5 Reasons To Fall In Love With Paris All Over Again

The City of Love continues to charm with a heady slate of new sights to uncover. A new yellow-tinged hotel is a colourful addition, while artsy eateries and bars – away from the tourist heavy neighbourhoods – are waiting to be sampled. Here are five new reasons to be enamoured with Paris.

Bask in the City of Light’s best views

What was once Paris’ first 24-hour post office is now one of its most chic stays. The Hôtel Madame Rêve located in the 1st arrondissement, offers 82 rooms and suites, many with balconies giving knockout views of the Eiffel Tower. The interiors are sophisticated – all onyx leather and polished brass – but the pièce de résistance is the rooftop terrace which features a hanging garden and spans more than 900 square metres.

Vibe to tunes played on vinyl

Records line the walls while bartenders curate cocktails over a plywood counternfor music-loving patrons – Fréquence has all the ingredients for a good time with late-night DJs spinning only vinyl tunes. Expect tipples such as the Superfly, a peach, sake and manzanilla sherry aperitivo. For the peckish, the tight tapas menu features delicious homemade hummus and pita, pork croquettes and onion pickles.

Feast on cinematic fare

Inspired by the mysterious celebrity chic of film director David Lynch’s nightclub Silencio comes a new ’70s-inspired brasserie and cinema, Silencio des Prés. Located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the restaurant is a mixture of retro and Art Nouveau design with bamboo-clad walls and black-leather benches. The kitchen plates traditional French dishes with a twist of drama: try the eggs embellished with Oscietra caviar, beef tartare with fish roe and cloves and Kintoa pork sausage and mash.

Follow van Gogh’s footsteps in regional France

Vincent van Gogh once described Auvers-sur-Oise as the heart of the countryside, distinctive and picturesque. The idyllic French town, with its narrow laneways, lush parklands and opulent Château d’Auvers, is less than an hour by train from Paris and a must-visit for art-lovers and Francophiles alike. Explore this idyllic town with a relaxed tour through the artist’s home and visit the spots that inspired some of his iconic works. Don’t miss the Musée de l’Absinthe, a shrine dedicated to absinthe, where you can enjoy a nip of the legendary “Green Fairy”.

Throw dough in a Parisian bakery class

Foodies will love creating their own piece of French culture by going behind the scenes with A Taste of Paris. In this two-hour baking class, anyone aged six and up will have the chance to get stuck into flour and dough (and a whole lot of taste-testing) while baking their own baguette.

See also: 5 Ways To Experience England a Little Differently