Paris in February

It might come as a surprise that February is my favorite month to visit Paris. Most of the restaurants and cafes are filled with locals, and it’s one of the few places that is just as beautiful in winter as it is in summer - in fact the bare branches just make it easier to see the city’s beautiful architecture. Memories of my February 2020 trip to Paris satisfied my wanderlust throughout the early days of the pandemic so when Sarah suggested we return this year I jumped at the chance.

If you live on the east coast, it’s surprisingly easy to head to Paris for a long weekend, and that’s just what we did. Enjoying a fun-filled 3 days of antiquing and museums, gorgeous food and long walks as well as visiting a few ateliers in search of a wedding dress for Sarah’s “sequel” wedding this summer. (Such fun!) Here are few highlights from our trip:

TO STAY

Hotel duc de Saint Simon - This Pierre Frey-festooned boutique hotel is centrally located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and very affordable. I love the richly patterned guest rooms and Moroccan-inspired breakfast room downstairs. Sarah grew up staying here with her grandmother and I’m so glad she introduced me to this hidden gem, it’s like a smaller scale La Mirande in the city. (Dedicated blog post from our last 2020 trip here.)

TO EAT

Brasserie Thoumieux - Our friend Clemence joined us for two nights and made a reservation for this newly renovated Brasseire our first night in town. We settled into a late seating at this iconic Left Bank landmark (dating back to 1923) and enjoyed live piano while tucking into a traditional frisée aux lardons and profiteroles.

Cravan - I usually find cocktails in Paris rather disappointing but Craven was marvelous and well worth the short cab ride out to the 16 Arrondissement. Situated on a quiet residential street the Art Nouveau space only has seating for 15 which means you’ll likely get to spend time with the gregarious owner and mixologist Franck Audoux. Given it’s small size I recommend calling ahead as this old-world bar is not to be missed - and if you can’t make it to Paris you can create many of his cocktails at home with his book which I bought as a gift for David.

Coco - A chic setting for the bon vivant, Coco shares an address with the Palais Garnier offering a glamorous weekend brunch and wild dinners with dancing at night.

Chez Pierrot - A warm and welcoming hole in the wall in the filled with locals lingering over a long lunch we stopped here after visiting D. Porthault. Beautiful homey food.

Carette - Always a bit of a scene but Sarah and I love the Croque Monseiurs here. We’ve been to the one in Place des Vosges (my preferred) and the Trocadéro location which is the best place for viewing the Eiffel Tower.

TO DO

Hôtel de la Marine - Hôtel de la Marine is an iconic monument on Place de la Concorde and a fine architectural ensemble that Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the king’s chief architect, made in the 18th century. Until 1798, it housed the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, before becoming the headquarters of France’s navy ministry for over 200 years. You can tour the beautiful halls with a headset that automatically speaks to the features right in front of you as you move through the gilded halls - as if you had a personal guide whispering the building’s secrets in your ears.

Les Puces - the explosion of online shopping and access to boutiques from around the world at the click of a button has changed how I view shopping in Paris. Now more than ever I skip the well known brands and look forward to finding truly one-of-a-kind treasures by scooping up antiques and vintage finds on my visits. Les Puces is always a must for any weekend in Paris and we spent the whole day in the Marché Paul Bert section. I picked up a 1970's malachite and onyx bee pin from Stephanie Corvez, a trio of Jacobean floral engravings, a 1930's silver ice bucket with little stars in the bottom at and a fabulous vintage Saint Laurent paisley blouse from Les Merveilles de Babellou. Make sure you stop by cafe Le Paul Bert while at the market for a chocolat chaud - the best I've ever had!

Long walks - Always a favorite pastime for this shutterbug we clocked 16,000 steps almost every day - the perfect way to burn off a big breakfast to make room for lunch!