Author: Kim Laidlaw

London-import Kim Laidlaw is the creator of insider city guide Unlock Paris. After studying History of Art at the Ecole du Louvre, she decided to make Paris her home and has lived here for 8 years and counting. Kim writes travel guides for Lonely Planet, Thames and Hudson and Dorling Kindersley, and articles for the BBC and Conde Nast, as well as copywriting for ad agencies in Paris and copyediting for several fashion magazines, including Fashion For Men and Self Service.

Recently, something of a coffee revolution has been slowly but surely taking place in Paris, with serious coffee specialists popping up throughout the capital over the last couple of years. We talked about the inaugural wave of this trend back in 2011, but the scene continues to go from strength to strength with a new… …read more

Slightly off the beaten track is the more unassuming part of this neighborhood: the residential area in the foothills of Montmartre, which is well worth the detour to discover the lesser known shops, restaurants and more that the guide-book clutching hoards are yet to discover. …read more

Kim Laidlaw Adrey Pétrelle is a small French restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner of the 9th arrondissement. It’s not new – indeed it’s been around for 18 years – and it’s not easy to stumble upon, yet it has enjoyed continued success among discerning locals and tourists alike for almost two decades. Erica… …read more

Although fabulous French food abounds in Paris, too many steak tartares and croque monsieurs can leave you yearning for something different. To rescue you from the Paris-Brasserie slump is this little gem of a japanese spot right on the canal, Petit Usagi. We can’t wait to grab one of these bento boxes and linger over… …read more

Art installation at the 104 Paris is not a city lacking in cultural gathering places. And I’m not just referring to café terraces – be they high brow (the Flore), or controversial (La Perle). Just to keep the scene fresh, in 2008, the Mairie de Paris (Paris City Hall) converted a former morgue in the… …read more