Paris city guide

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Check out The Scene's recommendations for the French capital and send us your own ideas and suggestions.

See

If ever there was a city made for romance, it's Paris. Wander the banks of the Seine, or stand on any street corner, and imagine you and your beau/belle caught in the frame of a Robert Doisneau photograph. For first timers the classic sights are obvious, but you'll still find hardened Parisians enjoying the breathtaking view over the city from the top of Sacre Coeur at Montmartre. To get under the skin of modern Paris head for the Marais, a city-within-a-city and an eccentric, eclectic mix of the hip, happening and gay. If you've gorged enough on the Louvre's feast of art treasures, it's also home to the Musee Picasso which contains more than 3,000 works by the Spanish artist who made the French capital his home. Alternatively, check out what's happening on the contemporary art scene with a visit to Palais de Tokyo in the 16th arrondissement -- a half-finished building site which has been transformed into a sprawling gallery space that stays open until midnight every night. Pay homage to another 20th century conceptual artist with a visit to Immeuble Molitor on rue Nungesser et Coli, an apartment block designed and lived in by the great modernist architect Le Corbusier and now open to the public.

Be seen

Cafe is a French word for a reason and with around 10,000 establishments to choose from, Paris is the sort of place that the phrase "cafe society" was invented to describe. Wallow in Left Bank intellectual squalor at Le Pantalon (rue Royer Collard), or take afternoon tea at L'Avenue (Avenue Montaigne) or one of the branches of the sophisticated Mariage Freres around the city. With a picture of Serge Gainsbourg on the wall, they don't come much more French than the petite Le Cafe Noir (rue Montmartre). As afternoon turns to evening, drop by the art-themed Andy Wahloo -- one of the hippest bars in the Marais -- or join the wannabees at Kong (rue de Pont-Neuf) whose reputation as an ultra-stylish hangout doesn't appear to have suffered from its guest appearance in "Sex and the City." The latest hangout for the BCBG crowd is black-and-purple Bound, on Avenue George V. For chilled tunes, cocktails and top people-watching, visit Stephane's temple to opulence, the Hotel Costes. The brief to star designer Jacques Garcia was "all things in excess", and a visit will show he didn't hold back. More chilled out and with an unsurprisingly eastern theme is the Buddha Bar, another old favorite that still packs in the beautiful people. For more upbeat tunes and some of the city's more pioneering mixologists spend an evening bar-crawling the Rue Oberkampf, kicking off in the ultra hip Cafe Charbon.

Eat

Few cities match Paris's reputation when it comes to food and drink, but it's easy to spend a fortune on a mediocre meal. For a satisfying splurge in chic modern surroundings head to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, in the Hotel Pont Royal. Even the mashed potato here has been described by critics as a masterpiece. On a tighter budget, Paris is packed with hundreds of neighborhood bistros with great fixed price menus. Try Jane Birkin's favorite Left Bank brasserie Chez Vagenende (Boulevard San Germain). Also recommended are Restaurant L'Entredgeu (rue Laugier) or Le Bistrot des Vignes (rue Jean-Bologne) while Le Petit Marche in the Marais provides a modern take on a Parisian tradition. For a real bistro blowout, book a table at L'Ardoise (rue du Mont-Thabor) -- currently one of Paris' most popular and stylish eateries. If you prefer an atmosphere less formal with your food, check out Tokyo Eat at the Palais de Tokyo, which despite the name has nothing to do with Japanese food and has a great terrace in the summer, or try the surrealism-crossed-with-sci-fi-themed Cafe Etienne Marcel, which places as much emphasis on interior design as the menu and yet succeeds at both.

Style

There's a reason the English don't have words for "haute couture" and "avant garde," and with more than 30,000 boutiques across Paris, you won't be stuck for something to flex your credit card over. For premier league designers look to Avenue Montaigne or the Rue Faubourg-St-Honore. But for more out-there purchases (and, perhaps, a little more affordable) head for either the Marais or the area around the Place des Victoires and Rue Etienne Marcel -- famous for funky fabrics and furnishings.

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