By the second week of January the decorations are for the most part down in Paris and the only reminders of the holiday season are the occasional discarded trees on curbs waiting to be carried away. It’s been very cold so far and the next two months are always the most difficult for me to get through. We have a second baby arriving later this spring so I have a feeling the days will somehow manage to creep along even slower. I’m happy to look back at exactly where I ate and drank, shopped, and what I did in the December 2024 recap.
Where I Ate and Drank in December
- Not surprisingly, the first photo in my camera roll from December was a tartine at Les Antiquaires.
- One of our holiday season traditions is a festive lunch at Bar Vendôme. We always request to sit in the bar and this year invited some friends to join us. The menu has changed a little bit since my last visit and both Romain and I had the Cobb Salad which we loved, and we of course had to choose a few pastries to share from the dessert platter. It’s not the best food in Paris, but the atmosphere can’t be beat.
- Burritos Hermanos (delivered on UberEats). There are some pretty decent Mexican restaurants in Paris, but Burritos Hermanos is the only place I know of that has queso. And for that reason it’s often on my Sunday evening rotation.
- Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet is a great food hall. I picked up some lunch in between visiting Palais Garnier and doing some shopping and wanted to try the Petrossian Rostoff, which is their version of a sandwich. I chose the only one that actually had caviar with it and was honestly underwhelmed. But I still love Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet!
- My friend and I met for tea time at Hôtel de Crillon and had a lovely time. It’s one of the only savory and sweet tea times you can find (French teas are traditionally sweet only…which is too sweet for me). We ate our savory sandwiches and a few of the sweet pastries and then asked for a to-go box to bring what we couldn’t eat home – I always do this and never feel bad about it. They also sent us home with a full gingerbread loaf for the holidays which was a nice touch. I would definitely go back.
Where I Shopped in December
- Kusmi Tea. I get a Kusmi Tea advent calendar every year and this year on December 2nd it was the Immune Defense Ritual Tea. I immediately bought more and have been drinking a cup every day religiously. I can’t sing its praises enough – I was sick on and off for about four months and since I’ve started drinking the tea I’ve felt great. I brought some to the US with me over the holidays and now have my parents hooked too. It’s the absolute best.
- La Grande Epicerie. It’s not my everyday grocery store, but I find myself going at least weekly for things I can’t live without. The prices are elevated – they always are and probably always will be – but the convenience factor is worth it for me. We brought an absurd amount of butter and mustard back for our Christmas gift for our friends in the US.
- Astier de Villatte and oh my gosh I didn’t buy anything this year. There were a few things that were tempting but they’ve raised the prices so much I just couldn’t do it. I love and treasure my past ornaments but this year added tons of vintage ornaments among a few new ornaments from other places.
- I wanted to see the Christmas tree at Galeries Lafayette and decided to finish some last minute shopping at the same time. My very favorite find was the new Baccarat four elements candles. Each comes in a crystal Harmonie tumbler, so after you’ve burned the candle you can clean out the container and use it as a glass. I think it’s such a perfect gift.
- Jacadi. Luckily for my bank account I’m having another boy because the baby girl clothes are just too cute. Jacadi is a great place to shop in France because the prices are a lot better!
- Petrossian. For a special occasion there’s just nothing better than enjoying some caviar, and Petrossian really is the best. You can bring 125 grams per person from France to the US so we did just that. The prices are of course better in France than if you buy in the US!
What I Did in December
- Went to Musée Rodin, and yes it was just to see the Christmas tree (this isn’t the best time of year to visit Musée Rodin – you want to go when the garden is pretty so spring or summer or even fall…but definitely not winter). I want to copy this tree exactly, which will require me to get a second tree…but honestly it was that pretty. I’m not going to call it a relatable tree because it’s not, but it’s the kind of tree that would look beautiful in a home.
- Went to Alsace to see the Christmas markets. I have a full recap post here.
- I’m not Catholic, but Saint Thomas d’Aquin is where we were married and baptized bébé, so it’s the closest thing I have to a church in Paris. They have a beautiful nativity each year and it’s always worth going by to look at. It’s also just an incredibly beautiful church.
- Went to Palais Garnier to see Anne Vitchen’s tree. One of my favorite places in Paris with a fabulous Christmas tree? Pinch me. The Palais Garnier tree was exceptional this year and Romain met me during his lunch break so we made a quick date out of it.
- Went to Hôtel de la Marine, which I love. I was kind of expecting it to be decorated for Christmas which it wasn’t really so I was a tad bit disappointed although I still think it’s a great place to see if you haven’t.
- Celebrated Christmas early with Romain’s family. I loved having a chance to set the table with our special Christmas items we’ve collected over the years. I created a bouquet with my favorite florist in Paris – on the way home I bought a baguette and was stopped by four people asking where the bouquet was from. No one can ever agree on a dessert in Romain’s family – some love chocolate and others hate it – so my American touch was assorted Christmas cupcakes from Clove Bakery and they were a huge hit.
- Went on a Christmas light tour with Romain. We had a babysitter so Romain drove us around to look at all of the lights. My favorites were Dior on Avenue Montaigne, the tree in front of Fouquet’s on the Champs-Elysées, and Place Vendôme.
- Created Christmas boxes for people in need. We did one per person in our family and dropped them off in our neighborhood. They give you guidelines on what to fill the boxes with, but basically it’s one accessory for the cold weather, one personal hygiene product, one game or “gift” item, something sweet, and a card. We plan on doing this every year.
- Flew to the US for the holidays! With a baby we now use VIP departure assistance every time for long haul flights…it’s so worth it. Contact me here for assistance in planning your trip.
