jwalker9328: Insider Guide: Best of Paris

We’ll always have Paris, goes the line, but it’s easy sometimes to feel like Paris is having you.

Lines at major sites are long and the coffee you just drank cost €6.

Still, there’s no denying the beauty of the best of Paris, with its elegant monuments and gardens, ornate shop displays, foodie traditions and artistic heritage.

Almost every one of the 20 arrondissements in this city of 2.2 million residents provides visitors with something to see or do.

Or at least something good to eat.

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Quick tips: Check opening hours before heading out, especially on public holidays and during the month of August.

Manners matter here. The first thing you say to friend or stranger is always “bonjour” (“bon soir” in the evening), and always “merci, au revoir” on the way out of shops and restaurants. If you don’t, you’ll be the one who is being rude.

Getting around is easy. The Metro is efficient, taxis are usually an option and there’s an excellent public bike-sharing program.

To soak in the best of Paris, however, walking is essential. Strolling neighborhoods, peeking behind courtyard doors and taking your time are legendary rites of the Paris traveler passage.

Hotels

Luxury

Presidential Suite at the George Cinq. Le Georges V

This Golden Triangle mainstay is difficult to top in terms of luxury, service and price. Capacious guest rooms incorporate styles of different eras for a result that’s a little bit Marie-Antoinette, a touch Joséphine and unmistakably French.

Though part of the Four Seasons group since 1999, everyone still calls it the George Cinq.

31 avenue George V, 8th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 49 52 70 00; doubles from €950 (US$1,220); www.fourseasons.com/paris

Le Meurice

Le Meurice, Paris Breakfast at Tiffany's has nothing on breakfast at Le Meurice.The gilded Louis XVI interiors in this 200-year-old palace hotel were recently updated by ubiquitous designer Philippe Starck.

Facing the Jardin des Tuileries, it’s hard to get more central than this best of Paris hotel, and you don’t have to leave the building to enjoy one of the city’s most delicious and opulent dining experiences, courtesy of chef Yannick Alleno, a champion of local products.

228 rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement; +33 1 44 58 10 10; doubles from €640 (US$820); www.lemeurice.com

Mid-Range

For those who prefer to cut le crap, a guest room at the Hotel de Nell. Hotel de Nell

If toile and brocade aren’t your style, consider the clean lines of this new boutique offering in the 9th arrondissement.

Foodies may feel especially comfortable: the hotel restaurant is the newest outpost of the beloved bistro La Régalade.

7-9 rue du Conservatoire, 9th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 44 83 83 60; doubles from €400 (US$515); www.hoteldenell.com

Hôtel du Petit Moulin

To be king or queen for a day, you don't have to wake up a pauper.Housed in a 17th-century building, the 17 rooms of this Marais hotel were individually (and flamboyantly) decorated by Christian Lacroix.

Are the heart-shaped mirrors a bit much? Maybe, but this is the best of Paris. Embrace it.

29-31 rue du Poitou, 3rd arrondissement; +33 1 42 74 10 10; doubles from €252 (US$323); www.paris-hotel-petitmoulin.coml

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Budget

Mama Shelter

Coolest of the coolest. The Trigano family (of Club Med fame) solicited Philippe Starck (him again) to design this surprisingly reasonably priced boutique hotel, which comes with plenty of amenities, including Wi-Fi, on-demand movies and Kiehl’s products in the bathroom.

It’s not central, but it’s convenient to the Metro, Père Lachaise cemetery is around the corner and, yes, that's the Eiffel Tower you see in the distance. If you want “real” best of Paris, this is it.

109 rue du Bagnolet, 20th arrondissement; +33 1 43 48 48 48; doubles from €89 (US$115); www.mamashelter.com

Apartments

Just like home? The vibe is, anyway.Though you’ll have to make your own bed, renting an apartment is often less expensive than a hotel, and frees you from the shackles of eating out all the time.

Haven in Paris features a best of Paris collection of properties for weekly or nightly rental that’ll make you want to drop everything and move here. For a more DIY experience -- and more budget options -- try airbnb.

