10 DELICIOUS DESSERTS YOU MUST TRY IN PARIS

Deciding which desserts to try when you're in Paris is not going to be easy, especially when you walk into a bakery or cafe and everything looks and smells absolutely amazing. There is a never-ending amount of desserts available for you to try in Paris, but I’ve gathered up a small list of all the sweet treats that I personally tried while visiting. I’ve also provided a few cafes and bakery where you can find some of the best pastries in the city.

Crème Brûlée

This is a traditional dessert that consists of egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla, with toffee crust. 

I thought I’ve had good crème brûlée in the United States, but it honestly doesn’t compare to eating one at an authentic Parisian restaurant. The smooth texture of the creamy egg custard topped with the burning glazed sugar is the perfect combination. If you’ve never had crème brûlée I would personally compare it to flan, expect the caramel is blow torched.

This dessert is a classic so it’s found in most restaurants and cafes, but here are a few establishments that have some of the best crème brûlée in the city.

Le Petit Cler, 29 Rue Cler - If you are traveling on a budget but still want to have a high quality experience then I suggest coming here to try their crème brûlée for 7,5 €. This restaurant is quite popular to tourists and locals so it doesn’t hurt to make a reservation ahead of time.

Sacrée Fleur, 50 Rue de Clignancourt - If you are looking for one of the best crème brûlées in Paris that is not only delicious but also has a large portion for only 9 €, then this is the place for you! I advise you to make a reservation since it is very popular.

La Fontaine de Mars, 129 Rue Saint-Dominique - They serve a traditional french cuisine, although this restaurant is more high-end than other restaurants it’s worth visiting at the very least for their crème brûlée for 12 €.

Croissants

Can you name a more delicious smell than a store full of fresh croissants? These flaky, crescent-shaped pastries are best made with slightly sweet dough and pair perfectly with savory and sweet toppings.

Croissants are relatively cheap throughout the city but here are some of the best bakeries that have all sorts of pastries along with croissants.

Gontran Cherrier, 22 Rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris, France - Their croissants are 1 €, kouign aman for 1€ and baguettes for 2€. Their desserts are roughly 3€ a piece. If on a time crunch if you are looking for a light lunch or an affordable price this cafe has sandwiches, paninis, quiches and salads for roughly 4.50-12€ that are ready for carry-out.

La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac - Paul Bert, 24 Rue Paul Bert - La Pâtisserie Cyril Ligna is the perfect median between costly and cheap desserts. They have a few high-end items and beautiful cakes but they also have affordable items for a quick breakfast such as chausson aux pommes (french apple turnovers) for 2.20€, Kouign Amann (croissant and muffin hybrid) for 2€ and croissants and chocolatines for 1.40€.

Du Pain et des Idées, 34 Rue Yves Toudic - You can find all sorts of sweets here for great prices, such as eclairs 2.80€, tarts 3.50€, and croissants 1.7€. This cafe does have limited seating but if it’s a beautiful day I suggest ordering to-go and enjoying the view at the river just east of here. There is plenty of benches and trash cans available by the river.

Pain au Chocolat

Also known as chocolatine in southern France, or chocolate croissants in the United States this sweet roll consists of puff pastry with a few pieces of chocolate or chocolate ganache in the center. You can find this chocolatey treat in all the previous cafes I have recommended but here are a few more that are worth detouring to pick these up!

Miss Manon, Rue Saint-Antoine - This is honestly a great bakery, you’ll find all sorts of delicious baked goods such as Pain au Chocolat and croissants for roughly 3€. As well as lunch items like savory baguette sandwiches and colorful sweet treats such as tarts and eclairs are 4.50€.

Des Gâteaux et du Pain Saint Germain , Rue du Bac - This bakery looks like a museum or an art gallery, everything is very nicely organized. Although it looks very nice it’s actually very affordable, their Pain au Chocolats are 2 €, croissants are 1.60 €, and pan perdu (a french toast type of pastry) 2.60 €. They have some unique pastries here, it’s worth picking up a few treats here.

Crêpes

 Crêpes are a type of very thin pancakes typically served sweet but can be savory. They’re made from flour, eggs, milk, and butter, once a thin batter they’re poured into a pan and fried.

