Château Voltaire Salon
Paris is always a good idea! It’s one of those magical cities that can be endlessly explored and is sure to surprise you with new treasures upon each visit.
My preteen son and I just returned from a quick mother/son trip that now ranks as one of my favorite vacations ever. We walked over 20k steps everyday, stuffed our faces with cheese and chocolates, and collapsed into our glorious Hôtel Château Voltaire beds at each day’s end.
Facade of Château Voltaire
Croissant cooking class was a highlight as well as stumbling upon delicious restaurants like Le Poulbot after climbing the plentiful stairs of Montmartre.
Croissant class with Aten-Te Aute
When our bellies were full we wandered into museums like the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature to give our eyes and minds a creative feast, and then it was back to taste testing cheese and chocolates (and if you are wondering, my favorites were A La Reine Astrid and for cheese it was Fromagerie Chez Virginie)!
I realize there are lots of guides to the City of Lights, but we're hoping this email pops into your inbox with some fresh new discoveries!
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Kate
Left: A cabinet of curiosities at Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature.
Right: Restaurant Le Poulbot, calling our name after climbing to the top of the Sacre Coeur.
We love New York City based interior designer Danielle Colding for her discerning eye and sense of style.
Danielle has been going to Paris since she was 15 and started studying French at the age of five. She’s always been a Francophile and as Danielle puts it, “no one was surprised when I married a Frenchman.” In her thirties, she started going to Paris many times a year and now with family in Paris, she finds herself visiting frequently so we knew she’d have cool recommendations to share.
BEST DATE NIGHT SPOT
Comice, 31 Av. de Versailles, 75016 Paris
Comice (above left) has incredible food. And the sommelier is just beyond excellent. This is a dining experience to remember.
BEST LUNCH SPOT
Cafe Louise, 155 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris
Cafe Louise (above right) is a cute restaurant in St Germain - the nems (spring rolls) are so good. Also obsessed with duck confit and lentil salad at Cafe Varenne.
BEST DINNER RESTAURANTS
Aux Pres, 27 Rue du Dragon, 75006 Paris
Procope, 13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris
Kubri, 108 Rue Amelot, 75011 Paris
Aux Pres (above left) is a cute place that has amazing food and great decor. The wallpaper alone is a reason to go! Procope is an incredible restaurant from the 17th century. Only in Europe can you dine in historic places like this that serve all of the French classics.
GO-TO BAR
Harry’s Bar, 5 Rue Daunou, 75002 Paris
Harry’s Bar (above right) is a classic that you must do at least once!
FAVORITE CLOTHING STORE
Bon Marché, 24 Rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris
Bon Marché (above left) always scratches my Barney’s itch.
FAVORITE HOME & DESIGN SHOPS
Galerie LMG, 3 Rue de Lille, 75007 Paris
Galerie Laura Gonzalez, 3 Rue de Lille, 75007 Paris
Merci, 111 Bd Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
I love the antique stores on the left bank. There are so many amazing small galleries where you can see the most special, historic furnishings, and lighting. Galerie LMG (above right) is a must. Galerie Laura Gonzalez is right next door so it’s a double whammy. Also, Merci is always fun to visit.
TOP MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
Musee Des Arts Décoratifs, 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Bourse de la Commerce, 2 Rue de Viarmes, 75001 Paris
Musee de l’Orangerie, Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris
Nil Gallery, 14 Rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003 Paris
Musee Des Arts Decoratifs (MAD) is a must for the best fashion exhibits. Bourse de la Commerce and Musee de l’Orangerie both have amazing spaces that enhance the experience of the exhibits. Nil Gallery is great and features contemporary artists from the African diaspora.
There are no two Parisiennes we’d rather ask for their favorite spots than Brigitte Giraudi and Chieko Tanaka, the owners of one of the chicest stores in Paris, Brigitte Tanaka.
Though best known for their exquisite (and fun!) organza totes, they have many interesting projects on the go all around Paris so we were curious to learn all about the city from their perspective
BEST DATE NIGHT SPOT
Anahi, 49 Rue Volta, 75003 Paris
Anahi (above left) serves Argentinian and French fusion cuisine. It has a nice cozy atmosphere in an old interior. It was actually founded by Brigitte’s brother and she’s also a partner.
BEST DINNER RESTAURANT
Willette Café Troquette, 21 Rue de Trévise, 75009 Paris
We like Willette Café Troquette (above right) because it’s similar to our shop: small, relaxed with authentic French cuisine and perfect attention to detail, like in Japan. The menu changes with the seasons so it’s fresh, yet also affordable.
BEST LUNCH SPOT
Sanjo, 29 Rue d'Argenteuil, 75001 Paris
This ramen restaurant is a two-minute walk from Brigitte Tanaka. It has a lovely interior and the carefully prepared ramen with real Japanese “Dashi” broth is excellent.
BEST LUNCH SPOT (OUTSIDE PARIS)
Le Doyennée, 5 Rue Saint-Antoine, 91770 Saint-Vrain
This is not actually in Paris but it’s a must for us. It is about an hour drive from Paris, and the food, which uses vegetables grown right in front of the restaurant, is truly delicious. The greenhouse-like interior is also a must-visit place when you are in Paris.
GO-TO BAR
Onii-San, 82 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris
Izakaya is the Japanese word for bar. We haven’t been yet, but it’s a new spot that recently opened in the Marais area and is on our to-go list.
FAVORITE CLOTHING STORE
We both love vintage clothes so we go to French vintage markets and fairs to buy our clothing. Vintage clothing has a uniqueness to it - like the amazing stitching processes that no longer exist on modern garments.
FAVORITE HOME & DESIGN SHOPS
We also love antiques for interiors, but Brigitte will be launching a new homeware brand soon called Maison Bibi where decorative objects can be customized to the specific interior.
Bourse de Commerce, 2 Rue de Viarmes, 75001 Paris
This museum (above left), which was built in 2020 and is actually close to our store, is an interesting place to see contemporary art. The architecture by Tadao Ando is also very beautiful.
Galerie 3m2, 145 Rue de Valois, 75001 Paris
Close to our boutique Brigitte Tanaka, we have a tiny three meter square gallery right in the heart of the Jardins du Palais Royal. This miniature and unique place showcases artists we love and sometimes collaborate with.
Rencontre au Jardin
This isn’t actually a gallery but a performance concept where Chieko Tanaka chooses beautiful spots around Paris as theatrical backdrops to bring to life French Japanese performance art and orchestrate poetic moments that are not to be missed!
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