Things to See in Paris

Le Villaret
13 rue Ternaux 11e

Parisians who know about such things come from all over the city to this simple but buzzing bistro for its daily-changing menus featuring French classics, such as succulent leg of lamb and crispy roast chicken, accompanied by a strong wine list.

Crêperie Bretonne
67 rue de Charonne 12e

Authentic down to its crisp-at-the-edges buckwheat galettes and perfectly buttered sweet crêpes (with salted butter, of course), this place is filled with emotive photos of Brittany, and, joy of joys, serves brut Val de Rance cider. Yec'hed mat (that's Breton for cheers)!

Stohrer
2e 51 R Montorgueil

Opened in 1730, this beautiful patisserie's pastel murals were added in 1864 by Paul Baudry, who also decorated the Palais Garnier's Grand Foyer. All of the cakes, pastries, ice cream and savoury delicacies are made on the premises; with specialities including baba rhum (rum-drenched brioche) and puit d'amour (cream-filled, caramel-topped puff pastry).

Café Marly
1er 93 rue de Rivoli

The glittering views of IM Pei's glass pyramid, and of the French movers, shakers and stars who frequent this cafe, make drinking and/or dining here a classic Parisian experience. The perfect spot to refresh the senses during a day at the Louvre.

Maison Berthillon
31 R St-Louis en l'Île 4e

Berthillon is a glacier (ice-cream maker) that makes what is arguably Paris' most delicious ice cream. Along with its famous fruit flavours, the chocolate, coffee, marrons glacés (candied chestnuts), Agenaise (Armagnac and prunes) and nougat au miel (honey nougat) are wonderfully rich.

Godjo
5e 8 rue de l'École Polytechnique

Although its name means 'humble farmer's house', the woven wall-hangings, carved timber artefacts and paintings at this Ethiopian restaurant make eating here something like dining in an art gallery (but a buzzy, informal one). It's a great option for vegetarians, with a slew of meatless dishes to choose from.

Le Relais Gascon
18e 6 rue des Abbesses

Climbing the wooden staircase to this narrow townhouse's 1st-floor dining room rewards with rooftop views of Montmartre. The solidly French menu includes seafood and meat dishes, but locals pack the communal tables here to tuck into one of Gascon's gargantuan salads, served in giant bowls with thin-sliced fried potatoes sautéed in garlic.

Au Rocher de Cancale
2e 78 rue Montorgueil

Rue Montorgueil was the oyster market of the old halles, and this timber-lined restaurant opened in 1846 is its legacy. Virtually unchanged since the days of the markets, there's a choice of three plats du jour plus two chef's suggestions, alongside oysters from Cancale, Brittany's foremost oyster port. Everything here, including the wine, is great value.

Chez Marianne
4e 2 rue des Hospitalières St-Gervais

There's often a wait for a table at Chez Marianne's black-and-white-tiled restaurant space, but the phenomenal mix-and-match platters, with choices including olives, hummus, eggplant and much more, are worth every minute. Otherwise you can pack a picnic from the deli to take to the Place des Vosges, or pick up felafel sandwiches from the takeaway window.

Le Loir dans la Theiere
4e 3 R des Rosiers

One of Paris' best spots to spend a languorous Sunday is Le Loir dans la Theiere (The Dormouse in the Teapot) a wonderful old space filled with retro toys, comfy couches and free wi-fi. Its farm-style wooden tables are laden at brunch, which is served here on both Saturday and Sunday, starting around noon and lasting as long as you like.

Eiffel Tower
7e Champ de Mars

Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair), held to commemorate the centennial of the Revolution, the Tour Eiffel was the world's tallest structure at 320m (1050ft) until Manhattan's Chrysler Building was completed. Initially opposed by the city's artistic and literary elite the tower was almost torn down in 1909.

Musée Rodin
77 rue de Varenne 7e

When he died, the renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1907) left his magnificent 18th-century residence and a huge body of work to the state in lieu of rent. One of the most tranquil spots in the city, the Musée Rodin is also many visitors' favourite Paris museum.

Musée du Louvre
1er place du Louvre

The Louvre may be the world's greatest art museum - but it's also the one most avoided by visitors to Paris. Daunted by its size and overwhelming richness, many people head to smaller galleries. But if you have even the merest interest in the fruits of human civilisation from antiquity to the 19th century, then visit you must.