Crêperie Little Breizh, Rue Grégoire de Tours - If you are looking for a plain and simple sugar crepe you can find them here for 3€. If you are looking for really sweet crêpes you’ll find that they have a whole menu dedicated to sweet crêpes. Some of the sweet options they have are apples with brown sugar served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate with vanilla ice cream and Nutella drizzled with fruit for roughly 7.50 €. They have plenty of savory options that contain ingredients such as cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, eggs and spices for roughly 9-12€.

Crêperie Brocéliande, Rue des Trois Frères - This crêperie also has some great prices, you can get a butter and sugar for crêpe for 3.50 €. For more intense crêpes with more toppings priced at 9 €.

Pain aux Raisins

Pain aux raisins is a spiral pastry made with sweet dough, raisins and vanilla pastry cream.

Du Pain et des Idées, 34 Rue Yves Toudic - Pain aux raisins are a huge hit at Du Pain et des Idées, they’re priced at 3.60€. I mentioned this cafe earlier as a place to grab croissants, but while you’re there I highly recommend getting a pain aux raisin as well. They have a few different flavors as well, such as blueberry and pistachio.

French Macaroons

French macaroon are sweet meringue-based cookies that are made from egg whites, icing sugar, and food coloring with different creamed fillings. The filling in the middle is light while still crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle.

Sadaharu Aoki, 35 boulevard Haussmann - Here you’ll find unique flavors that you would never think of having in a macaroon such as wasabi, bamboo, and rose. They have a lot of matcha flavored pastries and I mean a whole lot, so if you’re a matcha fan this is definitely the place for you. You can purchase macaroons individually for 1.50 €  each or you can purchase a box of 16 for 24€  or 8 for 12€ . 

Jean-Paul Hévin Paris Vendôme Store, côté cour, 231 Rue Saint-Honoré - This chocolatier store is chocolate based so all the pastries you find have delicious chocolate in them or you can even purchase chocolate per gram. As for the macaroons you can choose between 5 pieces for 8.20 €, 10 for 15.90€, or 15 for 24.30€. This chocolatier has some delicious flavors such as crème brûlée, chocolate coffee, and chocolate raspberry.

Éclairs

An éclair is a long pastry with a crispy outside and a soft doughy inside, filled with a cream and topped with chocolate or vanilla icing.

Stohrer, Rue Montorgueil - Here you’ll find a great assortment of pastries, breads, salads, and sandwiches, but their éclairs are to die for! Depending on the éclair the prices vary from 4-6€.

Fun Fact: Stohrer, is the oldest patisserie in Paris, it was founded in 1730 by King Louis XV's pastry chef, Nicolas Stohrer. The interior of this patisserie is breath-taking, you can really see the history by how it’s decorated.

Carette, 4 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre - This cafe is a the perfect balance between elegant dining and affordable pâtisserie. Decently large pastries are 3€, the éclairs themselves are 4.50€ with a large variety of flavors to choose from.

Madeleines

These are buttery cookies with the consistency of a sponge cake are slightly browned and crispy.

Ble Sucre, Rue Antoine Vollon - The Madeleines here are absolutely delicious I highly recommend visiting this bakery at least once. You can purchase a 4 pack of Madeleines here for 3.50€. You can also find ginormous madeleines here for roughly 45 €, they’re about the size of a loaf of bread. You can also get some of the best hot chocolate here! Chocolat viennois (iced) for 4.50 €, or Chocolat chacun (hot) for 4.00 €.

Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal, Rue Ravignan - They’re sold individually, priced at 1.60€ for a plain butter flavored Madeleines or 2€ for any other flavor. They have some fruity and savory flavors such as lemon, pistachio, and orange.

I highly suggest picking up a bag of Madeleines at the grocery store. French Madeleines Bonne Maman and St Michel Madeleines are a few brands that I found to be great quality. They are more buttery than the ones from a pâtisserie but they’re great to travel with, I grabbed a few bags to have in my luggage while traveling.

Tarte Normande

Norman tart is an apple tart made with shortcrust pastry filled with apples, sliced almonds and sugar, topped with creamy egg custard and baked until the topping is slightly caramelized. Tarte Normande apple tart is typically served with a scoop of french soured cream (crème fraîche) on the side, and is best served warm.

