The beauty of any great city is that you never “finish” it. There’s always a new corner to explore, a windy street to be discovered, a café you wonder how in the world you missed.

Before I left Paris, I made peace with the fact that there was no way I would tackle everything on my to-do list (nor, my list of must-eats). It was partly to keep me sane in the frenzied last days of packing up one life to return to another. But it was also a way of reassuring myself that I would return to Paris. I would get dressed up for a ballet at Opera Garnier. I would stumble into a subterranean jazz club. Angelina’s obscenely thick chocolat chaud would once again deliciously coat my teeth and send me off in an orbit of bliss.

A bike near Notre Dame and Merci store

Now I’m on the cusp of returning to Paris—but only for a week. As a tourist, I want to leave my schedule loose enough for spontaneous explorations (which are more magical in Paris than any other city) and let my friends guide me to everything that is new and hot since I left (Saturne? Grazie?). But certain destinations and activities are non-negotiable. With my first post-expat visit on the horizon, here is what I’m most excited about.

Merci store

First, I will have a pastry every day. At the top of my gluttonous list is the sticky-sweet praluline from Pralus; La Patisserie des Reves’ vanilla pastry cream-filled puff of doughy brioche, aptly named La Folie; and a croissant filled with something obscene—be it marzipan and almond slivers or chocolate and raspberries—from Boulangerie Julien.

Praluline from Pralus

Only as a visitor to Paris can one eat so shamelessly. To do it as a local is beyond a faux pas—it’s, well, sort of disgusting. But when you’re a tourist, you’re forgiven. Everyone knows that Paris has the best pastries in the world (and cheese and bread and rotisserie chicken), so it’s excusable to get after it.

I can also justify my impending gluttony as I know I will be constantly on the go. I will walk along the Seine, across le Pont des Arts, through the Tuileries. I will pause in the gardens of the Palais Royal, climb the hill to Montmartre, and explore le Jardin des Plantes. And I will Velib like a mad woman. Oui, oui, I can’t wait to be reunited with the symphony that is Paris’ two- and four-wheeled traffic!

Jardin du Palais Royal

Nor can I wait to stroll my old stomping grounds, rue Montorgeuil. It will be both bittersweet and surreal to stroll the white carrés—getting pulled in by the stinky cheese smells of La Fermette and the irresistible beauty of Stohrer’s cakes. I’ll see if G. Detou has industrial-sized bags of my favorite dried apples; if not, there is A la Mère de Famille. And I’ll sit outside at Au Rocher de Cancale with un vin rouge and get my fashion cues from the young, hip Frenchies sauntering by.

For all the eating and activity, I also want to be still long enough to absorb the little moments and details that make Paris, Paris. I want to hear church bells clanging. To sit in silence on a park bench with only little brown birds as company. To absorb the mystery and magic that rises from the Seine. To witness l’heure bleu.

Marché Barbès

I want to go back to Chez l’Ami Jean for dinner, but I also want to try Les Deux Amis, Le Pantruche, and Les Fables de la Fontaine—the one Christian Constant restaurant I never got to in my two years of living in Paris. I want to visit the Raspail and Aligre markets, with pit-stops at Polaine and Le Baron Rouge. I wouldn’t mind seeing what Merci, Carven and Isabel Marant have in my size and what’s on at the Pompidou, Jeu de Paume and Grand Palais. Perhaps I’ll finally make it to the consignment shops in the 16eme and see Monet’s splendor at le Musée Marmottan while I’m over there. And—

Le Baron Rouge

Wait! Seven boulangeries, six restaurants, four museums, two markets, plus beaucoup de cocoa, wine, parks, people-watching, shopping and Velibing, in just one week? Again, it’s an impossible itinerary but, already, it gives me permission to plan another return to Paris. Because no matter how delicious my to-do list is, sometimes it’s the anticipation for what’s next that is most delicious of all.

Related links:

• Amy’s farewell to Paris at the NYTimes
• More on Merci and other of Paris’ hottest shops
• Why Le Baron Rouge is the quintessential Paris wine bar

Written by Amy Thomas for the HiP Paris Blog. All photos by Cara Tobe. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

While this list might appear to be a whimsically chosen, feel-good assortment of Parisian places and experiences, I’ll have you know that I agonized over the decisions herein. For instance, I couldn’t bring myself to include two houses of taxidermy (for fear of revealing myself to be a complete freak), so I had to make a heart-wrenching choice: Deyrolle or the Musée de la Chasse? A weighty conundrum indeed. Regardless, I’ve done my best to crystallize my love affair with Paris into ten snippets. Enjoy!

