Paris and I have a complicated relationship. We’ve done it almost every which way there is.
The first time was weird – it was with my mum. I was a difficult, uncommunicative teenager and mother-daughter bonding over macarons and chocolat chaud was expected. I have just one clear, distinctly un-bonding memory of the trip: storming out of the hotel room after an argument and finding myself in a charming Montmartre market a couple of streets down. I made it back to the room with hot croissants, triumphant at my independent success, and with all memories of the quarrel evaporated. My mother on the other hand, was furious at my disappearance, and not so amnesic of our recent dispute. Note to self: never take teenagers on holiday, send them on summer camp instead.
My second time in Paris was a glorious group of friends affair, straight after university. I remember happy hungover days at the Louvre, a restaurant meal where we ate tiny crustless sandwiches with slivers of foie gras that melted on my tongue, and hot sticky nights with bottles of champagne on the Park du Champs de Mars. Some strangers got engaged in front of us and we celebrated for them, before heading to a club where everyone smoked, later collapsing on the floor of the apartment in our sleeping bags. The very idea of Paris with only a lover for company seemed to me, at that moment in time, a comparatively dull way to spend a weekend.
Later there was a hen party, where Paris lifted its frilly crinolines for us to enter a Marie Antoinette fantasy, fuelled by sweet prosecco and late-night tipsy confessions. And I’ve done many subsequent trips for work. The only way I haven’t done Paris is the classic, missionary position if you like, a romantic weekend à deux. In fact, most recent trips have been alone.
And that’s when Paris and I hit crisis point. In my imagination, my solo trips to Paris would be like Audrey Hepbern’s in Funny Face. I would head to Montparnasse, drink red wine with philosophers in berets and get invited to a Bohemian party for my insane interpretative dance skills. Fred Astaire would most likely be there, we’d end the night floating down the Seine on a raft. The reality? On the first night I ate my evening meal in a McDonalds. I got chatted up by a tramp. I couldn’t even Instagram it. I had reached a low-point.
I gave Paris a stern talking to. We were friends, I said, what happened? We will not end things like this. On my next trip, I concocted a plan to save our relationship. And it worked – we kissed and made up as I sat alone at a sunny pavement café, crunching my salad crutons and reading a book.
So, below is my ultimate guide to fall in love in Paris, alone.
Bars and Restaurants
Paris is actually designed for the solo diner. See those little tables facing outwards at pavement cafes? That’s so that you can ogle the streets rather than a lover. You could easily spend the whole time just eating through te Paris streets – here are just a few of my favourites when I’m on my own.
Coffee at…Café de Flore – legendary literary pavement café, or the joyously hectic Cafe de La Paix, opposite the majestic Opera House to watch Paris life go by.
Lunch at…Le Fumoir – After you’ve visited the Louvre, avoid the tourist traps and take a table outside and get the crazy good value lunch menu On rainy days, head to the cosy book-lined dining room at the back.
Cosy supper at…Les Cocottes – Delicious comfort food served in cast iron cocottes; sit at the bar and get the melt in the mouth beef cheek. For wine and Charcuterie, Legrand Filles et Fils will give you the best house recommendations, located in the grand old Galerie Vivienne. Sick of French food? Eat in at the adorable Saveurs De Parme, a little Italian deli-café with the best burrata in town.
Treat yourself at …Minipalais – Get a table on the terrace of this restaurant of the Grand Palais and feel chic as fuck. The food is just as good as the surroundings – I could eat 10 of the brioche amuse-bouche. You can definitely do dinner here, but I think the terrace in the afternoon sun is just heaven.
Drink (and eat) at…The Hoxton Courtyard – walk through the glass ceilinged entrance to the buzzing courtyard and order charcuterie from Planche or modern classics from Rivie. Or grab a stool at Frenchie Bar a Vins – this place is never empty, and for good reason. It’s got the triple whammy of great food, wine and atmosphere, every night. Going alone is probably the easiest way to get a seat.
Secret Spots
I’m not going to list the big Paris attractions here – you’ll find these in any guide, and being solo won’t detract from their magnificence. They should be on your list. But also on your list should be a sprinkling of places that you can pretend you discovered. This being Paris, you won’t be the only person discovering them but you can give each other a conspiratorial nod. And then just go wander – Paris is so ridiculously Parisian, you cannot fail to be charmed.
Le Jardin Sauvage Saint-Vincent – Once abandoned and left to overgrow with elderberry trees, foxgloves and climbing ivy…this is The Secret Garden comes to Paris.
St Eustace – I would take a look in here over queuing in the rain to see Notre Dame any day. Look for the glass pane depicting Saint-Antoine, the patron saint of Charcutiers. Only in Paris. Round the corner is Rue Montorgueil, a food-lovers heaven. Just eat your way along the delicatessens and cafes.
Chapelle Expiatoire – Chapel hidden inside a calm green oasis in the 8th arrondissement
Jardins du Palais Royal – Ok definitely not a secret, but don’t miss it after visiting the Louvre. Go in the early evening when the light hits the striped Colonnes de Buren in the courtyard, then stroll along the gardens and get yourself invited to a game of park petanque.
Hotel
If money were no object I’d book the Imperial suite at The Ritz, order Dom Perignon to my table every night, and generally do my best to fuel rumours that a mystery European princess had come to stay. In the absence of unlimited funds..
The Hoxton Paris – My favourite when I’m on my own. Swoon-worthy décor, bang in the middle of the 1st arrondissement and the BEST mac n' cheese on room service. But most of all, it’s a place you genuinely want to hang out in after a day out in Paris – the bar makes it onto my ‘must-drink’ list. Rooms from EUR 170.00 pn