11 Dec, 2017
Lily's Short Guide to Paris
A short guide on where to stay and what to do in Paris, one of my favourite city's. From the best vegetarian cafe to my favourite lake side restaurant, a short trip to Versailles or a tour around Notre Dame, there is always something magical to do in this heavenly city.
LifestyleHOW TO GET THERE
If I'm heading to Paris I will always go on the Eurostar. Travelling by Eurostar is easy with city-centre to city-centre travel, a generous baggage allowance for all those French treats, and there's champagne on board!
WHERE TO EAT
LE CHALET DES ILES – This is my favourite restaurant in Paris. It is a very cool venue, a big log cabin seton a lake that you have to take a boat over to get to. During the winter there are big log fires and during the summer it turns into a party island. Perfect for lunch and dinner, the food is quintessentially French and the service is friendly and fun.
CAFÉ PINSON – An institution in Paris for Vegetarian food. My favourite is their original shop on Rue de Forez. They do a delicious Quinoa bowl and gazpacho. They also do great juices and smoothies.
WHERE TO STAY
HOTEL ADELE AND JULES - This is the perfect budget hotel. I stay here a lot as it’s in the Ninth Quarter, surrounded by shops and restaurants. The beds are comfy and the art work is carefully curated, what more could you want!
LA RESERVE HOTEL & SPA – This is definitely a treat as it’s at the very top end price wise. However, it’s worth it. They have several treatment rooms and a pool, which is perfect for relaxing in after a hard day of shopping!
WHAT TO DO
VISIT VERSAILLES - On my last trip to Paris I was with my mum and she has always wanted to visit Versailles, so we jumped in an taxi and in 30 minutes we were pulling up outside the grand palace. It’s definitely worth a visit, the gardens are beautiful and the local village has some sweet little shops and cafes.
VISIT JARDIN DES TUILERIES - I love a good French Garden and these are amongst the best in Paris. There are two ponds that inspired the works of Monet and its worth going for them alone.
VITIS NOTRE-DAME - Probably my favourite building in Paris. If you are visiting over Christmas keep an eye out for when they have Carol services as they are spectacular. Their stained glass windows are the most beautiful I have ever seen, definitely worth popping in to see, and entry is totally free.