Boulangerie Pâtisserie Teillet, 66 Rue Monge - Located in the 5th arrondissement, here you’ll find delicious bread for roughly 90¢, crispy and flavorful sandwiches and a marvelous apple tart. This small bakery is definitely known for their apple tart, I highly suggest buying a full tart to take home and enjoy with your family. If you don’t have room for leftovers then grab a slice or two and enjoy it near the Roman amphitheatre (Arènes de Lutèce, 49 Rue Monge) just a small 3 minute walk.

Pastel de Nata

Pastel de nata is a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart that is fairly popular around the world. This delicious pastry consists of rolled puff pastry and egg yolks. It has a perfectly golden on the top, crispy on the bottom.

Comme à Lisbonne, Rue du Roi de Sicile - The only pastry sold here are the pastel de nata, you can pick some up for 2€ a piece. They have limited seating but you can order lunch here they have some wonderful sandwiches and salads, if there isn’t room for you to sit order to-go and enjoy the atmosphere at Joseph Migneret Garden, 10 Rue des Rosiers.

Use this pâtisserie breakdown before your next trip to Paris, and eat your way through Paris. If I missed one of your personal favorites please let me know in the comments to add for my next trip!

Enjoy this post? Pin it!

FRENCH RESTAURANT ETIQUETTE: HOW TO DINE LIKE THE FRENCH

Before traveling to France I thought I had read up on all the dining etiquette there was to know, while arriving I came to find out there was a few things that I had missed. Theres a lot of etiquette information online when it comes to dining in France, this post is focusing on the not so common information. Although some of these are common sense, a quick refresher never hurt nobody, so with that being said let’s get start!

Le Saint Jean - 23 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris, France

KNOW THE DINING HOURS

In the United States you can go to most restaurants and order what ever you’re in the mood for whether you’re craving a hot plate of pancakes for dinner or a savory sandwich for breakfast but in France you’ll come to learn they have specific mealtimes.

If you are looking at dining in a restaurant for lunch, plan to do so between the hours of 12pm and 2:00 pm, if you arrive after 2:00pm you might be turned away. This is more so for sit-down restaurants, their kitchen will be closed and you’ll have to come back during their dinner hours of 7:30pm to 11 p.m.

In between the hours of 2:00pm and 7:30pm I suggest going to a cafe to enjoy a beverage and or perhaps grabbing a snack such as pastries, baguettes, or fruit in the meantime.

KNOW THE TYPES OF FRENCH DINING ESTABLISHMENTS

Restaurants - When it comes to dining it’s the top tier of dining establishments, it’s usually more expensive and formal. Dinner hours consist of 7:30pm to 11 p.m.

Brasserie - A brasserie is a combination of a bar with a restaurant, usually they are constantly open. This is the perfect place to go for some beer and appetizers. The word brasserie is also French for "brewery" so here you’ll find small single dishes such as oysters, soup, and sandwiches.

Bistro/Bistrot - A bistro is a small, informal, neighborhood restaurant with simple food, usually with a single owner. They are open at set times, approximately from 12PM to 2 or 2:30PM for lunch and 7:30PM to 10:30 or 11PM for dinner and most of the time closed either Sunday or Monday.

Café - This is probably the most common eating establishment, it mainly serves beverages including coffee, tea, wine, and cocktails. Cafe's are open all day and night serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the same menu is served throughout the day. Most cafes have outdoor terraces which open all year round with heat lamps in winter.

French restaurants are very similar to American restaurants in a few ways, you’ll see their menu posted on the window or there will be a menu on a stand before entering the restaurant.

This will give you the chance to briefly look through the menu if you have any dietary restrictions or if you happen to be on a budget it’ll give you a chance to browse through the prices.

PRICE DIFFERENCE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU SIT

There is a price difference when it comes to sidewalk cafes. A lot of places show the different prices for bar, table and terrace. For example, a basic espresso which costs 1€ at the bar can cost about 2.50€ at a table outside. It’s not a huge difference but for some sunshine and fresh air on a beautiful day it just might be worth it! Also, if you buy or pay for a drink at the bar while waiting for a table outside to open up, then go sit down outside, the staff will notice and they may give you an extra check.

