Editor-in-chief Erin McLaughlin tours Paris's dreamy Le Marais district.
Style at Home editor-in-chief Erin McLaughlin recently returned from a dreamy two weeks in Paris. We asked her to spill about all things French and fabulous in her favourite neighbourhood.
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Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Day one: Exploring Le Marais
Paris is synonymous with delicious food and superb style, and Le Marais, on the right bank of the Seine River, is quintessentially Parisian. Seriously, you don’t need to leave this charming district to experience French city life. Use Airbnb to book a beautiful apartment for your stay. You’ll feel like an insider, exploring the neighbourhood and sipping rose with samplings of French cheeses on your balcony.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Day one: Exploring Le Marais
Paris is synonymous with delicious food and superb style, and Le Marais, on the right bank of the Seine River, is quintessentially Parisian. Seriously, you don’t need to leave this charming district to experience French city life. Use Airbnb to book a beautiful apartment for your stay. You’ll feel like an insider, exploring the neighbourhood and sipping rose with samplings of French cheeses on your balcony.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Espresso and dessert
First things first: A double espresso and pain au chocolat at Carette, one of Paris’s prettiest patisseries in the Place des Vosges at the heart of Le Marais. After breakfast, make your way to the Musee National Picasso-Paris, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. In a stunning Baroque mansion setting, take in works by the famed painter and artists he was close to. Assuming you’ve worked up an appetite for lunch, head to the Marche des Enfants Rouges, Paris’s oldest covered market. Try local favourite Chez Alain Miam Miam’s Cornet Vegetarian, a delicious buckwheat crepe stuffed with organic veggies.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Try a glass of wine
Spend the afternoon wandering and shopping. Browse Home Autour du Monde, fashion designer Serge Bensimon’s light-filled store, which carries a curated collection of clothing and housewares. Then pop by quirky antiques shop Hier Pour Demain just steps away. Since it’s en vogue to eat a late dinner in Paris, start with an aperitif at La Belle Hortense, a wine bar/ bookstore. Crowd around the gorgeous zinc bar, peruse the extensive wine list and browse the stacks of books that line the walls. My husband and I shared a bottle of Christian Moueix Pomerol from France’s Bordeaux region.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Go out for dinner
For dinner, I especially love Chez Janou – I even named one of my dogs after the charming restaurant – tucked away on rue Roger-Verlomme. Be sure to order the divine Mousse au Chocolat.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Day two: Vintage shopping
Sleep in and then enjoy brunch at Le Voltigeur. Order a croque monsieur (grilled ham and cheese covered in velvety bechamel sauce) at this eclectic bistro with wood-panelled walls and funky decor. Make your way to Merci, where you’ll find new and vintage items with an emphasis on French-designed goods. Its Used Book Cafe is also worth checking out.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Grab some ice cream
Pick up an ice cream cone at Une Glace a Paris and then return to Place des Vosges. Here, a formal garden lined with clipped chestnut trees is surrounded by 17th-century red-brick residences. There’s no better place for a picnic: Source your supplies from the local street market and find a grassy spot to laze away the afternoon.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
Indulge in a final meal
Indulge in a late dinner at Septime, just outside Le Marais. With its cool, laid-back vibe and stellar food and wine pairings, this popular locale is a must-visit for travelling foodies.
Style destination: Le Marais, Paris
What to pack
What’s black, striped and red all over? This effortlessly casual Parisian uniform. 1 Perfect lips: Lux Lip lipstick in Parisian Red, Bobbi Brown, $41 2 Patterned scarf: Silk scarf, Horseware Ireland, $39 3 Classic stripes: Saint James for J.Crew Slouchy T-shirt, J.Crew, $131 4 Style guide: Parisian Chic: A Style Guide book by Ines de la Fressange, Indigo, $34 5 Chic specs: Nubia eyeglasses in Ecaille, Caroline Abram, $299 6 Effortless jeans: 001 jeans in Black, Se?zane, approx. $137 7 Comfy flats: Collection No.1 ballet flats in Passionate Red, Josefinas, approx. $200
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