12 Step Planet: Paris

How do I get there?
You can fly cheaply with Ryanair from Dublin to Beauvais airport outside Paris and take a connecting coach. Or you can fly with Aer Lingus directly to Charles De Gaulle airport from Cork and Dublin and travel by train to central Paris.
What’s the local beer?
No one’s had their head chopped off, but Paris is currently undergoing something of a bière artisanale revolution with Le Super Coin (3 rue Baudelique, 18e. Metro: Jules Joffrin. supercoin.net) a great place to sample the microbrewed likes of Volcelest Blonde, Silvanecte, Sorachi Ace Bitter and Agent Provocateur. 1664, a cheeky blonde, is the pick of the mainstream beers. A pint costs anything up to €5 or €6 – or even €10! – in the tourist quarters. Happy hour is generally between 5pm and 6pm, when drinks are half-price. This is a good time to quench your thirst.
Best pubs?
After much research, we can confirm Le Baron Rouge (1 rue Théophile Rousse, 12e. Metro: Ledru-Rollin) as the city’s finest wine bar and, on Sundays, oyster emporium. It changes almost daily, but Paris’ beautiful people on a budget are currently flocking to Le Zéro Zéro (89 rue Amelot, 11e. Metro: Saint-Sébastien Froissart) which is as adept at mixing house and hip-hop as it is
classic cocktails.
What’s the transport like?
You’re never far from a Metro station. Not to be alarmist, but there’s been a sharp increase in the number of pick-pockets and bag-snatchers working the otherwise superb network. The velib.paris.fr free bike scheme has been a big hit with 20,000 bikes available at nearly 1,500 stations citywide and 372kms of designated cycle lanes.
What’s the nightlife like?
You can go out all night if you want. Some clubs stay open until dawn. Most pubs close around 2am. Hot Travel always makes a beeline for La Cigalle (120 Boulevard de Rochechouar, 18e. Metro: Pigalle. lacigale.fr/en), Paris’ 1887 equivalent of the Olympia, which is in the heart of the Pigalle and great for catching both French and international bands. Across the road is Aux Noctambules, a throwback cabaret joint, whose retro attractions include the magnificently quiffed, red suit-wearing Pierre Carre.
Why should I visit Paris?
Paris is iconic. You owe it yourself to come here at least once. It’s got everything: history, culture, food, nightlife. Whether you’re on a sight-seeing trip looking to hit up as many musuems/art galleries/cathedrals as possible or a food-lover eager to stuff your 15kg Ryanair suitcase with cheese and wine, there’s something for everyone. The student-minded blog.parisunraveled.com
has a brilliant monthly list of ‘31 Free Things To Do’ in Paris.
Food?
Le Fumoir (lefumoir.com) is a great value brasserie and next to the Louvre – a good place to start if you’re not familiar with the city. The boeuf mariné and cuisse de lapin top the ‘recommended’ list. Hot Travel is also inordinately fond of Le Bistrot de Paul Bert, which can be found at 11 rue Paul Bert in the 11e arrondisement and does remarkable things with monkfish, suckling pig and sweetbreads. The €18 weekday prix fixe lunch is one of the city’s best deals. Also make sure to visit one of Paris’ market streets – Rue Mouffetard on the Left Bank is an old reliable, and close to the flamboyantly gothic 16th century Paroisse Saint-Médard. France’s colonial past may be inglorious, but it has gifted the city places like Le Palanka (lepalanka.com) which cooks up a pan-African storm.
Also, be sure to try out some of the boulangeries. It’s a bit clichéd but French bread is fantastic. There’s nothing like walking through Paris with a baguette under your arm. You won’t be the only one. Don’t worry about standing out.
Where should I go shopping?
Paris is the fashion capital of the world. For high street shopping, try Boulevard Haussman. Les Galeries Lafayette is at Le Printemps. For designer clothes – haute couture – check out Place Vendôme. Le Marais is a quarter with some lovely boutiques and flea markets.
What time of year is best to go?
August is either the best or worst month to visit. Lots of shops and restaurants are closed as the city goes on its annual holliers, but there’s a wonderful sense of having the city to yourself.
What should I bring home?
A bottle – no, make that a case! – of St. Emilion, a spectacularly good red from the Bordeaux area and lots and lots of lovely cheese. Fermier St. Nectaire, Selles sur Cher, A Filetta and their trademark goats cheese with pesto are among the must-buys at the wonderfully aromatic Fromagerie Quatrehomme (62 rue de Sèvres, 7e. Metro: Vaneau. quatrehomme.fr).
Something to remember...
There’s a small park with a sublime view over all of Paris, called Parc de Belleville in the 20e. The wooden playground is a real treat for kids, and there are also ping-pong tables.
What are the touristy things
to do?
Where to begin? You have the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and l’Arc de Triumphe. You can sip a coffee in the famous Café de Flore where Sartre and Picasso used to hang out. Take a cable car to the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre; walk around St. Michel, Chatelet, Hotel de Ville. Or explore the impressive National Library of France. See the final resting places of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison at Père Lachaise cemetery.
Anything else?
Try a course with Le Cordon Bleu (lcbparis.com) or the many other cookery schools. Some offer market tours. Visit Shakespeare & Company (37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5e. Metro: Saint-Michel. shakespeareandcompany.com), an amazing English language bookstore on the Seine, which also hosts intimate gigs – Glen Hansard and Lisa Hannigan were there only
a few weeks ago. Close by you will find Le Procope, where French literary greats like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Verlaine hung out. If you’re an art lover visit Musée de l’Orangerie, Centre Pompidou and Palais de Tokyo.