January 30, 2012 by Nicole Gustin
You’re about to realize your dream: living in Paris for a month. You found an apartment, booked your flight, and learned how to ask for les toilettes.
You imagine strolling through the city, taking in the sights, hanging out at cafés, and being…Parisian. Of course, part of the fun of travel is making new friends. As much as we love French hospitality, local Parisians and expats aren’t always hanging out in cafés looking for tourists to befriend. If your plan was to strike up conversation with the local artists over espresso at your neighborhood bistrot, you might want to think up a slightly more elaborate back-up plan. Just in case.
Plus, maybe your idea of Paris includes escaping the tourist traps and discovering truly local haunts – great live music at an otherwise unassuming dive bar, or a fantastic meal at your neighborhood restaurant. With a dash of creativity, there are plenty of original ways to meet people and experience a little of the true Paris. Here are a few ideas: Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Travel | 13 Comments »
January 24, 2012 by Tory Hoen
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 note that I was a horse-obsessed child, so equine-related topics are particularly touchy for me. As a child, I would sometimes dress in riding garb for no reason at all. And while I was waiting for my parents to break down and buy me a real horse (never happened), I would drag garbage cans into the backyard and ride them, periodically switching from one member of the “herd” to the next. On any given afternoon, people in the house could gaze out and see me whipping a particularly stubborn garbage can with my riding crop.
So when I first moved to Paris and started noticing “steak à cheval” on menus around town, I was wary. I knew there was a historical precedent of eating horse meat in France, but it seemed quite inhumane in this day and age. Nonetheless, I assumed it was some kind of trendy gastronomic revival, and who was I to question the local gourmands? So I kept my mouth shut and simply avoided the dreaded horse steak when confronted with it.
Recently, I was visiting my boyfriend’s family in Brazil. One night, we sat down to dinner and I was presented with a traditional dish called bife a cavalo (in Portuguese), which translates to “horse-riding steak” or “steak à la horse.”
“Horse?” I asked, panic rapidly setting in.
“No, it’s like steak à cheval in France,” G explained.
“Sooo….. horse?” I wondered again.
It was at this point that I realized I’d been operating under a serious misapprehension, and it took the collision of three cultures for the truth to surface. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 10 Comments »
January 16, 2012 by Paige Bradley Frost
Paris is known for many things: its light, its bistros and, of course, its fashionably chic women. But what about its men? Do les hommes parisiens share that certain je ne sais quoi for which their female counterparts are so admired?
Alas, in a word, non.
Parisian men do, however, have distinctive style that manages to marry the rakish allure of Vincent Cassel or Olivier Martinez with the more bourgeois appeal of, say, Francois Cluzet. In short, his cool charm derives from an unstudied, imperfect look that works without looking overworked. Matchy-matchy, perfectly pressed and impeccably coordinated is just un-Parisian.
Here are some hallmarks of Parisian style pour homme, as seen on the city’s streets this chilly season.
Le foulard: There may be no look more “French” than an artfully tied scarf. Men are rarely seen in Paris without stylish neck wear — rain or shine. From the classic Burberry check to sumptuous cashmere or printed cotton, a casually wrapped neck is simply a must.
Les chaussures: Men’s shoes have gone narrow and pointy; classics like leather oxfords and sporty suede bucks have seemingly been stretched. A gently pointed toe is the only shoe shape that looks right right now. For weekends en ville, swap out the dress shoes for a well-worn pair of tennis — Puma or Adidas, please.
Les pantalons: Athletes with ample quads, beware: Modern Parisian trousers are très slim cut. Like those spotted on fashionable Parisiennes, slim-cut dark wash jeans for men can go almost anywhere in Paris these days. Worn with a tailored blazer or fine-knit sweater (think body-hugging), un jean works just as well for a stroll through the Centre Pompidou as it does for a dinner at a swank bistro. Whether it’s jeans, chinos or wool trousers, keep the cut close; a flared leg or tailored cuff is a definite style don’t. Continue Reading »
Posted in Design, Parisian Living, Shopping | 6 Comments »
January 5, 2012 by Victoria Wall
To do une soirée or not to do une soirée?
