Paris

Bar Hemingway

The Bar Hemingway, located in the legendary Ritz Hotel, is one of the most famous bars in the world. It takes its name from Nobel prize-winning American author Ernest Hemingway who, legend has it, sat here in his favorite bar and asked for a drink while the adjoining streets still echoed to the final shots fired in the Great War.

The elegant decoration of the bar is a reconstruction of the original which in its time attracted distinguished members of the literary elite such as James Joyce and Jean Paul Sartre. But not everything is tradition at the Hemingway as you will find if you sit at the bar and order one of the unique cocktails prepared by Colin Field, named the Best Barman in the World in 2001.

15 place Vendôme, 1er, Paris www.favelachic.com/paris/?page_id=58

La Belle Hortense

Located in the Marais neighborhood, La Belle Hortense enjoys great prestige among lovers of bohemian atmospheres. Two passions meet in this beautiful bar, wine and literature, and the bar has its own library from which you can select a book to read while you enjoy the pleasures of its wine cellar. Accompany your celebration with a selection of cheeses and cold cuts.

31 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4e, Paris

Buddha Bar

If you are looking for a spectacular night spot, one where seeing and being seen is the principal activity, then the Buddha Bar is the place for you. You’ll be amazed by the giant Buddha in the main salon and find the oriental decoration fascinating.

The restaurant offers Asian dishes such as Thai spring rolls and Peking duck but the prestige of this bar is principally based on its sensual atmosphere, an atmosphere that is accentuated by the music provided by the live DJ and the exotic decoration incorporating Asian art and dreamy lighting.

8 rue Boissy d'Anglais, 8e, Paris

Le Relais de Venise

This is the perfect restaurant for the indecisive since the menu consists of a single dish: steak and fries. The only decision you need to make is how you want your steak cooked before it is served with the restaurant’s legendary secret sauce. Once it is served you can enjoy the play of textures in your mouth, alternating between the crunchy flavor of the fries and the silky caress of the marinated meat. A green salad is served as a starter and the succulent desserts of Le Relais will leave you wanting to return at the first opportunity.

Le Relais de Venise, 271 bd. Pereire, 17e, Paris, 75017

Alcazar

One of the most sophisticated spots in Paris, this restaurant offers a menu specializing in the best of the British tradition prepared with the most exquisite French techniques. The enormous dining room is ideal for business lunches and the bar, located on the mezzanine, offers a cozy atmosphere.

Ask for the grilled lamb or one of the house fish or seafood specialties which you can accompany with one of the wines from its refined cellar.

62 rue Mazarine, 6e, Paris

Chez Gramond

There is no restaurant more French or intimate than Chez Gramond. There is only space for 20 people here and you will soon discover why this world famous restaurant has attracted world leaders, writers and philosophers for over four decades. The owner and his wife serve customers personally and delight them with exotic dishes of mainly wild game such as wild duck or partridge. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to try them.

Hotel Amour

As its name indicates, this small and cozy hotel is designed for intimacy. In order to avoid distractions the 20 rooms are not equipped with phones, the Internet or televisions. Furthermore, the beautiful decoration is based on the theme of Love and will help you to feel you are in a truly unique place. In addition the price of the rooms is fairly accessible. The hotel is a marriage of good taste and classic French eroticism which together create an atmosphere of romantic reminiscences: the rest is up to you and your companion.

8 rue Navarin, Paris, 75009

Four Seasons Hotel George V

The Parisian version of the Four Seasons, which is legendary for its impeccable service and good taste, definitely deserves to be celebrated as a famous tourist destination. Many of the 245 rooms have terraces which offer a beautiful view of the city. The building itself dates from the early 20th century and is an architectural joy both inside and out. What’s more, it is located just a short walk from the Champs-Elysées, one of the most exclusive parts of the city. The Hotel George V offers a spa, facilities for social events and a royal suite.

