Hello lovely friends. I will go to Paris later this month for a week to work. First, for my new client Merci, and then to visit the Maison + Objet along with a bunch of other fun studios to visit crammed along the way. I'm very excited and you can follow my Paris adventures on my @decor8 Instagram beginning January 18!  SO I'm looking for some suggestions from YOU. I love pretty cafes, dessert, jazz clubs, shows, boat rides, I'll take any tips honestly. Just need fresh and inspiring places to see and photograph. I scoured my favorite blogs for tips but so many of them have posts that were written a year or more ago and we all know that cities like Paris change so frequently that I'm more interested in what is hot NOW. Also, flower shops and lunch spots. I don't care about museums or monuments or tourist spots because I've been to Paris many times and hit those already.

I would love a tip for Korean food, a good Japanese place with excellent Udon soup and definitely a Lebanese place with amazing tabbouleh, falafel, hummus, etc. Also, any good Spanish places with tapas? And maybe something very Italian and delicious? A very hip and cool restaurant would be great too. I'm really open when it comes to dining out, so don't hold back. Please leave website links in your comments so I can easily find these places if you don't mind. I'm so grateful, in advance, so thank you!

Do you also have some great ideas for photogenic spots in Paris other than the usual suspects (Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower)? I'm very much a fan of hills and architecture and pale white buildings and streets with a lot of ambiance that aren't totally commercial and littered with phone card and cell phone shops. I remember my last time in Paris, there were less of these streets (though I was close to the river and Notre Dame but still) so I'd love to be in districts where I can find privately owned bakeries and foodie spots - in other words, pretty spots to photograph so I can create content for this blog that I'm proud of upon my return!

I will be in these neighborhoods from what I know so far: Haut-Marais, Saint-German-de-Pres and Bastille. I've never been to Montmartre, is that worthy of a see?

P.S. Doesn't the Broken Arm look nice and the I think Miss Banh Mi looks like fun along with Street Bangkok. I love casual and unusual places and Asian food but also great places for breakfast. My dear friend Susanne from Milas Deli just went to Paris and has a lot of bakeries on her blog, so I'm going to look over there now...

Thank you all so much, since getting pregnant in 2013 and then having my son nearly two years ago, I've only been to Berlin for a day and Amsterdam for 3 days, so this is mama's adventure so I want to soak in as much as I possibly can to make up for all of those lost trips. Though I must say, being with my little boy has been worth it but I am ready for some stimulation and fun so please give me some of your lovely ideas... I'd appreciate it so much.

xo

Holly