Happy New Year 2016! A Look Back on HiP Paris: Best of 2015

Steel Cyclewear & Coffeeshop, Jean-Marie Heidinger

As 2015 comes to a close, the requisite annual nostalgia is setting in. The past year has been a trying one for the city of Paris, but certainly not without many positive and exciting happenings too. On behalf of Erica and myself, I want to take a moment to thank our wonderfully supportive readers as well as our talented writers and photographers – you all continue to make the HiP Paris Blog what it is today!

We’re ready for the excitement 2016 is sure to bring, but are first taking a look back at some of the terrific pieces we shared over the past year:

Anticafe, Jean-Marie Heidinger; La Buvette, Palmyre Roigt

2015 had no shortage of exciting developments in the food and drink scenes in Paris, bien sûr. Le Fooding announced the French food world’s departure from the bobo, bestowing this year’s emerging trends the moniker “faubourgeoise.” We checked out Dersou, an all-around favorite address of the past year and winner of Le Fooding’s coveted “Best table” award, and fell for the stunning décor and tasty far of Les Chouettes in the Marais. We also saw changes to the Barbès neighborhood with the arrival of much-anticipated Brasserie Barbès.

Brasserie Barbes, Briag Courteaux; Maison de la Chantilly, Emily Jackson; Poulet rôti, Casey Hatfield-Chotti; My Paris Market Cookbook

Shops specializing in specific items are also popping up around the city, and we thoroughly enjoyed the creamy goodness served up at Maison de la Chantilly. Equally as mouth watering was our hunt for Paris’ best poulet roti, a simple yet oh-so-delicious pleasure. And for those days when cooking a fabulous meal at home is what we crave, our peek inside Emily Dilling’s Paris Market Cookbook, complete with recipes and tips and tricks for eating locally, proves the perfect inspiration.

Steel Cyclewear & Coffeeshop, Honor Café, aveK; Jean-Marie Heidinger

We simply cannot talk about 2015 in Paris without giving a nod to the slew of concept craft coffee joints that opened up around the city, seemingly a new one every week over the summer!

Dersou, Briag Courteaux; La Buvette, Palmyre Roigt

Paris’ wine and beer scenes continue to flourish as well. We dished on our favorite addresses for natural wine in Paris, the best classes for expanding our wine knowledge, and some of the most outrageous cocktails tasted this year. We also saw the opening of bars that place a focus on French-made spirits, like at the bistro-bar La Française in the 11ème.

A La Française, Emily Jackson; Bespoke, Jean-Marie Heidinger; Hotel du Nord, Palmyre Roigt; Dirty Dick, Jean-Marie Heidinger

We continued to discover new pockets of Paris and loved exploring the Canal Saint Martin, 20ème and Nation areas in particular. We got the dish on Paris’ Spring Fashion week from an outsider prospective and chatted with Melissa Unger, the wonder woman behind Seymour+, one of the most unique spaces in Paris.

Le Picotin, Palmyre Roigt; Seymour+, Camille Malissen

In addition to sharing new openings, favorite addresses, and interviews with people who inspire us, we will always love sharing those heart-warming Paris stories, like one about uprooting a life in the US and moving to Paris, or advice from real Parisiennes on dating in Paris. For new visitors to the city and locals alike, we also put together our favorite off-the-beaten-track museums as well as the best apps to make exploring the City of Light easier.

Le CENTQUATRE, Palmyre Roigt; Honor Café, Jean-Marie Heidinger

We would love to thank each and every writer who contributed to HiP Paris this year. We could not do it without you. A big shout out to (alphabetical order):

Kristen Beddard, Doni Belau, Elena Berton, Anna Brones, Isabel Miller-Bottome, Forest Collins, Lisa Czarina Michaud, Meghan Cunningham, Emily Dilling, Casey Hatfield-Chiotti, Lily Heise, Rooksana Hossenally, Emily Jackson, Sara Mccarty & Jaimie Evoy (Context Travel), Marjorie Preval, Alex Roberts, Kate Robinson, Sylvia Sabes, Lauren Sarazen, Emma Stencil, and Amy Thomas.

We worked with some truly talented photographers this year as well. An especially big thank you to Briag Courteaux, Jean-Marie Heidinger,  Palmyre Roigt, Didier  Gauducheau, and Rebecca Plotnick for keeping the HiP Paris Blog looking gorgeous.

And we owe a very special thank you to our lovely Editorial Assistants who not only wrote and shot photos for a number of fantastic pieces, but also worked tirelessly to keep the HiP Paris Blog up and running. Emma and Emily – merci  à vous!

Happy New Year 2016, may it be a wonderful one. -Erin and Erica

Marjorie Preval

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