Outside of New York and L.A., Paris is the city I know best. My first overseas trip was there. I was eight, and the first bite of a French butter croissant sparked a lifelong obsession with the purist pastry. In high school, I spent several summers in the French capital. Then, a handful of shorter trips throughout my 20s culminated in a six-week stay in the summer of 2022, during which I did extensive reconnaissance. Now in my 30s, I have a solid grasp of the Parisian food scene, and I visit at least once a year, if not twice.
I love shopping for clothes in Paris almost as much as I love eating there, but to keep things manageable, this list sticks to my beat: where to eat and drink, with the added bonus of places to buy food gifts and kitchen essentials.
A few notes on neighborhoods and getting around. I find myself most often in Oberkampf (on the border of the 10th and 11th arrondissements), Belleville (just below the beautiful Parc des Buttes-Chaumont), and Le Marais. That said, Paris is exceptionally walkable, with a smooth metro system and an abundance of Lime electric bikes, so don’t hesitate to book a table that's a bit further afield.
