Paris Now - Beyond Fashion Week


Paris Fashion Week is an absolute bonanza, and it’s easy to get swept away in the shows, parties and general fashion chaos. That’s why we always make sure to squeeze in a few other cultural and culinary detours while we’re in town. Here are a few picks from our visit last week:

Penn And Fashion: Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP)

Everyone knows Irving Penn’s classic black and white portraits, but there’s more to Penn than just this (admittedly completely astounding) chapter. Just behind Saint-Paul, the MEP’s ehibition traverses Penn’s full career, including our favourites: his beauty and food photography for Vogue - images that border on the utterly grotesque. There’s also a room dedicated to his collaborations with Issey Miyake, complete with a suitably kooky short film.

On until 17 January 2027, it’s a good reminder that the best fashion photography is always about much more than clothes.

Address: 5/7 Rue de Fourcy, 75004 Paris
Opening hours: Wednesday and Friday, 11am–8pm; Thursday, 11am–10pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am–8pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Visit: mep-fr.org

La Crème du Palais Royal

Possibly the most underrated lunch restaurant in Paris, tucked into the side of the Palais Royal gardens beneath those beautiful stone arcades. If you’re off the booze, order the lemony iced framboise concoction - the waiter was coy about the house-made ingredients in the fruit syrup – and if you’re on it, sancerre by the bottle. Menu highlight: an avocado toast so elaborate it deserves an entirely different name.

Address: 39 Galerie de Montpensier, 75001 Paris

Opening hours: 9am–10pm 7 days.

Visit: Google Maps · Instagram


Café Mignon

The only café we’ve come across that manages to get the balance between traditional French charm and contemporary café culture just right. There’s a fresh and healthy brunch menu (Turkish eggs, yet more avo toast), proper good coffee and the kind of charming, real-person service that makes you want to go back every day. The owner has clearly poured her heart into the space, and the generous terrace overlooks Rue Caulaincourt’s excellent line-up of independent gastronomic experts: butchers, boulangeries and fromageries included. An excellent reason to venture beyond the Fashion Week circuit.

Address: 67 Rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris

Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am–6pm.

Visit: Google Maps · Instagram

Cédric et la Chocolaterie

Opened by Cédric Grolet in the Opéra district, this chocolate boutique is a full-blown confectionery fever dream, with sculptural chocolate trees, floating cocoa pods and a continuous melting-chocolate feature.

The best bit? Choose your chocolate and watch it appear, Wonka-style, inside a glass tube as you check out. There are more than 150 creations to work your way through, from pralines and ganaches to Grolet’s signature trompe-l’œil chocolates. Go midweek to dodge the queues. We suggest the four nut box.

Address: 33 Avenue de l’Opéra, 75002 Paris

Opening hours: Daily, 11am–7pm.

Visit: Official website · Google Maps

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