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Past the bouncer and down a black staircase 32 feet below ground is Paris‘s most buzzed-about semi-private club, Le Silencio. Housed where Molière was allegedly buried and Zola printed “J’accuse”, it’s of little surprise that the enigmatic director David Lynch would select the location for his louche lounge-cum-entertainment space, which he designed (expect gold-leaf walls, raw wood cladding, bespoke neo-1950’s furniture) - mere steps into the labyrinthine halls and you’ve entered the entrails of another world, one that evidently takes cues from Lynch’s art. Before midnight, it’s member’s only but once midnight strikes, a smartly dressed crowd of cocktail-crazed creatives floods inside, snatching up seats in the art library, loafing at the bar or lighting up in the mirrored smoking room that was conceived to resemble a forest. Killer cocktails and exclusivity aside, Le Silencio’s biggest draw is its broader offering. Presentations from the local artistic set are frequent as are culinary/cultural events, intimate concerts and private screenings. As the guest of a member, my first visit was not so much to explore the space (though there is plenty to unearth here) but for a private tasting of chef Flora Mikula’s work. A couple hours into the evening and I realized Le Silencio wasn’t about being seen but about discovery - of high culture and the utterly bizarre.

The torrent of Anglo eateries that have popped up across Paris in recent years can largely be attributed to the searing success of Rose Bakery. I had my doubts years ago when I first heard about the internationally-staffed organic canteen - how good could English food be, really? Expensive though it may be, it’s one of my favorite places to go for warm cheese scones, fresh vegetable and a variety of cakes suitable for breakfast or afternoon tea. Rose began in London, hopped over to Paris on rue des Martyrs, expanded to the Marais, settled into a 3rd location within La Maison Rouge foundation in the 12th and most recently took over a 2nd floor corner of the chic department store Le Bon Marché. And that’s saying nothing of their international locations. Its appeal was virtually immediate and RB quickly established itself as the spot among hipsters, artists, celebrities (the likes of Natalie Portman and Julie Delpy, who I spotted last year) and tourists for organic, English fare. They open early, excel at pancakes and healthy veggie options and sell a number of British products to-go. Other establishments may have come onto the scene but Rose is a breakfast mainstay.

Fete Paradiso, the much buzzed about traveling vintage French carnival that has taken over Governor’s Island for the summer, features an incredible collection of extremely rare artisan-crafted carousels, rides and games. Families and Francophiles have been lining up for the 5-minute ferry from downtown Manhattan since opening weekend, which coincided with Bastille Day, to check out this whimsical weekend fair. A few of Fete’s highlights include the late 19th century bicycle carousel (one of only 2 bicycle carousels left in the world — the other, featured in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, is in France), a Chinese Dragon Carousel with a misleading name (though our daredevil 2 year old didn’t mind being whipped around fast and then backwards) and a ball-toss game with life-size caricatures of Charlie Chaplin and Edith Piaf called the Music Hall Ball Guzzler. Set to run from now until September 29th, 2013

It isn’t uncommon to see large tour buses idling in front of Merci, one of the city’s most popular home and design shops, as visitors alight, armed with canvas shopping totes and credit cards at the ready. The store’s philanthropic mission brings in droves of both tourists and locals—profits are donated to a charity in Madagascar that aids women and children. It is a veritable feel-good shopping destination. One caveat: The goods for sale don’t come cheap. While high-end homewares and designer duds don’t match all budgets, Merci’s space itself is undeniably cool. When I’m feeling strapped for cash and want the Merci experience, I head to its Used Book Café. Used books, old and new, decorate this cozy library-inspired café where I can read, write, people-watch (and play the guessing game of “What’s in that Merci bag?”), and rejuvenate with a freshly pressed lemonade. With each sip, a feeling of calm washes over me—a type of Zen harder to reach on the bustling streets of Paris. All beverages, hot or cold, are served with a bite-size piece of cake and a smile. Grab one of the mismatched vintage armchairs, the fresh scones with jam, or the American-sized lattes. But on a warm, sun-drenched Paris day, it’s the citronnade between shop-hopping that sets you right.

