where girls like to meet in paris

by Sharon Santoni

 

Although we live in the countryside, surrounded by fields and forest, we are lucky to be only an hour from Paris, which means that I can pop in regularly for meetings or for lunch.    I have no need of an office space in Paris, so for my appointments, I just love to use a hotel lounge or a brasserie restaurant that is open all day, and where they are quite happy for me to lay stakes to a table and let my meetings come to me, morphing between breakfast, coffee, lunch, re-coffee and even early evening drinks.  Of course the only thing to be careful about is how many coffees I actually swallow in the day but I’ve learnt to pace myself and it all works fine. .

So I thought you may like to know some of my favourite  addresses, in case you ever have to meet for business, or meet with a girlfriend for lunch or for a coffee, and you want something more discreet than a busy restaurant or crowded café.   Picking the right place is fun and you want to get it just right, according to who you’re meeting.  For a change, I have ignored St Germain and stayed on the Right Bank, enjoying the grand avenues and open parks.  Of course I wouldn’t ever use all of these in one day, but if you wanted to try, (which would be a feat!), then you could do the whole thing on foot and get some exercise at the same time.

Let’s start with breakfast, my favourite meal of the day, and there is honestly no better place to start than at Le Meurice.   I have a very special soft spot for this palace hotel by the Tuileries where the staff are so kind.  Breakfast in the Dali salon can take as much time as you wish, and tables are spaced far apart so if you need to be discreet, there is no problem.  And if you are hoping to impress your breakfast partner then the decor and the attention cannot fail to hit the spot.

shots from the tuilerie gardens paris

Our next stop is through the Tuileries gardens and up the Champs Elysées for morning coffee at Le Berkeley.   We can lay claim to a table in the glass fronted veranda or move into the plush salon behind for extra privacy.  Waiters are attentive but never invasive.  This is my favourite spot for a series of meetings that run from one to the next, and they serve a good lunch too!

restaurant le berkeley in paris

A favourite place for lunch with a girlfriend, is on  the Place des Etats Unis at the  Baccarat Museum.  This beautiful elegant building, hosts the Baccarat collections in tableware, crystal decor and even jewellery.  Up another flight of stairs there is a beautifully curated small museum which is fascinating, and just across the other side of the stairs is their delightfully pink restaurant, the Cristal Room.  This is not a brasserie restaurant that stays open all day, but they are quite happy for you to take your time over lunch.  I recommend their desserts accompanied of course by a glass of champagne, served in … Baccarat, what else?!

restaurant baccarat paris

 

Tea time is always a special moment to meet between girls.  There is something about the indulgence of a platter of pretty cakes, and a cup of Souchong that men don’t really appreciate.  For tea, I love to pop over to  Le Burgundy Hotel on the rue Duphot.   they serve tea between the hours of 3 – 6 , and I particularly love the chic grey and yellow salon in the veranda, and their delicious lemon tart that fits in with the décor!

le burgundy hotel paris

And finally if I want to join someone for a glass of wine or champagne before the evening; and it is a special occasion then it is hard to beat the luxurious comfort of the Bar du Bristol at the Bristol hotel.    Deep comfy sofas, excellent servie and a great position.

bar du bristol, paris

  An alternative and more surprising venue would be the L’Apicius, for its grandiose decor, stunning entrance and excellent cocktails.

bar apicius paris

Voila, I hope these addresses will prove useful one day, and that they’ll add to your enjoyment next time you’re in Paris

 

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22 comments

Linda Mahkovec March 3, 2017 - 6:58 pm

Thank you, Sharon! I’m making a list of places to see for my next trip to Paris.

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Pamela LePage March 3, 2017 - 7:06 pm

Good Day, Sharon. All the photos are so pretty and look like such enjoyable places to meet a girlfriend. Thank you for some ideas, that I can do and go to in my part of the world Texas,USA.

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audrey March 3, 2017 - 7:39 pm

Thank you, Sharon. I visit Paris fairly frequently, but as with a lot of towns & cities, many of our favourite places develop from ‘ word of mouth’ ‘. Am going to refer to this list for future visits.

Audrey

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Lisa@Sweet Tea N' Salty Air March 3, 2017 - 7:58 pm

Bonjour, Lovely eateries thank you for sharing, Here in Naples, Florida we have 5th Ave where many fine eateries have fancy street side dining set up. In the evening it is beautiful with a mixture of outdoor lighting and candlelight Happy day and happy dining to you! Lisa@ Sweet Tea N’ Salty Air. Our street side dining reminded me of the one you shared. But one thing you must have a full pocket to experience dining on 5th Ave here.