Dining

A few guidelines will help you navigate this fabulous food city:

Bistros and restaurants have specific opening hours for lunch and dinner, and are usually closed at least one day a week. Cafés and brasseries are open all day for casual eating. For lunch on the go, most bakeries sell sandwiches -- for the best bread, look for the words “Artisan Boulanger” on the sign.

Reservations are always recommended, except at the most casual cafés and brasseries, or when bookings are explicitly not taken.

If you have dietary restrictions, be sure to mention it on the phone.

Alain Ducasse recently celebrated its tenth anniversary by going back to basics. Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenée

Under the deft hand of chef Christophe Saintagne, the cooking at Ducasse’s Paris flagship has undergone a sort of makeunder, away from extravagance for its own sake and toward cleaner, stripped down style, without sacrificing any of the luxury or glamour for which this legendary dining room is known.

25 avenue Montaigne, 8th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 53 67 65 00; dinner: Monday-Friday; lunch: Thursday and Friday only; very expensive; www.plaza-athenee-paris.com

Fine beet sushi at L’Arpège. L’Arpège

Chef Alain Passard’s love of vegetables borders on fetishism, and yours may, too, after dining at this Michelin three-star, where les legumes get equal billing with lobster and lamb. Many of the best young chefs in Paris have passed through this kitchen.

84 rue de Varenne, 7th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 47 05 09 06; lunch and dinner, Monday-Friday; very expensive; www.alain-passard.com

L'Astrance

Pascal Barbot’s modern cooking seamlessly incorporates global influences and ideas, while resting on solid classical underpinnings.

A signature dish: a stacked gateau of shaved mushrooms and verjus-marinated foie gras with hazelnut oil and lemon confit.

The dining room (mercifully) lacks the frou-frou that comes with so many of Parisian three-stars. You won’t miss it.

4 rue Beethoven, 16th arrondissement; +33 1 40 50 84 40; lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Friday; very expensive

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Septime

No tablecloths? Trés chic.Youngster Bertrand Grébaut made waves when he opened Septime in 2011 for serving food of obsessive quality and imagination at reasonable prices in a no-tablecloth setting in the 11th.

This is what a contemporary Parisian restaurant looks like.

80 rue de Charonne, 11th arrondissement +33 1 43 67 38 29; open Monday for dinner only, Tuesday-Friday for lunch and dinner; moderate-expensive; septime-charonne.fr

Mini Palais

That's a terrace.Mini Palais bills itself as a modern brasserie, feeding a chic crowd with a menu that manages to be both gourmand and plenty of fun.

A best of Paris setting, in a corner of the Grand Palais, doesn’t hurt, and the terrace is one of the prettiest in town.

Inside the Grand Palais, entrance on avenue Winston Churchill, 8th arrondissement; +33 1 42 56 42 42; open all day, daily; moderate; www.minipalais.com

Chez L'Ami Jean

Cozy French cuisine.This bastion of Basque pride has evolved into a serious gastonomic destination, but it’s still elbows out in the packed, noisy room.

With only an €80 (US$102) prix fixe option at dinner, it’s not the steal it used to be, but you won’t walk away hungry after being subjected to Stéphane Jego’s belly-busting, imaginative bistro cooking.

27 rue Malar, 7th arrondissement; +33 1 47 05 86 89; lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Saturday; moderate-expensive; www.lamijean.fr

Yam'tcha

Adeline Grattard earned her stripes at L’Astrance and in Hong Kong before opening this restaurant with her husband, who serves as tea steward and sommelier in service of her exquisite, Franco-Chinese cooking that’s neither one nor the other -- it’s just hers.

Call exactly 30 days before you want to eat here.

4 rue Sauval, 1st arrondissement; +33 1 40 26 08 07; open Tuesday for dinner only, lunch and dinner Wednesday-Saturday; expensive; www.yamtcha.com

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Breizh Café

You can’t enjoy the best of Paris without eating a crêpe. As an alternative to one of those street stalls, this superb Marais address serves perfect, lacy buckwheat galettes with organic fillings and a range of easy-drinking ciders.

