A Love Letter to Paris
- Jess Boehner
- Feb 19, 2023
- 6 min read
Paris, France (2/10-2/12)
This past weekend we took off for France to explore the city of love. Good thing we all had each other because being in the city of love just days before Valentine's day could have easily been a pity party. Good thing galentines are more fun anyways.
Friday morning was an early wake-up call to head to the Florence airport for our 6:25 am flight. Flying out of Florence was such a tease because of how easy it was. Most of our upcoming trips are out of Rome, meaning an additional four hours of travel.
We touched down as the sun came up and it was time to carpe diem. We soon realized we were going to have to do a little finessing because our fancy lunch reservation was at noon yet we couldn’t check in to our Airbnb until 4:00 pm. Looking like we just rolled out of bed, the six of us took over the airport bathroom and had our own getting-ready party. We screamed tourist and probably caused many ladies to turn around before stepping foot in our dressing room. These small moments are the highlights of traveling with friends. Any inconvenience can be turned into a memory.
On Friday, we dined for lunch at Girafe. Located at the Place du Trocadéro, Girafe has a straight view of the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant was small but chic. Designed in gold with accents of marble, the seafood restaurant was perfect. The staff was incredible and made us feel as if we were the only ones in the entire place. I’ve awarded myself the title of “Best drink order.” My raspberry martini tasted delicious and looked like a rose garden. For lunch, I ordered the artichoke salad with a side of french fries. The salad was heavenly as it was topped with parmesan cheese and a tart dressing. On the bottom were pieces of baked artichoke. This was only the beginning of the food coma to come. I treated myself while in Paris and basically ate my way through the city.
We strolled through the neighborhood of Trocadero admiring the view of the Eiffel Tower from every street corner. Without even trying, we approached a cafe that Ally and Tay had seen online. Known for their hot chocolate, we waited in line to be seated at Carette. The hot chocolate was served in a teapot and poured out like a chocolate fountain. They also served a mountain of whipped cream on the side which helped ease the richness of the chocolate. I also ordered some sort of puff pastry to dip into my drink. Even though I was stuffed, I almost ordered another one just so that the hot, french waiter would come by again.
Since we had quickly mastered the metro, we rode it to the Louvre. Right as we arrived at the museum my phone died so I have zero pictures. That’s something you will just have to go visit to see for yourself. I truly think I could have spent an entire day inside. It’s funny to think how as a kid, going to a museum is the last thing I would ever want to do. Now I find myself enjoying reading the art descriptions and taking the time to appreciate the pieces.
After finishing up at the Louvre, we hopped back on the metro to check in at our Airbnb. Our place was located in District 3 so it took about twenty minutes to get there. That is one thing I noticed very quickly about Paris– it’s huge. It is not a city for walking because everything is so spread out. Since we are used to being able to walk everywhere it was definitely an adjustment. Luckily I enjoy taking the metro because that’s an experience within itself.
For dinner, we walked into Carmine Cafe. It was a last-minute place we found online located down the street from the Eiffel Tower. It was a typical Parisian cafe with a cozy atmosphere and friendly waiters. I would come back to Paris solely to eat at Carmine again. The salad I ordered was by far the best salad I have ever had in my life. The Chèvre Chad (goat cheese) was topped with melted goat cheese on poilȃne bread drizzled in honey. It tasted like a soft, warm crouton or the perfect bite of a charcuterie board. 1000/10 recommend.
We sprinted out of Carmine just in time to see the tower sparkle. It hit me how lucky I was to experience such a cool moment with my best friends.
Waking up on Saturday was a breeze. Not only had we enjoyed a good night's sleep, but we also had something to look forward to. Saturday’s first stop: Chipotle. It’s been almost a month without true American food so finding out that Paris had Chiptole was a game-changer. I skipped out on Chipotle for a baguette sandwich because when in Paris, but I did find a Starbucks and treated myself to a Venti iced coffee :)
Our picnic at the Eiffel Tower was exquisite. After hearing about the city of Paris for so long, and seeing it portrayed in countless movies, I felt like
I had finally made it. I can now have my own
perspective of Paris because I have experienced all of
it first-hand.
I posted a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower and had to post it because DUH. I was later made aware that I was being a “millennial” which I realized was true and embarrassing. I was so basic this weekend but I honestly wouldn’t have done it any other way. If I’m gonna do Paris, I’m gonna do it right.
The rest of the day consisted of shopping (more like window shopping) along the Champs-Élysées. Every store was extravagantly decorated because Valentine’s day was in a few days. I walked into as many chocolate stores as possible to admire all of the creative displays.
After maxing out our credit cards or filling up on chocolate, we sat down at the cutest pub. It was draped in fairy lights with hints of orange and green. I ordered a Moscow Mule and it was delicious. I could have sat at that spot for hours and just people-watched out the window. It was cozy and authentic with a modern twist.
There was no room for downtime between Pub Elysees and the rest of our evening– we had two reservations we needed to make. Travel TIP: Be very careful about making reservations. Lots of restaurants make you put your card down so that they can charge you a fee if you do not cancel in time. Booked back-to-back dinners at two restaurants that had a pricey cancellation fee, we had to make it work.
Our first stop was Tigermilk. There are a few Tigermilk's located in Paris but we went to the one in Sentier. The area was lively that Saturday night. Students and locals and tourists crowded the bars in the neighborhood.
Tigermilk was way better than expected. It was a Mexican-fusion restaurant with funky decor and a unique menu. I ordered the “Matcha Mule” while Taylor and Ally ordered the “Tigermilk Spritz.” The mule was delectable and extra special because I have never seen anything like it on a menu before. The girls said that their spritzes were great because something about them was more unique than just the classic Aperol Spritz.
Since this was only dinner #1, we only ordered the chips and guacamole with salsa. The guac was very fresh and it was even plated with intention. The salsa, more like hot sauce, was smooth. The spice did sneak up on us though so make sure you have a mule or spritz to wash it down. The girls next to us ordered two quesadillas that took up almost their entire table. If we had more time that would’ve been our next order.
Dinner #2 was an uber drive away from Tigermilk at a place called Moloko. Ally discovered Moloko from a TikTok so we knew it’d be trendy and reliable. The ambiance was chic and modern. Neon lights paired with fun music created a club-like feel. This meal and experience will go down as one of the best I have ever had. I am creating a separate post to feature all aspects of Moloko.
We closed out the night with a crepe from down the street. The owner was extremely friendly and even let Avery go into the kitchen as his sous chef. I had never ordered a crepe before this but I have a feeling they might become my guilty pleasure.
Returning to our flat full and fatigued, our heads hit the pillow and our time in Paris concluded. Our flight home was bright and early Sunday morning so returning to Florence was a blur… at least until we all watched the Chiefs defeat the Eagles in the Super Bowl (which started at 12:00 am on Monday in Florence, Italy btw).
Carmines Cafe: https://carmine-cafe.fr/en
Pub Elysee: https://pubelysee.com
Tigermilk: https://tigermilkrestaurants.com
Moloko: https://molokoparis.com
Love letter to the love letter to Paris: so cute, love the pics, should put on Pinterest
-Annie and Mikayla 💌