Lauren-Bastide

13 years ago by

Lauren is as Parisian as they get and you can totally see it when you read her City Guide. When she sent it to me, I couldn’t help but say, “Oh mon dieu, mon dieu, this is as long as a novel!” And then I got ready to do a crazy amount of editing à la Anna Wintour on the September issue.

And then of course, I read the whole thing in 5 minutes, loved her writing (which makes sense considering Lauren writes for French Elle, among others), her secret places to see, and her ideas of stuff to do, and I didn’t end up editing anything at all. Actually, she made me want to jump on the first plane back to Paris.

Okay, I’ll let you enjoy it on your own. Merci Lauren!!! Big hugs!

“For me, Paris is my dear 9th arrondissement. My part of town, my life, my everything. Why?

For macaronis gratin, check out Hôtel Amour (rue Navarin), which is also the only place that I know where I can be a squatter all afternoon with my computer and drink only a diet coke when I really can’t get stuff down on paper. For the perfect wax job, go to Juliana at the Spa Amazonia (rue Condorcet), the only Brazilian beauty salon in Paris! For mani-pedis, head straight to Ley’s (rue Lallier), a little New York style nail salon which is no great shakes to look at from the outside, but as they have massage chairs and OPI polish, you can’t miss out. For the best selection of clothes, Chezel (rue Condorcet) is where it’s at for vintage clothes. For the best Moscow Mule, go to The Duke (rue Viollet le Duc), my new favorite cocktail bar, located conveniently right below me. Best burgers you can find at Maison Mère (rue Navarin). Best outdoor seating is at Booka Boora (Place Lino Ventura). For a chic ambiance, crown molding and crystal chandeliers, don’t miss the café Carmen (rue Douai). For ambiance that’s vintage/decadent, head to Chez Moune (rue Pigalle) the only club that I never resist spending the second part of my night at, as it’s two hops away from my bed.

Yeah, so there’s all the specialties on rue des Martyrs as well : the soy banana smoothie from Rose Bakery, on Sunday morning, a must have is a baguette from Delmontel, the double mozzarella pizza from Da Carmine, the organic prix fixe 17 euro menu from Cul de Poule, my newspaper guy who listens to Mozart, and of course the roasted chickens at the end of the street. I could be contented from now until forever on the Avenue Trudaine, and never leave this little triangle of organic bourgeois bohemian heaven where the McLaren strollers take over the pedestrian right of way.

But sometimes I have a fine excuse to take the metro :

– For my blonde head

Blonde by Franck Vidoff (12, rue du Prè au Clercs 75007) – Franck is the only man on earth that could make me cross over the Seine. He’s the best colorist in the universe, who ends up being a best friend, personal trainer, and shrink. He’s also a bikram yoga instructor, designer and artist. When I say that I want to “not do a thing” to my hair, or when I said “camel blond,” he knows exactly what I’m talking about. He’s my John Nollet all to myself, so let’s keep this address just between us blondes.

– For my Lurve

OFR (20 rue du Petit Thouars 75003) – If ELLE is, of course, the best magazine in the history of all humanity, Lurve is also sublimely beautiful (http://lurvemag.com/notes.php) and I’ll go buy it in my favorite bookshop, where you can also find some beautiful art books and magazines that any fashionable lady should much like to procure. And that isn’t even mention the photo and illustration exhibitons they have, always worth a peak.

– For my Vintage

Since (rue Saint Roch 75001) – They don’t want me to tell you, but I’ll do it anyway : when I ask them nicely to find me something I’m dreaming about, like an oversized Burberry trench, or a giant old Chanel bag or a Saint Laurent safari jacket, they’ll find it for me. They’ve got an encyclopedic knowledge of clothes and some real collector items like Alaïa dresses, Gaultier, YSL jackets and Comme Des shoes. I could shop there and only there.

– For my thrift shopping.

Le Marais : Freep Star, Roi de la Fripe, Noir Kennedy, Rue des Rosiers… This part of town is still the best to find old denim shirts for 5 euros, caribou print sweaters from back in the day, and knock-off plastic clutches.

Best Fashion Lunch

Le Water Bar de Colette (rue saint honoré 75001), is still the perfect centrally located place for a rendezvous between the fashionable. Have a seat and enjoy a bottle of mineral water and a vegetarian plate. Most of the time, I go there before I get some Uslu polish and a some documentary on DVD and I die watching the ChloéLanvinProenza silhouettes on the first floor, waiting for the sales to start…

To read outside when springtime comes.

The chairs around the fountain in the garden around Palais Royal or the benches in the middle of Pont des Arts with the view of the Eiffel Tower and Grand Palais. I’m really still a tourist at heart.

To dance

Le Baron (avenue Marceau), because for now, no one has come up with anything better.

For a little culture

My favorite musueum is the musée Maillol (61 rue de Grenelle 75007).  It’s human size, and always has exhibits that are interesting, poignant, and well laid out.

My two favorite galleries in Paris, besides Perrottin (rue de Turenne 75003) like everyone in the world, are La B.A.N.K. (rue Volta 75003) and Fat Galerie (rue du petit Thouars 75003)

For my yoga

The best yoga studio in the universe : le centre Sivananda (rue de Fbg Saint Martin 75010). There are classes all the time, the teachers are real buddhist monks, you can smell the incense and spiced soup, and it’s not too expensive.

– For my bike

Vélo Vintage (rue du Ruisseau 75018) – Kept up by two passionate people with the most beautiful old bikes in perfect condition and not at all expensive (around 100 euros) for people like me who think that it’s about time to ban cars in Paris.

– For my hoodie sweatshirts

Andrea Crews : my friend Maroussia just moved to the middle of Belleville (25 rue Vaucouleurs 75011). This is her studio, her boutique and showroom, performance space, fun space, and just good vibe space. I visit her all the time and after we go have some green tapioca tea called Bubble Tea down the street… But I don’t remember what it’s called so just go ask her!

– For my jewelry

I love vintage jewelry, especially pearls and feathers. I found my paradise on the top floor of the Ralph Lauren boutique (Blvd saint germain) full of old Navajo jewelry. So sublime. I go there like you go to a museum, as expensive as it all is — one day, I bought a pair of earrings with a friend – each of us took one.

– To impress visitors

I take my non-Parisian guests to chez Georges, the restaurant on top of the Centre Georges Pompidou. It’s expensive, not that great, the hostesses are more full of themselves than a model on a Balmain runway, but the view of Paris is just amazing, and the architecture of Beaubourg gets me every time I take the escalator up.

– To get a party together

L’appart de la Fidélité (rue de la Fidélité 75010) – What’s so cool is that you can rent the space above the restaurant and so I’ve got friends who often spend their birthdays, book releases, wedding showers, anything involving joy in this awesome space. I just like it.”

More City Guides:

Kate / New York
Anouk / Sydney
Melodi / Istanbul
Luisa & Tine / Rome
Alexandra / Paris
Giorgia / Milan

Translation : Tim Sullivan

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