POPPY'S GUIDE TO PARIS
Our creative director Poppy Lissiman takes us through some of her favourite places to eat, drink, shop and see in Paris.
PL: “I have been coming to Paris almost every year for over a decade for fashion week and the odd holiday often for weeks at a time, when I’m not racing to buying appointments or slogging it out at trade shows on the outskirts of the city these are my absolute favourite spots to come back to time and again”
RESTAURANTS
Lafayette’s Paris - Brasserie with a moody and timeless allure, nestled in the 8th arrondissement. Menu is neo-bourgeoise French cuisine with a rich cocktail list. Definitely a special occasion place you want to dress up for.
Le Train Bleu
Selfie at LouLou
LouLou Outside
CAFES/COFFEE/TREATS
Cedric Grolet
Des Gateaux Et Du Pain
Biarritz Cafe
Cedric Grolet - Perhaps a victim of his own success - the Instagram fame means the queues for his signature creations can be wild. That said, you can pre-order online, and I’ll admit: they genuinely live up to the hype.
Des Gateaux Et Du Pain - World famous turn overs and pastries.
Breizh Cafe - Personally my favourite crepes in Paris - both the savory and sweet options, I was very thankful to have one of their outposts in Tokyo. There are several locations dotted around the city.
NATURAL WINE/BARS/CLUBS
L’Avant Comptoir St Germain Des Pres - a standing-only spot in Saint-Germain with the menu hanging from the ceiling. Expect small, rich plates, amazing natural wines and a lively, slightly chaotic crowd.
Le Mary Celeste - is a cool Marais hangout known for oysters, natural wine and inventive small plates. It’s relaxed but buzzy - an easy spot for a drinks or a casual, light dinner.
Deviant - small, natural wine bar with a raw, stripped-back feel. The menu is tight and seasonal, the crowd leans creative.
Le Cave du Septime - the more casual natural wine bar to its bigger sister restaurant mentioned above where you can order small plates.
La Buvette - tiny neighbourhood wine bar with a short, changing menu of tapas, charcuterie and cheeses and a strong natural wine list.
Andy Wahloo - Vibey little cocktail bar conceptualised by our dear friend and collaborator Hassan Hajjaj. Connected to Derriere - a cool French bistro perfect for dinner or brunch. Be sure to go upstairs and look for the secret rooms which can be accessed by stepping through a wardrobe door.
La Perle - Especially buzzing during fashion week and known for being the spot that John Galliano had his infamous melt down, La Perle is notorious for drawing the coolest fashion crowd for casual drinks which spill out onto the street on it’s busiest periods.
Le Connetable - short walk from La Perle, casual late night hangout which feels like you’re in a ye olden day European home from hundreds of years ago that’s been mashed up with a modern day house party.
Harry’s Bar - An old school American cocktail bar (which has over 300 cocktails dating back to pre-prohibition era) its famously known for being the birthplace of the Bloody Mary and a hang out for writers, spies and insomniacs such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was lucky enough to see the late Jane Birkin here on one of my visits.
Hotel Costes - Notorious haunt for celebrities and models, rumor has it Kim Kardashian flew her private jet to Costes just to get a slice of their famous cheesecake when she had pregnancy cravings. Book ahead or dress to the 9’s if you plan to try and get in on a busy night - the staff can be quite picky about who they let inside.
Le Carmen - Chic club inside a semi dilapidated 19th century Parisian mansion located in the Pigalle. On busy nights you will 100% be judged on whether you’re worthy of entry based on your outfit and vibes so dress the part!
L'Avant Comptoir St Germain Des Pres
Hotel Costes
Le Clown Bar
SHOPPING
Radical Media Archive & Words, Sounds, Colours and Shapes: Both by the creative power-house Ramdane Touhami (founder of Officine Universelle Buly). Words, Sounds, Colours & Shapes is upstairs and showcases elevated outdoor gear, homewares and art. With Radical Media Archive downstairs.
The Broken Arm - is a Marais concept store blending fashion, design and a café under one roof. The edit is sharp and directional, mixing emerging labels with established names.
Dover Street Market - Rei Kawakubo’s iconic concept store of avant garde labels and their in-house Comme Des Garcon’s collections and affiliated lines.
Pretty Box - curated vintage fashion
Thanx God I’m a V.I.P - vintage designer fashion and accessories
Seven Boys & Girls - vintage fashion focussing on the 90s - 00s era, great for Y2K finds.