What exactly is this rather elegant and mysterious sounding soirée? And, how should it be approached by mere Anglophone mortals?
Definition
Noun: soirée: party or gathering, with a sophisticated name to impress the uninitiated, taking place in apartments across the glimmering city of lights (usually accompanied by beaucoup de alcohol, yummy food and much merriment).
Still all rather vague? I’ve tried to break down the process into nice easy steps and here’s what I came up with…
Step 1: Getting there
There are several key points to bear in mind. Under no circumstances should you arrive on time – keep it carefree by arriving fashionably late.
Watch out for complex digicode systems designed to keep guests out and lift-less 6th floor apartments in distant Parisian destinations.
Step 2: La Bise
Remember the essentials:
- Smile (not too much in order to remain mysterious)
- Perch two dainty kisses one on each cheek
- Compliment the host (it always goes down a treat)
I recommend arriving bearing wine. Don’t worry about breaking the bank – surprisingly, even inexpensive supermarket plonk is still very drinkable.
Step 3: Chit Chat
Eek! Now that the introductions are out of the way, it’s time to mingle! Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
December 29, 2011 by Badaude
Winter in Paris is the perfect opportunity to indulge in creative layering, colorful tights and stylish boots. While stylish Parisiennes abound in Paris, the people-watching on the cobblestoned streets of Montmartre is one of our favorite ways to while away a lazy afternoon on a heated café terrace. Fashion guru and dear HiP Paris contributor Badaude shares here some of her favorite cold-weather items, courtesy of the lovely Montmartro-girls, here. – Geneviève
Related links:
Written by Badaude for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
December 27, 2011 by Paige Bradley Frost
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 sign that seemed to scream, “Kids Welcome Here!” We made a beeline for Hippopotamus, the kid-friendly chain with outposts all over the city. Without dwelling on the gastronomic disappointment (and pricey menu) of that evening, we learned some early lessons about eating out with kids in Paris. Number one? Don’t eat at Hippopotamus.
Ready for a fancy French meal (Juliet)
In the months since, we’ve tried many restaurants with our children (ages four and six). Here are some tips and sure-fire hits when you venture out to eat en famille.
Not where but when: Successful family dining is about knowing when to go. Many wonderful restaurants will welcome kids if you go at off-peak times. Sunday déjeuner is a big one for family meals in Paris. Friday and Saturday nights? Not so much. For mid-week lunches, go earlier or later than the business crowd and you’ll likely be met with a smile. Bustling brasseries and service continu restos will suit you better than dinner at 9:00 at the cozy corner bistro.
Picnic-ing and playing on the Champs de Mars (Markus Bollingmo)
Know your kids. Know the French: French children are trained to sit quietly and eat like little adults. French parents are strict and never more so than around the table. Crying, screaming and crawling under the table are not tolerated and will prompt vocal disapproval and the not-so-subtle “oh la la.” Adjust your restaurant choices accordingly to avoid a miserable meal for all. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 7 Comments »
December 23, 2011 by Genevieve Sandifer
As this wonderful year draws to a close, we can’t help but be grateful for all the amazing things we experienced in 2011:
All of this, thanks to you dear readers! Is there something you would like to see more of in 2012? Drop us a line to let us know!
On behalf of the HiP Paris team and our gloriously talented contributors, we wish you warm and happy holidays, and a fantastic new year full of love and success.
All photos Courtesy of Carams. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
December 17, 2011 by Badaude
What can I add to this week’s hundreds of tributes to the legendary proprietor of Paris’s Shakespeare and Company bookshop, George Whitman, including one by the writer, Jeanette Winterson?
Why was she impelled to remember him in print? Because, like so many others, she had stayed at Shakespeare and Company. George Whitman started a tradition of hosting writers, most famously members of the Beat generation, and the bookshop’s ‘Tumbleweed Hotel’ is still a place where literary dreamers can exchange a few hours’ work in the shop for a bed on a bench amongst the books of George’s personal open library on the first floor.
