Paris Provocateur: Your Guide to the City

Paris. Ah, the City of Light, City of Love, City of Romance, City of Fashion...and the Capital of Clichés. It's a place that rightly deserves every superlative, hackneyed praise hurled its way. For few cities can compare to its physical beauty, cultural offerings, and culinary bounties - of which the impact reaches deep and far into the psyche. Yet this was not the case all the time. Tourists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly Americans, returned to their home with tales that the French were "immoral, dishonest, and ungrateful," as Harvey Levenstein reported in his book, We'll Always Have Paris.
But for generations, beatnik young artists, writers, and philosophers flocked to its grand boulevards and quiet cafés, unshackling themselves from the tyranny of labour. This kind of attitude opened Paris as the land of freedom and joie de vivre; a kind of city that free-thinkers and vagabonds languish their time in. And when these same people returned home, either with success or failure under their wings, they brought back vivid memories of a different Paris. A Paris that is provocative, romantic, and libertine.
And this is the Paris many elect to visit and revisit. But author David Lebovitz reminds us that "Paris is not a museum; it's a big city with flaws, just like any other major metropolis..." But to our detriment, we all choose to ignore this, and that's why the city remains, to us, a vision of the enigmatic wonderland that it is. In fact, we envy Ernest Hemingway saying, "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."
• Putting on the Ritz

When Irving Berlin sang "if you're blue and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits," did he mean the Ritz Paris ($$$$)? Ceasar Ritz's institution of chic in the City of Light boasts a guest list that includes Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, and Princess Diana, to name a few. But if you want to channel some Carrie Bradshaw and Aleksandr Petrovsky, the Plaza Athénée ($$$$) offers a Sex and the City package starting at a whopping €3800.
For those looking for less traditional digs, Hotel Keppler ($$$-$$$$)near the Arc de Triomphe is a Pierre Yves Rochon-designed classical contemporary hideaway with a bit of Hollywood glamour. The baroque contemporary Hotel Ares ($$$) near the Eiffel Tower has elegant Italian finishes that spell opulence all the way. For Da Vinci Code fans, the renovated Hotel Recamier ($$$) is your Zenned-out Regency-style lairadjacent to St. Sulpice in the St. Germain de Prés.
If the economic downturn shrunk your budget to bits but not your style, Mama Shelter ($$) in the 20th arrondissement near the famous Père Lachaise may suit your taste. But if toile and Louis-style furnishings are you thing, you can't go wrong with constant Trip Advisor favourite, Hotel des Grands Hommes ($$-$$$) with its fantastic Pantheon views. Across the River on the gauche side, tucked away in the chic Marais district, the timber-beamed, stone-and-wrought-ironed Medieval Hotel Saint Merry ($$) is a great option.
• Bistros, Brasseries, Bars, and Cafés

Though no one can really tell the difference between brasseries, bistros, bars, and cafésthese days, it's a known fact that these joints have nourished the citizens of Paris through time. Fin de siècle, Art Nouveau, or Belle Epoque brasseries have gained notoreity ever since Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Marcel Pagnol, Ernest Hemingway, Louis Aragon, and Elsa Triolet made them hip. And even though some of these brasseries have been acquired by big restaurant corporations, the architectural and historical detail, as well as culinary standards are still retained, if not improved further. Fine examples are Brasserie Lipp ($$$), famed for its sole meunière and cervelas rémoulade (garlicky pork sausage with spicy mayonnaise). Le Grand Véfour ($$$$), with its elegant salons of red banquettes, has a tasting menu by Chef Guy Martin for a prodigous €268! If you want something cheaper than the Véfour, old-world bouillon, Chartier ($-$$), serves up tasty meals at a reasonable price. A one-time haunt of Sorbonne professors, the intellectual Balzar ($$$) can still cook up French classics like skate wings with brown butter sauce despite being acquired by the Flo restaurant group. Another Flo acquisition, Bofinger($$-$$$), deserves special mention not only for its exquisite stained-glass cupola, but also for its authentic Alsatian choucroute garnie.
But if you'd rather go somewhere more intimate and au courant, grab one of the few chairs at rue Vieille du Temple's Au Petit Fer à Cheval ($$) for their delicious duck confit and a pint of biere. For other traditional French fare such as cassoulet, tête de veau, and foie gras, go where every Mayor of Paris has eaten - Benoit ($$-$$$), now part of Alain Ducasse's empire.
Street markets are very popular in Paris, with each one having its own neighbourhood bistro. In the rue Mouffetard market, Cave la Bourgogne ($$-$$$), with its wood panels and mosaic floor, is a perfect place to relax aprés shopping. And in the rue Cler market, Café du Marché($$) is the spot for lunch.
Other notable bistros are La Palette ($$-$$$) on rue de Seine (open since 1903), a restaurant frequented by Picasso and Braque. A La Biche au Bois ($-$$) near the Gare de Lyon is a raucous but fun spot to eat. For a fast and simple lunch, the open faced sandwiches and tartines at Cuisine de Bar ($$) on rue Cherche-Midi are delicious. Christopher Beaufront's L'Avant-Goût ($$) on rue Bobillot in the 13th is famous for its pot au feu and French terroir cuisine, but always with a twist. If béarnaise, mustard Cognac, and other unctuous cream sauces are your preference, Chez Georges ($$-$$$) on rue du Mail in the 2nd churns them out consistently.

When libations are your priority more than comestibles, the bars and cafés of Paris can satiate your thirst. Food here are usually just an after thought or an added bonus, but many places serve equally outstanding classic café dishes throughout the day. From the terrace of Café Marly ($$-$$$) at the Louvre, overlooking I.M. Pei's glass pyramids, you can observe the de trop action in the courtyard with a salade or gateau. Pricey as it is, Café de Flore ($$-$$$) in St. Germain still pulls in the crowds with its chocolat chaud and pâtisseries. And if you don't mind tight and dingy spaces, the übercool L'Art Brut in Beauborg, Marais district is part-bar, part-gallery where there's no shame in getting wasted here. But when you tire of the tourist-trodden city centre, head to Belleville - once home to Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf - for a drink on the street patio of Aux Folies ($) or Le Faitout($).
• Shop 'Til You Drop

Those with a penchant for fashion but in smaller doses should visit children's clothiers Alice à Paris and Talc, some of the trendiest in Paris. You'll wish they have their collection in bigger sizes! Want something for yourself? Tara Jarmon has sexy date-night clothing that makes you ooh and ahh. Collette is the French woman's secret weapon for avant-garde fashion, while Didier Ludot is for the classic little black dress. Vanessa Bruno and Isabel Marant make an appearance in most wardrobes, alongside affordable yet chic RTW from Comptoir de Cotonniers.
Of course, no outfit will be complete without the perfect shoes. Repetto awakens the dancer in us with their signature ballet flats in a myriad of shades and tints, while Pierre Hardy feeds our desire for cutting edge designs for the feet.
Want your home to remind you of Paris? Hop over to Astier de Villate for their gorgeously scented candles and delightfully vintage accessories, or reward yourself and your living space with Diptyque fragrances and soaps.
For more shopping tips, please refer to my post, Souvenirs de Paris.
*Please understand that this is not yet a complete and comprehensive list; however, I will be updating the information contained here periodically.