1. Bang-for-your-buck meal: The 12-Euro prix fixe lunch at Robert et Louise. Entrée, plat, roaring fire, convivial conversation with neighboring diners. Can’t do much better than that.

2. Inner-child indulgence: Is it just me, or does the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature make you believe in magic? I’m convinced that the taxidermy fox curled up on a Louis XV chair knows the meaning of life, if only I could get him to open up about it.

3. Street food: Roast chicken from the place on rue Mouffetard (just south of the produce stand on rue de l’Arbalète). Simply put: the chicken that changed my life. Pair with a little Dijon and you will instantly be transported to heaven. Chicken heaven.

Julien Hausherr – La Pagode garden and gilded screen room

4. Rainy day activity: Sneaking off to a film at La Pagode, a charming art house theater that was originally erected as an Eastern-themed ballroom in 1896. Dusty and elegant, it’s the perfect escape.

Julien Hausherr – La Pagode screening room

5. Trendy Dessert: Riz au lait. Preferably at l’Ami Jean, where they give you a giant bowl of it accompanied by a ridiculously decadent caramel sauce. Oh my good god.

6. Drink with a view: La Mer à Boire is a pretension-free Belleville watering hole, where you can skip across the street to take in sweeping views of the city (complete with Eiffel Tower) from the Parc de Belleville. Go at sunset and stay ’til whenever.

Julien Hausherr – Jardin des Plantes gardens

7. Outdoors-y stroll: No one ever knows what I’m talking about when I insist, “The Jardin des Plantes is my spiritual home in Paris.” But if you meander there on a crisp fall afternoon or a spring morning (when everything is in bloom), you’ll get it. Bonus if you swing by the menagerie for a look at the red pandas (or the “panda foxes” as I call them).

Julien Hausherr – Jardin des Plantes greenhouse and gardens

8. Wine Bar: Le Baron Rouge‘s appearance on a recent episode of Gossip Girl is a clear sign that the word has spread (perhaps too far), but I will champion this hole-in-the-wall forever. It’s all you need in an after-work apéro spot—nothing more, nothing less.

9. Market: When I first moved to Paris, I hit the vibrant Marché Bastille nearly every Sunday to banter with the enthusiastic (okay, aggressive) vendors hawking cherries, figs, olive breads and lots of other products I suddenly couldn’t live without.

Julien Hausherr – Verre Volé eat-in space and wines to order or carry-out

10. “Feel like a local” spot: Le Verre Volé. I’ll never stop gushing about this friendly eatery off the Canal St. Martin, where I’ve spent many an afternoon sipping wine, chatting with the waiters, and feeling lucky, lucky, lucky to be in Paris.

Julien Hausherr – Verre Volé

So there it is. My Paris is one of low-key (and often low-budget) feasting, artsy film, quiet corners and frozen foxes. It might not be everyone’s take on the City of Light, but Paris has always seemed happy to accommodate my “special needs.” Perhaps that’s why I return again and again: Paris gets me.

Related Links:

• David Lebovitz’s top ten things to bring back from Paris
• John Talbott’s top ten Paris restaurants of 2010
• Amy Thomas on the newest American shops in Paris

Written by Tory Hoen. Julien Hausherr is a photographer based in Paris, specializing in architecture, still-life and reporting. Contact: julienhausherr@hotmail.fr. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

If there’s something the French know how to do well, it’s give themselves a break (or rather, a pause). They see downtime as a preventative measure, a means to avoiding exasperation (as opposed to an emergency response to it). Whereas many of us wear ourselves so thin that we desperately need whatever it is (a break, a drink, a vacation), in France, it’s more about “we deserve this” than “we need this.”

L’heure de l’apéro (the French equivalent of cocktail hour) is the moment when the French consciously create some space between the workday and the dinner hour, demonstrating their talent for slowing down and, somehow, miraculously expanding time. On nice days, the apéro coincides with the moment when the city is suddenly bathed in that rosy, only-in-Paris light, and you suddenly feel like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be in the world.

