Paris
a personal guide
A few universal rules: every boulangerie is the right boulangerie.
Every coffee is fine. Every meal will probably be good.
Every bookstore is an adventure — beauty is mandatory in Paris, and that includes the shops.
Paris has very low floors and very high ceilings.
Selected places
Fitness
Burning Bar
42 Avenue Raymond Poincaré · 16th arr.
Hot pilates, afrohouse music, mood lighting, French-speaking instructors. My favorite workout class in the entire world. I don’t say that lightly.
Museums
Musée Rodin
77 Rue de Varenne · 7th arr.
One of the most peaceful museums in Paris, with a garden that does most of the heavy lifting. Plan to stay longer than you think.
Fondation Louis Vuitton
8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi · Bois de Boulogne
My favorite art museum I’ve ever visited. They only show one exhibit at a time, and each level traces the arc of the artist’s life — the inspirations, the catalysts, the turning points. You leave understanding not just what someone made, but why.
Restaurants
Au P’tit Curieux
27 Rue de Sambre-et-Meuse · 10th arr.
My best friend Mackenzie and I have had multiple four-hour dinners here — sometimes twice in the same trip. The owner is funny and charming. One of those places you come back to every visit without even deciding to.
Cojean
28 Rue du Bac · 7th arr.
Healthy bowls clearly marked with protein content. If I lived in Paris full time, this would be my daily fast casual. Multiple locations across the city.
Parks
Jardin du Luxembourg
6th arr.
The most beautiful park in the world, and I will stand by that. Tennis courts you can reserve in advance, which is just unfair to every other park in existence.
Shopping
Citypharma
26 Rue du Four · 6th arr.
The French pharmacy experience is non-negotiable. Go in without a list, leave with fifteen things you didn’t know you needed. I’ve spent more money here than I’ll admit.
From Future
Le Marais · multiple locations
My favorite sweater shop in the world (do you see the theme?). Delightful, colorful cashmere in the most charming little store. You will leave with something and wear it all winter.
Tennis
Roland-Garros
2 Avenue Gordon Bennett · 16th arr. · Late May – Early June
Iconic, beautiful, peaceful, and so, so clean. The red clay is legendary and the battles here are hard fought and won. Easy to get in and out from the center of Paris.
Explore
Rue du Bac
7th arr.
Walk the whole thing, all the way from the Seine to Bon Marché department store. One of the most charming streets in Paris — great shops, a good energy, and my first Paris address was number 52.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
6th arr.
My favorite arrondissement. The area around the main square has everything — little restaurants, famous shops, people hanging out. Just walk around.
The Seine at Sunset
Les Berges de la Seine
You have to go for a run here during sunset. One of the best running routes in the world — and yes, I am completely biased about this city.