newlyweds in paris
Matt and Joy Reed gently introducing their children, Millie and Emerson to the French cafe life and the impact of caffeine on one’s state of happiness.
“Ok, so maybe we can’t call ourselves newlyweds anymore, but we moved to Paris in 2017 having only been married a year. We set out on an adventure for what we thought might only last a couple years... Two French babies later, we are still calling Paris home and often hear from friends, friends of friends and third cousins of friends about their upcoming travels to our city of lights. So, here’s our little way to play concierge and share with YOU what we’ve learned and loved so far!”
FOOD + COFFEE
This is a biggie.
Matt’s gift mix is collecting data and making spreadsheets. Joy’s gift mix is eating and enjoying what she’s eaten.
Here is Matt’s collection of spots we’ve eaten at or desire to eat at before we die. (Matt’s commentary included.)
TIPS FOR EATING IN PARIS
HOURS: Restaurants (unless they are a chain) are rarely open all day. Hours of operation might be:
Breakfast: Heavy breakfast food (think eggs) is not really a thing in France. (If it is thing, it’s probably been started by an expat.) While Brunch spots are becoming popular, it only happens on the weekends and starts at 10:30 or 11am.
“Petit Dej” at a Cafe: This is the name of what you will find for a typical breakfast fare in France. Look for one of the many cafe’s with an outdoor terrace and when you order the petit dejuner you will get an assortment of bread, pastries, jams and butter. (This is the only meal butter will be served with bread in France so soak it up!) It usually comes with orange juice (which is usually freshly squeezed and amazing) and a coffee of your choice. Coffee snobs be warned: cafe coffee is not great. It might look idyllic but your best bet is getting a cappuccino which usually comes with a sprinkle of chocolate which hides the sub-par coffee taste.
Boulongerie: The cheapest and probably the best option is to find a boulangerie (Bakery) for you early risers. Croissants and pastries will be coming out fresh and hot and you can usually get quiches, coffee and fresh OJ at most boulangeries as well. Even if you aren't a juice person, trust us on the fresh squeezed. It’s a game changer with that hot croissant.
Lunch: 12-3 (Most popular spots will fill up between 12:30-1pm) MAKE RESERVATIONS.
Dinner: 7-11 (Kitchens will often close around 10:30pm so even if a restaurant says it stays open later, they might not be serving food.) SERIOUSLY, MAKE RESERVATIONS.
ARRIVING: Even if you know ZERO French, say “Bonjour” when you arrive in a restaurant or any establishment. It feels very rude to French people if you start speaking to them without saying hello first. (And they’re right. It is.)
THE BILL: When you need the bill you have to ask for it. It’s not because they are ignoring you, it’s because French dining culture believes you should be able to enjoy your meal uninterrupted and stay as long as you like. They aren’t trying to turn tables over and get the next party in. Because of that, they won’t disturb you very much and they would never bring you the bill without you asking because that would communicate they don’t want you there. So, just say, “excuse-moi” and “L’addition sil vous plait.” (Google translate will tell you how to pronounce.) Or you can just say “excuse-moi” and then ask for the check since most people in Paris will know some English. Signing a CC receipt is not typical here so the universal miming yourself signing a check may or may not be understood."
DESSERT: Always get the dessert. No matter how uninteresting or weird it might sound, it’s going to be good. Unless it’s called “sweetbreads” then make sure to google before ordering. It’s neither sweet, nor bread. Also, if you want to LEARN how to make French desserts and you are headed out to Versailles, check out Molly J. Wilk’s pastry classes. They are in English AND if you are just dreaming of Paris, you can take classes over Zoom as well.
TRANSPORTATION
If you are traveling from the US, we highly recommend getting international data on your phone. It might be a bit pricey, but wifi is not as easily found as it is in the US. The value of you not having to get online to map a new route and have access to looking something up without find a cafe, ordering a drink and finding out if they do or do not have wifi, will be worth it. Trust us.
CITYMAPPER: The BEST App that will help you route where to go using all of the transportation options available. Use this instead of Google maps. Trust us.
BUS: Tickets for the bus are the same as the metro and are purchased at the same kiosks in the metro. You can buy a ticket directly from the bus driver when you get on the bus but if there’s a lot of people getting on, this will annoy everyone. (-: If you want to see the city, this is our favorite way to get around the city when we aren’t in a hurry.
METRO: The Citymapper app will show you which to use and even where to sit on the metro. It’s the fastest way to get around the city. There are kiosks inside the entrance of each station where you purchase tickets.
RER: This is the line that can take you to and from the airport. We don’t recommend it as it can be a bit complicated and we did it one time and almost missed our flight. This isn’t to scare you, and it can be done, but if you are jet lagged and don’t want to deal with multiple stations that may or may not have working elevators for all your luggage, treat-yo-self to a cab. Depending on your airport, they all have fixed rates to wherever you are going in the city. It’s usually around 50 euros.
