Paris, France
My first trip to Paris was an absolute dream. Even though it was a short trip (3 full days) it was completely worth it flying the nonstop from DFW. We paid $500 RT in economy but lucked out and had a full row to ourselves both coming and going! Since this was my first time in Paris, the whole trip was definitely centered around the “must see” “must do” attractions and I’m excited to relive this amazing trip in this post.
Where we stayed
Monsieur George Hotel & Spa
We were completely obsessed with our hotel. Located just a block off the Champs Elysees, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and even the Louvre. The amenities and staff were just unbelievable and the whole aesthetic of the lobby, bar and rooms were so beautiful and my “must have” balcony in our room was just perfect. Monsieur George has the most stunning restaurant and bar as well as a gym and spa. The staff were so friendly and thankfully spoke English well and we were given a bottle of Moet Champagne on our first night. I would highly recommend this hotel for its location, price, and ambiance.
Hotel Lobby 
Hotel Bar
Hotel Room 
Hotel Bathroom 
Hotel Bathroom
Where we ate
Ritz Paris – Bar Vendome
Located inside the Ritz-Carlton Paris hotel, Bar Vendôme is probably the prettiest restaurant I’ve ever seen. I could have sat here for hours. This was our first dining experience in Paris, so of course we ordered a bottle of Champagne and had the most boozy brunch. The food and service were excellent but definitely on the pricey side.
Bar Vendome 
Bar Vendome
Lunch at the Ritz 
Lunch at the Ritz 
Lunch at the Ritz
CoCo Paris
CoCo Paris in my opinion, is a must dine when visiting this amazing city. We had the absolute best time here on our first night in Paris. We were blown away by the ambiance, food, and entertainment. The whole vibe of the restaurant was right up our alley (dark, loud, and moody) and they offered live entertainment on and off throughout dinner.
Drinks at CoCo Paris 
CoCo Paris
Dinner at CoCo Paris 
Dinner at CoCo Paris 
Dinner at CoCo Paris
Les Deux Magots
Les Deux Magots is an iconic cafe in Paris. Located in Saint-Germain, it is the perfect corner cafe to sit and people watch while drinking a coffee or wine (or both) We stopped in for drinks and a snack and were blown away by the classic Croque Madame. By far the best one we have ever had and the perfect snack between two.
Lemoncello Spritz 
Les Deux Magots 
Les Deux Magots 
Croque Madame
Ralphs Paris
Ralphs is a dream. Located off the Ralph Lauren store in Saint-Germain, we ate the best American lunch in Paris. I would go back to this restaurant over and over again. I’ve tried numerous times to get into the Polo Bar in NYC and have never made it happen so getting a reservation at Ralphs Paris was something I was VERY excited about. The dark wood, plaid and fireplace makes for a perfect scene.
Ralphs Bar 
Margarita at Ralphs 
Burger and Fries at Ralphs
Georges
Georges is known for its views. It is located on the last floor of the National Museum of Modern Art in the heart of Paris. We were lucky enough to be seated in the far right corner of the restaurant with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. To be honest, this wasn’t our favorite and the views were the only reason we stayed. The restaurant seating is very cramped (we were literally sitting at a table with other couple we didn’t know) and the service was horrible. The food overall was good but I wouldn’t recommend and definitely will not be going back.
Georges 
Georges
Le Procope
Le Procope is the oldest café in Paris located in the heart of Saint-Germain des Prés. If you are looking for traditional French cuisine with an ambience to match this is 100% the place to be. We loved the entire experience and was by far our favorite meal in Paris. (if you love French onion soup as much as me you’ll wanna eat here)
French Onion Soup 
Escargot 
Crepes
Drinks at Le Procope 
Drinks at Le Procope
Bar Hemmingway
Bar Hemmingway is the the world’s most famous (and smallest) bar. As you can guess, it is named after the famous Ernest Hemmingway who was a regular. Located inside the Ritz-Carlton Paris, this famous bar is one in, one out with a total of 25 coveted seats and 100% worth the wait. The drinks were insanely good with the most clever menu and the price reflects that. I think our bar tab was more expensive than our dinner was that night! Highly recommended
Bar Hemingway Menu 
Bar Hemingway 
Bar Hemingway Menu 
Bar Hemingway 
Bar Hemingway
What we did
Eiffel Tower
Going up in Eiffel Tower is something you have to do at least once in your life. I feel like this is a one and done activity and probably won’t do it again the next time we visit Paris. We pre-purchased 2nd floor tickets including the lift from the Eiffel Tower website. We paid 17 euro each and chose a specific time slot to enter. We were able to walk right to the front of the line and only waited a total of 10 minutes before we were in the elevator. You do have the option to take the stairs and it is a little bit cheaper but in my option it’s worth taking the lift. Overall it took about an hour total and the views were absolutely spectacular.
2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower 
2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower 
2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower
Versailles
The highlight of our trip to France was visiting Versailles. We were absolutely blown away by the sheer magnitude and it made us want to come home and learn as much as we could about of this amazing place. We purchased skip the line guided tour tickets through the Versailles Palace for 55 euros each and I highly recommend it. Our tour was 75 minutes for the palace only and included a very knowledgeable and friendly English speaking guide, we toured the gardens after by ourselves. Every room was so lavish and extravagant and we were in complete awe by everything we saw. This place is a MUST SEE
Marie Antoinette’s Bedroom 
Chapel 
Louis XIV Bedroom 
Versailles 
Versailles
Versailles Gardens 
Versailles Gardens 
Versailles Gardens
Seine Champagne River Cruise
Cruising down the Seine was the perfect way to see Paris. We went back and forth on wether or not to do a dinner cruise or a champagne cruise. We decided to go with the one hour evening champagne cruise because it seemed like the perfect pre dinner activity. They served three different champagnes and our tour guide was very informative and funny. We bought the tickets from Viator for $40 and it was worth every penny.
Notre Dame 
Seine River 
Eiffel Tower
Louvre
When in Paris you must visit the Lourve. We actually walked from out hotel which was a little bit of a hike but great exercise and sightseeing. We purchased skip the line tickets with guaranteed entry within 30 minutes from Paris tickets by headout. It was 17 euro for entry and I think we stood in line for a total of 10 minutes to get inside. We did not pay extra for a tour but we spent a total of 2 hours once inside the museum and for us that was perfect. We were able to find all the highlights of the museum on our own and we even stood in the very long line to get up close to the Mona Lisa. (worth it for sure and it moves fast)
Venus de Milo 
Winged Victory of Samothrace
French Crown Jewels 
French Crown Jewels 
French Crown Jewels
Mona Lisa
Shopping
Paris is the fashion capital of the world, so obviously I had every intention of doing a little shopping. We choose to shop in Saint-Germain because we found this area so quaint and the stores were a lot less crowed than the ones located on the Champs Elysees. (I swear the LV store on the Champs Elysees had 100+ people waiting in line at all time) If you don’t know already my new initials are LV so obviously I’m embracing the letters and need everything Louis Vuitton so I bought a new key chain wallet in Paris because mine was literally falling apart. Over at Dior, Adam bought me a new pair of sandals that I am obsessed with and at Hermes we bought a scarf that we plan to frame and hang in our new bedroom.