Sainte Chapelle
4 blvd du Palais 1er

The most exquisite of Paris' Gothic gems, Sainte Chapelle is tucked away within the walls of the Palais de Justice. The chapel is illuminated by a veritable curtain of luminous 13th-century stained glass (the oldest and finest in Paris).

Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris
4e 6 Place du Parvis Notre Dame

If Paris has a heart, then this is it. Notre Dame de Paris is not only a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, but has also been Catholic Paris' ceremonial focus for seven centuries. The cathedral's immense interior, a marvel of medieval engineering, holds over 6000 people and has spectacular rose windows.

Basilique du Sacré-C½ur
18e 35 rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre place du Parvis du Sacré-C½ur

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, perched at the very top of Butte de Montmartre (Montmartre Hill), was built from contributions pledged by Parisian Catholics as an act of contrition after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. Construction began in 1873, but the basilica was not consecrated until 1919.

Catacombes de Paris
14e 1 avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy

In 1785, Paris decided to solve the problem of its overflowing cemeteries by exhuming the bones of the buried and relocating them to the tunnels of several disused quarries, leading to the creation of the Catacombes. Visitors to this disturbing 'attraction' will find themselves 20m (65ft) underground, working their way along corridors stacked with bones.

Bateaux Mouches
east of Pont de l'Alma 8e Port de la Conférence Right bank

Bateaux Mouches runs the biggest tour boat company on the Seine. Cruises depart from and return to the Pont de l'Alma and pass the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower in the west, and Île St-Louis in the east. The night time spectacle of Paris shimmering off the Seine on a summer evening is an unforgettable experience.

Arc de Triomphe
8e Place Charles de Gaulle

The Arc de Triomphe is the world's largest traffic roundabout and the meeting point of 12 avenues. Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon to commemorate his imperial victories, it was not completed until 1836. From the viewing platform at the top (284 steps up), you can see the avenues - many named after illustrious generals - radiating toward every part of Paris.

Centre Pompidou
place Georges Pompidou 4e

The Pompidou Centre, also known simply as Beaubourg, is all about modern and contemporary 20th-century art. Thanks in part to its vigorous schedule of temporary exhibitions, it's the most visited cultural site in Paris. Two floors are dedicated to some of the 40000-plus works of the Musée Nationale d'Art Moderne, the country's collection of 20th-century art.

German Embassy
13-15 av F. D. Roosevelt 8e

Carrousel du Louvre Mall Tourist Office
Carrousel du Louvre shopping mall next to IM Pei's inverted glass pyramid lower 1e

Italian Embassy
51 rue de Varenne 7e

New Zealand Embassy
7 rue Léonard de Vinci 16e

Irish Embassy
12 Ave Foch 16e

Canadian Embassy
35 ave Montaigne 8e

Australian Embassy
4 rue Jean Rey 15e

Belgium Embassy
9 rue de Tilsitt 17e

Gare de Lyon Tourist Office
Arrivals Hall, Gare de Lyon 12e

Eiffel Tower Tourist Office
at the base of the Eiffel Tower Champ de Mars 7e

Hôtel Chopin
9e 46 Passage Jouffroy enter at 10 Blvd Montmarte from the metro walk W 100m (110 yards) and enter the passage Jouffroy at 10 blvd Montmartre Grands Boulevards

The Chopin, dating back to 1846, is down one of Paris' most delightful 19th-century passages couverts (covered shopping arcades). It is a great deal for its location which is right off the Grands Boulevards.

Hôtel du 7e Art
4e 20 rue St-Paul from the metro station walk E along rue de Rivoli for 175m and then turn S into rue St-Paul Marais

This themed hotel on the south side of rue St-Antoine is a fun place for film buffs - le septième art, or 'the seventh art', is what the French call cinema - and boasts a B&W-movie theme throughout.

Hôtel Saint-Jacques
5e 35 rue des Écoles from the metro station walk due S along rue des Carmes for about 100m (110 yards) Latin Quarter

This very stylish 38-room hotel has rooms at the corner with balconies overlooking the Panthéon. The singles are relatively spacious, and the comments book in the lobby is a welcome touch.

Hôtel des Grandes Écoles
5e 75 rue de Cardinal Lemoine from the metro station walk straight up the hill for 100m (110 yards) Latin Quarter

This wonderful 51-room hotel just north of Place de la Contrescarpe has one of the loveliest situations in the Latin Quarter, tucked away in a courtyard off a medieval street with its own private garden.

Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc
4e 3 Rue de Jarente from the metro station walk E along rue de Rivoli for 100m then north through place du Marché Ste-Catherine Marais

This cosy, 36-room hotel near lovely Place du Marché Ste-Catherine is a great little base for your peregrinations among the museums, bars and restaurants of the Marais, Village St-Paul and the Bastille.

Hôtel des Grands Hommes
17 Place de Panthéon 5e from the metro station walk 200m (220 yards) up rue Soufflot to the hotel Latin Quarter

This 31-room hotel is in a lovely 18th-century building, which rather chauvinistically makes reference to the 'great men' in the Pantheon across the square (a woman, Marie Curie, is also in the crypt and has been there since 1995), was given a complete overhaul in 2002 and is now more opulent than ever.

Familia Hôtel
5e 11 Rue des Écoles from the metro station, walk NE for 100m along rue Cardinal Lemoine and turn left into rue des Écoles Latin Quarter

This very welcoming and well-situated family-run hotel has attractive sepia murals of Parisian landmarks in two thirds of its 30 rooms and is one of the most attractive 'almost budget' options this side of the Seine.

Hôtel de Danemark
6e 21 rue Vavin from the metro station walk 150m (165 yards) N along blvd Raspail and turn right into rue Vavin Montparnasse

Hôtel de Danemark, a positively scrumptious boutique hotel southwest of the Jardin du Luxembourg, has 15 very tastefully furnished rooms and eclectic contemporary décor contrasting with ancient stone walls.

L'Hôtel
6e 13 rue des Beaux Arts from the metro station walk 300m (330 yards) N up rue Bonaparte and turn right into rue des Beaux Arts St-Germain

With 20 rooms and tucked away in a quiet quayside street, this place with the most minimal of names is the stuff of romance, Paris myths and urban legends. There are rooms set aside for nonsmokers and the hotel has air-con throughout.

Hôtel de Nice
42 bis Rue de Rivoli 4e from the metro station walk E along rue de Rivoli for 225m (240 yards) Marais

This is an especially warm, family-run place with 23 comfortable rooms. Some rooms have balconies high above busy rue de Rivoli. Reception is on the 1st floor. It's a very personal hotel, with the owner's tastes apparent throughout.

Kenzo
1er 1 rue Pont Neuf

While Kenzo himself retired from designing in 1999, Sardinian Antonio Marras has brought a new joie de vivre to the label. The Pont Neuf flagship store is a tantalising temple to fashion and beauty. The building also houses the Philippe Starck-designed Kong bar.

Le Printemps
9e 64 bd Haussmann

One of Paris' most spectacular grands magasins (department stores), Le Printemps is actually three separate stores - de la Mode (women's fashion), de l'Homme (for men) and de la Beauté et Maison (for beauty and household goods) - offering a staggering display of perfume, cosmetics and accessories, as well as established and up-and-coming designer wear.

Fauchon
8e 26-30 Pl de la Madeleine

The most famous food store in Paris: six departments sell the most incredibly mouthwatering (and expensive) delicacies, from foie gras (duck or goose liver) to confitures (jams). The fruit - the most perfect you've ever seen - includes exotic items from southeast Asia, including mangosteens, rambutans and jackfruit. Fauchon also has several eat-in options.

Marché aux Fleurs
place Louis Lépin 4e

Since 1808, blooms have been sold at this flower market, making it the oldest market of any kind in Paris. This is Paris, so buy some roses and find someone to give them to. On Sunday it transforms into Marché aux Oiseaux, a twittering bird market, so if the flowers aren't enough buy your beloved a peacock.

Alexandra Sojfer
7e 218 blvd St-Germain

Parapluies and ombrelles (parasols and umbrellas) don't come more elegant than these creations handmade by Alexandra Sojfer, whose beautiful shop is devoted exclusively to them. If nothing catches your fancy, have one custom-made.

Cacharel
64 rue Bonaparte 6e

Another mid-20th century label undergoing a revival, Cacharel (named for a bird from Provence's Camargue region) was founded in 1960 and unlike many fashion houses, remains a private company. It's best known for its floral-printed silk georgette dresses and perfumes like the airy orange blossom, rose, lily and jasmine-scented Anaïs Anaïs.

agnès b
6 rue du Jour 1er

Style and photography guru agnès b excels in extremely wearable, durable and comfortable (yet sometimes quirky) clothes. She also happens to be one of the more affordable Parisian designers. The basics are excellent; the rest has somewhat lost its cachet of late. On the same street you'll find her men's and children's stores.