THINGS TO KNOW ONCE YOU SIT

When it comes to dining out, you’ll notice that tables are pushed fairly close together. I personally prefer to sit further apart but this didn’t prevent me from having an equally enjoyable dinner. Before traveling to France I did quite a bit of research and I have to just mention,

If you find seating in a sidewalk cafe, just seat yourself and a waiter will come take your order or tell you otherwise. Of course, if there is a reserved sign on the table it’s best not to sit there or you will immediately be asked to move.

When sitting yourself, if you happen to have a larger group dining together it’s rude to move chairs around it’s just best to ask your server or waiter to assist you in getting a table big enough to hold your group. I know it might seem like common sense but thought I’d add it to this list just as a reminder.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU SIT DOWN

When you are seated it’s normal to not receive a basket of bread right as you sit down, instead you’ll receive a basket of bread once your meal is served. Also, you won’t get a dish of butter to accompanying that bread basket as you would in the United States. The bread you receive, if any, is to help you enjoy your meal by pushing the food onto your fork.

Expect portions to be a lot smaller in France than they are in the United States, which is why sharing dishes is looked down upon sure you might want to split a dish to save a few dollars here and there but you really shouldn’t, most restaurants won’t allow it.

In the United States it might be a common thing to get free refills on soda, coffee, or juice but that’s just not the case in France. Although you can get free refills on tap water.

HOW AND WHEN TO TIP

There isn’t a set way of tipping but I suggest tipping between €1 and €5 at casual eateries such as cafes, bistros and sit down bakeries. At fancier restaurants, a 5 to 10 percent tip is appreciated although make sure to look for a service charge on your bill since most restaurants do automatically place a 15 percent service charge. But it’s up to you if you want to leave a tip after that, generally 5 and 10 percent is considered a generous amount or a euro or two per person dining.

If dining at more formal restaurants, tip restroom attendants and coat-check personnel up to €1. If you’re having drinks at the bar tipping bartenders €1 per round is standard.

Now that you’ve learned all about the dining etiquette go find the most delicious restaurants in France and put your skills to the test! Bon appétit!

Do you have a French dining etiquette tip to add? Please share in the comments below! 

Enjoy this post? Pin it!

THE FIRST-TIMER'S FOOD GUIDE TO MONTMARTRE, PARIS

When it comes to planning a trip, if you’re anything like me, you want to have a list of restaurants that are near a certain location and that are good quality. Which is why I put together this list of restaurants in the Montmartre neighborhood so you can focus on exploring and sightseeing.

Before getting into some awesome cafes and restaurants I’d advise you to take the time to read through my post of French Restaurant Etiquette, it’ll help you out when it comes to ordering at certain locations.

Le Consulat, 18 Rue Norvins - I think this restaurant is probably one of the most photographed restaurant/cafe on Instagram, and for good reason too. It’s beautiful on the inside and out, you’ll want to wake up extra early to photograph this restaurant since it’s located in the center of Place du Tertre Plaza. The atmosphere here is amazing, it’s your typical Paris cafe with relaxing seating, plus you might get lucky and there will be a musician playing nearby.

Restaurant Le Poulbot, 3 Rue Poulbot -   This beautiful little restaurant will really transport you to what Montmartre must have looked like back in the early 1600’s. The decoration and the small village ambiance is just worth experiencing. If you are short on time, make a pit stop here for at least dessert, their crème brûlée is to die for and pair it with a warm hot chocolate. 

La Bonne Franquette, 18 Rue Saint-Rustique - This charming green building with vintage features isn’t just pleasing to look at, this restaurant is more high-end then other restaurants that I have recommended. This 16th-century house is located in the center of Place du Tertre.

Fun fact: Vincent Van Gogh, who lived with his brother Theo in Montmartre at ,54 Rue Lepic just a 5 minute walk away, painted his famous painting "La Guinguette" here in 1886.

La Maison Rose, Rue de l'Abreuvoir - This instagrammable pastel pink restaurant serves delicious homemade teas and lemonades. I think this is a perfect place to relax, grab a drink and gather your thoughts before continuing on your itinerary.

This restaurant also happens to have a lot of interesting history behind it, the restaurant was first opened in 1908 and artists such as Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani used to come to the restaurant back in the day.

