A Paris chalkboard menu – appearances can be deceiving! (Daxis) Years into my love affair with Paris, I’m still making ridiculous rookie mistakes. I suppose it’s time to accept that France will always have the upper hand, but it still stings. My most recent humiliation is horse-related. Or at least, I thought it was. Please… …read more

Mark and Allegra Karoski-Biava Fresh off the plane and bleary-eyed with two kids in tow, we set out for our first family meal in Paris. Surely in this city of more than 8,000 restaurants, finding a suitable spot would be simple enough, non? After passing snug bistros and lively brasseries, we spotted a red neon… …read more

Tiago Pereira I got my first Opinel pocket knife at age seven—the age of reason, my parents must have thought—during a summer vacation in the French Alps. Each member of my family had one, and they got plenty of use during mountain hikes: my father’s to carve intricate pattern on his walking stick, my mother’s… …read more

If the twinkling lights all over Paris didn’t give it away, we’re happy to declare that it’s officially holiday season. We’ve got holiday shopping on our minds and, lucky us, several fabulous bloggers who are as enamored with France as we are have graciously agreed to share their favorite French-inspired holiday gifts with us here…. …read more

One of the latest hot items in the Paris food and wine world, Au Passage has been garnering more than a bit of blogger buzz lately. It also just snagged the 2012 Prix Fooding d’amour, confirming its status as Paris’ newest foodie darling.  In the evenings, this low-key wine bar and tapas joint is jam… …read more

Erica Berman was lucky enough to spend a couple months in gorgeous Genoa, Italy, this summer. She met up with HiP Paris friend and contributor Steve Brenner for a leisurely lunch in the historic town of Montepulciano before touring some villas in Tuscany. After reading his mouth-watering account of their meal, we couldn’t keep ourselves… …read more

Vacation Rentals for Those Who Don’t just Travel, they Experience. they Experience.

Boutique rentals from our trusted partner Haven In

Restaurant at the Musée d’Orsay (Quyn Hanh Le Nguyen) I’m a museum junky. I love nothing more than passing a day wandering through endless corridors of art and antiquities, but after a few hours standing on hard marble, I’m usually in need of cold drinks and some serious snacks. Unfortunately, most museums suffer from what… …read more

Paris is teeming with cool dining experiences, for those prepared to seek them out. New Friends Table, a new addition to the Paris scene, aims to bring together an eclectic yet compatible group of like-minded foodies around a delicious meal in a real Parisian apartment.  Our very own Erica Berman also recently checked it out;… …read more

Ladurée macarons in their sleek box (Louis Beche) For years, everyone—especially New Yorkers—has been clamoring for the death of the cupcakes. Let those pastel-colored, frosting-slathered, sprinkled-adorned, oh-so-cute sugar bombs be over! Can we puh-leeze move on?? And it would appear, with Ladurée’s arrival on Madison Avenue, New Yorkers may finally get their wish: the macaron… …read more

Next week, Paris is hosting its second annual Cupcake Camp, with all proceeds going to the Make a Wish Foundation. To celebrate this worthy occasion, one of  the Cupcake Camp organizers Bryan Pirolli shares his thoughts on the difference between French and American cupcakes.  If you can find room after your croissants and eclairs this… …read more

This could be your hostess (Very Swell, by Lost in Cheeseland) Even the French say that Paris is a hard city to crack socially. This may have been true once upon a time, but with the recent wave of foodie groups and networks bringing adventurous diners together in secret and not-so-secret Parisian locations, however, there’s… …read more

Spending a summer in Paris is a dream come true, but as the Parisians rushed away to enjoy the famous French summer holidays, we got a bit envious and started dreaming of our own escape into the countryside. Thankfully, we were in for a treat: a day trip to one of the most famous regions… …read more

Gelato from Amorino in Paris is a no-no for the lactose averse, unfortunately! (Josh Leo) Hello.  For about ten months now I have been grappling with intolerance in my life, something deeply rooted and painful to me and to loved ones.  I feel that it’s time to come out with it, to share this issue… …read more