Paris is the easiest city to do in a day – but here’s how to do it the best (Pictures: Getty / Mel Evans)
Twenty-four hours is all you need to have a gastronomically gluttonous jaunt in Paris. Trust me.
Sure, for those wanting to pose with a giant metal pin the city is a tourist trap, but aside from famous towers and arches of triumph, there are delights galore on which to gorge the senses.
I’ve found myself in the city of love to gaze adoringly at my new beau Johnnie. Johnnie Walker Blue, that is, with this week seeing the release of the brand’s latest libation, Elusive Umami, to the global glass.
However, being one of the first in the world to taste this drink – made by two masters of their craft; Master Blender Emma Walker and renowned Japanese Chef Kei Kobayashi, whose restaurant Kei retained its three Michelin stars in the 2023 guide – I felt what better way to celebrate such enigmatic flavours than to rattle around Paris, soaking up the tastes the city has to offer.
It all starts on the Eurostar at bleary-eye o’clock, tearing under the Channel to Gare Du Nord. From there, it’s a 15-minute walk to Bon Bouquet Cafe in the 9th arrondissement, which has become somewhat of an Instagram fave for its ‘Bali-style’ brunches.
I keep my phone (mostly) in my pocket and enjoy savoury pancakes which come with a hearty serving of maple bacon and a fried egg on top. For those wanting to hashtag their food, the pink lattes and pink smashes avocado toast will do it.
First stop – brunch, to power me through 24 hours in Paris (Picture: Mel Evans)
Belly full, it’s a walk down to L’eclair de Genie in the famous Galeries Lafayette before taking my lemon meringue eclair on a little walk.
Sitting Seine-side is the best way to watch the crowds go past in Paris and the tip of Pont Nouf is the best place to park where, on this spot in the middle of the river, you can witness it from all angles.
Get up early to beat the queues for the famous Carette hot chocolate – worth it (Picture: Mel Evans)
Got some time on your hands? Pick up a bottle of wine and share it while watching river boats whizz past, with the Notre Dame at your back.
For those wanting to see more of the sights, delay Pont Neuf for a bit and head from Galleries Lafayette down to the Tuileries and Place de La Concorde til you make it to the Champs-Élysées – from there you can head up one of the most famous avenues in the world and meet the Arc de Triomphe. It’s then a skip over the Seine to the Eiffel Tower, should you feel you can’t go to Paris without stopping by to say bonjour.
We stayed in the luxe cool of The Hoxton (Picture: Mel Evans)
If you’re in the spirit of a stroll (you’d be mad not to be in Paris) from there you can head to the Latin Quarter (skincare fans must stop off at City Pharma on the way, IYKYK) and take in gorgeous architecture including the Pantheon. This is where things get a little hilly, but all you need is a short spell in one of the iconic green chairs around the pond of Jardin du Luxembourg and the step count is forgotten.
From there, I got the Metro back up to the 2nd and checked into The Hoxton, whose Parisian outpost is a bustling open house based in an 18th-century residence, with plush, contemporary rooms that are the perfect home away from home – even if only for one night.
One of the first lucky punters to try Johnnie Walker Blue Elusive Umami before its release this week (Picture: Mel Evans)
The drop is inspired by one of the world’s most hard-to-define and alluring profiles, umami – and pairs beautifully with food (Picture: Supplied)
It’s created by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Emma Walker and renowned Japanese Chef Kei Kobayashi (Picture: Supplied)
After a quick drink in the sprawling outdoor terrace, a bouillon is a must for a truly French dinner. Bouillon Julien is a 10-minute walk and with classic French fare (escargots and boeuf bourguignon a given), carafes of red wine for the quaffing and a bill so reasonable I assumed half my meal was missing from it.
But, rest up! The next morning calls for an early wake-up call (by Parisian standards).
A short Metro to social media institution Carette in the Marais had me front and centre on Paris’s oldest planned square, the Place des Vosges, for its famous hot chocolate. I’m not usually one to bend at the whim of a TikTok trend, but this hot chocolate really is worth it, even if it did cost me €12 – with the silver cup of fresh whipped cream to dunk in. And by getting there for 8.30am I managed to dodge all lines and get a front-row seat. Word to the wise – the eggs weren’t as exciting (and they, too, cost a pretty penny), so I’d get the hot chocolate before taking a short trip to a boulangerie.
If you fancy a stroll north through the Marais, I encourage you to pick up a pistachio escargot at Du Pain et des Idees, as well as a buttery, flaky croissant best enjoyed by Canal Saint Martin.
From there it’s a short stroll back to Gare du Nord for the train back to St Pancras (perhaps with a few extra pastries in your purse…).
Magnifique.
The ultimate Parisian 24 hours
Where to eat:
Bon Bouquet Cafe – 9th arr.
Bouillon Julien – 10th arr.
Du Pain et des Idées – 10th arr.
Carette’s hot chocolate – 3rd arr.
Where to stay:
Hotel Hoxton – 2nd arr.
If you love your food and drink 24 hours is all you need to soak up Paris.