardin du Luxembourg - 25 hectares of land split into French and English gardens, a large pond, an orchard, an apiary, greenhouses with orchids and a rose garden. There are over 106 statues spread throughout the park.
- La butte Montmartre – also called the artists district. Many cool places to hang around and a good view of the city from the basilisk, which hosts France’s biggest bell (19 tons).
- Le passage du Grand Cerf - commercial gallery created in 1825 with a beautiful glass roof
- Court Saint Emilion in Bercy village - a charming walking street with shops, restaurants, and a small city atmosphere.
- Palais Royal gallery and garden
- You can visit the Palais Garnier Opera at the heart of Paris.
- Saint-Chapelle - Church with 1113 stained glass windows, a good alternative to Notre-Dame.
- If you like museums, there are a selection of good ones somewhat less famous than Le Louvre (keeping it short since there are dozens of them):
- Musée d’Orsay
- Musée de l’Orangerie
- The Maison Deyrolle – a cabinet of curiosities halfway between a museum and an art gallery. Close to the Tuileries garden. Also one of the city’s oldest shops, opened in 1831. Entrance is free.
- Centre Pompidou
