Crumbs of Paris

30+ crumbs of long lunches, funky interiors, au poivre sauce, vintage shopping, and way too much coffee... from my first solo trip

I’m starting this newsletter live from a bar right now in Paris waiting for my chocolate mousse. I’m sure I’ll finish the thing when I’m back at my hotel, or even back in the US, but I wanted to document these feelings as I am having them. This is my first solo trip, I just had one of the most incredible steak au poivres of my life at Paul Bert, and I could have gone back to my hotel and called it a night, but it’s 10:15pm and still bright as day out, so I decided to take a chance on the famed (and potentially overhyped) Chez Janou for the famous dollop of chocolate mousse that hits your plate like an earthquake.

The reason I’m writing to you guys right now is because this solo moment is stinging a tiny bit. Most moments of this solo trip have been comfortable and fluid, but I’m currently handling a bartender who is begging me to also try “the best mussels in the city (?)” in addition to my mousse. I told him I already had a huge dinner, but the persistance is rea-

…Oh my god is he actually bringing me another “apertif” to try as we speak??

An hour later, I did indeed get my mousse after all. And yes, the mussels were very good, and so were the 5 different liqueurs he wanted me to try. But I ended up having one of the most cinematic nights of my trip- I befriended the other two solo travelers next to me at the bar and we shut the place down. Full of mousse and new momentos.

wanted to set the scene for you guys

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There really is something in the water in Paris. Or in… whatever they’re using to make a perfect cappuccino in those miniature red mugs that burn your fingers the perfect amount.

What was my logic for picking Paris as my first solo trip? Well, I had been a few times prior and I wanted a place that I could relax, move slowly, and not have a rigid itinerary stuffed with sightseeing. I knew this would be hard for me- it’s hard for me to travel somewhere and not feel like I’m learning or trying to understand the history, art, architecture- it almost felt gluttonous to simply do less of this. But, Paris is somewhere I find myself coming back to, somewhere I once stood in a sweaty crowd to see the Mona Lisa, to somewhere I now sit for an hour with my little journal and coffee and write.

Don’t get me wrong, I still learned quite a lot this time around, but most of it was about the awkward encounters you have as a solo traveler, the random emotions that come out of nowhere when you are spending so much damn time with just yourself, the flavors of incredible french cuisine that I neglected when I came here in college abroad and was still a self proclaimed picky eater (I’m pretty sure I was still seeking out Chipotle in literal Paris).

The intention in Parisian interiors and design is also something I knew I wanted to experience as someone who has gotten a little obsessed with this as of late, and my god did the Avant-Garde deliver. So, with that, here is my very very special list of funky, frivolous, and (a bit fatty) Paris gems that I’ll hold very close to me for an eternity.

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The Most Dazzling Parisian Interiors

Most of which also had incredible food

1. Clown Bar

11th Arrondissement | Great for a long lunch

I'm sorry guys I think clowns are cute

I went to Clown Bar after a 5am night out really just wanting an espresso, maybe a glass of wine(?), and a pastry, but was told you had to do the pre-set lunch menu and decided just to lean into it all and eat 4 courses to include plates like chickpea frites and pork belly at 11:30am. This was by far the best lunch I had, and certainly up there with my favorite meals in general. Every flavor is unexpected- just like the rainbow tiling with little clowns dancing around the bar.

2. ZAPI

2nd Arrondissement | Great for a post shop salad and spritz

I don’t think I’ve ever gasped louder than I did when I walked upstairs at Zapi to find a retro wonderland of matching wallpaper and chairs. Yes, this is somewhere I found on Instagram ages ago, but there were no tagged photos of it so I didn’t even know if this decor was real or literally generated by AI on the internet. My favorite touch was the chair that was split between the green room and the orange room who’s upholstery matched each side. My caesar + spritz combo was good fuel after a morning of shopping around- [some people online were roasting me and saying the food sucked here, take it as you will but definitely come for a cocktail.]

