Paris

I'll start off this one by mentioning I had a couple of insiders advising me on this trip, who had lived in Paris before. My French friends advised me on a place to stay which was outside of the main tourist area. It was slightly cheaper accommodation, and the food was generally better as you're not getting ripped off in tourist restaurants with sub par quality. Everywhere we ate we noticed there were a lot of French people which is always a good sign!

Click here to get a list of the following food/drink places on Google maps for easy access when you visit Paris.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation in Paris is pricey, especially if you're right in the centre. We opted for Best Western Premier Faubourg 88 which is located in the 10th arrondissement, which was right beside the metro station Poissonnière. It's a little further out of the tourist zone, which means nicer eats around and also a bit cheaper. Positives of our hotel were the location was ideal, staff were efficient and the room was modern and very clean. Drawbacks were that the hotel room was incredibly small (although we did go for the basic room option) and the breakfast option wasn't great. That being said, it was perfect for what we wanted as we didn't want to spend a lot on accommodation which can cost a fortune in Paris. For three nights at the end of March we paid € 516.23, which works out at circa €172 per night. Definitely not cheap, but hey it's Paris. 

THINGS TO DO

1. Disneyland Paris 

Definitely worth doing for a day, you can get the train out which is roughly an hour. The only thing is it was absolutely freezing when we went, which was surprising given the time of year so just remember to wrap up as a lot of the rides are outdoors. The parade was really fun, but the food is sub par so consider bringing your own sambos unless you want to queue for ages for an average hot dog. Book tickets in advance for this one.

2. Montmartre

Definitely worth a visit, this is a large hill in the 18th arrondissement. It was our favourite thing to do in Paris, there a few really cute streets and it's very lively. We sat down in the main square and had a drink there which I would recommend. There are a lot of street artists around which are cool to look at. 

3. Bus Tour 

Generally we don't do bus tours, and I had to do some convincing to get Alex on board (pardon the pun). It was pricey at around 50 per head but I think it was worth it. It gave us a really easy way to see the whole city in a short amount of time.  The one we did went in a loop and the buses were really frequent, we were never waiting long. It brought us to all the main sites (Eiffel tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe etc) where you could jump off and have a stroll. It was quite relaxing sitting on top of the bus and seeing Paris while not having to constantly be on maps to make sure you're going in the right direction. Given the amount of places to see in Paris, if you're willing to spend a bit of extra money it's a really nice stress free way of getting to all the sites. I would say it's worth it in Paris.

FOOD & DRINK

I had been warned about the high priced and often low quality food in tourist traps. For example, we went to one place for a drink which had a view of the Eiffel tower, and they were doing avocado toast for €25. That is, in my humble opinion, an absolute scandal. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a good meal, but dear lord you will never catch me paying that price for a meal I could make better myself for €2. I do not like feeling as if I've been ripped off. 

We did find a couple of nice spots around the sites in the centre, however definitely do your research first or check reviews if you're eating around there. We often opted to head back to the 10th arrondissement for food as there were so many nice options within walking distance of our hotel. My friend had recommended some of these which I'll list below.

1. Rue Sainte-Anne 

Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines, and Paris did not disappoint. If you head to Rue Sainte-Anne you will see lots of options here, and you can usually tell by how busy the restaurants are whether they will be good. We tried Aki and Laï-Laï Ken, both of which were great. This is on the cheaper side, given Paris prices.

Plus they serve Asahi on tap, which is always a bonus.

2. Bonhomie 

This was one of my favourite meals we had, both for food and atmosphere. I would recommend booking in advance for this one, we were lucky to get the last seat at the bar and were told we had to wait for 20 minutes. The fish croquettes were like heaven, I ate them too quickly to take a photo. Not cheap, but not crazy expensive, and definitely worth it. 

3. Daroco

If you want a nice place to eat or drink closer to the sites, Daraco is a good option. They have a cocktail bar down the back of the restaurant in a separate area which is really cool. This is actually called Danico, which confused us, as you have to walk through the restaurant first which is called Darico. It is more of a niche spot that takes their cocktails seriously, so you won't want to be drinking all night here. The pizzas looked amazing so we tried to get a spot for dinner but it was all booked out. Book in advance if you want to eat. 

4. Richer 

Nice French place that we stopped into for a drink one night. The food looked nice and it was always busy, we tried to eat there another night and it was full. Can't speak for the food but it did look tasty. Plus they served prosecco in the nice balloon glasses that I love. 

5. Jim's Corner

This place was right beside our hotel, it did simple but tasty food and I would definitely return. Really fresh ingredients which set you up for the day nicely. The place itself is really bright and open so it's nice to sit in there too.

6. Açaï & You - Maubeuge 

Very small spot but the food is absolutely delicious. We got avocado toast with burrata to share and an acai bowl each. Again the food was really fresh, and it was presented really nicely with colours and edible flowers, if you're into that kind of thing.