Non-traditional apéro settings are also appropriate: river banks, parks, benches… Boklm

Practically speaking, though, the idea of the apéro (a colloquial form of apéritif) is to whet the appetite for the meal to come. (The word comes from the latin aperire, which means to open). When at a café or bar, it’s typical to have glass of wine or champagne, a beer, or a kir (white wine with a splash of Crème de Cassis). Old-school traditionalists go for a pastis (an anise-flavored liqueur mixed with water and ice), and among my friends, Lillet (a sweet wine infused with citrus liqueur) has taken off of late. Take note: l’heure de l’apéro is not a time to pound American-style cocktails, which makes sense, considering a whiskey sour will do little to prep your palette for any kind of serious dégustation. And while cocktail culture is on the rise in France, mixed drinks have not historically been part of the French tradition.

Dave Bloom

When drinks arrive, there is a strict protocol to be followed. Listen carefully.

• You must clink glasses with everyone in your group, usually saying “Santé” (health) which is short for “A votre santé” (to your health), but:
• Do not cross arms with others in the group (bad luck). Wait until all arms have cleared before reaching to the person across from you.
• Always make eye contact with the person you’re clinking, or risk seven years of bad luck (of the carnal variety).  

Apero Café Charlot in the Marais – Erica Berman

If you follow these rules, you’re set. Then just relax and enjoy. Your server will likely bring you quelque chose à grignoter (something to nibble), such as olives or peanuts. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, many cafés and wine bars offer a charcuterie selection, which they’ll often serve with crunchy little cornichons. It’s usually at this point that I vow to inhabit the l’heure de l’apéro indefinitely. But, as with all good things, we must moderate.

Sustenance – Hipposrunsuperfast.com

Luckily for us, this mini-indulgence is as routine as setting your morning alarm—but a lot more delightful. On that note, we don’t have to think of it as an indulgence at all, but as a step towards self-preservation. In Paris, I’ve learned that the best way to sustain life is to savor it. Santé.

Check out these spots for perfect Parisian apéro:

Le Baron Rouge: Pick up groceries at the Marché d’Aligre and then stop by this neighborhood wine bar for a verre and a killer charcuterie plate. 1, rue Théophile-Roussel, 12ème. Tél: 01 43 43 14 32.

Le Sancerre: Head to this Montmartre café to observe the action on bustling Rue des Abbesses. 35, rue des Abbesses, 18ème. Tél: 01 42 58 08 20.

Outdoor café scene, Paris – Malias

Da Rosa: Settle into this elegant épicerie fine that sells gourmet products from Italy, Spain and Portugal. Sample wines, cheeses and meats from these countries, or request the awesome (not-too-sweet) sangria. 62, rue de Seine, 6ème. Tél: 01 45 21 41 30.

L’Avant Comptoir: Snag at the seat at the counter of this neighborhood wine bar and order up snacks like Iberian ham and spicy chorizo along with interesting wines (some at just 2 euros a glass). Prepare to make friends with those around you—this place is cozy! 9, Carrefour de l’Odéon, 6ème. Arrondissement. Tél: 08 26 10 10 87.

Related Links:

• Sally Peabody’s detailed explanation of the French Apéro
• Badaude’s apéro spot: Hotel du Nord
• The perfect spot for summer cocktails: Hotel Particulier Montmartre

Written by Tory Hoen for the Hip Paris blog. For our amazing rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany check out our website Haven in Paris.

Janelle Mentesana

New York Day
• Wake up when my alarm goes off (or when my upstairs neighbor’s alarm goes off—the perils of living in a poorly insulated industrial loft).
• Go running, as need to expend all energy for the day before settling into a chair for the next ten hours.
• Eat cereal. Healthy, practical cereal.
• If have time, stop for an espresso at Euro-favorite Cafe Gitane. Pretend to be Parisian. It’s not the same.
• Brave the Canal Street crush, which involves dodging aggressive pashmina vendors and dozens of dawdling tourists.
• During overcrowded subway ride, contemplate moving back to Paris for the thousandth time. Listen to Serge Gainsbourg to twist the knife in my heart even more.
• Get to work. In essence, I like my job, but I have such restlessness and A.D.D. that it kills me to think I have to spend a day in a chair, when I could otherwise be spending it roaming quiet Parisian streets.
• Post-work, sprint to event / drinks / dinner. Inevitably show up late. Friends annoyed, because they won’t give you a table in New York until all party members arrive. Friends even more annoyed when I accidentally double air kiss them.
• Then stay out too late.
• Then go to bed, way too late.

