City guide: Paris
Updated for 2010 – Whether or not Paris lives up to its image of romanticism could be argued at length, but the atmosphere certainly is among the best in the world. The city needs no introduction – here are our picks for shopping, eating, drinking and acccomodation.
.shop
L’Eclaireur rue Herold | The store which on its own is already a reason to visit Paris. An avant-garde boutique with a world wide influence, the original Place Des Victoires store is the most secluded of all L’eclaireur locations scattered around the city. The large unmarked door on rue Herold leads into a dark corridor and on towards a space slightly resembling an old inner courtyard. The interior itself is amazing, and so are most of the designers stocked here ranging from long time affiliates such as Carol Christian Poell to relatively new designers like Boris Bidjan Saberi. 10 rue Herold.
L’Eclaireur rue Malher | While the exterior actually 
has a visible sign, the interior might be confusing at first.
The first room is filled with Diptyque candles and has two large glass walls leading into the second room. Here, you’ll find the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Yohan Serfaty and Balenciaga among many others. 12 rue Malher.
Damir Doma | In march 2009, Damir Doma finally compensated for a minimal presence in his home town by opening a flagship boutique in Le Marais. The boutiqe houses a fair selection of his collection, as well as the label’s offices in the back. 6 rue des Arquebusiers.
Rick Owens Palais Royal | Until recently the only Rick
Owens store in the world, the original flagship is a brainchild of the eccentric designer located in the beautiful Palais Royal. Equipped with a life sized wax figure of the man himself, the store has all the ranges from Mr. Owens for men and women and is well worth a visit. Stock, however, varies a lot, so don’t expect to find every piece from the current collection. 130-133 Galerie de Valois.
Colette | While Colette has traditionally been hailed as the forerunner of all concept boutiques, other will say that it has seen its best days. Either way, here you will find a gallery of high profile designer garments, street wear, books, art and gadgets all under one roof. 213 rue Saint-Honoré.
Maria Luisa | Sadly the mens wear extension of this classic boutique has been closed, but Maria Luisa Femme still operates under a single location, housing designers such as Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann, Jil Sander and many other notable names. 7 rue Rouget de L’Isle.
Le Bon Marche | Out of the few large department stores, Le Bon Marche is the one most worthy of a visit. Their women’s section in particular is quite impressive with reasonably sized selections from Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens and Martin Margiela. Unfortunately the men’s department is not nearly up to par with the selections from the likes of Stephan Schneider and The Viridi-Anne being very limited. 24 Rue de Sèvres.
Les Archives de la Presse | For any fans of old literature, this place is a must. Vintage magazine editions from decades ago, old newspapers, retro posters and other neat stuff. 51 rue des Archives. lesarchivesdelapresse.com
Yohji Yamamoto | After making way for a dedicated Y-3 boutique on the Etienne Marcle location, Yamamoto’s other lines have found a new home on Rue du Louvre around the corner. Most Yohji fans will be quite happy that the two worlds are no longer mixed in one space. 25 rue du Louvre.
BLESS | The other main storefront of the quirky German label. As their Berlin location, the Paris boutique also carries a moderate selection of their peculiar clothing and accessories. 14 rue de Portefoin.
Martin Margiela | While the label isn’t in the hands of the man himself, the Paris store follows the traditional Margiela style with an all white interior and a secluded location. The store carries all the MMM lines and even though the label can be found in several other shops in Paris, their own stores tend to a carry a better selection, particularly accessories. 23 rue de Montpensier.
.eat and drink
Le 404 | located in the 3éme, this secluded Moroccan restaurant offers authentic cuisine in a dimly lit setting. The dining area is fairly small but cozy. Two settings a night, reservation is advised. 69 rue Des Gravilliers.
Andy Wahloo | Small and intimate bar jointly located with Le 404 restaurant. Good vibe and friendly people, the inner courtyard joining the two places is a great place to sit and hang.
Tokyo Eats | Situated in Palais De Tokyo, this place is quite popular among the hip art crowd. The mixed cuisine food is nice and thanks to the rather large space it occupies, getting a table is fairly easy without a reservation. Go here before or after roaming through the gallery. 13 avenue du Président Wilson.
Le Baron | It’s always a scene at this small club frequented by the hip and the beautiful. After waiting a while to get in you might notice that the door policy and line is more of a status symbol, but the place can almost guarantee a good night out. 6 avenue Marceau.
Pop In | A small, somewhat hole-in-the-wall spot with a focus on a variety of rock, folk and indie music, including live performances multiple times a week. 105 rue Amelot.
Pied de Cochon | They’ve stayed true to their name at this 24h cult spot; probably all the plates have pork in some form. The place has stayed continuously open in the Les Halles location since the opening in 1947, attracting many celebrities along the way. Perfect stop after a long night out. 536 rue Duluth est.
.see
Palais De Tokyo | The Quai De Tokyo building was built in 1937 to house a modern art museum, it served similar purposes all the way until 1999, when it was turned into a contemporary art “project”. The centre houses a large museum space with ever changing quirky exhibitions, a good restaurant, a small boutique with random displays of art, toys and clothing; and a book store with a good selection of publications ranging from graffiti to architecture to fashion magazines. Open from noon to midnight, the Palais is a great stop any time of the day, but especially at night. 13 avenue du Président Wilson. palaisdetokyo.com
Grande Arche de la Défense | While the surrounding business district might not be the most exciting thing to see, the Grande Arche is worth a look if you have an extra hour or two. The gigantic landmark is interestingly built and offers great views down towards Champs Elysées.
Tour De Eiffel | As much of a tourist trap as it is, the tower is still a magnificent piece of architecture and offers an exceptional view. If you have the time and are willing to stand in line for a bit, take the elevator ride early in the evening to catch both the sunset and the night time view of the city.
Other | Paris is filled with exquisite buildings, art galleries, sights, churches, museums, parks and other things to see, which is why we wont even try to attempt to list them. Pick up a travel guide for the essentials, we recommend the Time Out Shortlist.
.stay
Hotel Recamier | A small and recently renovated hotel literally steps away from Saint Sulpice. Quiet and discreet location, classically stylish rooms, great service. You can’t ask for more. 6 place Saint Sulpice.
Le Relais Saint-Honoré | If you’ve walked around the area, chances are you’ve spotted the charming facade of this small, cozy and perfectly located hotel. Rooms are tiny but if you can live with that, its the perfect spot. 308 rue Saint-Honoré. sainthonore.free.fr
Apartment Rentals | A very useful option in addition to hotels, Paris is filled with rental apartments for both shorter and longer stays. In addition to privacy and a more homey stay, apartments can be often situated in areas that don’t have a good selection of hotels. Check out Feel Paris and Paris Attitude for listings.