A delightful day in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Salut! Happy Friday! Today I’m daydreaming of Paris, comme d’habitude, specifically my favorite corner of Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Le sigh. Oh Paris, when will I see you again? So where do I even start? Saint-Germain is so beautiful, and there is so much to do, to look at, to eat. Here is how I would spend a delightful day in Saint-Germain-des-Prés!

If we were actually staying within Saint-Germain-des-Prés I would stay at Hôtel Abbatial Saint Germain. I stayed there with my mom on Trip of a Lifetime Part Deux, and it was perfect. Windows that opened up onto Boulevard St. Germain, spacious, cool bathroom and located close to everything. But really, the next time we return to Paris we will probably stay at Hotel Notre Dame. We love it. Beautiful views, cool rooms (especially 42!) and the staff has always been so great and helpful. It’s only steps away from Saint Germain.

le matin

Rue Bonapart is the perfect street to start our day. It runs from Boulevard Saint Germain straight up to the Seine. For breakfast we would go to our traditional Les Deux Magots. We’ve been there for lunch and drinks before, but not for petit déjeuner. Here’s a walking tour by Super Walker in Saint-Germain that starts at Les Deux Magots!

Next let’s head over to Citypharma. I go here every trip to stock up on French beauty supplies. They have everything, so it’s also always packed. I make a list ahead of time of what I’m looking for so I can move around more quickly. I bought some bronzing capsules last time 😎 among a lot of other things. Next trip I’m going to have to do some extra research, to try and find French cruelty-free brands.

Now it’s time for Pierre Hermé and the best macarons in the world! It would be my very first stop but they don’t open until 11am. The Isaphan Macaron with flavors of lychee, rose and raspberry is truly magical. They also have an Isaphan croissant. I think pistachio is my second favorite, followed by salted caramel 💕.

l’après midi

Let’s take a detour across rue de l’Abbaye to rue de Furstemberg and stroll through the charming Place de Furstemberg. Maybe a visit to The Delacroix Museum? It is located on the first floor of 6 rue de Furstenberg, in the apartment occupied by the painter Eugène Delacroix from 1857 to 1863. The website describes: “The studio designed by the artist and the pretty garden he has arranged, like a hermitage in the heart of Paris, are the assets of a secret place, to be discovered.” Géniale!

Next back over to rue Bonapart to finally visit Ladurée. I know, it’s strange, but I’ve never been! I’ve always been so loyal to Pierre Hermé. Let’s put away the macarons for later for a taste test comparison with Pierre’s. We’ll continue our stroll up rue Bonapart, peeking in at all the studios and shops along the way, until we reach the northern boundary of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, right on the Seine.

Which brings us to lunch! On our first trip to Paris we stopped by the Café des Beaux Arts for an aperitif while waiting on our dinner reservation at Le Calife across the street. It was very cozy with a good wine special, and I didn’t realize it at the time but it has been open for over 100 years! It felt like someplace I would want to return, so why not? Of course there is Aux Prés at the opposite southern corner of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I’ve made a version of their Crab Galette with Avocado and Curry at home. I would love to go there too. Check out their truffle hot dog on the home page!

le soir

For apéritifs before dinner I would head over to Le Mabillon directly on Boulevard St. Germain. We enjoyed lunch there before on a beautiful sunny day. We both had the pasta topped with foie gras, and we still dream about it. I love the location and the atmosphere, it would be a great place for a cocktail. Saint-Germain Spritz anyone? Liqueur St-Germain, Prosecco, eau gazeuse, citron jaune… mmm. Or maybe my favorite go-to, a Kir Royale. I’ve also read Le Mabillon is the place to go for a late night drink, they are open until 5 AM.

So it’s Friday night and we are in Paris, you know what that means! Pizza! Chez Bartolo is supposedly one of the oldest pizzerias in Paris. I love how it’s the Italian version of Chez Barton. It is located on the charming rue des Canettes. Interesting fact: rue des Canettes has been around since 1260, first named Saint-Sulpice, it was renamed in 1636. All the history in Paris! It would be hard to pass up their Truffle Pizza. Perfect for a Friday night and to top off a delightful day in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Inspired by Chez Bartolo for Pizza Friday – think I’ll do a simple tomato, basil, burrata with cherry tomatoes and basil from my garden. Miam! I’m also inspired by all this talk about macarons. Join me for Macaron Monday! À bientôt!