This trip to Paris was planned on a whim, literally 7 days before I left. My best friend happened to be traveling to Paris for work, during fashion week, and had a long weekend free. I mentioned it to my husband and within an hour he had a flight booked for me; I guess he was ready to get rid of me.

With a 9 month old at home, work, and an all together hectic schedule, this was not a trip where I had every detail/outfit/meal mapped out and planned. Usually, I have a full itinerary and I fully vet every restaurant. This trip was a nice change of pace. The sole purpose of my latest trip to Paris was to eat amazing food, drink fabulous wine, and shop. So, if you are looking for a tourist’s guide to Paris, do not read any further.

Where to stay

I have always stayed on the Left Bank of Paris in my previous trips, but this time we stayed in the 9^th arrondissement on the Right Bank at Hotel de NELL. For your first trip to Paris, I would stay in the 5^th or 6^th, but if it is your third or fourth trip, try something new! It was really fun to explore a new area of Paris and Hotel de NELL is beautiful!

My very favorite area of Paris is St. Germain de Pres. It has amazing shopping, amazing food, and you can walk to just about anything in Paris. Whenever we take a big trip, we like to pick out a piece of artwork during our travels. I love having little pieces of the world up on our walls at home. St Germain de Pres is historically the artist’s hub in Paris. You cannot walk a block without stumbling upon a fabulous gallery. Another plus, my very favorite Parisian café is in the 6^th, Café de Flore. It is always my first stop.

Our favorite hotel in the 6^th is Hotel Madison. Fun fact, we stayed there on our honeymoon and BB is named Blake Madison after both our alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Madison and our honeymoon hotel.

What to eat and drink

Paris is flooded with amazing restaurants. It is hard to go wrong. Some of my favorites from this trip:

Café de Flore: Quintessential Parisian café. The perfect first stop to sit outside and people watch

L’Avenue: Another delicious Paris staple. This was our first meal in Paris for our honeymoon. It has a heated patio, so you can sit outside, rain or shine.

Café Constant: A Michelin star we stumbled upon on our honeymoon. Went back this trip and it was just as amazing. Bonus, the Eiffel tower is a couple blocks away.

Dave’s: Hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. There is no menu and Dave takes everyone’s order personally. He will ask what you like and don’t like, then create a menu for you. Highly recommend!

Holybelly: The best brunch I have ever had in Paris.

Fragments: It is the perfect place to start your day with the most amazing avocado toast! And great shopping is just around the corner.

Hotel Coste: This hotel is steps from the Louvre and has a great lounge and bar area. And, it is the place to see and be seen. It is the perfect stop to enjoy a post-dinner glass of champagne.

Laduree: Macarons, obviously.

Where to shop

This trip we spent all of our time either eating or shopping. Personally, my favorite place to shop is St. Germain de Pres. You can find boutiques, vintage shops and most of the high end shops scattered throughout the 6^th. Marais also has great shopping and a totally different vibe than the rest of Paris. If you are strictly interested in high end shopping, Avenue Montaigne is the place to be.

Picnic at the Eiffel Tower

Whether it is my first, second, or thirtieth time to Paris, I don’t think the Eiffel Tower will ever get old. But, the tourists and lines nearby can be a pain. This trip, we packed a picnic and people watched on the Right Bank of the river with a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower. After a couple days of hardcore shopping, it was nice to relax and enjoy the view. Paris, you are and always will be fabulous. I will see you again soon!