4 Days in Paris
I spent 4 days in Paris with my sisters to celebrate my 40th birthday.
It was a mix of pilates, museums, fine dining, gluten free pastries and more. We spent a lot of time researching, getting recommendations, and reading guides (highly recommend Habitually Chic’s Paris Guide for easy reference before and during your trip). We spent most of our time on the Right Bank this time. Next time, I want to stay on the Left for a different perspective. I would highly recommend not packing much because you will shop and then be totally stuffed in your suitcase. Or, bring an extra suitcase or duffle just in case. Keep reading for all we got into and be sure to save/star all these places on your Google Map for your trip!
I booked a premium comfort seat over the summer with Air France and then this fall decided to treat myself and upgraded to business class with points for the way there. This way I could get a decent night sleep for our first day. As I write this on my way home from Paris, I am sitting in Air France’s Premium Economy and it’s great for traveling home. The seat reclines a bit and has a leg rest. I think you could definitely get a decent sleep heading to Paris if business wasn’t an option (which I understand! My ticket was a treat for my birthday). Overall I have had a great experience.
Thursday I arrived in Paris early at 7:30am. I grabbed my bag and took a taxi to the Ritz where my sister was staying. It was so chic and very beautiful. I had a pilates class at 11am so I quickly changed (because it took an hour and a half to get there, traffic was horrible) had a coffee and off to pilates I went. After my workout I headed back to the hotel and grabbed a beautiful lunch with my sister Jordan. We had the scallop salad and avocado toast. They finished it off with a few delicious and delicate chocolates. We shopped around for a bit at all the big name stores like Van Cleef and Arpel, Chanel, Celilne, etc. while we waited for our other sister to make her way in.
Antoine Gounet Pilates
I’ve been Following Antoine on instagram for a while so I was excited to take a session with him. His studio is perfect and the session was great. He too was not far from the Marais and only offers private or duet/semi sessions - no classes.
We then headed to the flat we rented for our trip. We decided to go for this instead of a hotel so we’d all have space to rest, etc. It was beyond beautiful and in the most perfect location within the Marais. We booked via HighStay and would recommend. Not only was it a better price than Airbnb, it also came with daily housekeeping (note how cute my pajamas are folded!) it also had a cancellation policy that allowed you to cancel if needed. See below for how fabulous our rental was. You can check it out here. It was above a very current and noteworthy restaurant, Parcelles which unfortunately we weren’t able to eat at but it looked great and was very busy.
After we got settled, we shopped around the Marais a bit - there are so many great small shops, etc. I picked up a pair of red patened leather ballet flats from Repetto. This was something on my list. We then made our way to dinner at Ogata which was a fabulous 3 course Japanese dining experience. It was unlike anything I’ve ever done and would highly recommend.
Friday I had a facial booked at the flagship Biologique Recherche. I love their P50 lotion - it is amazing for your skin so I wanted to see what it was like at the mothership. It was great and different than the BR facial I get in NYC - I would definitely recommend! We then met for lunch at the very chic Gigi which wasn’t far away so an easy walk. It was so good and had beautiful views.
After lunch we headed to the Gallerie Dior exhibit which was so interesting and incredible. You learned the history of Christian Dior and saw so many beautiful dresses. The Maison was decorated beautifully for the holidays.
We shopped around a bit at Galleries Lafayette after the Dior Museum and I got my husband some great stuff. I also found the brand Sessun - I grabbed this jacket plus a few other things that I can’t find online in the states, which is a good thing! It was chic, priced well and unlike anything I’ve seen in the city style wise. It was just what I needed to update my wardrobe. We finished the day off at Verjus which was a 4 course tasting menu. It was AMAZING. It was minimal, creative and such a lovely dining experience. One of the most exceptional I’ve ever had. I cannot recommend enough.
Saturday we started our day at Copains in the Marais for gluten free pastries and coffee. We then headed to the Musee de L’Orangerie which is the museum with all of Monet’s Waterlilies. It was incredible and wow to see them so close like that displayed in this way, I can’t recommend it enough. This is a small museum so doesn’t take long to get through. When you’re done, walk through the Tuileries Gardens - it’s a great way to see a lot of beautiful Paris.
Hundred Pilates
After our museum visit, my sister and I headed to Hundred Pilates which is a very chic studio not from Place de la Concorde or the Marais. We stumbled upon it on our way home from Verjus the night before. My sister and I took an Advanced Reformer Class and it was good! This studio is affiliated with Real Pilates so it’s quality not quantity.
After pilates we headed for lunch at Tigermilk which was a Latin American restaurant not far from the Macaroon making class we had scheduled at Lili and Clo. It was delicious and had light flavors to juxtapose the french fair we’d been indulging in. After lunch we headed to Lili and Clo for a macaroon class and it was fantastic! It was a 2 hour class and was a nice break from shopping, museums, and walking. We made A LOT of macaroons to take home to the family. They are so good and rather easy - I can see myself making these with my son for sure! After the class we waited in line at Sezane which while it seemed long, only took about 15 minutes. They make GREAT sweaters and are much better priced in France than the use. Be sure to do the VAT tax refund after you check out so you can get your taxes back before heading to the states.
We finished our day with steak frites at Camille (their fries are gluten free FYI!) and it was delicious and just what we needed after a busy day plus two previous nights of fancy dining. After we wondered home down Rue Montorgueil which has so many markets, restaurants, etc which is fun to check out.
Sunday was a lazy morning where I slept in, had a coffee at Berry across the street from our flat and then I headed to pilates with another instructor at Antoine Gounet. After, I headed to Breizh Cafe in the Marais for crepes - they are SO GOOD. I had a savory egg, ham and mushroom crepe followed by a shared chocolate with ginger and ice cream. These are gluten free and made with buckwheat flour which is a super food. This place is a MUST when in Paris.
After lunch we went to the Picasso Museum which was right around the corner from Breizh Cafe. It was fantastic and right now is showing a Pollock exhibit as well. I didn’t realize Picasso was such an avid sculptor as well. I would say we spent about an hour here and it was more than enough.
We finished our trip off with a big dinner to celebrate my 40th birthday. We finally got over to the left bank where my sister Jordan treated me to a 7 course tasting menu at the 2 star Michelin restaurant, Jules Verne. It was beautiful, incredibly delicious and such a fantastic way to finish our trip. I am grateful to her booking this for us. It’s definitely an indulgence but really special and if fine dining is your cup of tea, I would say this is worth it to see the city of lights sparkle while dining.
If you’re still reading, thank you! I hope you find this helpful and interesting. If you check out any of this be sure to tag me on Instagram @AshleyPattenPilates and/or comment below!
xx, Ashley