Dave Bloom

Paris Day

• Go wandering. On my last trip, I loved heading south from Belleville, crossing the Canal St. Martin, and conveniently finding myself at Du Pain et Des Idées, one of Paris’ best rustic boulangeries.
• Decadent pain au chocolat in hand, I begin my loitering for the day by lounging on the edge of the canal.
• Get restless, so wander through the Marais, stopping at Cafeotheque for a café du jour, before strolling across the Pont Louis-Philippe to the Ile St. Louis, where I install myself at the western tip of the island and gaze off into space for a while.
• When restless again, meander to the Left Bank, stopping to take in the Institut du Monde Arabe, and then strolling over to my old neighborhood, where I stop in at the market at Place Monge and the traiteurs along rue Mouffetard. One shop owner still refers to me as “la plus belle” whenever I see him (I’m always up for some good French-style ego-stroking).
• Inevitably end up lounging by the Fontaine des Médicis, stopping in for macarons at Pierre Hermé, poking around Repetto, and making a pit-stop at Deyrolle (to fuel my inexplicable taxidermy obsession).
• Before you know it, it’s time for an apéro. Convene with friends at Le Baron Rouge for wine. Everyone will be late; no one will care.

Canal St Martin Lisa Weatherbee

• Perhaps pop into a low-key vernissage in the Marais or in Montmartre.
• Dinner is unplanned. We might head to Le Verre Volé, or Robert et Louise, or whatever café will have us.
• Then maybe drinks, which often inspire impromptu dance parties. Spontaneous karaoke happens more often than seems logical.
• Time has gotten away from us… the bars are closing and the Eiffel Tower’s lights are off, and we are wandering along the quais, or through the quiet streets of the Marais.
• The metro’s closed. No cabs. Don’t know how we’re getting home. Maybe hop on a Vélib, or just wander.
• Eventually go to bed. No idea what time it is. Don’t care.

Dave Bloom

If you were me, would you live in Paris or New York?

Related Links:

• Stuff Parisians Like
• Paris vs NYC  Blog
• Badaude’s blog on life between Paris & London
• Little Brown Pen’s mesmerizing blog captures Paris’ most beautiful angles

Text by Tory Hoen for the Hip Paris blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Janelle Mentesana was born and raised in Australia. She lives and works in Paris as an illustrator, and she enjoys taking pictures of people outside her window with baguettes in their hands. Lisa Weatherbee is a New York based photographer and designer, currently eating and shooting her way through Paris. Dave Bloom is a tepid consultant and aspiring expatriate; born in the Midwest and working his way east via DC, hoping to join us in Paris for grad school.

There are a few places in Paris that make you feel like an insider the minute you step through the door. It’s an incredibly gratifying feeling, given that other elements of life here can feel downright impenetrable to those of us who aren’t born and bred (make that incredibly well-bred) Parisians. So when I “discovered” Le Baron Rouge and instantly felt like a regular, I knew I had hit the jackpot.

It turns out that quite a few people have hit the same jackpot, but as popular as this unassuming spot is, it maintains its low-key, local vibe. French still dominates among the staff and clientele, and the guys behind the bar are no-nonsense but still friendly (especially the one with the beard… you can’t miss him). There’s not a lot of hand-holding here, but there’s no judgment either (to me, that’s the perfect balance), and servers are happy to help you navigate the long and interesting wine list scrolled on chalkboards near the bar.

Bill and Nancy

The intimate space holds a few comfy banquettes and a rustic zinc bar, where you can order a vast range of wines at ridiculously reasonable prices (about 2.50€ – 4€ each). You can also buy wine to take home from the giant wooden casks in the corner. For those of us that hail from the land of mass-produced Two Buck Chuck, the experience of buying wine straight from a barrel feels refreshingly legit.

But boiled down to its essence, Le Baron Rouge is a hangout, a neighborhood hub where locals (and aspiring locals) come to wind down after work or on weekend afternoons. The vibe is lively but relaxed, and it’s easy to lose track of time here while chatting with friends over plates of oysters and charcuterie (highly delicious and perfect for sharing).

