Things to do in Paris
Marais mornings, Palais-Royal lunches, and a proper dinner in Ternes.
This is Paris for people who would rather eat at a zinc counter than queue for a brasserie with an English menu. The days move between the Marais, the passages near the Palais-Royal, and the quieter 17th, with one real splurge dinner and a cocktail bar that earns its reputation. No museums with timed-entry tickets, no tourist-trap terraces.
Day 1: Marais, markets, and cocktails
The day starts on Place de la Bastille, moves through the gilded rooms of Hôtel de Soubise, and finishes with Japanese hand rolls and a genuinely good drink at Le Mary Celeste.
- 9:30 AM
Café des Phares
The corner café on Place de la Bastille that started the Sunday philosophy debates; coffee and a croissant outside.
Map - 10:15 AM
Hôtel de Soubise
Walk the horseshoe courtyard, then pay for the Soubise princes' gilded rococo rooms; weekends from 14:00.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:15 PM
Marché couvert des Enfants Rouges
Paris's oldest covered market, browse local cheeses, produce and street food stalls.
Map - 7:30 PM
HANDO MARAIS
A hand-roll counter: temaki passed over one at a time while the nori is still crisp; sit at the bar.
Map - 9:30 PM
Le Mary Celeste
Critic-approved cocktail bar in the Marais, creative drinks, buzzy crowd, easy walk from dinner.
Map
Day 2: Opéra, the passages and a brasserie dinner
Coffee at Café du Cadran, a morning at the Palais Garnier, a bistro lunch in the 9th, an afternoon under the glass of Galerie Vivienne, then dinner at Brasserie l'Émil and a last drink at Le Royal.
- 9:30 AM
Café du Cadran
Café du Cadran is right in the neighbourhood, grab a coffee and a pastry before the day begins.
Map - 10:15 AM
Palais Garnier
Napoleon III's opera house, the marble staircase and Chagall ceiling are worth the daytime visit alone.
Map - 12:30 PM
Caillebotte Bistrot Gourmand
A bright bistro on Rue Hippolyte-Lebas in the 9th; the weekday lunch menu is the bargain.
Map - 2:15 PM
Galerie Vivienne
Galerie Vivienne is a gorgeous 19th-century covered passage, browse the boutiques and soak up the atmosphere.
Map - 7:30 PM
Brasserie l'Émil
The brasserie of the Château Voltaire hotel on Rue Saint-Roch; classic French plates in a polished, busy room.
Map - 9:30 PM
Le Royal
Le Royal is a laid-back local bar just steps away, ideal for a proper cocktail to close the night.
Map
Day 3: Ternes, Monceau, and dinner worth keeping
The Arc de Triomphe at opening hour, a long loop through Parc Monceau, and the trip's one proper dinner at Les Gourmets des Ternes, a neighbourhood classic that locals book on a Tuesday.
- 9:30 AM
Le Relais-Plaza
Coffee in the Plaza Athénée's Art Deco brasserie on Avenue Montaigne; a treat, so keep it to a croissant.
Map - 10:15 AM
Arc de Triomphe
Climb the Arc de Triomphe for the best rooftop view of Haussmann's star-shaped avenues, a genuine landmark moment without the Eiffel Tower.
Map - 12:30 PM
Chez Gabrielle
A small French bistro near the Étoile; order the plat du jour with a glass of the house red.
Map - 2:30 PM
Parc Monceau
Stroll the shaded allées of Parc Monceau, one of the prettiest neighbourhood parks in Paris, locals love it on a weekday.
Map - 7:30 PM
Les Gourmets des Ternes
Old-school Ternes bistro: a thick entrecôte with bone marrow and frites, then the baba au rhum.
Map
Where to stay
Thérèse
A quiet, well-priced find in the Palais-Royal neighbourhood: central to all three days without the Opéra-district markup.
Hana
Mid-range and well-placed between the Marais and Palais-Royal legs, with enough character to feel like a considered choice.
Make Paris your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- Musée d'Orsay: a few days ahead
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris: a few days ahead
- Sainte-Chapelle: a few days ahead
- Musée de l'Orangerie: a few days ahead
- Musée du Louvre: weeks ahead
- Eiffel Tower: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Restaurants within sight of a major sight, with touts, photo menus in six languages or frozen food at triple prices. Walk two streets away.
- Moulin Rouge dinner show packages are overcrowded and overpriced, and the dinner is the worst part.
- Seine dinner cruises: take the cruise, skip the dinner, and eat properly before or after.
- Champs-Élysées as a destination: walk it once, buy nothing, eat nothing.
The full Paris travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around