Paris, the city of love. Make this Valentine’s Day extra special with a weekend trip to Paris!
Striking the right balance between fun vs romantic 🥀vs cheesy (sorry, *fromagey*🧀), is an art. But, take your pick from the choices below and see what floats your bateau ⛵️past the Louvre.
With France relaxing rules this AM, V-day in the City of Love ❤️ really is a plausible possibility. Make sure to check before you travel though.
As always, enjoy your dates and let me know what I should add to the Paris bucket list!
Lots of love, Jo xoxo
NB: This guide first appeared on my food instagram in January 2022 but I’m posting this in April 2022 on my blog! If you’re planning an extra special weekend with your significant other, for a birthday, anniversary or Just-Because then hopefully this guide will spark some ideas. Or, just call me super efficient, and get planning Valentine’s 2023 in advance!
COCO
✨Exciting. Dazzling. Roaring. A Fitzgeraldian opulence reverberates throughout the restaurant, creating a roaring 20s atmosphere.
💃🏼Immersive dinning at its best. CoCo combines delicious French cuisine in an opulent yet modern setting with an extravagant live musical performance.
🥁The band dance around the restaurant, providing immersive live entertainment to add some glitz and glamour and kick off the fun to your night.
CoCo will steal their heart. She will steal your heart. She truly is a w-i-n-n-e-r.
NB: CoCo gives me very Park Chinois vibes- if you love this Mayfair hotspot, you’ll love CoCo’s ambiance.
GIRAFE
Taking the top spot on my Global Restaurant Bucket List: Girafe.
🌴Tropical greenery, a cream palette and beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower, Girafe embodies Parisienne amour.
💫Timeless elegance. Hedonism. Glamour. Discrete luxury. Mischievous. Peaceful. How can one restaurant embody such contrasting values? Girafe is a glistening gem, combining grandeur in a perfectly timeless fashion.
🦞Phoebe from Friends might say, “He’s her lobster”, so the lobster dish is essential. Lobster pasta. Grilled Octopus. Oysters. It’s a foodie’s H.E.A.V.E.N. And seafood is the reason why I’m Flexiterian, not vegan 😉
Fun Fact: CoCo, Giraffe and LouLou are all owned by Laurent de Gourcuff’s group. And they are my global top 3 restaurants bucket list! The group must be doing something right.
DANS LE NOIR
🌚Heighten your senses with dinner in the dark. Ok, so this really is more of a ‘love-it-or-hate-it-marmite’ date; you won’t be able to see your date. But, hear me out. Dining in the dark elevates your smell, taste and other senses, and so is an intense and passionate dinner!
🍹Enjoy drinks at a bar (one where you can see your date, just in case your memory fails you). And, no fear, you will spend the entire day with your date, before and after, so it’s not like you’ll forget their looks.
MADAME RÊVE: SLEEP UNDER THE STARS
✨Sleeping under the stars is on everyone’s bucket list.
I’m not talking about camping under the stars. Although, that’s a sweet idea too. I’m talking about the “hotels with glass ceilings…bubble cabins in the middle of nowhere… laying on the beach under the stars” kind of sleeping under the stars!
🏙Paris’ new hotel, Madame Reve, has a city in the stars suite – relax on a king-size bed and enjoy the starry night and mesmerising views of the Parisienne sky.
BALLON DE PARIS
🎈Cruise in the biggest hot air balloon in the world, 150m above the Parisianne streets.
LE FRIEZE ROMANTIQUE
💋Ok, this has got to be the most French date on the list. A flash mob like no other. 6pm. Pont au Double. 5 minutes kissing your date.
Cheesy? (Sorry, “fromage-y”)? Maybe. Romantic? Mmm… not sure a flash mob is romantic. I think “fun bucket list item” is more apt.
OPERA GARNIER
🎭A dazzling opera house, with opulent onyx balconies, luxurious marble and lavish gilding, this truly is a magical experience.
LA MARINA SEINE DINNER CRUISE
⛵️Dine on a bateau which cruises on the Seine, with a delicious 3 course dinner and carefully handpicked wine pairings. Then, venture up the iconic and dazzling Eiffel Tower to admire the Parisian skyline at night.
ELECTRONIC LOVE LETTER
💍Proposal idea? Me thinks yes. Definitely not for the shy and faint-hearted.
💌Submit a 160 message by 10 Feb, and the Mairie de Paris will choose the best messages to display on panels throughout Paris.
PONT DES ARTS
🔐Buy your lock. Engrave your initials. Throw the key in the river.
🔏This is almost as obvious as remembering to brush your teeth in the am (or insert whatever common sense every day task). If you’re in Paris on V-Day, this is a given.
