13 Places
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Mairead’s 5-star review: Oh Wow! This place is so regal! The park has a gorgeous entrance that overlooks gardens and a pond and then a beautiful old house. I think this place is very romantic and special. We came just before the flowers and trees are in bloom and I bet it is amazing in the Spring/Summer and Autumn months. The gardens themselves are immaculately kept and I loved the way the trees are pruned , all very straight with edges, like an army of soldiers in formation ready to march in place. We met family here and they had two little boys with them and one of them had a boat he wanted to put in the pond. It seems this is a regular pastime for young and old alike here. It was so sweet and such a nice way to pass the time. You can sit on a bench and just people watch or that particular day, there was a girls choir singing songs in one of the beautiful gazebos, we just happened upon this, that, right there, is Paris for me. Every day you see and hear something beautiful! -
Mairead’s 5-star review: Beautiful, just so wonderfully historic and gorgeous. the only thing that made it less so was the crowds. We got here by train and it was quite easy from the Marais district. The weather was also so nice which made it a gorgeous day to visit. Montmatre is so beautiful, little streets, lots of vendors, cool boutiques. The views of Paris was well worth the climb of those steps and my bum hurt the next day from that view, actually :-) We looked around Montmartre and bought some little trinkets and went way into the not so touristic part, which was really nice. I love Paris and Sacre Coeur to me is always part of that whole beauty! -
Mairead’s 5-star review: I felt like I had died and gone to heaven! We took a metro from the 9th all the way out to Saint-Ouen, and it takes a while, probably 45 minutes or 50. Well worth the train ride!! This area is like stepping into North Africa somewhere. It is lively, ethnically diverse, a little dodgy and really interesting! On the outskirts of the market , there's people selling everything from wooden spoons to vinyl. My boyfriend was in vinyl heaven while his cousin and me went to a hole in the wall cafe. I had hot chocolate, which was the best I've ever had!! After a while I was wondering, where the hell are all the antiques?? I voiced my concern as we strolled along the little alleyways in the drizzling rain. Nothing prepared me for the amount of alleyways and rows and rows of antique shops filled to the brim with brick-a-brack, paintings, furniture and general amazing "stuff"! This place is like my heaven on earth and I cannot wait to bring my little girl here. No matter what you are looking for, you will find it here. There is so much to see and we must have walked for at least 6 hours. At 12 noon we witnessed the most charming thing; everyone who worked in the market sat down for lunch. However, they had brought their own pre-prepared food, complete with a tablecloth, silverware, china, wine, the whole deal! Some even had a vase with a little flower in it. Like a proper french lunch where everyone takes their time and sits and eats and enjoys their food. If you are a person who is interested in people watching, wandering around, catching the odd things about a city or suburb, street art, ghetto art, art in general and butchering the shit out of a language that you love! Then come here for the day! I discovered in the middle of this maze, an amazing female artist Isabel Delancy, who does amazing work and has a studio at her shop. Next time I'm in Paris, I will absolutely visit again. -
Mairead’s 5-star review: I was lured into this little shop from the bottles of perfume sitting on a table outside the quaint little shop in Le Marais district. The girl inside let me try everything and I finally bought a beautiful, light and feminine perfume. I love these little boutique perfumaries, so sweet, so Parisian. -
Mairead’s 5-star review: It's beautiful at night when it's all lit up, I didn't get to see it sparkle on the hour :-( Next time. This is probably one of the most famous landmarks on Earth! It's supposed to be a very romantic landmark, people propose, proclaim love, fall in love, make promises, but I did none of those things, I just looked at the people waiting in the queue to go up. I'll reserve online next time. When you see it from afar it is amazing, then, up close, it's even more so. I think the best time to see this might be at night, perhaps on a clear night and ride to the top and experience the city in all it's beauty. There's nothing to compare this to, it's just gorgeous! -
Mairead’s 5-star review: This place is so fun and upbeat and a wonderful atmosphere. I bought a vintage blue slip here with lace on the bottom and top and pretty little bows, so feminine and sexy. The owner, who looks like she is straight out of post war Paris, said it was from the 1950s. Everything in this little shop is vintage and so well taken care of and preserved. She had clothing, shoes, hats, jewelry, pretty much everything you can imagine and all French or European designs. While shopping she had this old famous French singer belting her heart out over the sound system, made the experience even more special. -
