Saint Germain Living like a local in this well-known and loved neighborhood was the best idea. We booked our Airbnb right in the heart of it all, and it was perfect. We were a block away from one of my favorite streets where we spent a lot of our time. I highly highly recommend using Airbnb in Paris. There are so many adorable places to stay– herringbone hardwood, quintessential Parisian windows, and all!
Rue Montorgueil A little street packed to the brim with restaurants, shops, and gelato. We grabbed pizza (spot listed below), and gelato from Amorino which is everywhere in Paris. It's certainly worth the line.
Café de Flore Our first stop when we arrived bright in early one morning was to Cafe de Flore. An infamous cafe where Hemmingway used to sit for hours writing, and people watching – was exactly what we wanted upon arrival. We had coffee and red wine (my kind of brunch), a cheese plate, and watched the world go by. This is one of the most famous cafe’s in Paris, so think it’s a great spot for that reason alone — it was definitely an experience that kicked off our trip perfectly.
Bianco Pizzeria A friend of ours recommended we check out this street in Paris (Rue Montorgueil), and we loved it. Similar to Saint Germain – it was bustling and beautiful. A pizza sign called our names, and we sat front row to people watch while we sipped delicious rosé on that warm Parisian day, and indulged in a margarita pizza. I highly recommend this spot.
Cafe Kitsuné We ended up going here twice because, 1) they offer takeaway coffee, which isn’t common and 2) very good Cafe con leche 3) it sits alongside a beautiful park and palace that was so lovely to walk around with our coffees, soak up some sun and the stunning setting.
Freddy’s This open front wine bar is located in a little alley in the streets of Saint Germain. The bar welcomes you with beautifully lit interiors, and as soon as we saw the wine pouring we stepped right in and made ourselves comfortable. We discovered that it had just recently opened. The owners also own a local bakery, cheese shop, and winery! So needless to say, I'd like to trade lives with them / everything was fabulous.
[/bscolumns][bscolumns class="one_half_last_clear"]Il Gelato del Marchese We were actually en route to another gelato spot when passing by this adorable place. The impeccable decor (drenched in whites, ivories, gold, and light gray hues), attention to every detail, and delicious flavors stopped us dead in our tracks and we paid the extra 5 Euros they ask for just to sit inside and enjoy our ice cream (Matt loved this.) I got pistachio (a theme during our trip/always).
Ralph’s Our favorite meal of the trip. We got all dressed up, went to Le Hibou (see below) for a bottle of rosé beforehand, and walked our way over to the Ralph Lauren restaurant. It was superb. The food, service, ambiance was beyond words — we enjoyed every minute. We got the crispy chicken (which was a special) with lemon, and a delicious side salad, the veggie burger (still dreaming of this), French fries, sautéed spinach, and one of the best red wines (Saint Emilion) we had on our trip. This is a must while in Paris.
Le Hibou This cafe was an easy favorite. The setting itself is worth spending time in. We went here for dinner and ordered the Pink Flamingo Rosé — (good choice Matty!) and enjoyed a 75-degree evening. I wanted to come back here before we left, but we ended up not having time. I feel like if I lived in Saint Germain, this would be my local spot. Also, it's right across the street from Il Gelato del Marchese – a great date night combo!
Picnic on the Seine River Honestly, these nights were some of my favorite memories. We'd grab bread, a bottle of wine, cheese and would walk down and sit by the river for a couple of hours. Watching the boats go by and the sunset was magic.
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