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Jeanine March 3, 2017 - 8:54 pm

Oh my!!! I did not know of any of these. Next time we are in Paris it will just have to be breakfast and/or tea on the right bank for sure. There is nothing like beautiful surroundings to have a meal. I especially love the pink sofas. Thank you Sharon

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Colleen Taylor March 3, 2017 - 9:16 pm

Oh such gorgeous places Sharon. I could stare all day at that light pink decor in the Cristal Room. Thank you for such wonderful recommendations. X

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Jenny March 3, 2017 - 9:30 pm

Thank you for this post Sharon. My husband and I will visit Paris again in September. I’ll make sure to dine in the Dali salon at Le Meurice .

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Vicky from Athens March 3, 2017 - 9:43 pm

Thanks so much for the recommendations. I hope I get a chanc to try them all!

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Taste of France March 3, 2017 - 9:43 pm

Great idea! My favorites are Hôtel Costes, 239 rue Saint-Honoré in the first, and Hôtel Plaza Athenéee, 25 Avenue Montaigne, in the 8th.

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Botanic Bleu March 3, 2017 - 10:04 pm

Sharon,
Thank you for sharing your favorite Paris gathering places for meals. I have pinned for future reference and emailed your link to my dear friend, a French teacher, who introduced me to France. We traveled together as chaperones for high school French students visiting France. She regularly visits Paris and all of France. I know she has a special fondness for Baccarat; who doesn’t?

I hope to meet you when you visit Dallas, TX the last week of March and am watching for the details of your visit… date, time, location.

Judith

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Ros short March 3, 2017 - 10:50 pm

Thank you Sharon some exiting places to put on my must do list .As a grandparent thinking of taking her 14 yr old granddaughter to Paris for the first time where & what would you recommend? It totally Her time sightseeing, shopping of course . Any ideas out of the box Sharon? Maybe your next blog for travelling grannies!!

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Patricia Miller March 4, 2017 - 4:07 am

Sharon, what delightful suggestions. Thank you

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Darina March 4, 2017 - 10:11 am

Thank you for sharing such lovely places in Paris. I will visit the city in June, so I can add some to my list 🙂

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ching wu March 4, 2017 - 3:46 pm

Thank you Sharon.
We finished shopping at the Chanel and walk over Le Baudelaire for tea. Too bad us Fashion week. They sold out of tea time Meau. But the deserts and tea are wonderful. Specially it is pouring out.

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Brenda Chambers March 5, 2017 - 3:25 am

Such a good post. Love the pictures. Will never get to France but I feel like I’m there in your posts. Thanks so much.

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Taste of France March 5, 2017 - 5:50 pm

I also like the Hotel Plaza Athenée, as well as Hotel Daniel, and Hotel Costes.

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Dee Nash March 6, 2017 - 2:17 pm

Hi Sharon, I’ve never commented before, but I wanted to tell you I received My Stylish French Box in the U.S., and it was scrumptious. I did a vlog on it on my YouTube Channel. I don’t know if you allow links on your blog so I won’t link here. If you want to see my unboxing and sheer joy, my YouTube channel is Dee Nash. I’m a garden writer in the U.S. Thank you for your blog and all things French. I enjoy your writing and videos very much. ~~Dee

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Sharon Santoni March 6, 2017 - 6:27 pm

Hi Dee, thank you for your comment and thank you also for the sweet video, it is very exciting for us to see a client open her box live!!
I’m happy to share your link, and thank you again for the great shoutout

Sharon

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Dee Nash March 6, 2017 - 9:42 pm

It was truly one of the most exciting boxes I’ve ever had. Thank you again.~~Dee

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This & That: March 10, 2017 – The Simply Luxurious Life® March 10, 2017 - 9:01 am

[…] ~Heading to Paris? Meeting up with friends? Sharon Santoni recommends the perfect places to dine. […]

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Stylewhiz (Linda Cole) June 2, 2017 - 7:16 am

Just looking at the places you have mentioned I know I would feel right at home in the elegant ambiance that Paris exudes with stylish, creative decor settings that transport you back in time, showcasing the grandeur of centuries past mixed with new exciting designs. I love Paris and are drawn especially to your image of L’Apicius with its romantic candelabra, pillars where I am sure a lot of my lady friends would love to meet.

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Ida Duplechin January 30, 2019 - 5:19 pm

So glad to have this. Keeping it for my trip in February. Thank you.

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