The signature itineraries to Paris - France
On the Place Colette, opposite the Comédie Française, two shops are Parisian institutions. Let's start by buying some cigars at La Civette, the first French tobacco merchant since 1716. Its wooden front and double glass door with a civet-shaped handle are recognisable throughout the neighbourhood. The best accompaniment to a cigar is not a glass of whisky, but a good book. Wonderful, the Librairie Delamain, the oldest bookshop in Paris, is right next door to the Civette. The bookshop is general but also has a department specialising in old books for the discerning bibliophile. The green wooden front and its wooden shelves topped with a ladder plunge you into the purest Parisian literary tradition.
Walk through the garden of the Palais-Royal, smoke your cigar and open your book while sitting in one of the steel seats bordering the fountain. This will whet your appetite. Fortunately, you have made a reservation at the Grand Vefour, Galerie Beaujolais, where sedans have caressed the benches since the late 18th century. The restaurant is one of the jewels of French gastronomy in a purely Louis XVI décor. The most famous people of the 19th century have sat here. If you prefer foreign cuisine, go to Takara, the oldest Japanese restaurant in Paris, which has been on rue Molière since 1958.
Finish your stroll by going to the Palais-Royal herbalist's shop, established for more than a century on rue des Petits-Champs, where you will find everything you need to cure your ailments.
There are many unusual shops such as Les Drapeaux de France which, in a setting worthy of a JK Rowling book, has been selling figurines and toy soldiers since 1949. Fabien de Montjoie's antique jewellery shop offers some absolutely remarkable rarities.
It was really at the end of the 18th century that the shops and the activity of the Palais-Royal developed until its decadence at the end of the 19th century, a haven for provocative dandies, prostitutes and gambling dens. It would take days to witness the richness of the different strata of the Palais-Royal, which today covers four hundred years of history.
Théo BELLANGER
After having organised several artistic and cultural events since 2017 in different museums and institutions in Paris in order to spread culture and contemporary arts to a larger number of people, I chose to create this ag... Voir plus
You exit Place Colette, through the metro station designed by Jean-Michel Othoniel. Then, in front of you stands this temple of dramatic art: the French Theatre! In 1680, by royal decree, King Louis XIV merged the two Fren... Voir plus
It is one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. The garden is surrounded by four luxury shopping by four luxury shopping arcades. Cardinal de Richelieu had good taste. He used to organize walks and mini-hunts for King Lo... Voir plus
Can you imagine a car park full of cars? That's what it was like before the artist Daniel Buren was chosen to install his columns, which have now become symbols of the Palais-Royal. On the outskirts of the Ministry of Cult... Voir plus
They are known as the Sphérades of Bury, the Belgian artist who designed these two kinetic fountains whose stainless steel balls reflect the graphic lines of the buildings. The artist studies movement. Thus, the steel ball... Voir plus
The Place Valois is a real haven of peace in the heart of the city, far from the hustle and bustle of the main boulevards and busy streets. There are many small restaurants and cafés, which offer a pleasant terrace to enjo... Voir plus
One of the many covered passages in Paris, the Vero-Dodat gallery welcomes visitors under the gaze of Hermes, god of merchants, and a resting Satyr enthroned in niches above the entrance door.
The architecture is typ... Voir plus
Coffee break or champagne break. I'm one of those who take advantage of the few rays of sunshine to sit down in this neighbourhood café for a glass of champagne. It was the 19th century, the Belle Époque, which only has a... Voir plus
We are getting closer to the Bourse district, we are in front of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Vivienne passage with its merchants opens up before us. Considered one of the most beautiful Parisian passages w... Voir plus
Recently restored, the Molière fountain was erected in homage to the playwright not far from 40, rue de Richelieu where he died in 1673. The playwright is seated above two allegorical figures representing the muses of come... Voir plus