31 av. George V, Paris, 75008

Mama Shelter

If you like to travel in style and go to bed in a work of contemporary art, then you simply can’t ignore this fabulous hotel designed by the great Philippe Stark with its casual and fun atmosphere. Here you will find masks used for lamps, I Mac screens used as televisions, stone chairs, glass walls, daubed ceilings and a dizzying selection of lights and colors applied to the details, all of which create a unique atmosphere and make Mama Shelter one of the most spectacular hotels in the city: and at very modest prices.

109 rue de Bagnolet 7020 Paris

Musée du Louvre

If you don’t have very much time for visiting museums in Paris, or you are making your first visit, then the Louvre is a must. This is one of the most complete museums in the world with a collection of the best art from around the world spanning many centuries, including the most famous painting of all: the Giaconda (or Mona Lisa). Even the palace which is home to the museum is a work of art and you could spend a whole day strolling through and admiring its halls without once stopping to view the collections.

The palace has its origins in a 12th century fort although it achieved its current splendor during the Renaissance when it was redesigned as a royal residence that was later abandoned in favor of the Palace of Versailles.

If you do have enough time to view the art here then be sure to set aside a couple of hours for the amazing collection of Islamic art that warranted an ambitious extension program for the museum that was begun in 2008.

Basilique du Sacré-Coeur

Musée de l'Orangerie

The Musée de la Orangerie is a favorite of Parisians and is home to an exquisite collection of works belonging to the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and 20th century Avant Garde movements and includes paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse.

It is much smaller than the Louvre so you can view the collection in a morning or, if you prefer, you can take your time and see everything in a day. Be sure not to miss paintings such as Les Trois Soeurs, by Matisse, or Monet’s Nympheas collection.

Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, 75001

Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower is without a doubt the principal symbol of Paris, although it is not that important to actually visit the tower itself for while you are in the city you will see this controversial and audacious construction, which rises to a height of 300 meters and imposes itself on the Paris skyline, at every turn.

The Eiffel Tower generated controversy even before it was built for the Paris World’s Fair in 1889 as a collective of artists and intellectuals of the day actively fought to prevent its construction, considering it both horrendous and absurd. With the passing of time, however, it has become an icon of the French nation and an unrivalled tourist attraction: every year it is visited by more than 6 million people.

Champ de Mars, 7e

Petit Palais

Le Petit Palais or Paris Museum of Fine Arts, built for the World’s Fair of 1900, is a beautiful building dedicated to the city, its artists and its history. The collection housed here includes paintings, sculptures and objects that demonstrate the cultural evolution of Paris from the Renaissance to the 19th century. It offers an excellent option for those hoping to avoid the commonplaces of Paris and is ideal if you have already visited the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay. What’s more, admission to the permanent collection is free.

Musée des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris, 75008

Centre Pompidou

The Pompidou Center, named in honor of former president Georges Pompidou who promoted the project but died before it was inaugurated, is one of the most important contemporary art museums in the world. This strange structure, executed in an industrial style, can be found in the old neighborhood of Les Halles which was the historical home of an enormous and chaotic market.

Built in 1977, the Pompidou Center is a contemporary reference point of Paris and while it always houses a very important collection of contemporary art the building itself is a spectacular work of art that gives life and movement to this old and otherwise rough and depressed Parisian neighborhood.

Place Georges Pompidou, 75004 Paris

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise

Even in death there are levels and being buried in this cemetery is an honor since you will have such illustrious neighbors as Oscar Wilde, Frederic Chopin and Jim Morrison. Every year millions of visitors come to this labyrinth of graves and dead leaves, map in hand, to locate the tombs of their fallen idols. Once here they leave love letters, offerings and all types of gifts for their heroes.

Architecturally the old Père-Lachaise cemetery surprises visitors. Some of the tombs are so pompous that they could cover the grave of a prince while others would be fit for a god. Nevertheless, time has conspired to convert the cemetery into a kind of antique and decrepit city of the dead.

Its grand avenues are shaded by leafy trees and its narrow streets wind between the gravestones, the floor of the living and roof of the dead. Leave a poem at the tomb of Oscar Wilde, a cigarette at the tomb of Jim Morrison, a flower at the anodyne niche of Maria Callas or simply take a walk through this small city of mostly anonymous tombs in silence.

16 rue du Repos, 20e, Paris