Autumn in Paris Bucket List

A Few of my Favorite Fall Things - Paris Edition

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WHAT TO DO

Commit to an afternoon of leaf peeping in some of the world's most beautiful public gardens and squares. There are many beautiful options, but some of my favorites for fall foliage are the Tuileries, Place des Vosges, and Luxembourg Gardens.

Tuileries Garden

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Place des Vosges

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Jardin du Luxembourg

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Peruse the green bouquiniste stalls for vintage books and post cards while strolling along the Seine.

Quai de Montebello

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There are lots of bouquinistes all over Paris where locals sell beautiful old French books and vintage postcards out of the green street stalls lining the Seine River. The stalls along Quai de Montebello on the Left Bank of the Seine facing Notre Dame are central and picturesque.

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Warm up while perusing the books at Librairie Gagliani, The Abbey Bookshop, or Shakespeare & Company

Librairie Galignani

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Librairie Galignani was the first English bookstore opened in continental Europe! The high wooden bookshelves running along both walls are filled with colorful displays of old and new reads, some of which may require you to climb a wooden library ladder to access them (you'll feel like Belle, oh darn!). Walk straight to the back of the bookstore to enter a reading cave of sorts, and suddenly the lineup of these magnificent bookshelves grow from one story to two- a truly breathtaking sight for any bibliophile. No wonder Karl Lagerfeld deemed this his favorite bookstore in Paris. The back is also where you will find a very good English selection, including a wall of beautiful pocket anthologies that are perfect as portable travel reads or gifts.

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Shakespeare and Company

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This legendary independent Left Bank bookstore of the Lost Generation once run by Gertrude Stein is at the top of many English speaker’s list when visiting Paris. Traveling writers (nicknamed "tumbleweeds") used to be able to sleep upstairs and write in exchange for working in the bookshop. Now you can shop for old and new books, buy the iconic tote bag, get your books stamped, pet the shop cat, and grab a coffee at their café next door. Try to for a weekday morning to avoid big crowds,

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The Abbey Bookshop

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Shakespeare & Company's Canadian little sister, the Abbey Bookshop joined the Latin Quarter’s literary scene in 1989 when the owner, Brian, was inspired and encouraged by Shakespeare’s owner to open his own Paris bookstore (he previously had one in Toronto). The shop has a special history, being located in the historic Hotel Dubuisson building on Rue de la Parcheminerie, formerly named Rue des Escrivains after the Parisian scribes that were eventually replaced by parchment makers in the late Middle Ages. Today it offers a diverse collection of over 40,000 used and new English titles. It is particularly connected to the Canadian expat community in Paris, but welcomes anglophiles of all kinds- visitors and locals alike!

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Buy cashmere or a trench at the original Sézane atelier.

L'Appartement Sézane

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My favorite spot to buy French fashion classics with a modern twist. Sezane is now international, but this is the original atelier, aka cashmere central.

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Bike along the Canal Saint-Martin

Canal Saint-Martin

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Local Parisians trying to avoid tourists on the Seine often stroll or picnic along the Canal instead. In addition to a great stretch of restaurants, boulangeries, and bars, I like visiting the tree-lined canal in autumn purely to appreciate the crunch of leaves along the way.

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Tour the secret vineyard of Paris, Le Clos Montmartre

Vigne du Clos Montmartre

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Paris only city vineyard is a hidden gem tucked into the hills of the Montmartre village. You can book a tour any time, but the colors are most beautiful in the fall, and the Fete des Vendages (Vineyard Festival) is always the first week of October.

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WHAT TO EAT & DRINK

Order hot chocolate from Angelina’s with an early breakfast to beat the lines.

Angelina

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Today, there are Angelina tea rooms throughout Paris and around the world, but when you enter 226 Rue de Rivoli, you are stepping into the original Belle Epoque gourmet confectionery institution. Founded in 1903 and named after his daughter-in-law (in-law relationship GOALS), Anton Pumpelmayer opened Angelina’s in the heart of Paris, just north of the Louvre and Tuileries Garden, and it soon became the place to take your tea while rubbing shoulders with the Paris elite like Coco Chanel (ask for table 45 to see her old spot). Get there right when they open at 8 to avoid lines and have the most decadent breakfast experience.

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Embrace the soup life. My all time favorites are soupe à l'oignon (french onion), potage parmentier (leek and potato ) and fall favorite is velouté potimarron (red curry squash). You'll find them in bistros all over the city, but here is one of my favorite spots.

Le Temps des Cerises

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This adorable neighborhood haunt was introduced to me by my AirBnB host turned dear friend, Eric, who has gone here since he moved to Paris as a young child. It is tucked along a side street between Pont Sully and Bastille and serves classic, traditional dishes plus seasonal rotating specials. Book ahead if you can- it made a quick cameo in the most recent season of Emily in Paris so you know what that means.

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Commit to a night of traditional raclette or fondue, especially if from Pain Vin Fromages.

Pain Vin Fromages

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My first Paris apartment was a few minutes walk from here, and there is nowhere else I'd rather eat traditional fondue or raclette in an old Parisian basement (cave) on a side street in Le Marais. Order a bottle of the house red and make it a full evening- that's what the locals do, so book ahead if possible.

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Sip vin chaud on a heated terrace - Café Marly's is magical at night looking our on Pei's pyramids.

Le Café Marly

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I think the food is overrate here, but the ambiance is amazing and always recommend coming for a drink on the patio overlooking the Louvre. Curled up in one of Café Marly’s ornate booths facing the brilliantly illuminated Louvre Pyramids on a cold winter under a heater with a warm, comforting drink in hand is a wonderful way to end a relaxing night in the City of Light. Order le lait chaud vanille (hot vanilla milk) or a vin chaud instead and watch the stars twinkle above the fantastic Louvre architecture. If you play your cards right, you can score a seat under a heater outside that also gives you view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower.

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Embrace the cozy French classics like cassoulet, coq au vin, and boeuf Bourguignon from a Paris restaurant full of old world charm.

Ma Bourgogne

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Ma Bourgogne lines the Place des Vosges- the old stomping grounds of many famous Frenchies, Victor Hugo included. If you go here, you aren't just going to a restaurant, you are going to an institution of traditional French fare, known for their escargot, foie gras, and beef tartare.

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Order warm, sweet fall crêpes for dessert, like Pomme-Cannelle (Apple and Cinnamon) or Crêpe à la Crème de Marron

Crêperie île Saint-Louis

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This spot is admittedly steeped in nostalgia for me as its around the corner from my first Paris apartment and where I'd always take jet lagged visitors for an easy meal. They are friendly, the crepes and galettes are authentic, and the location is absolutely darling.

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Enjoy afternoon tea and macarons from the original Ladurée on rue Royale (avoid the one along the Champs Elysées at all costs). Ask about the fall flavor specials!

Ladurée Paris Royale

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Ladurée macarons are now an international sensation, but the entire Ladurée legacy began in Paris at 16 Rue Royale when Louis Ernest Ladurée opened a bakery in 1862, when construction of the nearby Garnier Opera House was underway. People are always shocked when I tell them that you actually pay a little less for your macarons when you go inside the restaurant, sit down and order them for the table- but it’s true! When you stand in line at the patisserie and order your macarons to go, you’ll pay an upcharge the world-famous Ladurée packaging.

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The Best Paris Hotels to Explore on Foot

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