Guerlain
68 Av des Champs Élysées 8e

Guerlain is Paris' most famous perfumerie, and its shop, dating from 1912, is one of the most beautiful in the city. With its shimmering mirror and marble decor, it's a reminder of the former glory of the Champs Élysées. You can shop for its perfumes (including its address' namesake Champs-Élysées), or take a decadent beauty treatment at its heavenly spa.

Shakespeare & Company
5e 37 rue de la Bûcherie

Fossicking through this 'wonderland of books' (as Henry Miller described it) unearths bargains, but Shakespeare & Co is best known for nurturing writers . Its legendary open-invitation tea parties are held at 16:00 most Sundays, and readings at 19:00 most Mondays. Legends-in-the-making include travel writing workshops and an open-to-all-comers writers' group at 15:00 on Saturday afternoons.

Colette
1er 213 rue St-Honoré

There's no sign - two sky-blue circles indicate you've arrived at this impossibly hip concept shop, subtitled 'styledesignartfood' (yes, in English). Footwear, fashion, homewares, books, art and cosmetics change according to the Zeitgeist (resulting in some astounding sales). In the basement, the wi-fi'd bar caters to Colette's model clientele with 100 varieties of water, plus salads and champagne.

Chez Prune
71 quai de Valmy 10e

The original Parisian boho hangout, this canal-side cafe has arty mosaic-tiled wrought iron tables, wood-framed glass doors with views over the bridges, an outdoor terrace and a lively, still earthy vibe. The perfect rendezvous for transforming an afternoon coffee into an evening drink.

Le Select
99 blvd du Montparnasse 6e

No mention of Montparnasse, once at the centre of Paris' artistic endeavours, would be complete without Le Select. Opened in the mid-20s, it was the first of the area's grande dame cafes to open late into the night and still draws everyone from beer-swigging students to whisky-swilling politicians.

China Club
50 rue de Charenton 12e

Opulent red-lacquered walls, chesterfield sofas, and a basement jazz club, Sing Song, styled like 1930s Shanghai, have made Paris' China Club a fixture on the international party circuit. From 19:00 to 21:00 you can swill a Long Island iced tea or stellar martini at the main bar; and you can tuck into Peking duck and spring rolls until midnight.

Le Batofar
13e opposite 11 Q François Mauriac next to Bibliothèque Nationale de France

The bateau (boat) is an incongruous and much-loved red-metal tugboat mostly known for its edgy, experimental music policy and electro-oriented live performances. There's a rooftop bar that's great in summer, while the club underneath provides memorable underwater acoustics between its metal walls and portholes.

Andy Wahloo
69 rue des Gravilliers 3e

This postmodern place peaks during happy hour when its candy-flavoured cocktails are half-price. Its name means 'I have nothing' in Arabic, but its eye-popping, tutti-frutti decor and ear-splitting house music owe a greater debt to its almost-namesake, Andy Warhol.

Au Lapin Agile
18e 22 rue des Saules

This rustic cabaret venue in Montmartre was favoured by artists and intellectuals in the early 20th century and chansons (songs) are still performed here. Poetry is read six nights a week and admission includes a drink. The name derives from Le Lapin à Gill, a mural of a rabbit jumping out of a cooking pot, by caricaturist André Gill.

Kong Bar
1er 1 R du Pont-Neuf

With its Philippe Starck-designed postmodern decor like iridescent champagne-coloured vinyl booths and garden gnome stools, Kong fills at night with Paris' glam young set, who swill Dom Pérignon and dance badly. But the best time to visit this bar/restaurant/club atop the Kenzo building is at sunset, when you have magical views of the river.

Le Limonaire
2e 18 cité Bergère

This little wine bar, tucked far away from the big commercial cabarets off rue Bergère, is one of the best places to listen to traditional French chansons (songs). The crowd can be convivial or almost reverential, depending on the night. Singers perform on the small stage nightly. It's free, with cheap food available so be generous when the hat comes around.

New Morning
10e 7-9 rue des Petites Écuries

New Morning is a well-regarded auditorium that hosts jazz concerts as well as blues, rock, funk, salsa, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music three to seven nights a week, with the second set ending almost at closing. Tickets are available at the box office, but can also be bought at the door.

Café Baroc
7 rue du Roi de Sicile 4e

Normally a chilled little place, Baroc is lined with old cinema seats and serves beers with a twist of syrup like lemon and peach. However come Wednesday and Thursday nights the bar staff crank up fabulously camp 80s tunes and the locals leave their chic at the door. Downstairs there's a shoebox-size basement with vintage sofas.