When I came to Shakespeare and Company a couple of years ago, it was a while before I actually met George. Already in his mid-90s, he spent his days in the apartment on the top floor.
He still owned the shop downstairs, now run expertly by his daughter Sylvia and her team, its ‘Tumbleweed Hotel’ principles intact.
When they arrive, Tumbleweeds are required to write a brief biography for the shop’s records. Employed by the shop to create stair murals, I decided I would do this later. Anyway I was here to draw, not write. I wasn’t a Tumbleweed.
Was I?
The next time I stayed I didn’t write it either, but I did spend my time writing. I’d do it on the next visit.
Or the next…
The last time I visited the shop in October 2011 , Paris was cold. George had just suffered a stroke and was in hospital, ‘recovering well’. The writers’ room, with its tiny electric radiator, was warm. Under my window, tourists snapped continually; Tumbleweeds lunched at the little round table by the door; drunks gathered at the fountain; a busker turned up and performed Shakespeare’s most famous speeches in rotation. Later on, the drummers took over outside the cathedral.
I stopped writing to eat at the café across the road. The man at the next table was telling his teenage daughter – her first trip to Paris – about how he’d been to one of George’s famous Sunday teas and heard the bookseller relate how he had set off to walk from North to South America but had been forced to turn back in the impassible Central American jungle. He was like a child, the man said. It was like he didn’t understand why he just couldn’t go as far as he wanted to go.
But after opening Le Mistral in 1951, which became Shakespeare and Company in 1964, the traveler largely stayed put in Paris, dying peacefully last Wednesday in his apartment above the shop, two days after his 98th birthday.
I walked back from the café to the bookshop and got back to work.
I wrote. Notre Dame chimed ‘Three Blind Mice’ on the hour: the light went.
I thought about space: Kilometer Zero in front of Notre Dame; Place René Viviani next to the shop where the 2010 Shakespeare and Company Literary Festival was held – a free event into which the public could wander. That was the last time I had seen George downstairs; wearing an extravagant paisley jacket, he was carried in triumph through the shop on a sofa held shoulder-high by Tumbleweeds. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arts, Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
December 16, 2011 by Yvette Van Boven
As soon as our timetable lets us go, my husband and I move from our base in Amsterdam to our tiny apartment in Paris.
We’ve lived here in Paris part time for more than 4 years now, but I still discover new places, neighborhoods, and restaurants every single time we go on a stroll. Paris is inexhaustible when it comes to surprising me in any unexpected ways.
My dear friend, stylist, photographer and author Pia Jane Bijkerk, used to live here too, and she wrote a wonderful guide that everyone should have when they go to Paris. It’s a little book that takes you on a tour of Paris’ best shops and ateliers for handmade goods. So that’s right up my alley, of course.
One of the places she lists is Le Petit Atelier de Paris, so of course I went. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arts, Design, Homes, Parisian Living, Shopping | 2 Comments »
December 7, 2011 by Joanna Goddard
The Hip Paris Holiday Gift Guide continues with A Cup of Jo’s fabulous Joanna Goddard. (Thanks so much, Joanna!) We just love her French-inspired gift idea, and plan to stock up on several pairs toute de suite! -Maggie
Two years ago, my New Year’s Resolution was to dress like a French woman. My only question was…how? My first step was buying a bunch of striped shirts (obviously). My second step was to pull my hair up in a top bun. And my third–and favorite–step was discovering Bensimon.
Bensimon shoes are the French girl’s Converse. Comfy and cute, the sneakers are great for running errands, traveling or kicking back at home–while still feeling like you have that Parisian je-ne-sais-quoi. My mom, sister and best friend now all wear them, too. They’re a perfect stocking stuffer. xo Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 5 Comments »
Piyapat Ch
Michel NGUYEN; Yuwen Teo
