Paris, differently
Paris is the third most visited city in the world. For me it’s just a great source of inspiration and a place to meet my friends & family. Each trip is linked to a few unusual discoveries which feed nicely my thirst for curiosity and make me happy.
So let me share a couple of cool things to eat (of course!), see, do or simply enjoy in Paris which are different from the usual touristy recommendations.
Without surprise food is usually my main focus but some artistic entertainment also belongs to the most beautiful city in the world.
1. Food
Have you ever tried the special brioche from chocolate artist Francois Pralus ? Check it out it’s just the most yummy thing ever! And it’s located in my favorite area of Paris, Le Marais
Just a few buildings further at Homer all about lobster you will also find delicacies which you could also buy in Maine but you may not have time to travel that far… Lobster rolls! So good and perfect for a little break or for your train trip back to another European city
And what about a Japanese Toast bread? Ever seen this before? Michio Hasegawa runs the shop Carré Pain de Mie and sells exclusively plain Japanese toast bread and sandwiches. This si worth a try for sure
We also landed randomly at Istr for lunch and it’s been a great discovery. It is worth a visit for dinner thanks to the very refined dishes they serve as well as the very kind service. It’s essentially an oyster bar but it serves several other seafood or meat dishes as well as some vegetarian options, all dishes are well thought though with special flavours, you will not find one dish you’ve had before in this also beautifully decorated bistro. Below a couple of dishes we has: beef tartar with lobster oil, lemon tart, Just fabulous
2. Museum & architecture
On the cultural side, I can only recommend the Louis Vuitton foundation for the quality of its exhibitions, the fantastic architecture of the building and the location by the jardin d’acclimatation. Perfect also for families
L’Atelier des Lumières: This place used to be an industrial building for more than a century. It opened last last in Spring 2018 as a cultural center for digital art. The first exhibition was about Hundertwasser & Klimt and the current exhibition is Van Gogh and Japan. This is a real gem and again fun to do with kids who will enjoy the moving and evolving paintings
Palais de Tokyo: This modern exhibition center open since 2002 shows original temporary exhibitions. It also has a dance club actually which can be an interesting experience. I saw an exposition of spider webs last year which was just magic. Also the building is worth a visit
Centre Beaubourg: This is a big classic in Paris but it is worth checking its temporary exhibitions as there are always some interesting and different topics. The Tadao Ando (architect) exhibition of last Autumn was fantastic:
3. Going out
Have you ever been to a party at the Grand Palais? This place is absolutely massive and can only host very prominent parties, shows, festivals. The building is just stunning with its glass roofs. There was recently a moon show with a giant moon, an acrobat, a discussion with French astronaut Claudie Haigneré, a party, and interesting food (moon dessert below)…
That’s it for now so I hope you’ll find some inspiration for your next trip!
Le Marais is the first neighborhood I’ve stayed in Paris many moons ago and is still my favorite, so many new shops and restaurants but remains as charming as ever! A friend was totally fascinated with the digital art at L’Atelier des Lumières. Will be passing on your recommendations to cousin visiting Paris soon, thanks!