Le Saint Jean, 23 Rue des Abbesses - This cafe is a great place to stop for a quick coffee break or to grab a pastry as you continue sightseeing, it’s conveniently located down the street from the iconic Moulin Rouge. If you are looking for a more hearty lunch they do serve hamburgers and ham & cheese sandwiches.

La Galette des Moulins, 1 Rue Norvins - Just a 5 minute walk past Sacré-Cœur is this delicious bakery that I am completely obsessed with. If you are looking to grab breakfast before sightseeing or if you want to grab a snack before lunch this is the place to get a pastry! They also have sandwiches, everything is ready for carry-out. 

La Bossue, Rue Joseph de Maistre - If you are looking for a place to have Brunch at, I highly suggest La Bossue. Here you’ll find a variety of different pastries and delicious hot food. Try and make a reservation ahead of time since it does tend to fill up right away. If you don’t you might find yourself waiting in line for a while, but nonetheless it’s worth it.

Cafe du Mont Cenis, Rue Custine - Entrees starting at 6 euros with options such as escargots de bourgogne (snails) and french onion soup. They have bigger portions for 13 euros with options such as chicken breast with potatoes, flank steak with shallots, and burgers. 

Le Basilic, Rue Lepic - I personally think this restaurant has the best deal in the city, you get to pick an appetizer, a main dish AND a dessert for €15.90 You can see this menu before entering the restaurant. For an appetizer I recommend the mozzarella and pesto sandwich, for the main dish ravioli gratin, and for dessert the dark chocolate mousse. It might seem like a lot of food but portions are a lot smaller here than in the United States.

Tentazioni rue Lepic, 86 bis Rue Lepic - Located on the corner of Rue Tholozé this affordable Italian restaurant has some great choices such as penne arrabbiata for €7! 

Le Progrès, Rue des Trois Frères - This is one of the best restaurants to grab a seat in their terrace to enjoy the atmosphere outside. I would recommend coming here for brunch, which is served from noon till 4pm. Similar to Le Basilic, here you can pick a starter, a main dish, and a dessert for €18.50.

Enjoy this post? Pin it!

15 CHARMING PARIS STREETS YOU MUST VISIT

There’s a reason why it’s helpful to get lost in Paris, why you may ask? To find the most charming streets of course! If you are looking for the most charming streets in Paris, I got you covered!

In this post you’ll find the prettiest streets filled with pastel buildings, cobble-stoned streets, and nearby restaurants where you can dine with a view to further help you enjoy your visit.

6 Rue du Fouarre

Located in front of the oldest tree in Paris in Square René Viviani you’ll find this pastel pink building, not only is it a beautiful apartment building it’s also a souvenir shop downstairs. While you’re in the neighborhood make sure to take pictures of the numerous bridges located just north of here.

Rue de l'Abreuvoir

This cobble stone paved road is one of Paris’s most beautiful streets in my opinion. It has such a relaxing and homey atmosphere to it. Located in central Montmartre just north of Sacré-Cœur.

A few things that are less than a 2 minute walk are:

Carré Roland Dorgelès - It’s a beautiful place to take a peep at the vineyards and enjoy the atmosphere of the quiet street. Plus, the building itself is gorgeous, it looks very vintage, the orange building with green shades just give it a very antique look.

Musée de Montmartre - The Montmartre museum is just down the street, this museum holds a 17th-century house & garden and embraces  local history & culture. Admission to the museum is € 13. If you want to visit the gardens only admission is € 5.

La Maison Rose, Rue de l'Abreuvoir - This instagrammable pastel pink restaurant serves delicious homemade teas and lemonades. I think this is a perfect place to relax, grab a drink and gather your thoughts before continuing on your itinerary.

1 Rue Lamarck

Although this building is beautiful by itself, what if I told you there is an optical illusion to make this particular building look like it is sinking? Crazy huh? Read my post on how you too can get this gem of a photo!

