18 Lovely Things To Do in Paris

Hot chocolate and scones at Merci Merci
Hot chocolate and scones at Merci Merci

Last weekend, I popped off for a wonderful weekend in Paris with LM. We stayed at the beautiful Hotel de la Tremoille, which I will be writing more about tomorrow. But for now, I wanted to share with you some of the lovely things we did, saw, ate and embraced in Paris…
We’ve both been before, so had already seen many of the tourist spots, like the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées… This was a trip for the smaller and special moments. We wanted to scratch the surface a little,  revel in the city and walk around as a local might. (If a local had a massive map and was constantly lost.)
1. Drink hot chocolate at Angelina

Hot chocolate at Angelina, Paris
Hot chocolate from heaven at Angelina

In 1903 the confectioner Antoine Rumpelmayer founded Angelina, where Proust and Coco Chanel rubbed shoulders with the biggest names in fashion… it’s now THE hot chocolate haunt for Parisians and Poppy – it was absolutely amazing. It’s ACTUAL hot chocolate. No wishy washy powdery nonsense here… I suggest you go there as soon as you touch down in Paris and work your way through all the cakes while you’re at it.
Angelina
226 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
2. Be seduced by beautiful stationery at PapierPlus
PapierPlus Paris Papier Plus
Papier + has been designing its own products since 1976 and I wanted to eat everything I could see. If you know what I mean. Gorgeous stuff.
Papier +
9 rue du Pont Louis Philippe, 75004 Paris
3. Eat delicious choux buns at La Maison du Chou
La-Maison-du-Chou-Paris-3
La-Maison-du-Chou
La Maison du Chou
Tucked just behind the abbey of Saint-Germain, lies La Maison du Chou, where they are making little cream puffs,  piped with vanilla, coffee or chocolate cream and filled to order. Delicious.
La Maison du Chou
7 rue de Furstenberg, 75006
4. Explore the many markets of Paris
Paris Market
5. Eat scones and read a book at Merci Merci
Merci Merci

Merci Merci
Merci Merci is a beautiful clothing and home design store, with a delightful café and used book store attached. It’s in the heart of the historic district of Haut-Marais and is the perfect place to sit, read, eat scones (they sell cakes) and buy gorgeous bits of the home (it’s pricey, but when in Paris…)
Merci Merci
111 boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris
6. See the womenswear range at APC

APC Paris
The beautiful spiral staircase in APC

APC is a French brand, which means that it’s rather hard to find its womenswear range in the UK. I loved what I saw and also loved this amazing spiral staircase in the middle of the store… it’s worth a visit for this alone…
7. Immerse yourself in Scandi heaven at Nordkraft
Nordkraft
I am a huge fan of Scandi style and design and this shop was a delight to discover. It’s quite minimal and uncluttered, and every piece had its space to shine. A little mooch in here is a must if you’re a Nordic design lover.
Espace Nordkraft
20, rue Lucien Sampaix , 75010 Paris
8. Extraordinary pastries at Blé Sucré

Blé Sucré

This gorgeous little patisserie is known mostly for its amazing madeleines, however we got there too late (2pm!) and they’d already gone! But I can vouch for the gorgeous pretty pastries, and it’s no wonder, as Blé Sucré’s chef, Fabrice Le Bourdat, used to be the pastry chef at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Bristol. He eventually opened his own shop, and delights the folk of Paris with his famous iced madeleines… Or if you prefer ice cream,  a scoop of his homemade salted butter caramel ice cream is apparently to die for.. especially when eaten in the leafy Square Trousseau opposite the café…
Blé Sucré
7 Rue Antoine Vollon 75012 Paris
9. Try out some new specs at L’Annexe
L'Annexe Paris

L'Annexe Paris
This store was just lovely. Bright and colourful and full of knowledgeable staff who will help you find the ultimate specs for your lovely face.
L’Annexe
7 rue Jean Du Bellay, 75004 Paris
10. Eat french fries at Les Bonnes Soeurs
Bonnes Soeurs, Paris
We went here for lunch and it was excellent. Really fresh, large portions, reasonably priced and amazing french fries. The atmosphere was fun and buzzy and a real mix of tourists and locals were gleefully devouring all kinds of lovely looking traditional French dishes, among others. I have also heard that they do a pretty special brunch…
Les Bonnes Soeurs
Rue du Pas de la Mule 75004 Paris
11. Visit Loft and be seduced by their candles

Loft, Paris
Loft in Paris

I was already familiar with Loft, having been into their Notting Hill store a few times, but this is the first time I discovered their delicious candles… I could have been forgiven for thinking I’d stumbled into a bakery, for the one they had burning was vanilla with brown sugar and sweet almond. LM had to drag me out of the shop for fear I’d try to eat it.
LOFT Design by…
56, rue de Rennes, 75006 Paris
12. Catch The Don Larue jazz band playing in the streets

The Don Larue band
The Don Larue band

We were lucky enough to catch this jazz band by accident, but if you want to ensure you don’t miss them, they keep their website frequently updated with their up-coming performances…
www.thedonlaruecombo.com
13. Indulge in a Merveilleux at Aux Merveilleux

Aux Merveilleux
Aux Merveilleux

Aux Merveilleux
Thinly stacked layers of meringue are held together with, and then covered entirely in cream – this is a Merveilleux. There are all kinds of places where you can pick one up, but I would suggest that in Paris, this is Merveilleux Mecca.
Aux Merveilleux
24 Rue du Pont Louis Phillipe, 75004 Paris
14. Rummage through some vintage clothes at À Demain

A Demain
À Demain

A haunt for vintage clothes, mid-century furniture, retro bits and pieces and unusual artefacts.. a great little spot for a peruse…
À Demain
97 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris
15. Have a crêpe at Lulu la Nantaise

Crêpes at Lulu la Nantaise
Spinach, mushroom and goat’s cheese crêpe at Lulu la Nantaise

We popped in here for lunch and the crêpes were delicious. They’re filling but not enormous either, so you’ll definitely have room for a chocolate, cream and banana crêpe after you’ve polished off your spinach, mushroom and goat’s cheese one…
Lulu la Nantaise
67, rue de Lancry, Paris
16. Spot a Deuz Chevaux

Deux Chevaux, Paris
Spotted!

17. Order profiteroles at Café Constant

Café Constant, Paris
Profiteroles at Café Constant, Paris

Christian Constant, owner of many a Michelin star, now devotes himself to simpler cooking. Café Constant is one of four restaurants he owns in the same street, and is a small bistro, with a permanent queue out the front door. It doesn’t take bookings, but do go anyway – you may have to wait for an hour, but you can enjoy a drink at the bar while you wait and you will be ever so pleased you did.
Café Constant
139 Rue Saint-Dominique – 75007 Paris
18. See Paris in bloom

April in Paris
April in Paris

April in Paris is stunning. Fragrant blooms were exploding all over the city, making me smile and putting a spring in my Parisian step.
What are your favourite things to do in Paris?
A bientôt mes amis,
Poppy Loves - a London Lifestyle Blog

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