The Frankie Shop - in house designed cult basics and stocked alongside a curated selection of other designer clothing, accessories, gifts and homewares.
Place Vendôme - Home to some of the finest fashion house’s jewellers and couturiers. I particularly love coming to the Maison Schiaparelli store here - make an appointment ahead of time if you want to guarantee being let inside.
La Samaritaine - LVMH’s beautifully restored Art Nouveau department store overlooking the Seine. Mixing luxury fashion, directional labels and beauty across multiple levels.
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann - Paris’s most iconic department stores, there are 3 located in the city - the most grand is their art nouveau flagship on Boulevard Haussmann with a breathtaking glass dome and over 3,500 brands across fashion, beauty, home and gourmet. Additional branches on the Champs-Élysées and in the Beaugrenelle mall.
Le Bon Marche - Another iconic Parisian department store, originally founded in the early 1800s and now also owned by LVMH. Le Bon Marche carries all the luxury brands you’d expect plus a great selection of more affordable mid price pointed designer fashion. I’m a particular fan of their beauty and scarf departments.
BOON_ROOM - High end furniture gallery, perfect if you’re a lover of directional homewares and design.
Studio 7L - Karl Lagerfeld’s personal library and bookshop. You need to become a member/patron to access the famous library however the bookshop at the entrance is impressive enough if you’re into amazing books covering fashion, design, architecture, photography and art.
OFR Books - small indie book shop focussing on photography, art and design with a petite art gallery out the back.
Maison Krasnova - is a small hat atelier known for handcrafted, sculptural pieces.
ACABA Gantier - small glove shop known for well-made leather gloves in classic styles in a variety of colours - simple, timeless and great quality.
Au Vase de Delft - Stunning little high end jewellery shop with interesting pieces dating back to the 17th century. The owner Brigitte has the most divine cat which will come say hello as you browse. One of my fondest memories in Paris was buying an heirloom ring from this store.
Officine Universelle Buly - Located all over Paris, the original Rue Bonaparte store feels like stepping into a 19th-century apothecary with dark wood shelves, marble counters and beautifully illustrated packaging. It’s the full old-world Paris beauty experience.
Officine Universelle Buly
Schiaparelli
OFR Books
MUSEUMS/GALLERIES
Musée des Arts Décoratifs - is one of my favourite museums in Paris set alongside the Louvre complex (and behind Lou Lou restaurant) it’s dedicated entirely to design in all its forms. The collection spans furniture, fashion, jewellery and objects from centuries past through to contemporary design and they always have strong rotating exhibitions on as well. It’s a must if you’re even mildly design-obsessed.
Grand Palais - you can expect large-scale, blockbuster exhibitions including major retrospectives of iconic artists, fashion houses, contemporary art installations and photography shows. It also hosts design fairs and cultural festivals. The programming changes regularly, but it’s usually ambitious, high-profile and visually impressive rather than small or niche.
Palais de Tokyo - is a large contemporary art space known for bold, often experimental exhibitions.
Louvre - Surely no explanation needed for this one!
Musee d’Orsay - Major 19th and 20th century art in a grand former train station.
La Galerie Dior - showcasing iconic couture pieces and the house’s history. Visually impressive and well worth a visit - 100% need to book ahead.
Musée National Picasso - set inside a grand Marais mansion and houses one of the world’s most extensive collections of Picasso’s work. You’ll see everything from early sketches to major paintings and sculptures.
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain - sleek contemporary art space housed in a striking glass building by Jean Nouvel. The exhibitions are constantly changing so check online what’s on.
Centre Pompidou - is impossible to miss with its inside-out architecture and exposed pipes. Inside, it houses one of Europe’s best modern and contemporary art collections, plus changing exhibitions and a rooftop view worth the trip alone. Currently closed til 2030 but forever one of my favourite modern art galleries in the world.
Yvon Lambert - contemporary gallery space showing established and emerging international artists. Next door, the bookshop is a gem for art publications and hard-to-find titles, worth popping into even if you’re just browsing.
Gagosian - has a major Paris outpost showing museum-level contemporary art from some of the biggest names in the world.
Perrotin - one of the most globally recognised galleries to come out of Paris (they have locations all over the world) known for backing artists early in their careers such as Takashi Murakami and KAWS both had strong early support from Perrotin and for exhibitions that feel accessible and often a little pop-culture adjacent rather than overly academic.
Poppy at Musée National Picasso
Musée National Picasso
