A guide by Dave2007
Take a stroll through the Ile Saint Louis.
No matter what time of day you visit, it is always a quiet oasis, especially compared with the busy Ile de la Cite (where Notre Dame can be found).
There are some beautiful little shops, selling everything from beautiful clothes to handmade children's toys, and some lovely little cafes. Its almost village-like in its ambience and you won't find the usual tourist trappings that you find in a lot of areas of the city.
Go to the Parc Buttes-Chaumont, with some cheese, bread, wine.
You may be entertained by an acoustic guitarist or a man dressed as Jesus carrying a cross. Or just marvel at the waterfalls, cliffs, and the lake - it's amazing!
For a great way to see the city, buy a river boat ticket for 12 Euros. It is valid all day, and you can get on and off as many times as you wish.
I suggest you stroll through the atmospheric Galerie Vivienne or Passage des Panoramas (metro: Bourse), followed by wandering along the Blvd Haussmann to the vast food hall in the Galeries Lafayette department store to stock up on gourmet treats to bring home.
It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon (and makes one feel quite the flaneur).
The Canal St Martin, as featured in Amelie, is a green lung through the eastern side of the city with its entrancing bow shaped, green bridges. Cross over the Place de Stalingrad to continue into the Bassin de la Villette. Very romantic by moonlight.
Start off from metro Stalingrad
Paris is a city made for walking, and, after a stroll around the Citroen Gardens, you will see a different side to the city by walking along the river path back towards the centre.
You will enjoy a new outlook on the city; passing houseboats bedecked with flowers and a good choice of cafes, while keeping your distance from the traffic.
Paris is one of the most romantic cities I have ever visited. I got engaged there in February 2007.
Any visitor must visit Le Marais which is a stones through away from the Lourve. It is a trendy district in Paris now celebrated for its nightlife.
Vins des Pyrenees is a little charming bistro nestled in a tiny street just off Saint Paul Village - A former wine warehouse with an authentic decor serving a classic but good French bistro cuisine –with very friendly casual staff and great wine.
I would recommend the Cotes de Rhone to drink. Bon appetite!
The most romantic place in Paris is the Pont des Arts.
This pedestrian bridge lies betweens the Louvre and the Academie Française. Go there at sunset with a bottle of wine and enjoy youselves!
Formerly a railway track linking the Bastille Square to Saint Maur, the "Promenade Plantée" is a hidden oasis of Paris.
Climb the concrete steps from the bustling rue de Lyon, and stumble upon an enchanting winding path filled with an explosion of marigolds, pink roses and trailing vines.
Over the course of about 3km you will be able to gaze over the rooftops of Paris and discover a plethora of small gardens, ageing viaducts and strolling lovers, young and old, arm in arm.
The path finishes at the golden gate and the Vincennes park to the east of the city.
Restaurant Chartier, 7 rue Fauburg Monmartre in the 9th Arrondissement. This is the most special restaurant in all Paris. Not because of the food: it is no more than adequate and reasonable value-for-money.
No, it is something else that makes it unforgettable. It is the fact that you are seated in a massive, atmospheric dining room that has not changed in its 110 years.
And seated on tables for four. So if there are just two of you, expect to have two strangers seated next to you! And then when you ask for the bill, the waiters will write it on your paper tablecloth!
You won't find this in any of the other six cities!
Forget the guide books that say that most tourist restaurants are a rip off. Try Le Sergent Recruteur on L'ile St Lousis Paris 75004.
Atmposheric premises serving 1st sourse: soup and pate and bread and basket of crudites and basket of sausages (as much as you want!). Then choice of main course, followed by sheese board which is left with you then desserts and as much beer or wine as you want. All for €40.50. I rate it 10/10 for food and ambience.
For good, solid French home cooking try "Le Vieux Bistro" on the Ile de la Cité, a charmingly rustic brasserie. Uncomplicated, charming and as central as it gets!
14, rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame
Paris 75004 France
Bistrot Melac is one of the most intimate, characteristic Paris wine bars located in the 11th arrondissement between Bastille and the Republique square.
The owner, Jacques Mélac is a mix of Cyrano de Bergerac with an enormous handlebar moustache!
He spends a large part of his life on wine. In an other life, he was a sommelier in a big Parisian hotel. A restaurant must on your next visit to the French capital!
Les Limonaires is a Parisian must. Battered decor and disheveled waiting staff simply add to its charm.
A three course meal for around a tenner and the best grub we'd sampled in the city followed by three acts of entertainment (comedy, drama and chanson) where a hat is passed around for tips afterwards.
This local hangout exemplifies what bohemian Paris is all about - culture, charm and cheek (sic).
Les Limonaires is on Citè Bergère in the 9th arrondisement. Tel number 0145 23 33 33.
Try the restaurant Vingt . It's far enough away from St Germain to avoid all the tourists and their filet steak is amazing!
20 rue de Bellechasse 75007
Whatever your arrival time is at Gare du Nord, go to the Pied de Cochon, an open brasserie on a picturesque pedestrian walkway open day and night, 24 hours a day and all the year long! In a few minutes' time with the Metro line 4, you get some amazing fresh seafood or meat, foie gras pied de cochon etc.
My suggestion: the Menu Rouge and the Alsace Riesling Wine. The service is fantastic, the experience unforgettable.
From Gare du Nord, Line 4 direction, Porte d'Orlean stop at Chatelet les Halles. Located opposite the St Eustache church.
For a glimpse of the Paris of Toulouse Lautrec visit Chartier, a restaurant which looks as if it hasn't changed in a hundred years. It's cheap, cheerful and full of Parisians. Find it in the Rue du Faubourg de Montmartre
Forget forking out over hundreds of euros at the Eiffel Tower's pricey restaurants, pop around the corner (southwards) to a fantastic little authentic French bistro called Chez Ribe.
Great food, nice wine, great atmosphere, frequented by locals and all at a reasonable price. Great place for an evening meal in a great location.
A culinary gem serving ONLY a simple salad start with two rounds of stesk and chips to follow but with oodles of Parisian style. Right in the heart of St Germain, a great place to begin an evening.
20 bis rue St. Benoit, nearest metro St. Germain des Pres
Hot chocolate and chestnut cream cakes at Angelina's - an absolutely must-do event in Paris.
It's a traditional teahouse - with fin-de-siecle decor and mouth-watering cakes on display cabinets by the entrance that will have even the most die-hard savoury fans entranced. It's on Rue de Rivoli, opposite Tuileries, so you can have a wander round the gardens and over to the river when you've had your fill.
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