Stay At An Airy Parisian Airbnb Filled With Art

There’s something that just feels different about international travel. After going without for awhile I get this nagging desire to be dropped into the unfamiliar - with foreign sounds, sights and newness all around. When it was time to pick our next big trip one place rose to the top: Paris, France. I went once before on a solo trip for five days almost eight years ago, whereas my partner has visited upwards of eight singular times. The nice thing about Paris is I liken it to my time living in New York where days consist of getting coffee in the morning (insert croissant count here), going to a museum, having a leisurely lunch, strolling through the park, eating a late dinner and if you’re feeling up for it having a few more drinks back at said cafe to call it a night. 

It’s always important to me to pick a place to stay that has character that reflects the destination we’re in so I was very excited about the first Airbnb I found with a fireplace, creaky herringbone floors and a terrace that overlooked the latest current event and France’s seemingly national sport: the protests. The Airbnb was located in Le Marais (the 3rd Arrondissement) which was incredibly lovely and full of cute shops and restaurants to stroll by. For the second part of the trip we stayed in an Airbnb in another neighborhood that was a little more central, but Le Marais is my preference on the Right Bank.

Where We Eat & Drink

Restaurants

Bambino: This was our first stop the evening after our overnight flight and it was probably our favorite of the whole trip. Just a few blocks away from our Airbnb Bambino is inspired by jazz cafes from Tokyo (as evident by the record decor behind the bar). We had some great small plates for dinner and a twist on a negroni with a dash of chocolate. We actually ended up sitting next to another couple from San Francisco but everyone else in the restaurant was young, hip and French. 

Carboni’s: Leave it to me to be eating Italian food in France, but there were a number of places we went that did it well, including Carboni’s. The warmth of the leather banquettes, marble tables and rustic mirror complemented our handmade cacio e pepe and tortellini. We didn’t get a chance to check out the downstairs Bar Sotto but wish we could’ve jammed on their jukebox. 

Le Mary Celeste: A fresh and fun spot for seafood. We went for brunch and enjoyed the oysters and a spritz. 

Le Progrès: A great neighborhood cafe that we stopped at a few times for daytime drinks and once again for a last glass of wine outside.  

Le Charlot: A no frills cafe that served as our first croque madame and steak tartare of the trip. It’s exactly what you need at the moment you need it. 

Hotel Costes: We had an open night for dinner and snagged a reservation here (you can only place them by phone the day of). It’s a fashion crowd kind of place, with actual models as your waitresses. While definitely more sceney than some prefer (ahem like my boyfriend), I thought it was fun feeling a little fancy. I also loved traipsing around the hotel common spaces (ok fine I got a little lost trying to find the bathroom) with its lush red velvet chairs to lounge in by candlelight. 

Laperouse: While I am not a huge fan of classic French food it’s a requirement to have when in Paris and Laperouse delivered. This historic house is over 250 years old and is filled with tapestries, texture and floral accents. We had the duck foie gras and the sole meunière (though we debated getting the Beef Wellington that was served to Sir Winston Churchill in 1940). At the end of our meal we heard piano playing drifting down from the top floor so the pro tip is to have dinner around 10pm to enjoy the show! 

Parcelles: Again on my never ending pursuit of Italian in Paris we loved Parcelles. It’s a stylish little bistro and bar where the gnocchi in butter, cream and fried sage was the popular lunchtime pick. We paired it with a nice orange wine before leaving for the Lourve. 

Deviant: We saved the most interesting meal for last - in a good way! It was the most inventive food we had in Paris. Most notably we tried the fried duck hearts and washed it down with natural wine.