Paris – Favourites & Off The Beaten Track

We’ve all heard the saying ‘Paris is Always a Good Idea’ and judging from the number of times I’ve travelled there over the last year, I guess you could say that I’m fully subscribed to that notion. It really is one of my favourite places in the world.

I know there are some people who feel that currently, it might not be the safest place to travel to and I do know people who have cancelled planned trips. The way I see it, driving in Malta definitely has a higher death risk and there’s really nothing over there that would make you feel unsafe or uneasy – life goes on as normal, plenty of tourists and citizens out and about. The only difference is that there now is a marked police and army presence on the roads – but nowadays that’s true in every major city.

Well,since I visit Paris quite often, it can become a bit more difficult to think of new places to see, I mean simply walking around the city is always a highlight for me but it’s also fun to discover new roads and areas that you might have passed by on other trips This trip was partly taken up by Paris Men’s Fashion Week but the hubby was in holiday mood so the fashion focus was a little less intensive than on other fashion week trips.

I’ve compiled a list of a few places that range from highly touristic to not really touristic and a few interesting foodie places to visit that I roamed around on this particular trip.

1. Passage de Panoramas

You could spend an entire day visiting Paris’s different Passages but this is one of my favourite ones – many quaint and interesting shops and such good restaurants. I tried Gyoza this time – a Japanese dumpling speciality bar – delicious. On a previous visit, I also visited Racines which is one of the oldest restaurants in Paris and serves culinary specialities that melt in your mouth especially when paired with one of their excellent wine offerings.

2. Galerie de Montpensier 

This place is so, so beautiful – located bang in the middle of the first arrondissement, pretty close to the Louvre, lots of Parisians come here for their morning runs / walk / cup of coffee or to shop in one of the speciality boutiques located here – Didier is one of the oldest and best vintage stores around. There’s also one of Paris’s current trendiest coffee shops in this Galerie – Cafe Kitsune – excellent coffee / teas and other delicacies are served here.

3. Eat a Steak Burger

Steak con pomme frites is classes bistro food fare so it comes as no surprise that a steak burger with fries is also quite a popular dish – we randomly stumpled upon this place Bistrot du 1er that we really liked – great burger and excellent, fast service.

6. People Watching

Not a place as such but the classic French Bistros with outdoor tables and chairs are super great to sit in and people watch especially in areas like the Marais district.