Paris is like a second city to me. Closer in travel time than the majority of the north, and with similarities to my home city of London, it is always a pleasure to hop across the English Channel for some Gallic influence on the Parisian streets. For this weekend trip we were hosted at the Hotel Indigo, part of the IHG Group, which sat perfectly in the Opera neighbourhood; just a short stroll from most of Paris’ iconic landmarks.
For our two-night stay, we were in a Junior Suite on the corner of the hotel. Five huge windows allowed light to pour into the main living and sleeping space, while the bathroom and storage in the suite was incredibly spacious. Modern finishes adorned each room and, while it was a contrast to most of the exterior architecture outside, it really felt like we were a part of the city. It was mesmerising to watch life pass on by in the streets below as we soaked in the weekend atmosphere. Breakfast each morning was an excellent buffet, and the downstairs restaurant and bar was always full of locals and tourists alike.
Most of the weekend was focused on creating some great content for our Instagram feeds (some of which you can see below), so it was certainly a bonus to be able to walk to most of Paris’ most iconic arrondissements. The Champs-Élysées was a mere ten-minute walk away and the furthest point that we needed to visit, the Notre Dame Cathedral, was a 45-minute amble through the historic neighbourhood of Le Marais. It was great not having to rely on public transport and the crisp winter air produced some magnificent blue skies during our stay.
Also on our itinerary was lunch at the famous Cafe de la Paix; a French gastronomic journey in one of the most recognisable restaurants in Paris. It was feeling particularly festive over the winter period and we couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the ceiling as we walked in; gold was everywhere. The lunch service and the food itself was superb. The Café de la Paix-style Duck Foie Gras was a sumptuous starter, but it was almost trumped by the Chicken and Veal Quenelle in a Vegetable Cooking Broth. The quenelle had an almost mousse-like texture; the lightness of the dish well-balanced against fairly heavy flavours. For dessert, a personal favourite; Caramel Apple Tatin Style. I loved the presentation of this dessert and the accompanying apple sorbet cut right through the ice cream. Obviously, the entire meal was paired with an excellent French red wine.
We left the restaurant with very satisfied tastebuds and it was genuinely one of the best meals I’ve had in Paris. I highly recommend a visit to Cafe de la Paix if you can get a table and, as a bonus, it is just a short walk from the boutique Hotel Indigo. We only had 48 hours in the French capital but managed to capture some amazing content both in the sunlight and the sunset. I’m sure we will be back there soon, and on our next trip we might try and get some content at night. Oh, and finally actually get to the top of the Eiffel Tower for “that” iconic shot.
