I apologize for being so very far behind on recaps. The past few months have had a very different pace than I’m used to but it’s really been wonderful (and also tiring). February feels like ages ago and looking back somehow already makes me feel nostalgic. Read on to discover exactly where I ate and drank, shopped, and what I did in the February 2024 recap.
Where I Ate and Drank in February
- Cordelia Coffee Flower Shop. It goes without saying that a coffee and flower shop by Cordelia de Castellane is probably going to be one of the dreamiest in the city. What I love about it is that the service is friendly, the coffee is very good, and the flowers are all local and seasonal. My favorite time to go is right when they open – it’s very quiet and mostly locals.
- Les Trois Bonheurs. On a freezing Saturday pho sounded great to warm us up and we happened across Les Trois Bonheurs near Le Bon Marché. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back, but if you find yourself in the area with an Asian food craving…
- Le Basilic. One of those picturesque places that I never tried for years because I kept hearing the food wasn’t that good. We finally decided to try it and were thrilled to discover that not only did they have a new owner, but also that the food was very good. There were only French people there when we went and Romain hasn’t stopped talking about it. We’ll definitely be back and I will absolutely be recommending it to future clients.
- Christophe Michalak. The ultimate weekend “sweet treat” spot. I’ve never been disappointed.
- Les Antiquaires. An “always” spot. I’ve gotten to the point where I let them know if we’re going out of town so they don’t worry if we don’t show up.
- Bistrot du Passage. Still one of our favorite lunch spots. The menu is pretty small and changes frequently which I think is always a marker of a good restaurant.
- Bar Vendôme at the Ritz Paris. Bar Vendôme and Casa Tua are my top two hotel lunches in Paris. I couldn’t resist the club sandwich and added white cheddar. It was the perfect place to sit for a long lunch on a very rainy Paris day.
- Le Voltaire. My favorite restaurant in Paris.
Where I Shopped in February
- Petit Bateau for the very end of les soldes. I got the baby his first bucket hat and swimsuit/rash guard combo for a trip to the beach.
- Le Bon Marché. We wanted to find martini glasses so off we went to the home department at Le Bon Marché, which is above La Grande Epicerie. We found the perfect glasses and then had to make a detour to the baby and kids department where I managed to resist the Jacadi and Tartine et Chocolat pull…this time at least.
- Barthélemy for cheeses. We had our annual Galentines celebration so I had to get mini cœur de Neufchâtels as favors along with a few other heart-shaped cheeses for the meal.
- Debauve & Gallais. Romain gets the same Valentine’s Day gift every year – chocolates from Debauve & Gallais. I always have fun picking out each chocolate for his box. He’s notorious for eating the entire box, regardless of the size, in one sitting so unfortunately for him the box gets smaller each year. This year he did manage to exert a little willpower so maybe next year I’ll bump him back up a little.
- Matthew Cookson. For our wedding Romain created a pair of custom velvet slippers at Matthew Cookson. They are so fun, chic, and most importantly comfortable. When I saw a pair of red velvet slippers with Christmas trees in the window on sale I absolutely couldn’t resist getting them for him.
What I Did in February
- Went to the Galerie Louis Vuitton in Asnières-sur-Seine. We went to see the exhibit on trunks, which was interesting but looking back wasn’t necessarily worth loading in the car with the baby for. I’m really dying to tour the house which is connected to the gallery. The visit did inspire me to add another Louis Vuitton Fashion Eye book to my collection – Italian Rivieras. The Slim Aarons photos of Portofino then immediately inspired us to book another trip to Portofino.
- Took the baby’s French passport photo, which they take very seriously. Requirements are: mouth closed, ears showing, looking directly at the camera. After 20 minutes of photos she said she’d just use photoshop to combine a few images. We also applied for his French passport which was a pretty painless process that involved going to the town hall. When we looked, the first available appointment happened to be on Valentine’s Day so it was the perfect excuse to show the baby where we had our civil ceremony. I’m sure it’ll be a memory he’ll cherish forever…!
- Got my first post-baby hair cut and highlight with Lucas. I think he’s the best in Paris for blondes.
