Paris,
France

Italian restaurant and bar under the arcades of Place des Vosges — beautiful setting, good aperitivi. Extremely convenient if you're already sitting in the square on Day 1.

One of the most famous bistros in Paris — unchanged since 1924. Foie gras, roast chicken, frites. Famously expensive, famously good. Book weeks ahead.

Quiet neighbourhood bistro on the Left Bank. Excellent traditional French cooking without the fanfare.

Stunning courtyard restaurant in the heart of Le Marais. Beautiful interior, excellent seasonal French menu. Great for a romantic dinner close to the hotel.

Old-school Marais bistro with a wood-burning fireplace. Known for the côte de bœuf. Warm and unpretentious.

Classic Auvergnat cooking — aligot, lentils, charcuterie. Feels like a farmhouse in central Paris.

One dish: steak frites with their secret sauce. No menu, no choice, no reservations. A Parisian institution.

Christian Constant's casual counter-dining concept near the Eiffel Tower. Excellent French comfort food. No reservations — just walk in.

Classic Marais café with a great terrace. Perfect for a long lunch or afternoon wine. Very close to the hotel.

Floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Eiffel Tower at Trocadéro. Good food, elegant setting, less tourist-trap than Girafe.

Hidden tearoom near the Left Bank — homemade tarts, quiches, crumbles. Good for a slow afternoon.

The best crêpes and galettes in Paris. Exceptional Breton butter, serious cider list. Steps from the hotel.

Under the Louvre arcades overlooking the glass pyramid. Overpriced but undeniably beautiful. Worth a coffee or glass of wine once.

Enter through a taqueria, find the hidden door at the back. One of Paris's best cocktail bars. Steps from the hotel.

Consistently ranked among the world's best bars. Serious cocktail programme, intimate atmosphere.

Hidden bar with a strong cocktail list. Low-key, intimate, worth seeking out.

Rooftop bar with sweeping Paris views. Great for sunset drinks on a clear evening.

Late-night cocktail bar with a good vibe. Reliable for a nightcap after dinner.

The most beautiful perfume and beauty shop in Paris. 19th-century apothecary aesthetic, hand-lettered labels. A genuinely special gift stop.

Maille's Paris flagship — fresh Dijon mustard on tap, seasonal flavours, beautiful ceramic pots. One of the best edible souvenirs in Paris.

Japanese concept store — ceramics, tea, lifestyle. One of the most calming spaces in the Marais. Worth a slow browse.

Outstanding fromagerie inside the Marché des Enfants Rouges. Pick up cheese for a picnic or taste your way through the counter.

Good natural wine shop in the Marais. Pick up a bottle for the room or a picnic.

Less crowded than the Haussmann flagship. Good for a browse if you want French brands without the tourist scrum.

One of the best pastry shops in Paris. Exceptional sablés, tarts, and seasonal creations. Steps from the hotel.

Consistently award-winning baguette. Pick one up warm and eat it walking — that's Paris.

Won best croissant in Paris multiple years running. Worth a detour on Day 2 after the food tour.

One of Paris's most celebrated bakeries — women-run, Gordon Ramsay-approved. Famous for its chocolate babka (sold by weight, ~€19/kg), €1 vanilla cream puffs, croissants, and cinnamon rolls. Worth a detour on any morning. Go before 11 AM to avoid the queue. Not in Le Marais — about 20 min by Métro — but genuinely worth it.

One of the most famous bars in the world. The Serendipity cocktail is legendary. Book ahead — very small.

One of the most glamorous hotel bars in Paris. Suspended glass installation, exceptional cocktails. Dress smart.

Saint-Germain speakeasy from the Experimental Cocktail Club group. Intimate, inventive, serious about its drinks.

Philippe Starck-designed 1,500m² sanctuary inside one of Paris's most beautiful Palace hotels. Features a stunning 23-metre indoor pool, hammam, sauna, laconium, and treatment rooms with Dr. Barbara Sturm, 111Skin, and Nooance. One of Paris's most highly-rated luxury spas. Treatments from ~€200. Book via [email protected] or +33 1 42 99 88 99. About 20 min from Le Marais.

The legendary 1929 Art Deco pool complex — birthplace of the bikini, frequented by Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller, featured in Life of Pi. Now a 5-star hotel with a 46m outdoor pool, 1930s indoor pool, and Europe's largest Clarins spa at 1,700m². Day pass (Escale Molitor): from €310/person including a 1-hour Clarins treatment and pool access. Private duo spa suite with champagne from €490 for two. Book via +33 1 56 07 10 28. About 35–40 min from Le Marais.

