Paris has always held a special place in my heart. Our journey began and ended in this city, so it feels only right that my final post about Europe is dedicated to Paris.
I understand why some people think Paris is overrated – it can be crowded and a bit dirty in places. But honestly, none of that takes away from how much I love this city. The food, atmosphere, architecture, museums – there’s just nowhere else that feels quite like Paris to me.
This post is divided into sections (gardens, museums, restaurants and more), and I’ll be sharing my favourite spots and recommendations.
Gardens and Parks
This isn’t an extensive list of Paris gardens, just a few we had time to visit. I’ve been obsessed with these iconic green chairs ever since I first saw them on Pinterest, and they’re scattered throughout most of the major parks. Of course, I had to get a few photos with them.
Tuileries Garden is near the Louvre and leads to the Champs-Élysées. Admittedly, it’s beautiful but not my favourite garden – it can get quite busy. Still, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Jardin du Palais Royal felt like a hidden spot, tucked away from the rest of the city. This garden unexpectedly suprised me – it was quiet and peaceful with a lot of shade. We stopped by Judy Cantine (a 100% GF cafe), and enjoyed our drinks in the park.
Finally, Jardin du Luxembourg was, in my opinion, the most beautiful – busy, but still surprisingly serene even with the sun beating down. The flowers were absolutely stunning and really made the whole garden feel magical.
Museums
The Paris Museum Pass offers access to most of the major museums, but unfortunately, it doesn’t include some places I really wanted to visit – including Musée Marmottan Monet, Plais de Tokyo and Grand Palais.
Musée Rodin was one of my favourite museums. It showcases iconic works such as The Thinker, and is surrounded by an exquisite sculpture garden. It’s truly underrated spot that deserves more attention.
I’ve been to the Louvre Museum a few times before, but this visit felt overwhelmingly busy. The displays around the Mona Lisa were packed with people, making it difficult to fully take in. Crowds aside, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer scale and history of the art.
Musée d’Orsay is another incredible museum, featuring artworks by some of my favourite artists, including Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. The museum was originally a train station, which gives the building such a unique architectural character.
Musée de l’Orangerie, located in the Tuileries Garden, features eight Water Lillies murals by Claude Monet (pictured below, left). The paintings are as stunning in real life as pictures suggest. Unfortunately, it is not covered by the Museum Pass.
Bourse de Commerce, also not covered by the Museum Pass, is a contemporary art museum set inside a beautifully restored historic building. Until September 21st, the main exhibition features the immersive work of Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (pictured below, right), who cleverly blends sound and movement.
Finally, we also visited the Petit Palais. It wasn’t my favourite museum overall, but the permanent collection is free to explore and there is a beautiful courtyard. One highlight for me was Monet’s Sunset on the Seine at Lavacourt, which was even more captivating in person.
Attractions
The iconic landmarks of Paris were, unsurprisingly, very touristy and crowded. If it’s your first time in the city, these famous attractions are worth experiencing at least once.
The Arc de Triomphe, located at the end of the Champs-Élysées, is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. One of my favorite shops along the avenue is Ladurée – their macarons are delicious and most of them are gluten-free.
The Eiffel Tower is synonymous with Paris. We decided to skip the viewpoint at Jardin de la Tour Eiffel, thinking it would be too crowded – but I believe it offers the most beautiful view of the tower and is a perfect picnic spot. To avoid the crowds, I recommend going to Rue de l’Université or Avenue de Camoens (pictured below). The latter is near Place du Trocadéro, which is another popular viewpoint.
It was raining heavily when we visited the Notre Dame, and we got completely drenched. I would have loved to check out the Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market, but unfortunately it was closed.
Of course, these aren’t all the landmarks Paris has to offer. We’ve been to most of these spots before, but it was still nice to see them again. I’d love to go back someday and explore some of the city’s hidden gems.
Bakeries and Cafes
Since I last visited Paris, the gluten-free patisserie scene has evolved – new bakeries have opened and some have unfortunately closed. One of my previous favourites, Chambelland, still remains just as good as I remember. I highly recommend the Paris brest eclair and plain sugar loaf (picutred below, right). Just around the corner is Kott Café, a cozy spot which does an amazing matcha latte.
Noglu is a 100% gluten-free cafe with two locations in the city. While I wasn’t particularly impressed by their pastries, the avocado toast was delicious (pictured below, left).
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t enjoy Copains as much as I had hoped. The bakery has been all over social media and is definitely Instagram-worthy, but I found it overpriced, and the pastries I tried (the chocolate hazelnut babka and pistachio-filled croissant pastry) were quite dense. I’d be curious to try more of their savoury options next time.
La Manufacture du Sans Gluten definitely does the best gluten-free viennoiseries in Paris. Their pain au chocolat and apple turnover, pictured below, were both incredibly buttery and flaky. This bakery was truly a standout in my opinion.
Restaurants
Paris is full of bistrots and brasseries, and this is by no means a complete list. I set out with the goal of trying escargot, steak and frites, and crème brûlée at as many spots as I could, all in the name of finding the best. Most of these dishes are naturally gluten-free, though it’s worth noting that fries are often cooked in shared fryers. Staff are generally quite knowledgeable about allergens and happy to help.
Camille, located in Le Marais, was one of my favourites – we actually went here twice. It wasn’t as good the second time, but the escargot and fries were absolutely delicious, and steak was incredibly tender on our first visit.
Bistrot Richelieu was also a standout. The escargot were excellent and, although the ribeye wasn’t available, the roasted seabream was light and refreshing. The crème brûlée was also divine.
Le Relais de l’Entrecote is well-known on social media, and there was already a long queue forming even before the restaurant opened. They serve a set menu, starting with a green salad followed by their signature steak and frites. The food was enjoyable and lived up to the hype. It wasn’t particularly special, but the service was impressive and I would still go back.
We also went to Brasserie Martin and Restaurant L’Ange 20, but the escargot and steak at both didn’t quite measure up to the others.
Some other restaurants that impressed me were Vendémiaire, for their beautifully cooked seabream fillet (pictured below), and Le Café des Musées, where the beef bourguignon was rich and tender.
I’m always craving Asian food, even when in Paris. Chez Ann had tasty gluten-free dumplings, Cococo offered delicious gluten-free karaage, and Pho Passion served a satisfying beef pho.
Shops and Homewares
Paris has no shortage of cool stores. One of my favorites was Merci, famous for their canvas tote bags. I also loved Marin Montagut, and ended up bringing home lots of ceramics and a few pieces of glassware.
Alix D. Reynis and Shakespeare and Company were on my to-do list but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to visit. I also regret not buying cutlery from Sabre.
Paris is a city that never stops surprising me – whether it’s with incredible food, charming shops, or just the magic of wandering its streets. There’s always something new to discover, and I can’t wait to visit again.
