From Place To Space: Paris In November & New Paris Tips

As an avid and frequent traveller I have one luxurious problem – I am running behind with my travel posts. But I am trying hard to keep up and share all interesting information and travel tips with you. So let’s catch up and cover my latest trips to Paris in November. I travelled twice to my second hometown in November – the first trip was for a fun film shooting for our Urban Jungle Bloggers project and the second one was just pleasure related including cafés, shopping, food, design and music.

Let me shortly tell you about the filming thing: Judith and I were lucky enough to raise some good awareness for the Urban Jungle Bloggers project and eventually we were asked by the Dutch Flower and Plants Council to be interviewed in form of a little video in Paris. We were more than excited to do that and spent almost two full days with a Dutch TV crew in super sunny Paris filming at various green locations (including the fabulous art installation 'Many Small Cubes' by Japanese artist Sou Fujimoto in the Jardin des Tuileries) and talking about Urban Jungle Bloggers. More about this once the little film has been published!

Let me move to the more interesting part for you – my new discoveries and travel tips for Paris. I spent a good deal of my time in my home borough – the 20^th arrondissement. I love this Paris quarter for its authenticity, its creative vibe, its multicultural inhabitants – it is a real piece of Paris beyond the touristy glitter. This seems to be attractive for many local creatives, which is why I am noticing a slow but ongoing upgrade of this arrondissement. So here are my latest favourite spots in the 20^th arrondissement of Paris:

CreamCoffee (50 Rue de Belleville): This outpost of the famous third wave coffee places in Paris has set foot in the most bustling street of the 20^th arrondissement, the Rue de Belleville. I love this street because it descends from the Belleville hill towards downtown Paris opening up a fantastic yet totally mundane view of the Eiffel Tower. Now you have one more reason to go there and sip a cup of fabulous coffee at Cream, mingle with the young and creative crowd or simply watch the people pass by. Parfait!

Liberté (150 Rue de Ménilmontant): I blogged about this fabulous bakery quite a while ago (read it HERE along with more Paris tips) when I first discovered it in the trendy 10^th arrondissement. Now they have opened a second shop in the 20^th arrondissement, which features a bakery and restaurant. The space is open and very convivial with large tables to sit with locals and mingle. I went there for breakfast on a Saturday morning and loved it very much – the breakfast includes a pastry of your choice, two tartines (slices) of delicious baguette, a freshly squeezed orange juice, a hot beverage and butter and jam (see it HERE). And all this comes for less than 10 Euros – a great price in Paris and the quality is absolutely top notch. Délicieux!

La PetiteFabrique (15 Rue des Vignoles): The organic restaurant La Petite Fabrique (HERE is a peek) has been around for a little bit longer than a year, but it was only this time that I had the opportunity to wander down to a somewhat tucked away corner of the 20^th arrondissement, south of the well-known Père Lachaise cemetery. The restaurant has a very warm and inviting vibe – it is one large room that is not fully packed with tables but leaves a lot of space for the guests to be comfortable and enjoy their food and good conversations. The open kitchen creates a feeling like being at home or at a friend’s place. I went there for brunch on a rainy Sunday and was delighted by the organic treats: a full plate of yummy salads, eggs, bacon, potatoes and good bread, a crepes maker where you can make your own crepes as many as you like and top them with good organic jams and chocolate spreads, warm and cold drinks and a desert to round up the feasting. You will leave this restaurant with a very happy belly. And the way to and from the restaurant was another revelation to me: This rather residential area of the 20^th arrondissement boasts with quiet and green alleys and wonderful modern and ecological residential buildings. Wow!

I hope these three new discoveries will be reason enough for you to embark on a little adventure during your next Paris trip. You won’t regret it, that’s for sure!

Happy new week, folks!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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