PARIS PT 3

Thursday afternoon we flew back to Paris from Perpignan. After a quick a quick bag drop and refresh at the hotel, we were ready to head out on the pursuit of what else? Food.

After nearly a week of sustaining on primarily bread, cheese and macarons, my body was really begging for some fresh, dare I even say, healthy food. Adrienne had the incredibly brilliant idea to try and find a good mediterranean restaurant. In Detroit we are #blessed with some amazing mediterranean and middle eastern restaurants, it's such a great go-to, especially for people on a plant based diet.

With a fair amount of research, we settled on Le Grand Phenician in Monmarte, just around the corner from the Moulin Rouge and right up the block from the Terrass-Hotel, where we had planned to go for cocktails later.

Don't go to LGP if you're looking for something fancy, but if it's out of this world, delicious lebanese food you're after, this is the place. The food and drinks were both very reasonable priced, the service was super friendly fast, and accommodating, and we left full and happy. The baba ganoush (above) was particularly noteworthy and unlike I'd any had before (pomegranate arils?!).

View from the Terass Hotel rooftop bar.

Post-dinner we walked over to the Terass-Hotel (only about 5 minutes up Rue Caulaincourt) to have drinks on their AMAZING rooftop bar. Sadly, the weather was cold and rainy that evening, but the terrace was covered with umbrellas and plenty of heaters (they even had blankets available) so we stuck it out and enjoyed the beautiful view and delicious cocktails. Of course we had to stop and do the photo booth on our way out.

     

PARIS PT 2

Our second night in Paris extended into the morning of our third day, and thus Sunday was a bit of a late start. We met up with Trent in his neighborhood, Belleville, for a late brunch (they have an affordable yet abundant pre-fixe option) at Moncouer. If you're visiting Paris in the warmer months, I would definitely suggest stopping by Moncouer for a casual meal, coffee, or apero on their terrace. The cafe is perched atop the hilly and picturesque Parc de Belleville. From right outside the cafe you have an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower, so eating al fresco on a nice day is even more lovely.

Paris PT 1

Paris - is there any place better? It would hard for me to imagine so. This was my third visit, and somehow it never seems to become any less magical.

I'm lucky enough to have a lifelong friend (quite literally, Trent and I met at age 7) living in Paris. Every time Trent and I talk, I always say I'm going to make a trip out, and somehow five years has passed since my last visit. Unacceptable. When Trent was home for the holidays, I made a vow that another year would not pass before I saw him in France.

Another amazing thing about Trenton is that he truly is the world's best tour guide and host (also just the all around coolest person, check out some of his crazy cool life here). Traveling, especially internationally, can be so overwhelming and having someone who knows the city front to back makes things so much easier and SO much more fun!

Of course doing some 'touristy' things is inevitable (and sometimes really fun!), but we really tried to balance that by checking out spots that were a little more unique or off the beaten path. Hopefully sharing our itinerary can help you find a few new spots to check off your own list!