Paris recommendations - Page 2

These recommendations are all quite amusing. Just a greatest hits of tourists' weekend adventures. You couldn't do any worse by sticking to the zones in red:

Chez Denise

5 rue Prouvaires, 75001 Paris, France

Very lively place and open from eveing till 2-3 am

The Hotel Splendide Etoile is a wonderful boutique hotel at 1, Avenue Carnot, just steps away from the Arc de Triomphe. The concierge Farook is very helpful. http://www.hsplendid.com/uk/navigation.php

I would recomend "Le Relais de l'Entrecôte" restaurants there are three locations in Paris and one in Geneva. The oldest of these, in Paris's 6th arrondissement, is widely known as L'Entrecôte Saint-Germain, they specialise in steak filets cut of sirloin and serve it in the typical French bistro style of steak-frites.

There are far to many shops to list in Paris but you have John Lobb and Berluti covered.Hope you enjoy your trip and please be careful of pickpockets around the main stations and Airport.

restaurant: Bofinger. Oldie and a goody.
Any restaurant you go to will be pretty good. Always order wine, it kills anything on the American continent.

If you like seafood, always get the tuna tartare. They do it awesome. Foie gras is great too but I found you can only have so much before you're done.

And let's not forget the Croque Monsieur/Madame. A staple.

If you like Monet see L'orangerie at the Tuileries. Best art exhibit i've ever seen.

Oh, shopping for clothes: Tons of stores around the Galerie Lafayette and down to the Ritz Carlton/Champs. I recommend the stores owned by the fashion houses themselves (Testoni, D&G, Cartier, Gucci, Burberry, etc.) if you want great service. In comparison, The department store/mall will NOT give you great service.

Lots of great stores in Paris which only sell dress shirts. Coton Doux!

If you really need to go to a department store, go to Le Bon Marche on the left bank. A bit more civilized than Printemps or the Galeries. And the neighborhood is more pleasant.

I know that's why I travel. Can't wait to hit Target and Macy's next time I get stateside. Oh boy.

Printemps is probably more Bloomingdales than Target but I get (and echo) your point.

La Table Du Lancaster

http://www.hotel-lancaster.fr/En/ind...&ssrub=1&id=18

Enjoyed as much as any other great meal I have had in Paris.

Holy, any recommendations since you live in Paris?

Check out L'Eclaireur and Colette. Go to the Marché aux Puces in St Ouen on a Sunday morning and browse antiques and random stalls. If you do go to Le Bon Marché (which I like), there are a couple of discount shops around there (e.g. Mouton a Cinq Pattes) where you may find a good deal ona jacket or suit. Hang out in the Marais and St Paul area - grab a shawarma Rue des Rosiers, stroll the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois n a Sunday afternoon (shops are open there). Make a stop on a bench at Place des Vosges. On the left bank, take a stroll in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Maybe see what's playing at the Odeon theater. Look at all the student brouhaha around St Germain and Odeon. Check out Shakespeare & Co, an interesting American book store that's been there since right after the war. Have a look at the Arenes de Luteces - people are not always aware of the Roman ruins in Paris. If you feel like it, take a trip in the Catacombes.

Ignore anyone who says they have a favourite café or restaurant: only tourists have these and shockingly, they always happen to be the first serviceable place within 10 minutes of their hotel. In fact, ignore anyone who tells you that you "have to" or "should" see/do/experience anything, it's inevitably just bragging about what they've done instead of intended to be good advice.

I recommend you avoid the first 8 arrondissements completely as they are largely filled with clueless foreigners, overpriced bistrots and kitschy boutiques selling crap, not to mention you're having the same pre-packaged, trite vacation experience as every other rubber-necking tourist. There are obviously some items of interest in there but you won't know how to recognize them so don't bother trying. Do not go anywhere near the Champs Elysees or the Grands Magasins; these are just soulless duty-frees. In fact, don't buy anything in Paris unless you really can't get it elsewhere because it'll be 2x more expensive here than anywhere else. For the love of God don't waste your time visiting Gucci and Louis Vuitton like some Russian mobster asshole, Jesus, what the fuck.

Other than that, I recommend you not stop in the middle of the sidewalk in mid-stride to take a picture while I am walking right behind you. I really hate that.

On the do side, it's pretty simple. If you like art, the choice of museums is obvious. If you like monuments, likewise. If you like architecture, just walk around and keep your eyes open, or rent a vélib and go explore. If you like French gardens, the Tuileries, Luxembourg and the Jardin des Plantes; English: Parcs Monceau, Buttes-Chaumont and Montsouris. If you like shows, pick up copies of La Terrasse and the Pariscope to see what's playing. The Opéra Bastille is good, the Garnier less so. Go to the market and buy stinky, unpasteurized cheese you're not allowed to eat at home. Pair it with a tradition (not a baguette). Learn a bit of French and read www.paris.fr and www.evous.fr/Paris.html to see what's going on in town in terms of festivals, expos, events, etc.

Maybe its just me but I get a kick out of going into regular stores when I am overseas as much as specialty and high-end retailers. I enjoy seeing the different options, packaging and styles for broad consumption.

That's a bit extreme. You send people to Barbès, Nation and la Butte aux Cailles exclusively?