by Although it is a city known for its romance, Paris is not always, at least not immediately. To fall for it takes time, a little insight, patience. In this respect, it is like any other relationship. But because of its high reputation, Paris also suffers from the weight of expectation and projection: people want so much from it, they have such fixed ideas about what it should be. And so, it’s an easy place not to “find” – like meeting a famous person only to find them fatally dead. Here, then, for anyone visiting to watch the Olympics or otherwise, is a guide to Paris.
Find your neighborhood
Like London, Paris is a city of landmarks, icons. And, as in London, staying too close to them can sometimes mean that the city feels impersonal, unreal – a place of movies and TV, tourists and their TikToks. Granted, the famous Hotel Plaza Athénée (25 Avenue Montaigne, dorchestercollection.com), is right by the river, has a view of the Eiffel Tower, is a few minutes’ walk from the Musée d’Art Moderne, and sits around the corner from the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe . But it’s also a small fortune, and that part of town always feels very short of what you might call real people.
Pigalle, which cuts through the 9th and 18th arrondissements, succeeds in running the Rue des Martyrs from Notre-Dame-de-Lorette to Montmartre. The avenue is full of patisseries and boulangeries, good neighborhood restaurants and cafes full of chattering locals. At the end of Montmartre, with a view of the Sacré-Cœur from its stylish roof terrace (pictured at the top of this page), the four star Hotel Rochechouart (55 Boulevardd Marguerite de Rochechouart, 75009, orsohotels.com), the latest from the stylish Orso Hotels group. Much more attractively priced – rooms for around €230 per night, even during the Olympic Games – it’s a new hotel in a historic building, where Maurice Chevalier once lived. The style is elegant and art Deco, with the charm of the Twenties and Thirties (see: the glass elevator closed metal, the homeliness lived-in the rooms, which may come painted terracotta or bronze). It is moments from the famous Avenue Trudaine, has a nearby flea market on weekends, and is close to the music district and the Moulin Rouge.
his restaurant, Maggie, it is a beauty: the original blue and gold mosaic floor was discovered, a large burled wooden bar. Wonky candles are everywhere. The food is typically French – lobster Breton with home fries, tuna in peppermint sauce, asparagus in Gribiche sauce – but there are also modern touches, and sometimes influences from outside too (Basque steak, or chimichurri sauce) . That said, the best thing about the place is its amazing: DJs play from 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and there’s a bar downstairs, By Mikado, open until 3am. The crowd looks good. And so it’s an easy choice as a base.
Other neighborhoods to explore? Le Marais is famous for its shopping, Saint-Germain-des-Prés feels like a village, Butte-aux-Cailles is like the Provence to come to town and the Père Lachaise offers quiet for those who need it.
Plan the feast
For as much as France and food will forever be intertwined, tourist traps that offer mediocre meals plague Paris. Be aware, however, that Parisian restaurants are required to offer some sort of set-price menu. This can mean that even a mediocre meal need not be an expensive mistake. Enjoy it at some of the most famous places. By Procopius (13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, 75006, procope.com), for example, which claims to be the oldest café in the city (and certainly looks the part, with its 17th-century panels) offers a two-course menu for € 25.50, three for €32.50. Although the origins are Italian, the food is firmly traditional French – coq au’vin, for example – and the historic dishes are worth exploring; The tête de veau, cooked as it was in 1686, is gooey, gorgeous.
Elsewhere, Chez George (1 Rue du Mail, 75002, @chezgeorgesruedumail) somewhere to go for those who have fallen for the latest run of bistros here (think Bouchon Racine, Josephine, Camille). The veal sweetbread with morels might be perfect; the addiction is rich, demanding and requires a lot of mustard — but those who brave it will be rewarded. You might find entrecôte, plenty of snails, wine at a favorable price. And you will definitely be sitting elbow to elbow with the table next to you, but that doesn’t matter (especially since it has famous fans: Bill Nighy, Keith McNally, Anna Wintour go) .
By Cadoret (1 Rue Pradier, 75019, @le_cadoret) offers the same traditional cooking (the blanquette de veau is particularly good), albeit in more modern surroundings, and has a tiny market stall Les Enfants du Marché (Marché des, 39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003, @lesenfantsdumarche) seems like an irresistible place to get the refined, detailed plates of seasonal food. There is no wine list – they ask for your taste and go from there – some may be new.
It’s just a final word, a warning that many restaurants close on Sundays; maybe this will be an opportunity to pick up a picnic, or go to unknown places and try them out, for that matter. With Coq and Pâte (Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009, no website) that opens there, and it is cheap, homely and makes good French classics – a great pâté de campagne, for example – although the word is to avoid the pizza on all costs. But then, don’t go to Rome and have the beef bourguignon. There is much more to be revealed; this is just the beginning. Eat, drink, then return to the Games.
