Bonjour! Recently I was lucky enough travel to Paris, France, with my fiancé to celebrate our engagement. After weeks of planning, research, and daydreaming, here is my Paris recap.
Day 1
After a (not so) quick seven hour flight from Cleveland, Ohio, we landed bright and early at 6:00 AM Paris time. We opted to rest and refresh at our hotel, Yuna Saint Honore, before doing some exploring around Rue Saint-Honoré, the area where we stayed.
My fiancé, Jack, and me outside of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church near our hotel.
Our first true Parisian dining experience was that first evening at Flottes, a family owned brasserie that truly embodied traditional French dining.
Flottes entrance
Enjoying escargot and "Steak à la tartare"
day 2
Having gone right to bed after dinner to fully acclimate to the time zone, we woke up rested and ready for breakfast! While researching what to see and where to eat in Paris I found a tea room called Angelina, which has been “Parisian institution for 120 years”. I knew this was a must-do!
Angelina entrance
Breakfast includes croissants, baguettes, jams, and of course, their famous hot chocolate
The interior reflects its long and rich history as a tea house
After spending the day exploring, we got ready for what every tourist comes to Paris to see… The Eiffel Tower. It was truly magical!
We spent about an hour enjoying the view, before heading to Le Bar Botaniste, located in the Shangri-La Hotel, for a cocktail before our dinner cruise.
Je vais prendre un expresso martini, s'il vous plaît! (I’ll have an espresso martini, please!)
Following our lovely experience at Le Bar Botaniste, we headed to our port to board DÉJEUNER ORSAY for our dinner cruise on the Seine River.
The first of many glasses of champagne enjoyed in Paris
DÉJEUNER ORSAY
day 3
Our third day in Paris was spent in exploring The Palace of Versailles. My favorite part was getting to see La Chamber De La Reine, or the Queen’s bedroom.
La Chambre De La Reine
For dinner this night, we ventured to Restaurant Bar Le Baudelaire, a Michelin restaurant located within Le Burgundy Hotel. We opted for the chef’s surprise tasting menu, and enjoyed different dishes such as “Corn Three Ways”, Cucumber “Mousse”, and Pigeon (not my personal favorite, nevertheless, interesting to try).
“Corn Three Ways”
Cucumber “Mousse”
The infamous pigeon dish
day 4
Our final full day in Paris began with lunch at Restaurant Auguste, another Michelin restaurant. The service, atmosphere, and dishes were all so impressive! Having quite a bit of work experience in the restaurant industry myself, I have a huge appreciation for fine dining.
To end our trip we paid a visit to The Louvre. We took a guided tour, which I highly suggest when visiting such a popular tourist destination. This was my personal favorite part of our trip. Exploring centuries of history, and learning about the artists behind each piece! If you do visit Paris, and you find yourself in The Louvre, good luck trying to get a spot to view The Mona Lisa.
paris tips
My advice to anyone who is thinking of traveling to Paris would be to make reservations as far in advance as possible. The fabulous restaurants and museums we toured were busy, and would’ve been difficult to dine at/tour without prior arrangements.
Carve out time to explore! Walking around the streets of Paris, and popping into cafés and shops made feel like a true Parisian.
Learn some French before getting there. The few phrases that I learned ended up being extremely helpful throughout the duration of our trip. Additionally, Parisians really appreciate the effort when visiting their beautiful city.