Early December last year Michael swooped me away for a weekend in Paris! The romantic gesture turned a little stressful when our Eurostar booking got cancelled both ways due to strikes (ahhhh la France!) but luckily thanks to our besties, who lent us their car we managed to get there via the Eurotunnel which luckily wasn’t striking!

We also had to cancel our Airbnb booking last min (long story short but they were very unhelpful when we had to have a late check-in time due to the strikes), and booked into Hotel Paradis the night before! Hotel Paradis was a basic little boutique hotel, I’m not sure I’d recommend it but I’ve heard better things about Hotel Panache which I believe may be a sister hotel… Also do check Mr & Mrs Smith as they always have some good deals and some great spots on there too. If you haven’t booked anywhere in Paris yet, I’d definitely recommend avoiding Airbnbs if it’s just two of you, just because they are insanely expensive for what you get, and for the same price per night you can get a decent simple hotel somewhere central!

We had so much fun once we finally got there haha it was such a wonderful weekend together to reconnect and be fully present with each other, eating our way through Paris! Paris is beautifully romantic no matter the time of the year, but around Christmas time it sure does have added magic!

We scootered around the centre with those electric scooters or used the metro, both were super easy and fun! It was easy to get to most places and we actually covered a lot of ground!

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EAT

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Aujourd’hui Demain : this is a café x vegan concept store. It was a real highlight of our trip. The food was truly delicious. We went for brunch and ordered the full breakfast with pancakes and the portobello toast with vegan blue cheese. It was truly delicious! We then spent the following hour shopping their wonderful selection of ethical and sustainable clothes selection, beauty products and food (it’s basically also a mini vegan supermarket)

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Otium : If I were to create a café and curate it’s Instagram feed it would basically look like Otium’s haha they know what looks good, in a minimal, Parisian chic and a touch Scandinavian. It is a vegan/vegetarian café, we went for breakfast and ordered the granola bowl and the scone with coconut whipped cream (a MUST! possibly the best scone I’ve ever had..)

Wild & The Moon : there are about 4 or 5 cafes spread across the centre of Paris, we went to the one on Rue Charlot (very close to the Buly shop.. more on that later) perfect for a snack stop or quick breakfast! I had their Acai bowl, the Monkey Milk smoothie and we also shared their Foccacia and cream cheese sandwich. They also do great lattes, we shared their golden turmeric latte with their homemade nut milk which was delicious.

Hank Burger + Pizza : we first went to Hank 2 years ago on our last visit to Paris! A great chain that is now spreading across France (my sister told me she went to one in Lyon!) We only went to Hank Burger this time, and I was so happy to see them offer the Beyond Meat patty as well as their homemade one. We loved both! but it’s true to say that nothing compares to the beyond meat burger (or the Impossible burger) in terms of meatiness..! You must order the cheesy fries. It’s an order!

Wholywood : another firm favourite we visited on our very first day. It was a gloomy day so we escaped the rain and ran into Wholywood, welcomed by two friendly brothers who run the place. He recommended what we should try, which sometimes I love because it stops you from having decisionitis.. ha! So we shared the waffle with avocado, salsa and their homemade cashew cream, and their hot dog. Both delicious! the waffle was the winner. We also shared their patatas bravas, not sure how they make them so decadent and delicious, but it was also a hit.

VG Patisserie : one of those places that was recommended by EVERYONE! It is truly one of a kind, a real French Patisserie 100% vegan. They have vegan croissants, pain au raisin, pain au chocolat, brioche Suisse, and more! As well as a whole selection of patisserie. A great place to stop for a sweet treat and a drink.

La Palanche d’Aulac : a real surprise, we stumbled upon it one night after an afternoon walking in Montmartre. It’s a little family-run restaurant making delicious homemade Vietnamese food. We shared their daily special and the coconut milk soup (I can’t remember the exact name!!) it was so creamy, warming and comforting, perfect after a cold day

World Food Barn : a great little find near the Latin quarter. One to go to when you’re craving a fresh whole foods salad when you need to eat the rainbow after a few days of eating some heavier foods than usual! Family-run spot, lovely people, great vibes! They even gave us some free Kombucha they had just made and some leftover cake!

Le Potager De Charlotte : A restaurant we went to last time we were in Paris. It was so wonderful, I’m kind of sad we didn’t get to go again! More of a dinner spot, a little more high end, just wonderful food all around, using seasonal ingredients, we fell in love with it!

Janine Loves Sunday : again this was a spot we loved last time we went, it has since then changed owners I believe, and we haven’t gone back to test it, but they seem to be making exactly the same foods! It’s a classic French Brasserie but all plant-based! You can get some real classics veganised.. such a great idea!

Peonies : one café we spotted on Instagram, super cute and veeerrryyyy instagrammable, which doens’t always mean it has any substance, but this cute little spot sure does! We had matcha lattes and some delicious pancakes. Great for breakfast or a snack.

Les Petites Patisserie Raw & Vegan : a healthier version of VG patisserie..! all raw and vegan treats, beautiful and delicious!

Sol Semilla : a spot we found thanks to the Happy Cow app which sadly we didn’t get to try, lack of time! but it looks super cute, and we’ll definitely try it out next time we’re in town.

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ART

Musée Bourdelle : a wonderful place! I wasn’t so familiar with the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle and I was wonderfully surprised. The museum is free to access! You can enter Bourdelle’s artist studio, it’s in a calm and quiet part of Paris, and the sculptures you get to see are unbelievable!

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Musée du Louvre: of course possibly the best museum in the world.. it’s a must if you’ve never been! Last time we went to Paris we avoided all tourist areas but this time we fully embraced it and both decided it was time for another Louvre visit since we both hadn’t been since we were 10 years old.

Musée D’Orsay : Michael’s favourite museum in Paris. The space is amazing, it has a cafe upstairs where you can peak through the round clock! a must-visit, especially if you’re here for a short visit and you can’t face the crowds at the Louvre!

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Musée Rodin: a new to me museum which happens to be our parent’s favourite. It’s set in Rodin’s old house, the house itself is as amazing as the art. You’re taken on a journey through the years of Rodin’s work, and then you get to walk around the garden and see the very famous sculptures amongst his own garden.

Musée de l’Orangerie : I haven’t been there in ages but it holds the Water Lilies by Moet on the curved wall, which is worth the visit for that one piece alone!