I don’t care what anyone says — Paris is not overrated. Some of the main sights are in advanced stages of overhype, sure, but this is a deeply layered city (literally) that rewards anyone willing to dig a little.
I spent three months studying abroad in Paris, which gave me time to meander beyond the obvious. If you’re looking to experience a different take on Paris, here are some of my favorite things to do, see and eat.
Walk, Wander, Explore
Arguably, the best thing to do in Paris is to roam around aimlessly. Paris is a famously walkable city with a superb public transport system. You can get virtually anywhere without ever getting an Uber.
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, which are municipal districts, each with its own distinct character. The ones you’ve probably heard of: the 1st (the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Palais Royal, the heart of royal Paris), the 4th (the Marais), the 6th (Luxembourg Gardens), the 7th (Eiffel Tower), the 8th (Champs-Élysées), the 18th (Montmartre). These are great. But they’re also expensive, crowded and well-documented.
My advice is twofold: when you are in the famous arrondissements, roam past the main sights. And then venture into the lesser-known arrondissements.
The suggestions in this guide are located all over the city. I lived with a host family in the 7th arrondissement, a famous district, but it was so large that I was a half-hour train ride from the Eiffel Tower and still in the same neighborhood. The further I strayed from the sights, the better Paris got.
Le Bon Marché
The first fascinating thing I discovered in Paris was Le Bon Marché, which I could see from the window in my host family’s apartment. I’d watch locals filter in and out without fully understanding what I was looking at until I finally worked up the courage to go inside.
Built in 1852, Le Bon Marché is widely considered the world’s first modern department store. The architecture alone is worth the visit, featuring soaring iron framework, natural light pouring through a glass ceiling and museum-like displays of clothes, shoes and accessories curated by style and color.
It was so luxurious that I was afraid I stuck out like a sore thumb as a dirt-poor college student in my thrifted clothes. And yet locals were everywhere, shopping as if it were a Tuesday errand.
Attached by skybridge to Le Bon Marché is La Grande Épicerie, which could be its own mention entirely. It has the same degree of opulence, but instead it’s entirely devoted to food. It is sort of structured like a grocery store, but calling it that does it a massive disservice.
Here, locals stop in for a morning pastry, grab lunch, purchase world-renowned meats and cheeses and wander rows of specialty ingredients you won’t find anywhere else. My favorite section was the international foods aisle, organized by country.
I made a beeline for the USA section to see how we were interpreted and found marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, mac and cheese, pancake mix, syrup, popcorn and candy. It made me laugh. Until one day, I got so homesick I had to indulge a little.
Getting there: Le Bon Marché is located at 24 Rue de Sèvres in the 7th arrondissement. Take the Metro to Sèvres-Babylone (lines 10 and 12).
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Partway through my study abroad, my mother came to visit, and we set out to find some of Paris’s lesser-known parks. We found our favorite in the 19th arrondissement.
Built on the site of an old mining quarry, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont has terrain unlike the manicured, flat green spaces Paris is known for. Its main highlight is a dramatic rocky cliff rising out of an artificial lake, topped by the Temple de la Sibylle, a miniature Roman temple designed in 1866 and modeled after the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy.
It sits 30 meters above the water, with swans below and panoramic views of the city above. You can hike up to the temple, relax on the sloping lawns, or just wander around, ideally with a croissant in hand.
Getting there: Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is in the 19th arrondissement. Take the Metro to Buttes-Chaumont (line 7bis) or Botzaris (line 7bis).
Rue Mouffetard
Rue Mouffetard is everything a Parisian street is supposed to be, and tourists hardly ever find it. I only did because a friend studying abroad with me lived right there.
It curves downhill through the 5th arrondissement, cobblestoned and narrow, lined on both sides with everything you could possibly want to eat. Patisseries, brasseries, fromageries, chocolateries, crêperies, boucheries and epiceries. The smells alone are hypnotizing.
If you want to dine like a true Parisian, all you have to do is grab a baguette, some meat and cheese, some fresh fruit (I had the best strawberries of my life here), and plant yourself in a nearby park. Everything is relatively affordable compared to more tourist-heavy parts of the city.
Since finding it, I’ve taken everyone back. The crêpes alone are worth the trip and are way cheaper than most parts of Paris. My go-to was chèvre et miel (goat cheese and honey), but anything with Nutella is also a correct choice.
Getting there: Rue Mouffetard is in the 5th arrondissement. Take the Metro to Censier-Daubenton (line 7) or Place Monge (line 7).
Musée des Égouts de Paris
I am fascinated by worlds that are so key in supporting our modern lives, but most don’t think twice about. Even if it is a little gross. So the Musée des Egouts (the Paris Sewer Museum) was exactly the kind of strange thing that piqued my curiosity.
This bizarre place is a working museum built within the city’s actual sewer system. You descend underground, walk through the tunnels, and come face to face with the infrastructure that has kept Paris functioning since Napoleon III ordered its construction in the 19th century. It is funky, it is weird, and it is unlike anything else I’ve visited.
Getting there: Located near the Pont de l’Alma in the 7th arrondissement. Metro: Alma-Marceau (line 9).
Where to Eat and Drink
Ironically, in a city so well known for its fabulous cuisine, I had a very hard time finding the best places. Because this city sees nearly 50 million visitors a year, there are hundreds of tourist traps that lure people in with their gigantic menus in 10 languages and flaunt foods that appeal to a wide array of taste buds.
