• Sipping cocktails on a rooftop: Watch the sun set over Paris’s chimney pots and the distant Byzantine Sacré Coeur at Le Perchoir, a hip rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant in the trendy 11th arrondissement.

  • Navigating a self-drive boat along Paris’ canals: You don’t need a license to sail one of Marin d’Eau Douce’s electric boats, just a sense of adventure. From Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement, glide along the canals d’Ourcq and St-Martin, taking in the city from an unexpected angle. 
  • Drinking fizzy water from fountains in the street: Paris has nine fontaines pétillantes dotted about the city, each spouting cold, sparkling tap water—a luxury on a sunny day. Try the fountain at Parc André Citroën in the 15th arrondissement.

  • Watch weavers make tapestries: At the Manufacture des Gobelins, you can take a tour and see skilled artists at their giant looms creating magnificent woven works.

  • Sip mint tea in a Moroccan tearoom: Dream you’re in the Kasbah at the tearoom at the Mosquée de Paris, which is covered in beautiful mosaic tiles.

The Best of Hip Paris

  • The coolest culture: The Musée Yves Saint Laurent traces the fashion mogul’s world-famous creations and his creative process in his former HQ, a sumptuous Belle Epoque mansion by the Champs-Élysées. The City of Lights wears its name well at the Atelier des Lumières, a digital art museum in a former iron factory offering immersive light shows that walk you through famous artworks, blown up to smother all walls, floors, and ceilings.

  • The funkiest street food: Ground Control in a gigantic former SNCF hangar has Mexican, Italian, and Central African Republic counters inside, and disused buses outside, hawking everything from ham ‘n’ cheese crepes to authentic British fish and chips.

  • The hippest bar: Tucked behind a hidden door at the back of a taqueria, Candelaria opened in 2011 as the city’s first speakeasy-style cocktail bar, and it’s still the best. 

  • The trendiest shop: Merci is a fair-trade concept store, with everything from designer vintage clothes to funky household items, and three cozy cafes for a post-purchase respite. 

 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.