24 Heures à Paris

Take your time wandering the streets of the French capital and leave room for unexpected discoveries. In Paris, each arrondissement is a world of its own, with hidden gems in unspoilt neighbourhoods and picturesque petits cafés far away from the crowds. All right, let’s go.

08:15 BONJOUR AMOUR

While Paris wakes up, you turn over for a little longer beneath the crisp hotel sheets. In the first morning light, you catch your own reflection on the ceiling. The mirrored ceiling is a reference to Hôtel Amour’s seedy past and the raw character of the neighbourhood, just a stone’s throw from the Moulin Rouge. With a thick winter coat on and Gare de l’Est behind you, you walk along Boulevard de Magenta, passing commuters on their way to work, towards the first coffee of the day.

10:00 UN CAFÉ S’IL VOUS PLAÎT

The smell of freshly baked croissants and a steaming cup of coffee, what more do you need? The small but lovely Bonjour Jacob has something extra in store: reading material. In this bookshop-cum-coffee shop, un café effortlessly goes hand in hand with original magazines. Owners Hani and Aurélie are such lovers of print that they created their own independent magazine, Still. Further down the street, the boutique Macon&Lesquoy also catches the eye. Here, you can pick out a little souvenir for yourself that easily fits in your handbag.

08:15 BONJOUR AMOUR

While Paris wakes up, you turn over for a little longer beneath the crisp hotel sheets. In the first morning light, you catch your own reflection on the ceiling. The mirrored ceiling is a reference to Hôtel Amour’s seedy past and the raw character of the neighbourhood, just a stone’s throw from the Moulin Rouge. With a thick winter coat on and Gare de l’Est behind you, you walk along Boulevard de Magenta, passing commuters on their way to work, towards the first coffee of the day.

10:00 UN CAFÉ S’IL VOUS PLAÎT

The smell of freshly baked croissants and a steaming cup of coffee, what more do you need? The small but lovely Bonjour Jacob has something extra in store: reading material. In this bookshop-cum-coffee shop, un café effortlessly goes hand in hand with original magazines. Owners Hani and Aurélie are such lovers of print that they created their own independent magazine, Still. Further down the street, the boutique Macon&Lesquoy also catches the eye. Here, you can pick out a little souvenir for yourself that easily fits in your handbag.

12:45 BOOKS & BISTRO

Walking along the Canal Saint-Martin, the bright red façade of the Artazart bookshop immediately catches your eye. You don’t have to speak French to dive into the many art and photography books. Outside, in the winter afternoon sun, the calm along the quay is striking. Over one of the many iron footbridges, you cross the water in search of a classic bistro. Le Cornichon turns out to be just the place, serving steak frites on old-fashioned white plates. And yes, here it is definitely time for a glass of wine with lunch.

16:00 MUSEA & MODE

Rosy-cheeked from lunch, the pace automatically slows down. Dry and underground, you travel to Louvre - Rivoli, where you turn towards the modern art museum Bourse de Commerce. Late afternoon is the perfect time to discover the Pinault Collection. In the middle of the classical building, beneath the historic glass dome, you’ll find the ultra-modern Rotunda by architect Tadao Ando. Afterwards, walk via the chic Rue Saint-Honoré to the Brigitte Tanaka handbag store. The French-Japanese design duo transforms everyday objects into fashion accessories, such as transparent bags with embroidery inspired by old-fashioned plastic shopping bags.

Here, it is definitely time for a glass of wine with lunch.

TRAVEL STORIES BY SUMMUM

19:30 CITY LIGHTS & HIDDEN GEM

Winter evenings fall early. Around dinnertime, it is already pitch dark outside, allowing the streetlights to cast a romantic glow over the city. Candlelight flickers behind the windows of the many bistros, cafés and petits restaurants. It gives Paris a softer energy. Much less visible is Halo Paris, where food and fashion come together beneath the glass, pyramid-shaped roof. Behind a hidden wooden door in one of the fitting rooms, the restaurant awaits. The intimate cocktail bar and microclub Heclipse is hidden underground, with room for a select crowd who want to dance after dinner.

22:15 SIGHTS, SOUNDS & NATURAL WINE

Dimmed lights and soft tunes. Audiophiles end the evening in a true listening bar, where records are still played the old-fashioned way. At hifibar Bambino, you listen to one of the many records with a natural wine in hand. Owner Fabien Lombardi put together a cheerful selection of soul, jazz, funk and disco. Late into the evening, charcoal-grilled dishes come out of the wood-fired oven. To end the evening like a queen in France, one last oyster awaits at Le Collier de la Reine. Along illuminated boulevards, with the Seine flowing behind you, you walk back to your hotel. Bonne nuit!

5x Shopping tips

1. Plan your visit to Arrogant Verneuil carefully, as the design gallery run by owners Rozemarijn de Witte and Pierre Traversier – who live behind the shop when they’re not at their hotel, Los Enamorados, in Ibiza – is only open on Saturdays or by appointment. arrogant-paris.com

2. Merci Paris, on Boulevard Beaumarchais, was the first shop to, years
ago, successfully combine interior design and fashion under one roof as a concept store. Now there’s also Merci #2 on Rue Richelieu. merci-merci.com

3. Kiliwatch has been the place to be for vintage enthusiasts for 30 years now. You might just stumble across your new favourite second-hand find. kiliwatch.paris

4. The architecture of the reopened department store La Samaritaine alone is well worth a visit. Here you can shop for luxury brands amidst a wealth of Art Nouveau and Art Deco design elements.
samaritaine.com

5. In the heart of the bustling Le Marais shopping district, you’ll find the concept store The Broken Arm, offering high-end streetwear and the latest catwalk fashions. the-broken-arm.com

Sources

1. Amour Hôtels. (z.d.). [Patio van Hôtel Grand Amour] [Foto: Pion Photographie]. Bekijk afbeelding

2. Artazart. (2024). [Artazart boekhandel in Parijs] [Foto]. Bekijk afbeelding

3. Hommes Studio. (z.d.). [Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection] [Foto]. Bekijk afbeelding

4. Made in City. (z.d.). [Halo Paris] [Foto]. Bekijk afbeelding

5. Made in City. (z.d.). [Fauteuil miroir] [Foto: Yvan Moreau]. Bekijk afbeelding

6. Nair, P. (2022). [Bonjour Jacob, Paris] [Foto]. Lampoon Magazine. Bekijk afbeelding

7. Billet, M. (2022). [Le Collier de la Reine, Paris] [Foto]. Vogue France. Bekijk afbeelding