3. Maxim’s

8th Arrondissement | Great for a scene-y dinner or martini

Maxim’s is a quintessential Paris paradise- glamorous and feels ~burlesque, if that is such a feeling. My main tip here is to enjoy a martini and snack in the lounge upstairs, it’s just as stunning (if not more stunning) than the restaurant with its kaleidoscopes of stained glass windows and big brass butterflies fluttering around the bar. I think an actual burlesque show happens late at night in the restaurant, but I heard the food is good but not great, so the lounge is your best bet.

4. La Mediterranee

6th Arrondissement | Great for a quiet lunch to write or read

This spot was apparently *the* gathering spot for French novelists and literary figures in the late 20’s, and I feel like it’s preserved the same inquisitive charm today that it had back then. Murals cover the walls and fish lamps swim on every white tablecloth, and the folks that eat lunch there seem to make a whole afternoon out of it. I made friends with the table next to me and they told me they were having a work lunch…they had gotten through about 3 bottles of wine and got dessert and then stayed and chatted with me an hour after the restaurant closed, so whatever types of work lunches are going on there, I want to be a part of them!

5. La Fantasie

9th Arrondissement | Great for a hotel bar moment

I actually got this rec from

Bella Darden

who has impeccable taste and listed this hotel in one of her round-ups. I already had hotel plans when I saw this (and staying here is $), so my “hack” for checking out hotels I can’t afford is to have a meal or drink at them. La Fantasie’s rooftop bar is gift wrapped in pink and green stripes and has its own garden to enjoy a spritz in. The lobby bar is also worth snooping around in because it is equally as gorgeous with its patterned carpet columns.

6. Particulier Garden

9th Arrondissement (Montmartre) | Great for a spritz in the garden

This spot is the perfect end to your Montmartre afternoon! I also humiliated myself trying to find this place- it’s behind a tiny gate that I tried buzzing 10+ plus times and ended up having someone who lived down the private road let me in, so I’m not entirely sure I was even allowed to be there? But I pretended like I was, which is all that mattered to me sitting in the most beautiful garden with a spritz in hand. They also have chickens running around looking for tidbits of pastries from the tall silver towers on almost every table, so don’t be alarmed if one runs across your kitten heels like they did to mine.

7. Hotel Costes

1st Arrondissement | Great for a passionfruit martini and fries

Ok I know I keep talking about lunch spots, but truthfully, lunch is so glamorous in Paris, and it’s even more glamorous at Hotel Costes. I don’t care if it’s too touristy- it’s a total vibe to sit on red velvet under drapes of chandeliers in sunlight and have a passionfruit martini and a plate of fries.

8. Le Georges

3rd Arrondissement | Great for a post-gallery glass of wine

I visited the galleries at The Pompidou Center to see some art after shopping around the Marais neighborhood and decided to have a bite at the cafe on the very top floor. I heard they had a great view of the Eiffel Tower on the deck, but I was too interested in the hot pink chairs and chrome structures inside the restaurant. I think the waitress was confused when I asked to sit inside, but I was obsessed with the monochrome pink booths and wanted to take them in more then the skyline.

My Favorite Meals/Bites

1. Cheval d’Or

19th Arrondissement | Great for…the best meal you will have in Paris (French x Chinese fusion)

My favorite solo dining experience I’ve ever had was at Cheval d’Or in the peaceful, residential 19th. It has the most ideal counter that overlooks the kitchen with tiny gold horse (which is what the name translates to) chopstick holders lined up at each setting. The menu changes weekly, so I won’t sweat the details of each specific plate, but what I can tell you is that you should get the pre-fix menu (yes, even if it’s only for one person), because the guy next to me made the mistake of doing a-la-carte and told me he was so jealous of all of the special bites he missed out on. Standouts were the caviar toast, shrimp croque madame, Mapo tofu tortellini, and the shaved ice strawberry pavlola. I had no idea I even liked meringue until I tried it in this format.