8th Arrondissement

L’Avenue is an absolute scene—you should know this right off the bat. But most of the fun is sitting outside, on the corner of Avenue Montaigne, among a regular clientele of fashion designers, stylish Parisians, and trendy visitors.

A good part of the local population is of the opinion that Pierre Hermé makes the best macarons in the city. As for the éclairs, croissants, and cakes? You'll just have to do the taste-testing for yourself. This particular outpost is massive, with a sumptuous Art Deco interior to match the contents of the pastry cases. A pretty box of Hermé’s delicately-flavored macarons veloutés (essentially meringue-like macaroons stuffed with a creamy filling) never fails to impress and makes for the perfect, easily-packed gift to bring back home.

This elegantly restored hotel is a mere five minutes from Paris’s center of gravity, the Champs-Élysées, which really means it’s five minutes from everything. The first thing to note is that there is an actual hammam in the basement. After a long day of sightseeing, a few laps in the pool followed by a steam is a healing balm for exhausted feet and sore muscles. Aesthetically, the Art Deco influence is quietly done and hidden in the details, like the lamps, the restrained use of marble (and the not-so-restrained use of stripes to beautiful results), pretty velvet upholstery, even the occasional in-room porthole. Unbeatable location aside, the attentive staff and excellent service catapult this new hotel to the top of the short list of excellent places to stay. The adorably small hotel bar and the sexy dining room make leaving that much harder.

At Hotel Le Belleval, the floral theme is obvious (the hallways are done in contrasting floral carpeting and wallpaper) but not overwhelming (the occasional petal-patterned cushion or upholstered armchair, the odd framed print of a rose or lily), just enough to pay homage to the botanist the hotel is dedicated to. All fifty-two guest rooms feel like a breath of fresh air with their elegant navy walls, floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the rooftops of Paris, and beautifully outfitted bathrooms. The hotel restaurant is refreshingly low-key with a natural, mostly organic menu that is the perfect antidote to too many plates of steak-frites. Additional perks are the interior courtyard which feels like a secret garden in the middle of the city and the library—a godsend for the traveler who needs to mix work with play.

This is Paris’s largest day spa—and the ultimate place to spend an entire day resting and relaxing. Booking two treatments gets you all-day access to the indoor pool, sauna, hammam, juice bar, and the especially deluxe sushi bar, along with the coziest robe and slippers ever. The treatments focus on traditional Balinese beauty rituals, and the Five Flowers Ritual, which combines the essences of five tropical flowers to nurture skin, is especially delightful.  

The company’s three-story flagship spa is set in a quiet courtyard off the Champs-Élysées, and no two treatments are alike. Instead, skin is meticulously examined with the Skin Instant Lab, which measures moisture, elasticity, pigmentation, and oil production. Next you’re ushered into a gorgeous, all-white treatment room, where a custom regimen of products for the facial is selected.

Take your pick from yoga (Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa, as well as sessions for kids), Pilates, meditation, massage, and chiseling bar classes at this atmospheric studio in the Marais. Subdued lighting, gorgeous earth tones, and Asian sculptures set a soothing vibe. There’s a luxurious, rejuvenating hammam; a shop stocked with essential oils, candles, yoga mats, and beautifying potions; and a café that serves incredible organic lunches.

World-famous hair-color guru Christophe Robin’s salon in the up-and-coming 2nd arrondissement has got to be one of the most quintessentially Parisian places on earth. Not only will you walk out with your best hair ever, you’ll have spent a few hours swanning around in a brightly colored silk kimono, cosseted in the Tony Duquette-inspired interiors that feel more like a home than a salon, watching fabulous Parisians in their natural habitat. Even if you don’t color your hair, go for a cut, blowout, or even a manicure. And, if you don’t have the time, stop in to have your hair shampooed for free in an amazing, Venus-on-the-half-shell basin.

If a little bit of kitsch is what you're after, then look no further—this nonetheless elegant gem of a restaurant is decked out in Chinese patterns and fine china. Plus, this is one of the finest dim sum experiences in Paris, offering all the Chinese classics plus a wealth of Thai dishes, too, all made with fresh ingredients and done to Michelin standard. The menu is extensive and boasts all the classics, though those who would rather not wade through can go for set menus for two or four, making this a great spot for groups, too.

The fairly recently opened Amastan is the first flagship for a new luxury hotel group by the same name. Located at the upscale cross section of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the hotel offers a surprisingly secluded getaway from the streets below, especially if you book a room with a furnished balcony overlooking the leafy garden. The magic here is in the thoughtful, often exquisite design details, like blue herringbone parquet walls and a two-story bookshelf packed with design titles and curios. Plus, the adjacent Pop-In space features art, design, and fashion collaborations curated by the great minds at Purple and London-based branding studio Campbell-Rey.