Quick tip: if you are either making your way to Sacre Coeur from the metro or walking from Sacre Coeur to the metro I suggest giving yourself a little extra time to check out the souvenirs along Rue de Steinkerque. I personally like picking up postcards and magnets for friends and family, I found the stores located along Rue de Steinkerque have cheap and very nice items for sale.

rue du Chevalier-de-La-Barre

Along this road you’ll find numerous restaurants with plenty of sidewalk seating as well as souvenir stores. There are lots of vendors with postcards and t-shirts, it’s like a mini plaza its fairly crowded at times. So if you plan to take pictures I suggest arriving early before heading to Sacré-Cœur.

La Galette des Moulins, 1 Rue Norvins - Just a 5 minute walk past Sacré-Cœur is this delicious bakery that I am completely obsessed with. If you are looking to grab breakfast before sightseeing or if you want to grab a snack before lunch this is the place to get a pastry! They also have sandwiches, everything is ready for carry-out.

Rue Caulaincourt

The picture above is located right in front of the Lamarck - Caulaincourt metro station. The vintage metro station entrance really gives this neighborhood a unique feel, especially in the evening when the sun is going down and the lights are lit up.

Just down the road there’s a restaurant you can stop for lunch while still staying on budget.

Cafe du Mont Cenis, Rue Custine - Entrees starting at 6 euros with options such as escargots de bourgogne (snails) and french onion soup. They have bigger portions for 13 euros with options such as chicken breast with potatoes, flank steak with shallots, and burgers.

Rue Tholozé

This is one of the best downhill views I have seen in Paris. It’s coming downhill from Tentazioni rue Lepic and Le Moulin Blute-Fin.

Tentazioni rue Lepic, 86 bis Rue Lepic - Located on the corner of Rue Tholozé this affordable Italian restaurant has some great choices such as penne arrabbiata for €7!

Le Moulin Blute-Fin, 5 Hameau des artistes - This stunning windmill is an original structure has been standing since the 17th century. It was first built in 1622 and is still standing strong today, it’s crazy to think about how much the neighborhood surrounding the windmill has changed since 1622. It’s worth at least taking a quick peek and admiring it for a few minutes!

6 Rue Cadet

Not only is this a beautiful street to photograph but it’s also a busy street filled with restaurants and food stands. A few restaurants I suggest while walking along Rue Cadet are:

Le Petit Cadet, 9 Rue Cadet - Decently priced with a great variety of different foods. I suggest trying the French Beef Tartar, they also have charcuterie boards which I thought was interesting and worth trying out.

Artisan Boulanger M. Denis, 26 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre - If you happen to be in the neighborhood visiting this bakery is a MUST! I have not come across any other bakery where you can purchase bread for under 2 euros and pastries under 3 euros. This is a great bakery to stop by and pick up one of everything! They also have quiches for about 3 euros and they’re decent sized too, they’re about the size of full size plate!

Rue Norvins

If you happen to visit Rue Norvins make sure to make some time to photograph probably the most instagrammed cafe in Paris. I suggest getting there early to grab breakfast before the crowds roll in. If you find Le Consulat to be full, here are few other options:

La Bonne Franquette, 18 Rue Saint-Rustique - This charming green building with vintage features isn’t just pleasing to look at, this restaurant is more high-end then other restaurants that I have recommended. This 16th-century house is located in the center of Place du Tertre.

Fun fact: Vincent Van Gogh, who lived with his brother Theo in Montmartre at ,54 Rue Lepic just a 5 minute walk away, painted his famous painting "La Guinguette" here in 1886.

Restaurant Le Poulbot, 3 Rue Poulbot - This beautiful little restaurant will really transport you to what Montmartre must have looked like back in the early 1600’s. The decoration and the small village ambiance is just worth experiencing. If you are short on time, make a pit stop here for at least dessert, their crème brûlée is to die for and pair it with a warm hot chocolate.

Quai de la Tournelle

Located right next to Bistrot 65, Quai de la Tournelle this narrow street gives you such a relaxing and calming atmosphere while walking through it. After getting through the crowds at the Eiffel Tower we had an enjoyable stroll on our way to the Notre-Dame Cathedral from the Maubert - Mutualité metro station.

A few things that are near by that’s within a 5 minute walk:

Bridge of the Archbishopric, Pont de l'Archevêché - You know that icon bridge in Paris where everyone places a lock with their significant other? Well, that bridge is this bridge right here! Even though I don’t condone placing a lock it’s worth walking across to see the amount of locks places previously. Plus, you get an awesome view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Square Jean XXIII, 4 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II - If you are looking for a spot to sit down and relax for a few minutes this is a great place to take a seat and people watch. People watching, enjoying the view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral and Fontaine de la Vierge sounds pretty good to me!

