Paris, France

By Ashley Rudolph

How to spend a weekend in paris

If you read my Iceland post, you know that I spent a few days in Iceland and Paris for my friend Winy's birthday. I've always loved France but have had mixed feelings about Paris (gasp!), so I was excited to spend a few days rediscovering the city. After doing a bit of research, I knew that I wanted to stay in the Le Marais (at Hotel de Jobo - highly recommend), get lost in at least two museums (I made it to three!), and eat (and drink) well. I hope none of this is surprising. Here are my tips for getting the most out of a weekend in Paris!

Explore a few Museums

If you've read my other posts, you know that I LOVE a good museum. I was excited about dedicating a full day to museum hopping in Paris. My favorite was the Musée d'Orsay but I also enjoyed the Picasso Museum, Centre Pompidou, and made a point to walk past the Louvre (I had already been a few times before).

Musée d'Orsay - I died and went to heaven here. I came for the art, but had no idea that I'd fall in love with the layout and architecture of the museum. I loved walking up and down each corridor and popping in and out of each room on both sides of the museum. Musée d'Orsay easily made its way onto my list of favorite museums in the world.
Picasso Museum - Since I was hell bent on getting to know Le Marais, I knew I had to make a stop at the Picasso Museum. I spent a few hours here exploring each floor of the museum. Unfortunately, one of the floors was closed for rehanging, so I have to go back :)
Centre Pompidou - I always make a point to visit Modern art museums whenever I travel, so Centre Pompidou was one of the first stops on my to do list. The architecture is part of the attraction, you'll want to see the "inside out" facade. If you go to Centre Pompidou, here's a pro-tip: don't stand in line to get in at the main entrance, find the Library entrance on Rue Beaubourg. I entered here and was in the museum in less than 5 minutes on a Saturday afternoon, while people in line at the main entrance had an incredibly long wait! While I liked making my way through each exhibit, my favorite part of the museum was Restaurant Georges. The restaurant had an AMAZING view of the city and a great wine list.

Spend time in le Marais

Le Marais felt like a neighborhood that I could live in, I can't lie - Le Marais made me want to move to Paris (or....just straight up miss my flight back to NYC). Here's what I loved:

Staying at Hotel de Jobo - What's not to love about a hotel inspired by Josephine Bonaparte? My favorite things about HDJ were the service (the staff was incredibly friendly), the hotel bar, and the decor in each room. Each floor had a different theme based on themes in Josephine Bonaparte's life.
Shopping at Merci - This shop steals your heart as soon as you enter the courtyard. A bright yellow buggy greeted me when I entered and I couldn't help but stop and take a photo. When you enter the store, it's hard to not buy at least one thing. I'm obsessed with home accessories and jewelry right now, so I picked up a few items for myself but also loved their outerwear and hat selection. A stop at Merci is a must.
Walking (and shopping) rue des Rosiers, rue des Francs-Bourgeois, and rue du Temple - I didn't plan on shopping a ton in Paris but I loved walking past (and popping into) all the boutiques in Le Marais.
Seeing the courtyard at Archives Nationales - I stopped by Archives Nationales on my way to Derriere. The courtyard stopped me in my tracks, I just had to stop and admire the rows of perfectly landscaped shrubs and wall art.
See Place des Vosges - No visit to Le Marais, is complete without a stop at Place des Vosges, especially when it's warm out. It was a bit cold during my trip but I would have loved to spend time people watching while sitting outside at Carette.
Walk to the 7th arrondissement - I'm cheating here, since this isn't really about Le Marais at all but I loved walking from my hotel in the 4th to the 7th arrondissement. I stopped at Pont Neuf, the Louvre, marveled at the Eiffel Tower in the distance, and walked along the river Seine.

Eat well

If you don't have good food and wine while you're in Paris, you're doing it wrong. Just start over and try again. I ate so well in Paris, that I only took photos of ONE of my meals. Here are a few of my favorite spots and a handful of places that I would have liked to try but just couldn't squeeze in:

Derrière - this place feels like you're hanging out at someone's home. I had the lunch menu of the day with an entree (a starter), a main, and a glass of wine. If you go here, take a trip upstairs. The mirrored bureau (pictured below) is actually a secret doorway into a private room!
Carette - I came here two days in a row for macarons. It was less than 5 minutes from my hotel, I just couldn't resist.
Ellsworth - Two words: fried chicken. Not only is Ellsworth a super cute venue, the food is incredible. I loved the brussels sprouts, the fried chicken, and my glass of wine that was the perfect pairing for each. Its close to the Tuileries Garden, so when the weather's nice make a pitstop there before or after you eat at Ellsworth.
Bespoke - I loved the cocktails at Bespoke. They have a great happy hour (for Paris standards), it's worth sampling a few of the cocktails on the menu. I also heard that they have a great brunch!
Drinks at Hotel de Jobo - I'm kind of cheating with this one, but I really did love the bar at my hotel. They have a great wine and champagne list (Ruinart, anyone?) and the vibe is just right.
Here are a few places that I wanted to go to but didn't get a chance to: Monsieur Bleu (go here for chic views of the Eiffel Tower and awesome decor), Mary Celeste (a popular spot in Le Marais), and Frenchie (one of the best meals you'll have in Paris).