Steeped in history, this Parisian landmark was commissioned by King Louis XV in 1758, though it didn’t open as a hotel until 1909. Since then, it’s seen such notable guests as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Leonard Bernstein, Madonna, and more pass through its doors on Place de la Concorde. Designed in the grand, neoclassical style, it reopened in 2017 as the Hôtel de Crillon after a significant four-year renovation, which revamped most of the public spaces in the luxurious 124-room building. The new lobby feels airier—thanks to higher ceilings—yet more intimate, made possible by converting the formerly open space into a series of sitting rooms. Also new to the hotel is the 28-seat fine-dining restaurant L’Ecrin, a Sense spa with treatments inspired by centuries-old French remedies, and a jewel-like, glass-ceilinged pool. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld even designed the two most luxurious suites, the fourth-floor Les Grands Appartements, adding bespoke furniture, his own artwork, and over-the-top bathrooms and dressing rooms.

Bontemps Pâtisserie may have a name inspired by the fictional Louisiana town from the vampire series True Blood, but this retro-chic bakery is French through and through. The pâtisserie offers a refreshing twist on the signature French sable, a classic shortbread cookie, by using seasonal fillings (wild strawberry, passion fruit, blood orange). Don’t miss the larger tartes, from pecan to apple, which use the same light and crumbly shortbread crust. Take a box of minis to the Square du Temple across the street for an al fresco goûter.

At the summit of Montmartre, the highest point in the city, you’ll find the Basilica de Sacré-Cœur. Contrasting with the Gothic churches like Notre-Dame, the Romano-Byzantine architecture is both beautiful inside and out. While outside, take in the panorama of Paris and while inside, marvel at the Apse Mosaic—one of the largest mosaics in the world. The Sacré-Cœur website has instructions on how to download the free audio guide on your phone before your visit which is recommended. Also, research the well-known (and apparently tried-and-true) scams before traveling to Paris. Overall, the city seems pretty free of tourist scams, but around Sacré-Cœur especially, visitors should be on alert.

A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, was shot in Cucuron, just 35 miles north of Aix-en-Provence. While the medieval town hasn’t had many celebrity sightings since, it stills draws visitors with its exquisite Michelin-starred restaurant Le Petit Maison. Here, the weekly set menus—each available with wine pairings—come courtesy of chef Eric Sapet, who worked for 11 years in renowned Paris restaurants like the three-Michelin-starred Tour d’Argent. Ranging from wild shrimp bouillabaisse with chanterelle mushrooms to roast duck breast with peaches, his dishes are something to be savored, especially when enjoyed in La Petite Maison’s elegant dining room, which charms with old-fashioned woodwork, Renaissance tapestries, and period tiles.

Nothing is a more powerful symbol of the City of Light than the Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition, it’s one of the world’s most-visited monuments, with nearly 7 million people ascending the 1,062-foot wrought-iron structure each year. Glass elevators spirit you to the top—hardy souls can take the stairs part of way—where in addition to unparalleled panoramic views of Paris, you can toast your arrival with a glass of bubbly at the Champagne bar. Evenings there’s a grand light show: every hour on the hour, the tower sparkles for five minutes with 20,000 bulbs.

To stay at this three-story courtyard hotel in the historical heart of the Latin Quarter is to be surrounded by intellectual giants: the ghosts of figures such as René Descartes or James Joyce, who each lived nearby, and by present-day students and teachers at the most elite universities and high schools of Paris. The youngsters’ extracurriculars—café lounging, bar hopping, and vintage record, book, and clothes shopping—give the quarter a unique mix of history and life.

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles occupies three 19th-century houses along a private cobbled passageway leading to a courtyard garden. Old-fashioned in the best sense, one of the charms of the place is that the compound feels like an escape to a French granny’s country cottage. Small by American standards, rooms done in toile or floral fabrics exude classic Gallic charm; French cotton lace and matelasse drapes the sitting tables and beds. Bathrooms are immaculate but simple, with either shower or bathtub and toilet.

