Alli Talley

November 12, 2019

Europe, France

Our New Favorite Spots in Paris

Alli Talley

November 12, 2019

Europe, France

Paris is one of those cities that no matter how many times we visit, it will always seem new. While we didn’t have as much time to explore this time around, we did get a chance to eat and drink our way through the city… Here’s a small list of the spots that really stood out to us. If you’re a coffee drinker, this list goes out to you. ;)

MATAMATA COFFEE (58 rue d'Argout, Paris) Our first stop in Paris was at Matamata Coffee, and it was a good one. Located in the Montorgueil neighborhood, Matamata has amazing coffee and delicious, homemade food. Grab a flat white and a breakfast sandwich and know that you are starting your day the best way possible.

ONI COFFEE SHOP (10 Boulevard Saint-Martin, Paris) This cozy little coffee shop couldn’t be cuter. From the decor, to the pottery, to the perfetly displayed coffee and light bites. This is about as Instagrammable as it gets - and everything is just as delicious as it looks. This might be our favorite coffee shop in all of Paris. There, we said it.

HOLY BELLY CAFE (5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, Paris) We received more recommendations for this seasonal breakfast and lunch spot than anywhere else. So obviously we went, and as always, y’all really came through for us. It’s INCREDIBLE. If you love breakfast, go here. And if you don’t love breakfast, go here and you will be changed. It’s the kind of place that we can’t over-hype, because it’s that good. Don’t be deterred by the line out front, it moves quick. And it’s well worth the wait.

OB-LA-DI (54 Rue De Saintonge, Paris) We’ve heard a lot about this tiny little coffee shop in the Le Marais over the years, so we made a point to go there this trip. What we discovered was just what we heard - the coffee is delicious, the interior is quaint, and the food and baked goods looked devine. Whether you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up or a light breakfast, this is your spot.

ANGELINA PARIS (226 Rue De Rivoli, Paris) This is another place that’s been on our radar for years, and being the foodies that we are, we made a mad dash for it as soon as we arrived. We can now confidently say that they serve the best hot chocolate we’ve ever had, and the pastries are TDF (to die for) too! Skip the line to be seated, and simply order your hot chocolate and sweets to go. You’re welcome.

LE SYNDICAT COCKTAIL CLUB (51 Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Denis, Paris) Not only is this hip bar one of the first in Paris to use exclusively French ingredients, it’s also been voted one of the World’s 50 Best Bars! This edgy speakeasy is so discreet, chances are you’ll walk right past it. And that’s exactly why we love it.

CAFE KITSUNE (51 Galerie de Montpensier, Paris) You’re probably thinking, really, another coffee shop?! But hey - don’t judge us! Coffee shop hopping is one of our favorite things to do when we travel, especially in a destination like Paris where new fun coffee shops are popping up on the daily. This one is on the expensive side, but the high quality and chic styling makes it worth the price. We loved it so much, we went twice!

GYOZA HOUSE PARIS (20 Rue de Chateaudun, Paris) Random, we know. But if you love gyoza as much as we love gyoza, make sure you stop at this place. It’s casual and cheap, but the healthy and homemade gyozas are absolutely phenomenal. We ate ours in about five seconds flat!

SYLON (4bis Rue Piemontesi, Paris) Yep, rounding this list out with one more coffee shop because we can. Tucked away near the Sacre Coeur, this is a true local’s spot - and that’s exactly why we like it. Great coffee, chill ambiance, and really delicious food, too. Try their avocado toast!

Bobby making the tough decisions at Matamata

Not sure what it is about Holybelly. These pancakes had the PERFECT amount of syrup balanced with delicious bacon and eggs. We hope to be back some day soon!

We probably drank more coffee than water on this trip… Ob-La-Di was a favorite.

Tons of flavors at Gyoza House… paradise!

Alli Talley

May 18, 2016

Europe, France

La Réserve Paris: A Magical 24 Hours in Complete Luxury

Alli Talley

May 18, 2016

Europe, France

La Réserve Paris was one of the greatest 24 hour experiences of our lives. Please, if you have the opportunity to really indulge, stay here.

We want to keep this blog post simple. If we dwell on this experience too long, we feel that nothing else will ever compare and the remainder of our life we will be dissatisfied with our accommodations. If you know us, you may know we like to tell stories and occasionally embellish, but this is not the case with the La Réserve hotel brand. The goal of the brand is to offer the comfort of refined simplicity along with an uncluttered, unpretentious hotel experience. To us, it really redefined what a luxury hotel stay feels like. Or maybe we should say it defined it for the first time?

To begin our stay we were greeted warmly by the concierge, as well as Valerie, who assisted us during our time at La Réserve. We had a short tour of the property, and then were taken up to our amazing suite. Here’s a rundown of our room, along with photos (they do not do it justice)…

When we walked in, the staff had so generously left us a bottle of champagne. It was the perfect way to start exploring our room.

Right off the bat we have to mention that we had two bathrooms. We don’t have two bathrooms in our home in Costa Mesa, so this is already a luxury. Bobby was slightly obsessed (understatement) with the toilets. The toilet has an automatic, heated seat, as well as numerous options to assist with cleanliness. It is ridiculous.

The room has a fully stocked bar (coffee, soda, waters, spirits, whiskey, etc.) that would be replenished every time we left, a massive living room, and a bed that made us feel as if we were lying on a Cumulus cloud.

There are 3 TV’s in the room, all concealed by mirrors. So, when they are off, it’s just a mirror. Bobby was slightly obsessed (understatement) with this too.

Aside from the toilets in the bathroom, the room is also equipped with heated floors, heated towel racks, a massive bath tub (where one of the TVs is situated), and a perfect shower. It has a 16 by 16-inch square rainfall showerhead, amazing water pressure, and the room is soundproof (so you can sing at the top of your lungs!). Bobby has a shower rating system, based on numerous factors, and this is one of the only 10’s we have come across!

We appreciate a nice, comfy robe to lounge in. La Réserve provides you with two robes. A thin, light robe and a big, fluffy robe. Thank you, La Réserve, for that magnificent touch.

The room is equipped with two iPads that control everything you can imagine. The TV, the lights, if we need help from Valerie… anything.

Okay, so that is probably enough about the room. Just go. Trust us.

While you are there, spend one-night dining at Le Gabriel, the Michelin Two-starred restaurant at La Réserve. The restaurant offers contemporary French cuisine that is inspired by the season. Our summer meal included duck liver, lobster ravioli, mackerel, pigeon, and a variety of other mind-blowing courses. Each of the 10 courses was presented creatively with high quality ingredients that left our taste buds craving more while our stomachs cried “slow down!”

After an amazing dinner and good night of rest in our room, we headed back to Le Gabriel for breakfast. There we were dazzled again with delicious pastries and lattes. We both just wanted time to slow down, because we knew our time at La Réserve was coming to a close.

It has taken us nearly 9 months to post this blog because we thought we could never recover from such an amazing experience. While we love to travel and are obsessed with great hotels, La Réserve made us feel like we should retire from this gig at the top. But then again, La Réserve’s flagship is in Geneva! We are hopeful to stay with La Réserve again, and are now on a journey to find hotels that create experiences as magical as we had here.

Thank you, La Réserve, for an incredible stay!