TAXI vs. UBER: If you are taking a Taxi from the airport, there are clear signs of where to go to get in line and it moves pretty quickly. DO NOT go with anyone that approaches you about getting into a cab. Scam city. There are Ubers in Paris, but if you are in a hurry, we recommend a Taxi. Especially to and from the airport because Taxi’s are allowed to go in the bus lane and Uber’s are not. When there is traffic, this is a game changer. G7 is the taxi service we recommend. If you get their app you can pre-order cabs with baby/kid seats as well as handicap accessible taxis. You can also pre-order cabs in general so you make sure you get to your flight on time!
VELIB: These are the public bicycles in Paris. They are great and easy to use after you filter through the first few that you try that have a flat tire, broken chain, missing break. If you aren’t used to riding a bike in a city, I would recommend not using this mode of transportation.
LIME: Like Velib, there are a few other bike and scooter and moped options in the city. Lime is the most popular scooter option. Again, if you haven’t done this in a city, be careful. Also, when you are going over cobblestones, get ready for blurry-vision-dot-com. It’s like a facial massage, but a highly dangerous one.
WHERE TO SLEEP
NEIGHBORHOODS
Paris is shaped in a circle with numbered neighborhoods (called arrondissements) that spiral to the city center, just like an escargot. How fitting! The very center is the 1st If you are ever unsure what arrondissement you are in look up on any street corner to find the class Paris street signs and under the street name it will typically say the # with arr. (the abbreviation of arrondissement).
This article by Lonely Planet breaks down the arrondissements perfectly and will help you figure out what area you might want to stay in. You can get to most places in Paris in about 30 minutes, so find a neighborhood that seems like your vibe, find an AirBNB or hotel and travel around from there. The closer you get to the centre the more tourism you’ll see, but it will also have the most iconic places like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and all the big museums.
HOTELS
Since we sleep at home we are less versed on hotel recommendations but our friend and fellow American in Paris, Kathryn Ivey had these to recommend.
Hôtel Duc de Saint-Simon: in the 7th arrondisement
Relais Christine: in the 6th arrondisement
Hotel Panache: in the 9th arrondisement
Hotel des Grands Boulevards: in the 2nd arrondisement
Hotel Grand Powers: in the 8th arrondisement
Hotel Bienvenue: in the 9th arrondisement
Hotel des Académies et des Arts: in the 6th arrondisement
Hotel Rochechouart: At the base of Montmartre (which means you have a lot of uphill walking to do.)
Hotel Bachaumont: in the 2nd arrondisement
Hôtel du Sentier: in the 2nd arrondisement
Hôtel Madame Rêve: in the 1st arrondisement
Hotel Monte Cristo: in the 5th arrondisement
OTHER GREAT RESOURCES
Our old IG account from when we really WERE newlyweds (along with our fellow expat friends Crissa and Ryan). Has some Paris (and London) recs: @newlywedsinparis
Our friend Kasia Dietz is a wealth of travel knowledge! And if you are interested in fashion, she can be your in-person guide to discovering local designers in Paris. kasiadietz.com
Get your family Christmas card or capture a surprise engagement! Our friend Lindsey Kent will help you make the memory last: pictoursparis.com
Learn how to make French Pastry’s from a PRO! Molly J. Wilk is another American in Paris doing incredible workshops in Versailles. mollyjwilk.com
OTHER Q’s WE’ve gotten
Can I still enjoy Paris on a very limited budget?
Yes, it’s possible. While it is an expensive city, so much is free and just walking around looking at buildings is a treat (in our opinion). So, if it was us, we would recommend coming when the weather is nice—anytime between April and October. You will be out and about a lot so no need to break the bank on an expensive hotel, perhaps staying in a cool, but less touristy area like the 9th, 11th or 17th arrondissement. You can get anywhere on the metro in 30 minutes or less. Everyone picnics in Paris, and wine, bread and cheese are incredible and affordable so buy or bring a blanket and visit as many parks as you can. Bring a book, sketch pad and hang for hours to get a glimpse of what Parisians (especially on the weekends) do so well—slowly enjoy an afternoon, with the ones they love! Another fun (and very parisian) activity is sitting out on the terrace of a cafe. While the coffee here isn’t great, it’s also cheap and gives you the right to sit for an indefinite amount of time. It’s great people watching, and if you speak French, great eaves dropping! Lastly, if you want to see art for free, walk down the Avenue Matignon and look in the windows of galleries (or go in and act like you ARE NOT on a budget) and soak in some of the world’s finest art for sale.
What are the current restrictions?