Oftentimes, they are in incredible locations, have some epic street appeal and are outrageously overpriced. It took me a while to figure out how to avoid these. I had a bizarre amount of terrible food in Paris before I figured it out. These are the places that redeemed it.
Maison d’Isabelle
I will scream this place from the rooftops for as long as I live. I tell everyone I know to go here. If there’s one place to go in Paris, this is the one.
Tucked into the Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement, right outside the Maubert-Mutualité metro stop and walking distance from Notre-Dame, Maison d’Isabelle is home to what I firmly believe are the best croissants on earth. They took the top prize for best all-butter croissant in Île-de-France in 2018, so apparently I’m not alone in that assessment.
Paris is riddled with croissants, but they vary widely in quality. If you’re not careful, you can encounter some rather mediocre ones. But be warned, because after a visit to Maison d’Isabelle, all other croissants will pale in comparison. These are euphoric: buttery, decadent, flaky and everything a croissant should be. I have dragged any friend I can to this place, and they love me even more afterward.
Getting there: 47ter Boulevard Saint-Germain, 5th arrondissement. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 6 am to 8:30 pm. Closed Mondays. Metro: Maubert-Mutualité (line 10)
Cafe Med
My mom visited early during my time studying abroad, and I was failing in my mission to show her the best of Paris.
On night one, we had the most heinous excuse for Italian food I’ve ever encountered, with just diabolical service. Luckily for us, my mom pulled an old trusty Rick Steves guidebook out of nowhere, which led us to Café Med on Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, the charming little island right next to Notre-Dame.
This place was so very cozy and French with the classic red gingham tablecloths, exposed stone walls, vintage film posters and warm lighting. They offer set menus that come with a starter, a main course and a dessert for around 17.50 euros, all French and all delicious. Or, if you want to go the crêpe route, the crêpe menu runs around 12 euros per guest and includes a galette, a dessert crêpe, and a drink. This is one of the most affordable and satisfying meals I’ve had in all of Paris.
Getting there: 77 Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, 4th arrondissement. Walk from Notre-Dame or take the Metro to Pont Marie (line 7)
Marlusse et Lapin
I found this place the way you find the best places in Paris: by saying yes when strangers invite you somewhere on your last night in the city.
Marlusse et Lapin is tucked away in Pigalle, far from the tourist bars, and one of the few places in Paris where absinthe is the house specialty, served the traditional way right in front of you, which is really fascinating to watch.
Through a Narnia-like wooden cupboard in the back, there is a room straight out of a junk shop with odd items: an old green couch, a bathtub and a sewing machine. Here you sit among locals and let the night slip away. Fair warning: the absinthe is intense. Half a glass is plenty.
I went twice, two years apart, and ended up in long conversations with strangers both times. Surprisingly memorable, despite the absinthe.
Getting there: 14 Rue Germain-Pilon, 18th arrondissement. Metro: Pigalle (lines 2 and 12).
Lavomatic
My friend and I were on a mission to find a speakeasy and live out our 1920s Paris fantasy. We came across Lavomatic, which was one of the coolest bars we’ve seen.
You enter through a literal laundromat, so unassuming that most people walk right past it. The whole trick is figuring out how to get in from there. We spent an embarrassing amount of time fiddling with buttons on the washers and dryers, attempting all sorts of goofy things. I won’t give away the answer. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.
Once you’re in, a staircase glowing with UV light and wild patterns on the walls leads you up to the bar: funky and kooky, pink neon lights, eclectic seating and creative cocktails.
Getting there: 30 Rue René Boulanger, 10th arrondissement. Metro: République (lines 3, 5, 8, 9, 11).
A Few Honorable Mentions
The Pompidou in the 3rd arrondissement is wild and weird in the best way, a contemporary art museum that looks like the building is inside out. Les Invalides is a must if you’re into history: weapons, war instruments, strange artifacts and Napoleon’s tomb, all in one place. And Pierre Hermé. I cannot in good conscience leave this off. Without fail, every single time I passed one of their locations (they’re everywhere), I bought a macaron. Sometimes two. I came home with about $10 to my name. Worth every cent.
Paris rewards the curious. Despite spending a privileged amount of time there, I’ve barely scratched the surface and I can’t wait to go back.
If You Go
Getting Around: Paris’s Metro is the fastest and most affordable way to navigate the city. A single ticket covers all Metro, RER, tram and bus lines within Paris. Day passes (Navigo Jour) are worth it for heavy sightseeing days. No car rental needed.
Where to Stay:
- Hotel des Grandes Ecoles — a charming, ivy-covered property in the 5th arrondissement, walking distance from Rue Mouffetard, with a garden courtyard that feels like countryside Paris.
- Hotel Fabric — a stylish mid-range option in the 11th, well-positioned for exploring lesser-known arrondissements.
- Mandarin Oriental Lutetia — the Left Bank’s grand dame, right in the 6th, for a splurge that puts you squarely in the world of Le Bon Marché.
Tours: The Latin Quarter Food Tour by Do Eat Better turns the neighborhoods in this piece into a proper meal — cheese, charcuterie, boeuf bourguignon and crepes across four stops, ending at Notre-Dame. For Montmartre, the Montmartre Hidden Gems Walking Tour covers the neighborhood’s artistic history and off-the-tourist-trail corners, ending near the same streets as Marlusse et Lapin.
Travel Insurance: SafetyWing and Squaremouth both offer flexible international coverage.
eSIM: Pick up an Airalo eSIM before you leave to avoid roaming charges in France.
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