Très Chic: Where to Eat, Sleep, and Shop in Paris

Paris is widely considered to be one of the most fashionable cities in the world. (Photo: DKart/E+/Getty Images)

This week marks Paris Fashion Week, the final stop in the style world’s biannual event to see what we’ll all be wearing in six months. In a sense, the best gets saved for last since Paris is, arguably, the world’s most quintessentially fashionable city. Where does the chic crowd stay, eat, and shop when they’re there? Here’s our definitive list:

To stay:

Hotel Costes has been a chic hangout for more than 20 years. (Photo: Hotel Costes)

Although fashion insiders are always looking for the next big thing, they often choose to stay at classic — and classically grand — hotels, especially in Paris. This season, the Ritz, a favorite of many editors and designers, is still closed for extensive renovations, but other popular hotels in that category (namely, lavish, traditional, and very expensive, even when the euro isn’t strong) are busy. The Four Seasons Hotel George V and Le Bristol, where you might very well bump into an editor or two at breakfast or by its sunny indoor pool, are popular choices for the fashion elite. For something more modern, Hotel Costes has been a chicster favorite since it opened in the 1990s. Its dark, clubby feel makes it an atmospheric spot for drinks or lunch even for those not staying there. (The rooms, while lovely, are incidentally, quite small.) On the same block, the Mandarin Oriental has also become popular, as has the efficient and modern Park Hyatt a few blocks away.

Related: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Most Glamorous Fashion Week

To eat:

Treat yourself to a macarron from Pierre Hermé. (Photo: Robyn Lee/Flickr)

For both designer and celebrity spotting, fashion insiders (and a stylish clientele in general) head to L’Avenue , a modern café on the swanky Avenue Montaigne, just down the street from designer stores like Cé

line and Saint Laurent. Stand-out dishes are size-0 friendly and include both the tuna tartare and lobster salad. On the Left Bank, both editors and designers gravitate toward tried-and-true favorites such as the classic bistro Le Voltaire on the Quai Voltaire (which is quintessentially French) and, especially for early-evening cocktails, Café de Flore. In the Marais, popular spots include unpretentious Café Charlot, especially for the salads, and the down-to-earth Moroccan café Chez Omar across the street. And, although fashion types aren’t usually focused on dessert, they do love macaroons, ideally from one of the city’s several branches of Ladurée or Pierre Hermé.

Related: London’s Fashion Week Cheat Sheet — Where to Eat, Sleep, and Shop

To shop:

Shop at a low-key Parisian shop like Carven (Photo: Carven/Facebook)

As one of the world’s great fashion capitals, Paris has no shortage of tempting designer boutiques, including the French names that are virtually synonymous with fashion, such as Chanel and Lanvin. Many fashion editors tend to gravitate toward smaller French brands that have a more low-key (and quite Parisian) aesthetic, like Carven, Vanessa Bruno, and, for accessories, Tila March and J é rô me Dreyfuss. Each has an inviting boutique in the Sixth Arrondissement, which makes strolling among them easy, even on a short break between fashion shows. Two other fashion world favorites are Colette, for its spunky, tastemaker choice of all things chic, and Merci, a mecca for quirky, well-designed items (clothing and home goods). And you can feel good about shopping at Merci; profits go toward helping teach kids in Madagascar. Because, as that store proves, no matter what goes down the runways, helping others never goes out of style.

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