Get the latest HERE.
Best place for a yummy but not too expensive night out?
Most of the restaurants on Matt’s list above should indicate how pricey they are based on the # of $$$’s when you google them, however we love any of the restaurants by the Big Mama Group. Yes, it’s Italian, but if you can’t get it Italy on this trip to Europe, you might as well let the Italians come to you!
One stop on a long layover?
If you’ve never seen the Eiffel Tower, it is pretty cool to see. Tell a Taxi to take you to the Champs de Mars and get yourself a crepe while you sit on the grass and watch very entertaining people take selfies til the cows come home. Or, if that’s not your vibe and you are a literary lover, head over to Brasserie Lipp and sit in one of the old writing spots of Hemingway that still looks the same way as when he went there. (I talk more about this and our early days in Paris in my book.) If you are at Charles de Gaul airport then you are north of the city and getting to the Sacre Coeur Basilica is the easiest landmark. You can go inside or sit on the steps and have one of the most incredible views of Paris. And depending on how much time you have, you can easily walk from there to the Place de tertes where artists are set up in a square surrounded by cafes. You can have your portrait done like our kids did!
What is the best way to learn about wine or champagne?
La Dernière Goutte
Paris By Mouth
Is Paris kid friendly?
Yes. Every park has a “menege” which is a carousel you buy 1 euro tickets for and kids are obsessed. There are also great playgrounds in each park. And by great we don’t mean state of the art. “Safety” isn’t always a top priority, but your kids will have fun. Our favorites are:
Parc Monceau
Square des Batignolles
Jardin du Luxembourg
Here is a book (in French, but you can get the jist) we would also recommend. Ideas for older kids as well.
Our friends started this awesome coffee shop called Petite Forêt. You can hang out and have a coffee while your kid plays in the main area or you can see what “ateliers” (classes) they have for the week and sign up for one of them. Lots of expats go here so it’s no problem if you sign up for the french music class and only speak english.
AND, feel freedom taking your kids with you to restaurants. The french expect kids to eat meals with their parents. We just recommend you make reservations to be safe if it’s a nicer or popular spot.
Favorite day trips from Paris?
Versailles, Champagne (Reims), DISNEYLAND PARIS! (Maybe that’s just for American’s who are living abroad and feeling homesick…)
Flea/Antique Market! Les Puces de Saint-Ouen this is right outside the north part of Paris and easy to get to on the metro. I say a day trip because you can spend the day there! And a fun and lively hotel/restuarant and outdoor space to get food or a drink and relax after is at the MOB Hotel.
What would you do on your first day in Paris?
Just walk around, take a slow coffee or glass of wine out on a terrace. Then get to a park, take off your shoes, read a book or look at a map to orient yourself and let your body acclimate to the new time zone. Call me crazy, but I think THIS helps with jet lag.
We have nut and fish allergies. Are we dumb to want to come?
No. This is the city that invented the restaurant. While it’s not normal to ask for your dish to be changed from what the chef prepared, an allergy is normal and you can let them know. It’s a very meat heavy restaurant so that’s our only warning to vegetarians. You can find good options still, but at your traditional Brassieries sometimes the only main dish options will be meat.
The Louvre: should we pay for a highlights only tour or tackle it ourselves?
It depends on what you like. If you like tours, I’m sure it’s great but there are also lots of head phone options and apps to walk you through and teach you. If you like art, give yourself TIME to be there and make sure to take breaks. Or if you don’t like people, go here is when there are LESS people at the Louvre.
Where would be a memorable dinner location? Something memorable and not just fancy.
Memorable and Chic: KGB or Ze Kitchen Gallérie
Memorable and Off the Beaten Path (aka no tourists): Le Cadoret
Memorable and Postcard Perfect: Calife Dinner Cruise or Au Petit Tonneau
(These are all on the food map above. Make reservations!)
What are the must-see’s when you only have a couple days in the city?
Probably all of the options we gave on the “long lay over” question above with an addition of going to at least one museum. Based on the type of art you like, you can find one that has what you are looking for!
Where do we find the sparkling water fountains in Paris?
HERE! The yellow pins are the sparking fountains. If you want to get really amped on French water, watch the second episode of Zac Efron’s Nextlix special, Down to Earth. That episode alone might make you book a ticket here.
BEFORE YOU GO…
“It has been a pleasure being your concierge this evening (morning, afternoon or whatever it is in your timezone). We will update as we discover and learn more along the way. If you are so inclined to say “Merci” we’d LOVE if you considered buying a copy (or two or three) of “Writing with Bernard the Baguette” which is a French themed kids book for learning the foundations of writing in a fun and silly way. For each copy purchased, one goes to a kid in foster care.
Merci Beaucoup! ”