- Went to Normandy with the entire gang. We didn’t go for a long weekend which was a stretch (it takes about four hours to drive there), but ended up being so worth it. It was a great way to do a “test run” for traveling with the baby and we got really lucky with the weather.
- Joined a gym
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!
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Where I Ate and Drank in February
- Cordelia Coffee Flower Shop. It goes without saying that a coffee and flower shop by Cordelia de Castellane is probably going to be one of the dreamiest in the city. What I love about it is that the service is friendly, the coffee is very good, and the flowers are all local and seasonal. My favorite time to go is right when they open – it’s very quiet and mostly locals.
- Les Trois Bonheurs. On a freezing Saturday pho sounded great to warm us up and we happened across Les Trois Bonheurs near Le Bon Marché. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back, but if you find yourself in the area with an Asian food craving…
- Le Basilic. One of those picturesque places that I never tried for years because I kept hearing the food wasn’t that good. We finally decided to try it and were thrilled to discover that not only did they have a new owner, but also that the food was very good. There were only French people there when we went and Romain hasn’t stopped talking about it. We’ll definitely be back and I will absolutely be recommending it to future clients.
- Christophe Michalak. The ultimate weekend “sweet treat” spot. I’ve never been disappointed.
- Les Antiquaires. An “always” spot. I’ve gotten to the point where I let them know if we’re going out of town so they don’t worry if we don’t show up.
- Bistrot du Passage. Still one of our favorite lunch spots. The menu is pretty small and changes frequently which I think is always a marker of a good restaurant.
- Bar Vendôme at the Ritz Paris. Bar Vendôme and Casa Tua are my top two hotel lunches in Paris. I couldn’t resist the club sandwich and added white cheddar. It was the perfect place to sit for a long lunch on a very rainy Paris day.
- Le Voltaire. My favorite restaurant in Paris.
Where I Shopped in February
- Petit Bateau for the very end of les soldes. I got the baby his first bucket hat and swimsuit/rash guard combo for a trip to the beach.
- Le Bon Marché. We wanted to find martini glasses so off we went to the home department at Le Bon Marché, which is above La Grande Epicerie. We found the perfect glasses and then had to make a detour to the baby and kids department where I managed to resist the Jacadi and Tartine et Chocolat pull…this time at least.
- Barthélemy for cheeses. We had our annual Galentines celebration so I had to get mini cœur de Neufchâtels as favors along with a few other heart-shaped cheeses for the meal.
- Debauve & Gallais. Romain gets the same Valentine’s Day gift every year – chocolates from Debauve & Gallais. I always have fun picking out each chocolate for his box. He’s notorious for eating the entire box, regardless of the size, in one sitting so unfortunately for him the box gets smaller each year. This year he did manage to exert a little willpower so maybe next year I’ll bump him back up a little.
- Matthew Cookson. For our wedding Romain created a pair of custom velvet slippers at Matthew Cookson. They are so fun, chic, and most importantly comfortable. When I saw a pair of red velvet slippers with Christmas trees in the window on sale I absolutely couldn’t resist getting them for him.
What I Did in February
- Went to the Galerie Louis Vuitton in Asnières-sur-Seine. We went to see the exhibit on trunks, which was interesting but looking back wasn’t necessarily worth loading in the car with the baby for. I’m really dying to tour the house which is connected to the gallery. The visit did inspire me to add another Louis Vuitton Fashion Eye book to my collection – Italian Rivieras. The Slim Aarons photos of Portofino then immediately inspired us to book another trip to Portofino.
- Took the baby’s French passport photo, which they take very seriously. Requirements are: mouth closed, ears showing, looking directly at the camera. After 20 minutes of photos she said she’d just use photoshop to combine a few images. We also applied for his French passport which was a pretty painless process that involved going to the town hall. When we looked, the first available appointment happened to be on Valentine’s Day so it was the perfect excuse to show the baby where we had our civil ceremony. I’m sure it’ll be a memory he’ll cherish forever…!
- Got my first post-baby hair cut and highlight with Lucas. I think he’s the best in Paris for blondes.
- Went to Normandy with the entire gang. We didn’t go for a long weekend which was a stretch (it takes about four hours to drive there), but ended up being so worth it. It was a great way to do a “test run” for traveling with the baby and we got really lucky with the weather.
- Joined a gym
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!