A big merci for being a member! If there’s ever anything you’d like to see more of, don’t hesitate to let me know!
This post includes affiliate links. I make a small commission from items purchased through my links at no additional cost to you. Merci for your support!
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Where I Ate and Drank in December
- Not surprisingly, the first photo in my camera roll from December was a tartine at Les Antiquaires.
- One of our holiday season traditions is a festive lunch at Bar Vendôme. We always request to sit in the bar and this year invited some friends to join us. The menu has changed a little bit since my last visit and both Romain and I had the Cobb Salad which we loved, and we of course had to choose a few pastries to share from the dessert platter. It’s not the best food in Paris, but the atmosphere can’t be beat.
- Burritos Hermanos (delivered on UberEats). There are some pretty decent Mexican restaurants in Paris, but Burritos Hermanos is the only place I know of that has queso. And for that reason it’s often on my Sunday evening rotation.
- Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet is a great food hall. I picked up some lunch in between visiting Palais Garnier and doing some shopping and wanted to try the Petrossian Rostoff, which is their version of a sandwich. I chose the only one that actually had caviar with it and was honestly underwhelmed. But I still love Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet!
- My friend and I met for tea time at Hôtel de Crillon and had a lovely time. It’s one of the only savory and sweet tea times you can find (French teas are traditionally sweet only…which is too sweet for me). We ate our savory sandwiches and a few of the sweet pastries and then asked for a to-go box to bring what we couldn’t eat home – I always do this and never feel bad about it. They also sent us home with a full gingerbread loaf for the holidays which was a nice touch. I would definitely go back.
Where I Shopped in December
- Kusmi Tea. I get a Kusmi Tea advent calendar every year and this year on December 2nd it was the Immune Defense Ritual Tea. I immediately bought more and have been drinking a cup every day religiously. I can’t sing its praises enough – I was sick on and off for about four months and since I’ve started drinking the tea I’ve felt great. I brought some to the US with me over the holidays and now have my parents hooked too. It’s the absolute best.
- La Grande Epicerie. It’s not my everyday grocery store, but I find myself going at least weekly for things I can’t live without. The prices are elevated – they always are and probably always will be – but the convenience factor is worth it for me. We brought an absurd amount of butter and mustard back for our Christmas gift for our friends in the US.
- Astier de Villatte and oh my gosh I didn’t buy anything this year. There were a few things that were tempting but they’ve raised the prices so much I just couldn’t do it. I love and treasure my past ornaments but this year added tons of vintage ornaments among a few new ornaments from other places.
- I wanted to see the Christmas tree at Galeries Lafayette and decided to finish some last minute shopping at the same time. My very favorite find was the new Baccarat four elements candles. Each comes in a crystal Harmonie tumbler, so after you’ve burned the candle you can clean out the container and use it as a glass. I think it’s such a perfect gift.
- Jacadi. Luckily for my bank account I’m having another boy because the baby girl clothes are just too cute. Jacadi is a great place to shop in France because the prices are a lot better!
- Petrossian. For a special occasion there’s just nothing better than enjoying some caviar, and Petrossian really is the best. You can bring 125 grams per person from France to the US so we did just that. The prices are of course better in France than if you buy in the US!
What I Did in December
- Went to Musée Rodin, and yes it was just to see the Christmas tree (this isn’t the best time of year to visit Musée Rodin – you want to go when the garden is pretty so spring or summer or even fall…but definitely not winter). I want to copy this tree exactly, which will require me to get a second tree…but honestly it was that pretty. I’m not going to call it a relatable tree because it’s not, but it’s the kind of tree that would look beautiful in a home.
- Went to Alsace to see the Christmas markets. I have a full recap post here.
- I’m not Catholic, but Saint Thomas d’Aquin is where we were married and baptized bébé, so it’s the closest thing I have to a church in Paris. They have a beautiful nativity each year and it’s always worth going by to look at. It’s also just an incredibly beautiful church.
- Went to Palais Garnier to see Anne Vitchen’s tree. One of my favorite places in Paris with a fabulous Christmas tree? Pinch me. The Palais Garnier tree was exceptional this year and Romain met me during his lunch break so we made a quick date out of it.
- Went to Hôtel de la Marine, which I love. I was kind of expecting it to be decorated for Christmas which it wasn’t really so I was a tad bit disappointed although I still think it’s a great place to see if you haven’t.
- Celebrated Christmas early with Romain’s family. I loved having a chance to set the table with our special Christmas items we’ve collected over the years. I created a bouquet with my favorite florist in Paris – on the way home I bought a baguette and was stopped by four people asking where the bouquet was from. No one can ever agree on a dessert in Romain’s family – some love chocolate and others hate it – so my American touch was assorted Christmas cupcakes from Clove Bakery and they were a huge hit.
- Went on a Christmas light tour with Romain. We had a babysitter so Romain drove us around to look at all of the lights. My favorites were Dior on Avenue Montaigne, the tree in front of Fouquet’s on the Champs-Elysées, and Place Vendôme.
- Created Christmas boxes for people in need. We did one per person in our family and dropped them off in our neighborhood. They give you guidelines on what to fill the boxes with, but basically it’s one accessory for the cold weather, one personal hygiene product, one game or “gift” item, something sweet, and a card. We plan on doing this every year.
- Flew to the US for the holidays! With a baby we now use VIP departure assistance every time for long haul flights…it’s so worth it. Contact me here for assistance in planning your trip.
A big merci for being a member! If there’s ever anything you’d like to see more of, don’t hesitate to let me know!
This post includes affiliate links. I make a small commission from items purchased through my links at no additional cost to you. Merci for your support!
