Restored 17th-century Marais mansion displaying the world's largest collection of Pablo Picasso's art. Grand Baroque stairs and historic salons open into crisp white galleries filled with his paintings, ceramics, and sculptures.
Marais bookshop and gallery specializing in fashion, photography, and art. Stacks of rare zines and international magazines fill the front; the back room hosts a constant rotation of exhibitions and artist events.
Time-capsule bistro with blotchy walls and just a dozen tables set with pink linen. Expect huge portions of classic French country cooking – whole roasted chicken, slabs of foie gras, and towers of crispy frites.
Cocktail bar hidden behind a poster-covered storefront on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis. The dim, concrete-lined room runs on a steady hip-hop soundtrack, pouring cocktails made exclusively with traditional French spirits.
Massive underground mall descends four levels beneath an undulating glass canopy. Sunlit concourses connect global brands and a cinema directly to Paris’s busiest transit hub.
Busy Lebanese parlor serving organic ice cream with the chewy texture of mastic. The signature Ashta scoops are rolled in a thick layer of crushed pistachios.
Historic kitchenware warehouse packed floor-to-ceiling with copper pots and obscure molds. Finding a price means checking codes in a binder, and staff wrap purchases in brown paper and string.
Grand Beaux-Arts railway station holding the world's largest collection of Impressionist art. Galleries sit under a soaring glass roof, rising to top-floor masterpieces and a giant station clock looking out over Paris.
Vast formal garden stretching between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Wide gravel paths run past manicured lawns toward large stone fountains, where loose green metal chairs are pulled right to the water's edge.
Sleek patisserie with elegant, brightly lit glass cases. Perfectly uniform macarons come in unconventional flavors like rose and lychee, carefully packed into sturdy boxes for takeaway.
Compact museum in a former Tuileries greenhouse built around Claude Monet’s monumental Water Lilies. Two hushed, sunlit oval rooms wrap the panels in a continuous loop, with a tight collection of Impressionist works downstairs.
Art gallery-style chocolatier displaying massive cocoa sculptures in its windows. The pristine pralines and ganaches are the main event inside – sold exclusively by the box.
Bright white basilica marking the highest point in Paris. Steep front steps double as a casual grandstand for sunset views over the skyline, giving way to a quiet nave filled with prayer candles and a massive gold mosaic.
Minimalist Rue Saint-Honoré boutique selling perfumes built around single, high-dose raw ingredients. Staff lead detailed smelling sessions at the counter, breaking down the botanical origin of each scent.
Traditional boulangerie formerly supplying the Elysée Palace with its prize-winning baguette. Pistachio pastries sell out early, while the counter stacks savory curry and squid ink loaves.
Latin Quarter bakery serving the region's 2018 prize-winning all-butter croissant. Each is made with organic flour and Charentes-Poitou AOP butter; the queue moves fast.
Glass-walled art center that merges its exhibition space with a wild garden. Rotating shows and massive site-specific commissions fill the transparent, light-soaked floors.
Sprawling Left Bank food hall and high-end grocery packed with specialty produce, fresh baguettes, and a massive cheese counter. Busy aisles lead past cases of lunchtime sandwiches and vacuum-sealed French butter ready for the flight home.
Sprawling former royal palace holding tens of thousands of artworks and antiquities across three massive wings. The glass pyramid entrance drops into opulent, winding halls that run warm and loud around the most famous pieces.
Sculpted marble fountain and long water basin tucked into a quiet corner of the Jardin du Luxembourg. Rows of plane trees arch over the water, shading the metal park chairs pulled up to the edge for reading and escaping the sun.
Newly restored Gothic cathedral sitting on the Île de la Cité with flying buttresses and stone gargoyles. The massive interior takes a half hour to walk through, passing beneath soaring vaults and surviving 13th-century rose windows.
Massive open-air food market running down Boulevard Richard-Lenoir every Thursday and Sunday. Long aisles are packed with seasonal produce and artisanal cheese, alongside stands serving freshly shucked oysters and cold white wine.
