Think Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel, Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud, Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky. Paris has a rich history of nurturing passion and romance, n’est pas?
You and your sweetheart can experience the inimitable effect this city can have on your romance, without remortgaging the house. For, in Paris, even the simplest of pleasures – such as having dinner – are elevated under what seems to be the city’s unwritten ideal of beautifying everything, from grand to mundane.
To begin, book your trip for the fall or early in the New Year – later January into February in particular – since this is the low season after the holiday rush, and you can usually find great deals. Though the winter weather in Paris is cold, it can also be a motivating factor to stay snuggled next to your honey wherever you are. Hotels are usually a large expense in a city like Paris. But there are deals to be had for clean, quiet hotel rooms in nice neighbourhoods. The Hotel Cujas Pantheon in the centre of Paris offers a great deal on a double room for 82€ per night if you stay three nights or longer.The Hotel Eugénie, located in a cute area of the sixth arrondissement, also offers a “three nights or more” package at 140€ per night for a double room. Near the Marais is the Hotel l’Annexe offering its room, “The Glamour,” for 83€ per night. The enchanting room’s balcony has French doors that open to Paris’ streets below, allowing couples to take in the city al fresco over a bottle of wine.
No need to withdraw a dangerous amount of cash when it comes to dining in Paris – you’ll be delighted to discover there are many excellent restaurants dedicated to quality and affordability. Fashion writer and London expat Milla Msa – now a happy Paris resident – says you should “find yourself one of the many family-run bistros with a prix fixe menu, offering a choice of two to three courses at great value (12€ + per person).”
Milla keeps plenty of affordable options in mind.
“Le Bistro Paul Bert in Paris’ 11th arrondissement is a perfect choice for filling, wholesome home cooking at a reasonable price,” said Msa.
If you want to follow in the footsteps of our favourite French hero, Amèlie Poulain, then head over to Montmartre to Le Bouillon Chartier. It’s a large and noisy space, with unfussy bistro food served up by waiters with friendly sass. Le Bistro d’André is a convivial bar and bistro located in the 15th arrondissement; its theme revolves around the French car engineer André Citroën.
For something almost as sweet as your romance: “Head to my favorite place for tea in Paris – La Galerie des Gobelins at the famous Plaza Athénée Hotel – for the most delectable gateaux in a sublime setting,” said Msa. “Share an intimate table for two as the musician serenades you with her beautiful notes.”
When not staring into each others’ eyes over beguiling dinners in the candlelit evenings, you might just find one or two museums to visit in the city.
“Although the majority of museums and galleries charge for entry culture vultures need not feel left out,” said Msa. “Evening tickets offer a hefty discount and on the first Sunday of each month entry to see some of the world’s most famous works of art is free to all! There is something incredibly romantic about strolling around the Louvre at night, whispering to each other as the sun sets, sharing your secrets with artifacts from times we never knew.”
What more could you ask for from the City of Light?
(Main image: pug_girl)
