To misquote Dorothy, there’s no place like Paris. The food, the fashions, the architecture, even the quality of the light is exquisite, and trying to see it all in a mere 24-hours is a hopeless task. However, with the following itinerary you should get just enough of a taste of the city to leave you longing to return for more.
8 a.m. - 9 a.m. breakfast
Start the day elegantly at the city’s top “power breakfast” spot, the . Big time execs come to La Galerie des Gobelins here for their morning meetings not only for its deeply cushioned velvet couches and discreetly separated eating areas, but because just as with the other restaurants in the hotel, the food is overseen by top chef Alain Ducasse. He’s put pastry chef Christophe Michalak in charge and his creations are beyond scrumptious. No wonder, this is the chef who led France to victory in the 2005 World Pastry Cup.
9 a.m. - noon
Head directly to the world’s largest museum, the famed , but don’t waste your time in what can be the world’s longest museum line in front (at the glass pyramid). Instead, order tickets by phone in advance (08-92-68-46-94),pick them up at any FNAC store and enter via the Passage Richelieu, 93 rue de Rivoli. (If you don’t have that much forethought, simply enter through the underground shopping mall, the Carrousel du Louvre, at 99 rue de Rivoli, where the line will also be a lot shorter.) Once inside you have the entire history of art for the viewing, so choose wisely and pick up a map. Perhaps you’d like to ponder the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa, the supermodel form of the Venus de Milo or friezes lifted from the side of the Parthenon? Or how about a glimpse of Botticelli, Rembrandt, Rubens, Michaelangelo, Holbein, Durer, David and many, many others? All of the masters are here and represented in a sublime, if dizzying, array of great art.
A MORNING ALTERNATIVE
If you’ve had enough of the Old Masters, then go instead to the cutting-edge, often outrageous, . Reopened in 2000 after a serious overhaul, this inside out gem of a building (they purposely put the pipes on the outside) showcases the art of the 20th and 21st centuries, with one small but lovely annex recreating the studio of sculptor Brancusi. The Plaza outside the museum is a daily carnival, with entertainers of all sorts performing for euros well into the evening.
Noon-2 p.m. lunch
Take your lunch where the likes of Salvador Dali, Josephine Baker, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway once did, at , a classic Left Bank bistro. The food is simple, hearty and quite good and the people-watching is unbeatable.
2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Paris is arguably the most beautiful city on earth. Don’t believe me? See it all in one fell swoop by taking the classic tourist trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Yes, the lines can be long here, but on a clear day, when the sun is glinting on the church spires, there’s no other view like it.
AFTERNOON ALTERNATIVE
Though it might sound morbid, the supplies one of the most fascinating strolls in the city. Pick up a map at the gate and then spend an hour or two ambling past the ornate tombs of Balzac, Sarah Bernhardt, Moliere, Chopin and others. Be sure to seek out the graffitied grave of Jim Morrison; authorities are constantly washing off the paint, but fans keep coming back to leave their marks.
5 p.m - 8:30 p.m.
Now is the time to do what the Parisians themselves do and take an evening stroll (the Marais is a particularly lovely neighborhood for this). Do a bit of shopping, or plop yourself down at a sidewalk café for some coffee or wine. As the sun goes down you should unwind too, and simply drink in the beauty of the Parisian streets. If you feel like you haven’t gotten in enough sightseeing, hop a , and drift down the Seine for an hour. You’ll get a wonderful view of Notre Dame this way.
8:30-10 p.m.
For possibly the most memorable dinner of your life, you should now stop reading this article and call to begin your fight for one of their hard to get reservations. Gagnaire earned his three stars from the Guide Michelin (the highest possible rating) by creating inventive, often astonishing food, served in a parade of small plates. You may find yourself dining on foie gras paired with mussels and bean sprouts; or tiny rolls of veal stuffed with veal liver; or crayfish tempura in a sweet and sour sauce. It may all sound odd, but it tastes exquisite. A pricey meal, but well worth it.
10 p.m. on …
Swing and be-bop are alive and well at Paris’ own ‘jazz cave” called . Though the style of music may be older, the crowd is young, energetic and friendly. If you prefer more modern rhythms, drop in on ,a hot techno and house music dance club set in a former Turkish bath. It’s a late night club, though so don’t show up before midnight.
Pauline Frommer is the creator of the new Pauline Frommer Guidebooks which will be debuting in bookstores this July.
Hotel Plaza Athenee: 25 Ave Montaigne, 8th Arrondissment; 01-53-67-66-65; daily 8 a.m. -11 a.m. for breakfast
Louvre: Musee du Louvre, 34-36 quai du Louvre, 1st Arrondissement; 01-40-20-53-17, 01-40-20-50-50; ; 8 euros for adults, free for children under 18; Mon and Fri 9 a.m.-9:45 p.m.; Thurs, Sat, Sun, and Wed 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Parts of museum begin to close at 5:30pm
Centre Pompidou: Place George Pompidou, 4th Arrondissment; 01-44-78-12-33; ; 10 euros for adults, 8 euros for students, free for children under 18; Weds-Mon 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
La Coupole: 102 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 14th Arrondissment; 01-43-20-14-20; daily 8:30 a.m.-1 a.m.
Eiffel Tower: Champ de Mars, 7th Arrondissment; 01-44-11-23-23; ; Sept-May daily 9:30 a.m.-11:45 p.m.; June-Aug daily 9am-12:45 p.m.; Admission to 1st landing 4.10 euros, 2nd landing 7.50 euros, 3rd landing 10.70 euros.
Cimitiere (Cemetery) du Pere Lachaise: 16 rue du Repos, 20th Arrondissment; 01-55-25-82-10; ; Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sun 9 a.m. -6 p.m.
Bateaux-Mouches Cruise: Pont de l’Alma on the Right Bank; 01-40-76-99-99; www.bateaux-mouches.fr; 7 euros for adults and 4 euros for children 4 to 13; May to October, tours leave daily at 20- to 30-minute intervals, beginning at 10am and ending at 11:30 p.m.; November to April, there are at least nine departures daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a schedule that changes according to demand and the weather.
Pierre Gagnaire: 6 rue de Balzac, 8th Arrondissment; 01-58-36-12-50
Le Caveau de la Huchette: 5 rue de la Huchette, 5th Arrondissment; 01-43-26-65-05; cover 11 euros
Les Bains Douches: 7 rue du Bourg l'Abbé; 011 33 1 48 87 01 80; cover 20 euros
Pauline Frommer is the creator of the new Pauline Frommer Guidebooks which will be debuting in bookstores this July.