Paris's only all-ice bar — 20 tonnes of sculpted ice, maintained at -18°C to -20°C. Sessions last 25 minutes and include two cocktails and a shot served in ice glasses, plus a loaned down jacket. ~€25 per person. Open Tuesday–Saturday from 7:30 PM. Confirm open status before visiting — was temporarily closed in early 2025. About 30 min from Le Marais.

18th-century royal wine cellars that once supplied Louis XV's court, connected to the Louvre via underground tunnels. Naturally cool, vaulted stone, 9,000 sq ft across three underground levels. Wine & cheese pairing ~€65/person; Make Your Own Wine blending workshop ~€95/person for 2 hours. About 15 min walk from Le Marais. Book at least a week ahead — English sessions sell out.

The best transit app for Paris — real-time métro, bus, RER, and walking directions with door-to-door routing. Shows disruptions and platform numbers. Far better than Google Maps for public transit. Free. Download before you fly.

The official Paris transit app — useful for buying t+ tickets or loading your Navigo pass digitally. Also has live traffic maps and service alerts. Less polished than Citymapper for routing but the authoritative source for ticket purchase and pass management.

Not an app but an NFC transit card — the Navigo Easy or Navigo Découverte gives you unlimited travel on métro, RER, and bus within Paris zones 1–5. Load it via the Bonjour RATP app or at any station machine. A weekly pass (zones 1–5) costs ~€30 and covers your entire stay. Far simpler than buying individual tickets.

The dominant restaurant booking platform in France — most Paris restaurants accept reservations through it, including many that don't take OpenTable. Useful for last-minute bookings and checking availability. Sometimes offers discounts at select restaurants. Free.

Paris métro stations and taxis have no AC in July. A small rechargeable USB fan is one of the most useful things you can bring. The Jisulife or OPOLAR models pack flat and run 8+ hours on a charge.

A small microfiber cooling towel (wet, wring, snap) is surprisingly effective in the afternoon heat. Takes up almost no space and works well between outdoor activities. Mission Enduracool or similar.

July Paris averages 25–30°C with long sunny days. SPF 50 for daily wear — especially on the 2CV tour and any terrace dining. French pharmacies also stock excellent La Roche-Posay formulas if you run out.

Paris has over 1,000 free public water fountains (Wallace fountains) throughout the city — tap water is excellent. A Hydro Flask or similar keeps water cold for hours in the heat. Cafés will refill for free if you ask.

You have 4 full evenings, each with a different dress code:

Day 1 (Mon) — Casual. Marais wander + spa + neighbourhood bistro.
Day 2 (Tue) — Smart casual day, elevated evening. Food tour + Crazy Horse (no dress code but smart casual fits the room).
Day 3 (Wed) — Smart casual all day. 2CV tour + Monsieur Bleu + Lapérouse (smart to elegant — your nicest dinner outfit).
Day 4 (Thu) — Casual day, smart evening. Marais exploration + La Tour d'Argent (jacket recommended for Tim, dress/elegant for Eryn).

Suggested packing: 2 casual daytime outfits, 1 smart casual (works for Monsieur Bleu and the cabaret), 1 elevated dinner outfit (Lapérouse), 1 formal/elegant (La Tour d'Argent). Total: 5 outfits. Pack light — July heat means you won't want to layer much.

Paris cobblestones are brutal on feet. Even with a relaxed itinerary you'll cover 6–10km a day. Break in your shoes before the trip. A pair of stylish but comfortable sneakers (Common Projects, Golden Goose, New Balance 574) works for most days. Bring one pair of smarter shoes for evening dinners.

July in Paris is genuinely hot — average highs of 25–30°C, occasionally higher. Linen, light cotton, and moisture-wicking fabrics make a real difference. Avoid dark colours for daytime walks. Parisians dress well but practically in summer — looking put-together in light fabrics is perfectly in step.

France uses Type E plugs (round two-pin). The hotel will likely have USB ports but bring a compact universal adapter for charging multiple devices. A small multi-port USB-C charger (Anker 65W) keeps everything topped up from one adapter.

Let Chase, Amex, and any other cards know you'll be in France July 6–11. Most modern apps handle this in-app. Also confirm your cards have no foreign transaction fees — if they do, use your no-fee card (Chase Sapphire, Amex, etc.) for all purchases.