What To Do In Paris, According to Parisians

I finally got to visit Paris for the second time thanks to Norwegian Air. It was my birthday, it was Paris Fashion Week, and it was friggin’ amazing. I could’ve chosen numerous destinations but after the rough year I’ve been having, I figured I needed some time in my favorite city on earth. I also wanted to know if I’d love it just the same, or if my first visit was just a romanticized fluke.

This, like most of my other trips, was solo and probably my favorite trip of the year. Yes, Cuba, Bali, and Italy were as perfect as they could be, but there was something about this trip. You’ll find out why soon enough, but let’s just say I’m a happier person. So hanging out with new friends, experiencing Paris Fashion Week for the very first time, and of course roaming around Paris was an absolute delight, but it probably doesn’t tickle everyone’s fancy. Walking around for hours on end isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. I get it. That’s why I decided to ask a couple Parisians what to do in Paris.

What I Did

I’m prone to sliding in DM’s (direct messages for those of you who don’t know). So when I realized one of my Instagram followers lived in Paris, I immediately messaged her to see if we could link up. She was all too happy to oblige. Thanks, Myriam!

I met up with her a couple days and tagged along to schweet blogger events that she invited me to and that’s where I met tons of other amazing blogger babes. When I wasn’t with Myriam I was literally at Fashion Week shows, stuffing my face with all the foods and wine, on a food tour, getting lost in the Louvre…you know, the usual.

Where I Stayed

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t know I was taking this trip until about a month prior. With it being Fashion Week, it was a little hard for me to find a place. Because I wanted to use points versus cash, I went with a hotel this time. I heard nothing but good things about the Montmartre area so that’s where I ended up.

Hotel Monterosa was perfectly located. I walked to the Louvre and anywhere else I needed to be on a daily basis. When it came to getting to/from the airport the train was always under a 10 minute walk away.

Now on to the most important tidbits:

WHAT THE PARISIANS RECOMMEND

The gorgeous Priscilla of Of Course Darlin’ had this to say:

Paris is a wonderful city which surprises me every day. If you come for a trip here, I’d, of course, recommend the Eiffel Tower , Les Champs Élysées and Le Louvre. But if you want feel like a real Parisian, you can take a walk at the Sacré Coeur and get lost in the pretty streets of Montmartre. Also, you can explore the Quartier Latin and walk from Saint-Germain-des-Prés to Rivoli. And if you just want To relax and chill, go to the Canal Saint Martin (lots of bars and restaurants ;))
Now can we talk about the food?
Paris is well known for its gastronomie so I can recommend you a few restaurants I’m pretty sure you will love!
Brasserie Barbes : 2 boulevard Barbès, Paris 18
It’s a 4 floor café-bar restaurant with a rooftop, in the popular Montmartre. The meals are delicious and you can dance on the rooftop with the view of the Sacre Coeur.
L’institut : 48 rue Basfroi, Paris 11
It’s a very cosy restaurant and the meal is really good! I had dinner here to celebrate my birthday and the guest were very pleased.
Any fashion addicts here ?
The outlet La Vallée Village is for you.
Near Disneyland Paris, la Vallée Village is a cute place where you can find famous brands like Celine or Lacoste at very attractive prices.
In the center of Paris, Le Marais ( 4ème arrondissement ) is full of designers shops like Anges B or All Saints .
xo, Priscilla – Blog: ofcoursedarlin.com

On my last day I got lost in montmartre and I honestly don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner. Well, I actually was busy every day. But I promise when I’m finally living in Paris it will be Montmartre and I plan to explore way more than I did.

And beautiful Barira of Tout Ton Makeup came through with ALL of the recommendations:

My top 5 places to visit in Paris:
La creperie bretonne, 56 rue du montparnasse 74014 – If you want to have a taste of the famous « crêpe bretonne » which is a sort of french style pancake originally from Bretagne, you must go to this place. The decoration is original and you have a large choice of crêpes (salty or sweet). Dont forget to have a cup of cider with your meal.
L’institut du monde arabe, 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 – The Institute of the Arab World is a Parisian cultural institute dedicated to the Arab world. They have a museum, library and a lot of fun events are planned there as concerts expositions. You can also drink tea and eat some maghreb treats on the differents food spaces. Go to check their schedule on the website before visiting.
Le Nilaja, 17 Rue de la Forge Royale, 75011 – This is a place to taste real good african food. They serve dishes from West Africa. The prices are affordable but i recommend you to go early because the waiting can be a little longer than brasseries or cafés.
Le quartier du marais, 4eme arrondissentement de Paris. Also known as the gay community area, is a place where you can shop, go to exhibitions, drink and eat all the same day. You can litteraly spend a day in this area. There is a lot of small creators boutique, cafés, bars, street art, etc… in this area. So for the art lover i think this is a place to visit.
Orphée privé, 7 rue fontaine 75009 – This is an old erotic sauna transformed into a well known private bar. There is no sign , only a door ring and a security guard in the entrance. It depends on the hour and the day you go to but there might be a lot of people standing in line and waiting to get in. So to really enjoy the place and see the details (like the original smoking room) i recommend you to go on a Friday nigth around 11pm.
There are a lot of places in paris and a lot of things to do but i’ve tried to summarize them on five different places with different styles.
You can follow me on IG @touttonmakeup or my personnal account where I post photos of random things I do in paris @riroos_world.

Ummmm so all of those places sounds beyond amazing and I’m pissed I didn’t meet Barira before this visit. I’m literally knocking each place off one by one when I return.

My unofficial host, Myriam, has two favorite places she recommends:

Cafe Oz (Cite de la Mode et du Design, 34 Qua d’Austerlitz, 75013 Paris) is a rooftop bar. It’s very nice with cool music and even cooler people. It’s perfect when the weather is nice, but the cover charge is about 15€. Season (1 Rue Charles-Francois Dupuis, 75003 Paris) is a healthy restaurant and very very nice with a beautiful aesthetic. Everyone there looks like an Instagram Influencer, lol! The food is simple, like pastrami sandwiches, avocado toast, etc., but it’s SO GOOD. It’s the best!

You can find Myriam on Youtube or hosting awesome Parisian brunches where you can chat all about your gorgeous, natural hair.

And last but not least, Doryane of Dainty Curls says:

I love Paris, I learn to discover this city every day ! It’s my favorite place for eat, go shopping and take pictures for my blog.
Do you want to eat the best tacos in Paris? Go to Café Crème ( Rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003 Paris), a street food restaurant near the Place de la Republique. They are just excellent. The dishes are so pretty to take pictures for your feed instagram.
I love the 1st District of Paris because it’s always lively ( (there is a fun fair during the summer holidays). This corner is perfect to walk, enjoy the sun, drink a coffee on the terrace and do some great photo shoots ( ( Pyramide du Louvre, Colonnes de Buren, Galerie Montpensier). It’s very touristy but it’s really nice to spend an afternoon there.
Auber discrict ( Station Auber) is a great place to shop in the fast fashion store ( H&M, Zara, etc…) or luxury brands in Galerie Lafayette (40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris).

I’m beyond grateful to have met these amazing women in addition to everyone else and will be sure to continuously update this post with their recommendations.

If you’ve been to any of these places or have recommendations of what to do in Paris, PLEASE drop them in the comments below. I promise people other than me can benefit from it.