Paris When it Sizzles

The City of Light is in Full Bloom Swing

WORDS Ninette Paloma

As monochrome days give way to blossoms bursting across the city, the streets of Paris come alive with renewed fervor in June, signaling the promise of sunny days ahead. In true flâneuse fashion, stroll aimlessly through the city's blooming gardens and linger among the neighborhood plein air markets as the vibrant fruit and flora of the season makes its glorious debut.

Dangling their legs over the banks of the river Seine, Parisians take their conversations outdoors once again, soaking up the rays dancing across the ribbon of water that slices the city in two. Warmer days whisper in the air, and the City of Light is electric with anticipation.

STAY   

Every Parisian neighborhood offers up its own intimate collection of flavors and haunts, planting roots in one part of the city opens up all that an arrondissement has to offer. The centralized Sentier has never looked more enticing with the arrival of The Hoxton, a serene and sprawling haven with muted tones and communal spaces that link Parisians and visitors alike under one vitrine canopy.

If splurging in the Luxembourg is more your style, the refurbished Hotel Lutetia is everything you'd expect from the Left Bank's historic grand hotel. With polished rooms and a quietly elegant Bar Josephine to take in the parade of shoppers from nearby Le Bon Marché, this is laid back luxury to sink easily into. 

STROLL

With more than 400 parks and gardens sprawled across the city's Left and Right banks, pausing between shopping benders and gastronomical encounters to take in a pocket of verdant landscape is the perfect way to lose yourself in the sights and sounds of the city. Bask in the warmth of a sunny afternoon among the Roman colonnades and pristine swans of regal Parc Monceau; marvel at the dapper old men grunting through a game of petanque in the elegant Place Dauphine; or immerse yourself in the hidden tranquility of the Jardin de la Nouvelle France just a few blocks away from the dazzling new La Galerie Dior in the Champs-Élysées neighborhood.
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EAT

The city's enduring love affair with cafe culture has seen stylish new eateries sprout up alongside darling mainstays, infusing international flavors with a decidedly French twist (think stilton and roasted cherry bao or tikka paneer swirling in a creme fraiche curry sauce).  Wake up at first light and sink into a velvet banquette at Cafe Laperouse, where gilded wallpaper and weighted chandeliers accompany your lavish avocado toast and cafe creme. Fancy some of the city's illustrious viennoiserie? You can't go wrong at Le Comptoir Ritz, where pasty chef François Perret turns classics like pain au chocolat and madeleines on their sugar-crowned heads. At Desi Road, traditional street food and thalis dance around French ingredients like black lentil dal infused with Breton butter or beet raita perfumed with fennel. For seafood and small plates fresh from the coast, look no further than the aged-wood jewel box Le Mary Celeste; and a visit to yam'Tcha is a must, with ever-revolving selections of steaming buns stuffed with ingredients like smoked tofu and crispy glass noodles or a caramelized onion and curried cheese number that will elevate your lunch hour to such great heights.

SIP

As wine continues to enjoy a buzzy renaissance across the country, some of the best wine bars in the world have sprouted up around the city, with sustainable and biodynamic wines leading the charge among Parisian sensibilities. Septime La Cave still reigns supreme, with a wine window for warmer weather and an eclectic crowd of locals and expats. Want something cozier? Look no further than La Buvette for obscure bottles in relaxed environs. If you're craving Mediterranean vibes, head to Freddy's for Spanish-inspired tapas and an impressive menu of by-the-glass selections. For sexytime nights, reserve a banquette at Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels  and order up earthy petillant naturel set against velvet and candlelight.

SEE

Skip the long lines at the Louvre and make a beeline instead for the luscious Giovanni Boldini retrospective at the Petit Palais, where the Belle Epoque years come dazzling back to life. For couture historians, La Galerie Dior is a celebration of the nipped-waist and expertly embellished creations of the famed fashion House of Dior. For neighborhood vibes stroll over to the 11th, where abstract art and celluloid dreams come to life at L'Atelier des Lumieres. Planning to head to the city of light in July? Don't miss the stellar dance and physical theatre line-up at  Le Festival Paris l’Eté, where some of the world's most revered dancers and movers present awe-inspiring performances in Paris's coolest plein air venues.