109 rue Vieille du Temple, 3rd arrondissement; +33 1 42 72 13 77; lunch and dinner, Wednesday-Sunday; budget-moderate; breizhcafe.com/fr

Le Relais de L’Entrecôte

You came to eat, not stare (at the flowers).The only thing on the menu at this best of Paris eatery is steak, served with a never-ending pile of golden fries and an addictive, herb-laden secret sauce.

It’s all served by uniformed women who mean business. They don’t build waitresses like this anymore.

Locations in the 6th and 8th arrondissement, see website for details; no reservations; moderate; www.relaisentrecote.fr

Jacques Genin

No, you're not shopping for jewelry. Even better. Dessert!If it’s sweets you’re after, the tea room of this masterful pastry and chocolate shop has unrivaled mille-feuille and biting lemon tarts.

Genin’s chocolates and caramels make an excellent gift. For yourself.

133 rue de Turenne, 3rd arrondissement; +33 1 45 77 29 01; Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; jacquesgenin.fr

Nightlife

Experimental Cocktail Club

Cocktail culture in Paris got a jumpstart when this speakeasy-ish bar opened, serving seriously well-crafted drinks -- both new and old school -- to a friendly crowd that gets younger and hipper as the night wears on.

37 rue St. Sauver, 2nd arrondissement; +33 1 45 08 88 89; opens at 7 p.m.; closed Sunday; www.experimentalcocktailclub.com

Le Baron

Bordello red meets disco silver.Le Baron was founded by one-name impresario André and is lodged in a former bordello. Most of us can’t get into Le Baron, but chosen ones can expect dancing models, red walls hung with soft-core art photos and maybe a few celebs.

6 avenue Marceau, 8th arrondissement; +33 1 47 20 03 01; opens at 11 p.m.; www.clublebaron.com

La Vue at Concorde

There are two main draws to this mod lounge in the Concorde-Lafayette hotel: expert drinks mixed by a champion barman, and a panoramic view over the best of Paris. Both make it worthwhile.

3 place Général Koenig, 17th arrondissement; +33 1 40 68 51 31; opens at 5 p.m.; www.concorde-lafayette.com

Harry’s Bar

An institution, Harry’s has been pouring drinks since 1911. Hemingway drank here (not everyone approves of the current incarnation) and some stories pin it as the birthplace of the Bloody Mary.

5 rue Daunou, 2nd arrondissement; +33 1 42 61 71 14; opens at noon; www.harrysbar.fr

Shopping

Rue Saint-Honoré

A box of Paris to take home with you. Rue Saint-Honoré and neighboring streets offer ample opportunity to empty your wallet -- while sightseeing, of course -- from best of Paris haute jewelry stores on Place Vendôme to vintage shops along the gardens of the Palais Royal.

Those too young to remember the Eighties clamber into concept store Colette (213 rue Saint-Honoré; +33 1 55 35 33 90; www.colette.fr) to pick up a Lanvin iPad case or a late-model Polaroid.

Leather goods granddaddy Goyard (233 rue Saint-Honoré; +33 1 42 60 57 04; www.goyard.com) is handy if you’re in need of a new steamer trunk.

Ceramicists Astier de Villate (173 rue Saint-Honoré; +33 1 42 60 74 13; www.astierdevillatte.com) is good for a chic tabletop.

The Flea Market at Porte de Vanves

Keep looking, you're bound to find something worthwhile.A more manageable size than its Clignancourt cousin, the Vanves marchés aux puces is also a little less expensive. Like all flea markets, there’s plenty of trash among the treasures, but it’s French trash.

Avenue Marc Sangnier, 14th arrondissement; Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; pucesdevanves.typepad.com

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Printemps was the first store in Paris to run on electricity and to offer set prices. Galeries Lafayette and Printemps

These landmark department stores rub shoulders on boulevard Haussmann, creating a massive shopper’s paradise.

Between the two, all label lovers should be able to find what they’re looking for, though the draw here isn’t just fashion: both stores feature stunning glass cupola ceilings, and the sixth floor café at Galeries Lafayette offers a panoramic view over Paris.

