Ah, Paris. Always a good idea, especially when it’s the setting for an epic girls weekend. Between the warm weather, incredible food, sightseeing and a few surprise encounters, the magic of Paris made this trip memorable. Here are my tips and recommendations on how to spend a girls weekend in Paris.
Where To Stay
I absolutely adore Hotel Le Bellechasse in St. Germain. Decorated by Christian Lacroix, the hotel is in a fantastic location blocks from Musée d’Orsay. The hotel only has 33 guest rooms, free wi-fi and the service is great.
The Double Rooms (Discovery) are gorgeously designed, but on the small side (see photo below). Think double bed and not a huge amount of space around. If you prefer more space, go for an upgraded room. We spent one night in a discovery room on this past trip and the rest in the Double Privilege room.
One more pro tip? When booking boutique hotels, I always go through Hotels.com. I like their simple rewards program, which allows you to get a free hotel night after 10 bookings. The price of your free night is the average of your ten nights booked. Simple, easy, useful!
What To See & Do
As we had both been to Paris many times before, we didn’t have a rigid sightseeing itinerary for this trip. The weather was amazing and sunny, so we decided to walk as much as humanly possible and selected neighborhoods that would be fun to explore. Here’s what we saw.
Notre Dame de Paris
The Eiffel Tower
Gorgeous architecture
Picking fruit at the markets
The Seine at night.
An Unexpected Discovery – Dîner en Blanc
We had one of those, “when in Paris” moments when my friend and I bumped into one of her friends at a cafe. He informed us that the famed Dîner en Blanc was happening – this evening. While his table was full, we were invited to come join after dinner – en blanc, of course. We immediately hopped off to Zara and H&M to find the chic whites needed.
It was magical. We arrived just as people were standing on chairs, sparklers in hand, singing the French National Anthem. I got chills. It just goes to show, when traveling you need to be ready to embrace these moments as they come. Who knows, they could be once-in-a-lifetime type opportunities!
Eating & Drinking
There was so much wonderful food consumed on this trip. Here are the highlights.
With its proximity to our hotel, we had a few meals at Le Saint Germain. While you always hear people saying that you should keep trying new places, I disagree. If you find somewhere that you enjoy, why not go more than once? Who knows when you’ll be back? The above photo is of a goats cheese and prosciutto.
Another memorable lunch was at Bistrot Paul Bert. While it’s not in a touristy neighborhood, it is worth the trip. We opted for a pre fixe lunch and it was divine. I had a starter with clams and bok choy and a white fish main with vibrant, fresh local vegetables.
Carette Another great spot for casual and classic French cuisine (breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks) is Carette in the Trocadero area. We stopped here for coffee, tea and desserts before walking across the street to the Eiffel Tower observation deck.
Carette has some nice ‘package deals’ for coffee + cake. Also do not forget to bring some of their legendary macaroons home with you. They are worth it!
Chez l’Ami Jean
Last, but certainly not least, we ended our girls weekend with the meal to end all meals at l’Ami Jean. Located on a quiet street near the Eiffel Tower, the restaurant has both a la carte and tasting menu options. It is also incredibly friendly to those who do not speak French well (re: everyone speaks English!). The service was warm, friendly and truly rounded out the experience.
As this is one of my friends favorite places in Paris, we splurged on the tasting menu. Priced at 78 Euros per person, it may seem like a lot, but look at all the divine food we tasted. I (happily) could not eat for most of the next day.
As if that wasn’t a lovely enough experience, the chef leaves all diners with a brochure containing all his recommended restaurants in Paris. It’s also on the website for your Parisian dining pleasure!
For more of my Paris travel adventures, click here.