I have to say I’ve enjoyed discovering north Paris, from Montmartre and Pigalle to Belleville and the canal, where you get an experience of Paris which is less common on the postcards. Having said that, there are just some parts of Paris which you never quite get over and which still take my breath away every time I walk past. Concentrated in the first and second arrondissments and on the banks of the Seine, there’s a reason these classically Parisian, regal sites are so popular worldwide, and when in Paris ...
Rue Royal
Leading from Église de la Madeleine to Place de la Concorde, this street definitely lives up to its name with some very classy shops, fantastic views in both directions, and Maxim’s, the former hub of belle époque Paris at one end. I stumbled upon it on one of my first days out of isolation, and it came up again when reading Le Sursis by Sartre, a Woolf-esque novel set mainly in Paris, which features a scene quite early on of two characters walking down this rather regal and imposing promenade.
Tuileries
These are the gardens coming out of the Louvre running parallel with Rue Rivoli, and it’s hard to forget that they used to be the palace gardens - they’re still immaculate and incredibly Parisian, with perfect straight-line walkways and elaborate fountains. They are just divine in summer.
Opéra Garnier
An absolute showstopper just on the border between the 9th and the 2nd, this 19th century construction is an absolute luxury and a beauty to behold. Connected to the Louvre by Avenue de l’Opéra, it really is at the heart of central Paris, and both interior and exterior can only be described as magnificent. All the splendour is reminiscent of a lost time, a more extravagant and superficial society, and it’s hard to imagine anything on this scale being built today, which is probably for good reason, but there’s something quite magical about plunging back into that time and picturing life for high society à l’époque for an hour or so while you wander round the various anti-chambers of this grand architectural creation.
Les Jardins du Palais Royal
One happy fallout of the French Revolution are the beautifully ornate palace gardens now in the public domain. Like Tuileries, this small park made up of tree-lined alleys and a fountain feature is a lovely spot to spend a spring or summer afternoon, and tends to be pretty full on weekdays around lunchtime with professionals enjoying a spot of greenery before returning to the office.
Invalides + Pont Alexandre III
Rivalling the Pantheon, Invalides is probably my favourite building in Paris. It stands out on the skyline with its gold-topped roof, and the area around it is quite magnificent: firstly the huge lawns of the esplanade directly in front of it, which then lead across the Pont Alexandre III to the Grand and Petit Palais. Parisian grandeur at its very best, I don’t live near enough to this area for its charm to have entirely become routine, and I’m quite glad that the magic has been preserved at least a little bit.
Cédric Grolet Opera
Check this guy’s insta and you’ll get a good idea of why it’s on the list. Very much not a kind of everyday, repeatable find, but a very Parisian way to treat yourself. The two locations of his bakery will give you a bit of an insight into the high-class Parisien patisserie we’re dealing with: one just off Place Vendome, and one within minutes of Opéra Garnier on the iconic Avenue de l’Opéra. Famous for his cakes that look like (and I mean really look like) giant pieces of fruit which cut open to reveal a fruity surprise, you can walk past each day to see the patissieres at work, and if you’re lucky Cederic himself might even be there. The interior of the shop is beautiful, but the selection on show is minimal, just a few croissants in one window, and a row of beautiful tarts showing what’s on offer at the moment. I was lucky enough to be treated to a Valentine’s Day rose (inside: almond and rose cream, layer of grapefruit and ginger (puree), rose flavoured mousse and a biscuit base). The picture says it all in terms of aesthetics, and as for taste, I don’t think masterpiece would be too strong a description.