Galeries Lafayette, 40 boulevard Haussmann, 9th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 42 82 34 56; Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. (9 p.m. on Thursdays); moderate-expensive; www.galerieslafayette.com

Printemps, 64 boulevard Haussman, 9th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 42 82 50 00; Monday-Saturday, 9:35 a.m.-8 p.m. (10 p.m. on Thursdays); moderate-expensive; departmentstoreparis.printemps.com

Le Bon Marché/La Grande Épicerie

Even the escalators are arty. The oldest (dating from 1838) and chicest department store in the best of Paris pantheon, with a food hall to match, Le Bon Marché and La Grande Épicerie are perfect for watching Rive Gauchers in their native habitat. And good picks for edible souvenir shopping.

From here you can walk to the Luxembourg Gardens or stroll the St.-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, which, though it’s developed an international, high-end blandness, still inspires dreams of literary grandeur with its iconic pair of cafés, Les Deux Magots (6 place St.-Germain-des-Près; +33 1 45 48 55 25; www.lesdeuxmagots.fr) and Café de Flore (172 boulevard St. Germain; +33 1 45 48 55 26; www.cafedeflore.fr)

Le Bon Marché, 24 rue de Sèvres, 7th arrondissement; +33 1 44 39 80 00; Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday); www.lebonmarche.com

La Grande Épicerie, 38 rue de Sèvres, 7th arrondissement; +33 1 44 39 8100; Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; www.lagrandeepicerie.fr

Attractions

Eiffel Tower

You won't leave without a photo of it. We dare you. Yes, it’s going to be crowded, but Gustave Eiffel’s 320-meter-high (1,049 feet) curving lattice of puddle iron is iconic for a reason.

You can take the stairs or an elevator to the second floor, or ride all the way to the top of what is the tallest building in the city. (Ochlo-, claustro- and acrophobes should think twice.)

In warmer months, consider picnicking on the Champs de Mars. You can join the cheering when the glittery evening light show starts -- and ponder the fact that many critics judged the tower an eyesore when it was built as the grand entrance to the 1899 World Fair.

Daily, June 15-September 1, 9 a.m.-12:45 a.m. (last elevator to the top, 11 p.m.; stairs close at midnight); September 2-June 14, 9:30 a.m.-11:45 p.m. (last elevator to the top, 10:30 p.m.; stairs close at 6 p.m.); adult admission €5/8.50/14.50 (stairs/elevator to second floor/elevator to top); ages 12-24, €3.50/7/13.00; ages 4-11 and disabled visitors €3/4/10; free for under-fours; www.eiffel-tower.com

Notre-Dame, Sainte Chapelle and the Islands

It's possible to make a discovery, even at one of the oldest places in Paris. This is the oldest part of Paris, tracing its metropolitan roots to the 17th century.

On Île Saint Louis you’ll find a touristy-but-charming main street, and quiet spots to perch along the river.

Île de Cité is home to the Palais de Justice and the Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette awaited her doom), along with two landmark churches, Notre-Dame (which celebrates its 850th anniversary this year) and Sainte Chapelle.

Entry to Notre-Dame is free, unless you want to ascend 387 steps to the towers, which affords a decent view of the city and a chance to play out any Quasimodo-Esmeralda fantasies in front of the 13-ton Bourdon bell.

Notre-Dame cathedral is free. Entry for the towers is on rue du Cloître; open daily; April 1-September 30 from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in July and August); October 1-March 31 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; €8.50 for adults, free for under-18s; notre-dame-de-paris

Saint Chapelle entry is at 4 boulevard du Palais; open daily, March 1 -October 31, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; and November 1-February 28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; €8.50 for adults, free for under-18s; sainte-chapelle

Le Marais

The narrow streets of Le Marais offer the best view of Pre-Haussmannian Paris. Once the city’s aristocratic center, it’s now a hub of gay life, a fashionable district that spreads from the 4th into the 3rd arrondissement.

There are always lines for lunch at L’As du Fallafel (34 rue des Rosiers, closed Saturday) in the heart of the old Jewish quarter.