One of the nearest restroom to this beautiful street is on at 19-21 Rue d'Arcole.

228 Rue de l'Université

This street tends to be pretty busy since it’s located right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and lots of tourists stop by before heading there. I definitely think it’s worth waiting out the crowds to get a nice clean picture, otherwise you stop by in the evening or early in the morning when it’s not too crowded.

If you feel hungry but aren’t too sure where to dine here are a few suggestions:

Pizza la Gourmandise, 28 Rue Augereau - I highly recommend grabbing pizza here, we ordered the campagnarde pizza and it was amazing! Next time I’m in Paris I would definitely go here again. Great pizza for a incredibly delicious pizza, take my word for it!

Cucina Eat, 65 Avenue de la Bourdonnais - This is a healthier restaurant with delicious choices made with fresh ingredients, they also have some great vegan options! A few things to try, the burrata salad, tagliatelle with truffle cream, and the penne arrabbiata.

If you choose to eat here, try and get a seat outdoor it’s definitely it for the view!

There is a nearby public restroom at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.

Charles de Gaulle Friedland

While visiting Charles de Gaulle Friedland make sure to keep an eye out for incoming traffic and to not get hit by incoming vehicles, be cautious since it is one of the world’s busiest roundabouts.

Since the Arc de Triomphe is located in the center of a roundabout making it easy to grab pictures of the monument in different angles. It’s one of Paris’s most iconic locations, but did you know the Arc de Triomphe has an observation deck? For £12 a person you can walk up roughly 180 steps to the top to get a spectacular view of the city.

Fun fact: The monument is dedicated to the armies of France by Napoleon after their victory in the Battle of Austerlitz.

Rue Crémieux

This has to be one of my top favorites, it reminds me of Notting Hill in London or the colorful streets of Lisbon, Portugal. This street is so beautiful and no longer a secret that it’s now recognized as a tourist attraction, so just like other attractions it’s best to visit early in the morning before people start to arrive or late in the evening before the sun sets.

Just a quick reminder, this is a residential area, so just remember people do live here. While visiting be courteous to their property, don’t be loud if visiting early in the morning. Along this road there are a lot of colorful doors and beautiful buildings but I couldn’t help but shake my head at people who like to grab on to the front doors to take pictures, just be respectful.

It’s conveniently located near metro station Gare de Lyon and Quai de la Rapée.

Rue de Madrid

The exact location for this iron bridge is 16 Rue de Madrid, it’s located in a one-way street and tends to be fairly empty.

Located just down the road from the Europe-Simone Veil metro station. I’m a huge fan of this metro station, this station is one of the few station that still have the vintage metropolitan sign. It’s located in a median with two buildings in the background, overall a great place to take some photos.

Rue du Haut Pavé

I could get an apartment in Paris, it definitely would be in this neighborhood! I love the pastel colored buildings, the atmosphere at the cafes, the art galleries and shops. If you have time to add in your itinerary I highly recommend sitting down in one of the restaurants or cafes in this neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. A few I recommend are:

Le Nul Part Ailleurs, 3 Rue du Haut Pavé - This is a great choice if you are looking for a breakfast or brunch place. A pretty neat feature I liked about this cafe was that they have a sunroom in the front of the cafe where you can enjoy the views of being outside while still remaining toasty inside.

A. Lacroix Pâtissier, 11 Quai de Montebello - This cafe is a bit more on the pricier side but it’s worth checking out. You know those pastries that are made to look like realistic fruits that we’ve seen on Instagram? Well, this is one of those restaurants, they serve some great pastries one of my favorites are the ain au chocolat (chocolate croissant €2). For lunch they have items such as salads, sandwiches and even quiches that are only €4 and are fairly large.

13 Rue Gît-le-Cœur

This street is tucked away with entrances to hotels and restaurants. It’s very narrow dead end so there won’t be much traffic through here, other than the occasional scooter. Overall, it’s a quiet and charming little street to take your time admiring the architecture.

Enjoy this post? Pin it!