Mairead’s 5-star review: This church, for me, is the most magnificent church in Paris. It is not packed with tourists who wait in a queue outside to go in. This majestic and beautiful church is a serene place to come to for some solitude and just marvel at the architecture. This church is more than 500 years old, how the bloody hell did they do it, the arches and stained glass windows and alters are just so extraordinary. I would loved to have come here for mass and just soak it all up. It is also in one of my favorite areas of Paris, Le Marais, so that is a plus. When I visit Paris again, I will definitely come here. -
Mairead’s 5-star review: Everything about this place I loved! The owner knows our friends who live in Paris, so that is always a good first impression. We sat at the window in this little lookout area onto the street, this area was so sweet because it had curtains that could be pulled across if your party filled the two table space. The owner was funny and entertaining and laughed and joked with us and all of his customers, he had that great quality of making everyone feel special. I saw couples, groups and whole families eating here. I ordered the chauchokra(sp) to start, it's like a tomato based vegetable dish with a fried egg in the middle. My friend's Mom from Morocco cooked this for me in Boston and this was just as yummy. For my main I got the chicken tagine which was cooked to perfection with vegetables and white raisins and the chicken was so tender it fell off the bone. I have no idea what spices they use in this dish, but it was probably the best meal I had in Paris. My boyfriend had the cous cous with all sorts of meat and this came with a big bowl of broth and vegetables, which tasted really amazing too. I loved everything about this place, even down to the little napkins. We had a bottle of wine that complimented the whole meal and we shared desserts and mint tea that was poured "long" by the waitress. We were welcomed and treated so well here, I would definitely like to come back here to experience it again. -
Mairead’s 5-star review: Our main man in Paris brought us to this beautiful place for dinner, to make up for a crappy experience the night before. This is old Paris at it's best. It is a huge place and has the most amazing Art Nouveau interior with beautiful old grand moldings and mirrors with painted glass. I felt so taken care of here. We had great wine and a goat cheese and duck fois gras starter. I had salmon, cooked perfectly with vegetables and I shared the desserts. The decor is so beautiful and the service is impeccable, if I come back here again, I will dress up, I wasn't so dressed up. It is on the expensive side, however, you get what you pay for in this case! -
Mairead’s 3-star review: We came after a not so great meal at a place that was recommended to us very highly...lesson learned. Anyway, we just came here because we wanted dessert and a tea/coffee and a little sit down. The service was slow and the dessert was just okay, the decor is beautiful though and I'm a sucker for beautiful things. I just love being in places that are historic and old and just pleasing on the eye, this was all those things for me. I might come back again here for a drink, I liked the bar area, right as you walk in the door, next time perhaps, try some food too! -
Mairead’s 5-star review: Where we were staying in Bastile, this little market was right out the front door practically! This open air market is so amazing, it has every fruit and vegetable you can imagine and all laid out so beautifully. It happens on Thursday and Sunday, the perfect days to do your grocery shopping, right? Oh, the French, they think of everything cool with regards to food, right? The colors and smells and presentation just floored me and made me want to move over there for a little while, just because. I loved the fresh made pasta, and the organic meats. The vendors are so sweet, especially to the people who have very bad French but who are trying, like me :-) I could butcher the the fuck out of the French language all day at this market and not break a sweat, that's how much I loved it!! Toward the monument at the top of the street, you could find vendors with clothing and such, some furniture and knick-knacks. I got some cool herbs and spices that I cannot get here in the US too. Overall, this market is just beautiful and I can't wait to go back and explore it more. -
Mairead’s 5-star review: I love this place because it is in one of my favourite districts in Paris, Le Marias. We weren't that hungry when we used the loo here but then we decided to stay, because, you know, why not? It was around lunchtime so the place was full and we were going to meet our mate so we just stayed. The four cheese pizza was so delicious and the people watching was great too! I liked the decor, it was cosy yet modern and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. What's not to love! -
Mairead’s 5-star review: YUM! Never mind that this pizzeria is slap bang in the middle of the most amazing flea/antique market I have ever seen in my entire life!!! But seriously, this little gem is just that ....a total gem of a place! It was rainy and dreary but we were in Pars for fuck sakes so who bloody cares?!! All I remember is we shared 3 different pizzas, one, a white one with arugla and the other had eggplant and also a spaghetti and with olive oil and tomato. Everything was amazingly delicious and we had tiramisu to end the delectable experience! The staff were sweet and friendly and there were all sorts of people eating there not just French. I will come back here again on my next trip to Paris!
