As quickly as we planned it, our time in Paris was over just like that! We only had three days in the city, so we had to make the most of it without fitting in too much – after all, a vacation away from the kids should be relaxing! I think this trip was a nice mix, and there were plenty of highlights. These are a few of my bests:
Best Late-Night Activity: Moulin Rouge
Tyler and I have both been to Paris before, but the Moulin Rouge was never in the budget. That being said, I had someone highly recommend it for a kids-free trip, so we jumped on it when we saw they had cheaper tickets available for the 11pm showing. We definitely pregamed the event with a nap since this was the day we arrived in the city, but we had a great time. The elaborate costumes and impressive gymnastics are what make the show great, though the story-telling was also fun (as was seeing the home of the can-can). It’s admittedly a little pricey, but it’s certainly an experience I’m glad to have!
Best Restaurant: La Padellina
Obviously, Paris is known for its French cuisine, but we can’t resist some good Italian food! Pasta is practically our love language, and La Padellina delivered. It makes sense, since Italy is right next door, but we were so impressed with the quality and freshness of our meal. We made a reservation – which I would recommend, since the space is small – and we were seated promptly. My pesto rotini dish was so flavorful without being heavy, and the tiramisu was delightfully decadent (order one to share). As a bonus, we found the meal to be very reasonably priced; we spent less than $43 USD for both of us.
While I obviously had a favorite, everywhere we ate was quite good. For specific dishes, I would recommend…
- Best croissant: Boulangerie BO&MIE
- Best brioche: Notre Pâtisserie
- Best cheese dish: Linette
- Best avocado toast: Kozy Bosquet
- Best chocolate cake: Harper’s Bazar Paris 15
Best Kids Shop: Tikibou
We might have been traveling without our kids, but we didn’t stop thinking about them! Of course, we had to bring them each home a little something from Paris. We stumbled upon Tikibou, a whimsical store specializing in children’s gifts and toys. They had such a nice selection of options, with most of them from French companies. It was such a treat to choose from all these treasures; we landed on some cute wooden animal toys for our daughter and a delightful music box for our son. Even the paper bag we got was colorful and fun – I would absolutely recommend a pop-in, even if it’s for your inner child.
Best Tourist Must-Do: The Eiffel Tower
We were staying within a ten minute walk of the Eiffel Tower, so we made a trip on more than one occasion. We’re hardly alone in choosing this as one of, if not the most iconic experiences of Paris, but there’s something to be said for the way it lights up the sky at night, especially when it starts to sparkle. We didn’t go up to the top – though I have done that in the past – but I was delighted to extend our walk back to the hotel on our last night to make our way under (well, immediately to the side of) the structure. After all, what’s a trip to Paris if you didn’t see the Eiffel Tower?
It was definitely a whirlwind to plan, but we had a great time! And of course, we loved coming home to the kiddos.
Some other quick trips in Europe…