What kind of hotel might attract such diverse guests as Pablo Picasso and Elizabeth Taylor, Mata Hari and FDR, Queen Victoria and Jay-Z, Tchaikovsky and the Olsen Twins? The answer is Le Meurice. Opened in 1815 as one of the world’s first five-star hotels, this icon near the Tuileries Garden has long appealed to both the posh and creative sets; its ties to the art world are particularly strong, having hosted Picasso’s wedding dinner and served as Salvador Dalí’s Parisian pied-á-terre for over 30 years.

For recent renovations of the public spaces, interiors guru Philippe Starck and his designer daughter, Ara Starck, took inspiration from Dalí for some of the more playful touches (like the quirky portraits of 18th-century personalities painted on the backs of leather seats). In the 118 rooms and 42 suites, designer Charles Jouffre maintained a French classical style, with traditional and antique furnishings, rich fabrics, Garnier Thiebaut linens, deep-soaking tubs, and—in higher-category rooms like the Pompadour Suite—oak floors and fireplaces.

A devastating fire on April 15, 2019, has closed the interior of the cathedral to visitors. Plans to rebuild and reopen the structure are being made, but at present, visitors are not allowed near the site.
For a first-time visitor to Notre Dame, investing in the audio guide is essential to understand this overwhelmingly significant Paris icon. There’s a lot to see and absorb—history, architecture, artifacts, theology—and the audio guide gives a much-needed sense of direction and context. Even without spiritual ties, the awe-inspiring grandeur of the cathedral is not to be missed from every angle—tour the naves, stroll around the entirety of the exterior, take in the city from the top of the towers, walk along Quai de Montebello to view it from across the water, or admire it from a river cruise down the Seine. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is everything everyone says it is and more.

The area around the rue de Bretagne in the north part of the Marais continues to be a big draw with locals and visitors for a number of reasons: the Marché des Enfants Rouges covered market with food stalls, the wincingly bobo-chic Café Charlot (people go even if the service is uneven and the fries are frozen), the Franco-British brunch institution Rose Bakery and the upstart Candelaria, one of the best places in the city for tacos and cocktails. Equally as iconic as some of these hot spots it Hier Aujourd’hui et Demain, a shop right across from Café Charlot that hawks vintage home decor accessories and French industrial lamps - both of which have reeled me (and my wallet) in many a time. A great source for original pieces and antiques to bring back with you after your trip.

Napoléon and his armies marched through it; revolutionaries and Nazis gathered beneath it; the Berlin Wall ran right behind: It’s safe to say that Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, completed in 1791, has pretty much seen it all. Designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, who drew inspiration from the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens, the gate is best approached via Unter den Linden, the tree-lined boulevard that runs between the gate and the former Royal Palace. You can combine a visit here with nearby sights such as the Reichstag, Tiergarten Park, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Since 2016, an impressive high-tech museum at the gate has offered a history of the city through the perspective of the iconic structure.

Finding fine French bakery goods beyond the borders of France would seem unlikely in this NW corner of the United States. St. Honoré has transformed a little shop in NW Portland into a cultural escapade you’d normally have to get on a plane to experience. This bakery has been a mainstay for the French community in PDX for years and now has a fanatic following that has forged two other locations. The original is a cozy cafe with French influences that make it impossible to drive by when the fresh bread aromas drift out onto Thurman Street. The space is open and inviting with a staff that loves to share their expertise about the whole St Honoré process. This was one of the only places open early for live Tour de France coverage accompanied with fine coffee and pastries. Rolling up in the dark on my bike back in the days of Lance (c’est dommage) to find the place already packed was Franco-fantastic. The restaurant is designed to get patrons to be part of the scene. With the baking close and the big banquet vibe, you instantly feel part of the Honoré table. The menu goes beyond pastries and desserts. Lunch or dinner at Honoré is a trip to Paris or Provence for under $20. Try the panini or manager’s special to light things up. Hang around for sweets with a tart or gateau, and wash it down with a cafe au lait. Don’t forget something for the home front—a baguette at the very least. C’est somptueux!