You can learn more about the best of Paris through archival photos, civic relics and decorative objects at the Musée Carnavalet, dedicated to the history of the city. (23 rue de Sévigné; +33 1 44 59 58 58; closed Monday; free; carnavalet.paris.fr)

You can shop on rue des Francs Bourgeois, contemplate the divine symmetry of the Place des Vosges or hang out at the Maison Victor Hugo (6 place des Vosges, closed Monday; free; www.musee-hugo.paris.fr).

The ultimate bourgeois-bohemian shopping experience starts or ends the day at Merci (111 boulevard Beaumarchais, +33 1 42 77 00 33; closed Sunday; www.merci-merci.com). Proceeds from your new Isabel Marant leather pants will go to charity.

Retail therapy never felt so good.

Museums

Paris has an astounding collection of world-class art museums and exhibition spaces. If you plan on packing in several, consider a Museum Pass, which includes entry to more than 60 museums and monuments while allowing you to skip ticket queues each time.

Admission to most Paris museums is free on the first Sunday of each month.

Musée du Louvre

What? No lines? Simply one of the world’s greatest museums, this sprawling palace houses works of art from prehistory through the 19th century (and an Apple store in the attached underground mall).

The best strategy for tackling this huge place is to not try to cover too much at once, and have an exit strategy. It’s the Louvre. It’ll exhaust you, but you must go.

Entry at the courtyard Pyramid, 1st arrondissement; +33 1 40 20 53 17; daily, except Tuesday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (open until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays); €11 for adults, free for under-18s; www.louvre.fr

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Musée d’Orsay

Always makes a good impression.The Orsay picks up where the Louvre leaves off, with a collection of mostly French art from the late-19th and early-20th century that’s packed with Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces.

1, rue de la Legion d’Honneur, 7th arrondissement; +33 1 40 49 48 14; daily, except Monday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (open until 9:45 p.m. on Thursday); €9 for adults (€6.50 after 4:30 p.m., except Thursday), free for under-18s; www.musee-orsay.fr

Musée de l’Orangerie

Just across the river, this smaller sibling to the Orsay houses Monet’s “Waterlilies,” which look much better here than on a coffee mug.

A €16 ticket lets you see both museums in the same day.

Jardin des Tuileries, 1st arrondissement; +33 1 44 77 80 07; daily, except Tuesday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; €7.50 for adults, free for under-18s; www.musee-orangerie.fr

Le Centre Pompidou/The Pompidou Center

Enter art. This polychrome, inside-out building has been dividing public opinion since its construction in 1977. Love it or hate it, it houses a pulsating survey of 20th- and 21st-century art in the permanent galleries that no Modernist should miss.

There are also vibrant temporary exhibitions and multimedia activities.

Place Georges Pompidou, 4th arrondissement; daily, except Tuesday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (last admission 8 p.m.); €13 for adults, free for under-18s; +33 1 44 78 12 33 www.centrepompidou.fr

Musée Rodin

Impossible not to be thoughtful in the presence of Rodin. If you saw Woody Allen's “Midnight in Paris,” you’ll recognize the gardens of this museum, dedicated to the life and work of Auguste Rodin.

An exquisite mansion houses the interior galleries, and outside you can walk among some of the artist’s most celebrated bronzes, including "The Thinker" and "The Gates of Hell."

79 rue de Varenne, 7th arrondissement; +33 1 44 18 61 10; Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. (last admission at 5:15 p.m.); €9 for adults, free for under-18s; www.musee-rodin.fr

Musée du Quai Branly

It's not for everyone. Or meant to be.A cultural legacy of the Chirac presidency, the Branly (opened in 2006) is dedicated to non-European art.

Supporters of the museum rejoice at the effort toward multiculturalism, while critics smell the unpleasant scent of lingering colonial attitudes in its conception and displays.

37 Quai Branly, 7th arrondissement; +33 1 56 61 71 72; Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (9 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday); permanent collection €8.50 for adults, free for under-18s (some sections require extra admission, see website for details); www.quaibranly.fr

Le Grand Palais

The art of symmetry.Crowned by an expansive, barrel-vaulted, cast iron and glass ceiling, the Grand Palais is itself an attraction. Constructed for the Universal Exposition of 1900, it contains multiple galleries that play frequent host to blockbuster traveling exhibitions.