Meg Zimbeck

During the warmer months, the weekend crowd spills onto the street near the Marché d’Aligre (a great place to shop for groceries pre- or post- wine). On Sunday afternoons, it’s all about the oysters. From late morning through about 4pm, friends convene, sipping rosé and sucking down bivalves to their hearts’ content. It gets crowded, but the small space seems to expand in order to accommodate all.

Le Baron Rouge has managed to strike an amazing equilibrium— it’s an institution without pretension, it’s a scene that doesn’t feel like one. And while I would gladly travel across town to get there, it never ceases to feel like the quintessential neighborhood wine bar.

Le Baron Rouge. 1, rue Théophile-Roussel, 12eme. Tél: 01 43 43 14 32. Metro: Ledru-Rollin (Line 8).

Read what these other foodies had to say about Le Baron Rouge:

• David Lebovitz
• Paris Talk
• Glorious Wines
• Bill and Nancy
• Too Many Chefs

Written by Tory Hoen,  for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

I’ve always loved Europe in the winter—and Paris in particular. And by winter, I mean real winter: January and February, when the holiday crowds have cleared out and it’s gray, gray, gray all day. I can sense you raising your eyebrows as you read this, but bear with me. Not only is it a particularly tranquil time to be in Paris, but you can also find great deals, with airfare rates down and many accommodations offering discounted rates for visitors to the city.

Most peoples’ visions of Paris probably involve leisurely summer picnics, springtime flowers, and long strolls along the Seine on warm evenings. I would be lying if I said thoughts of these things don’t make my heart race, but winter has its own distinct charms, and on cold February days, I love feeling like I have the entire city to myself.

Plus: in the deepest, darkest depths of winter, we have an excuse to indulge in activities that might otherwise seem just a bit too decadent. Hot chocolate for breakfast? Bring it on… we have to stay warm somehow! Some favorite things (and guilty pleasures) to explore this winter…

1. Cozy cocktails. Paris has countless rustic bars that practically beg you to come in and hunker down over some vin chaud or, for the hardcore set, a whisky on the rocks. The swanky Le Fumoir offers a very reasonable happy hour (6-8pm) and Harry’s Bar serves up a reliable selection of classic cocktails. For an inexpensive but interesting selection of wines by the glass, head to Le Baron Rouge and mix it up with the locals.
2. Winter fashion. If you think Parisians are daunted by the cold, think again. On the contrary, the drizzly streets of Paris become veritable catwalks for those strutting their stuff in boots, scarves, gorgeous coats, and fur accessories of all kinds. Everywhere from the big department stores to tiny consingment shops overflow with winter items, and February is a great time to shop if you get here in time for les soldes. Check out Kiliwatch in the second arrondissement for vintage (i.e. guilt-free) furs.
3. Films at La Pagode. On really cold nights, I love to catch indie films (French, American and international) at La Pagode in the 7^th. With its pagoda-like façade and ornate interior, the theater is worth seeing no matter what’s playing.
4. Hot chocolate for breakfast (guilty pleasure #1). You can get it almost anywhere, but for the ultimate indulgence, head to Angelina for the chocolat chaud a l’africain, which is as thick as a melted chocolate bar—but not too sweet. While Angelina is not exactly “off the beaten path” (in fact, it’s planted firmly on said path), this decadent Belle Epoque tea salon still does it for me. My mother brought me here on my first ever trip to Paris, and it still makes me feel like a (very lucky) little kid all over again!
5. Fondue (guilty pleasure #2). Fondue in Paris is a little like pizza in America: even when it’s bad, it’s good. The aroma of fondue became a dominant theme in my life when I lived on rue Mouffetard, right above the poetically named “Saveurs de Savoie.” Fine dining it is not, but sometimes a vat full of melted cheese is exactly what you need.
6. Cold Winter Walks. Parisians don’t exercise much, but they love a good walk. No, not the intense, pump-your-arms-back-and-forth kind. In fact, the more leisurely, the better. The idea is just to get out there and breathe, and observe, and meander. Yes, it’s winter, but all the parks are open, and the banks of the Seine are particularly romantic under an icy winter moon. So bundle up, get out there, and get a little lost—that’s what winter in Paris is all about.
   
   

Don’t miss these other posts on winter in Paris from Paris Logue, What’s On My Plate, and Rick Steves.

Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris and last minute Paris Winter Apartment Special Offers.