It was so hard to leave Paris and head back to San Francisco after my summer break this year.
My closest family and childhood friends live there, I miss the pace and walkability of Europe... and don't get me started on the baguette. 
So why did I leave? And why do I stay?

Au revoir Paris!
I left Paris in 2016 to explore my American side after living for most of my life in Paris. At the time I was working in marketing for a Japanese skincare company and doing community theater on the side. As fun and comfortable as it was, I felt I was stagnating and craved a new adventure. I looked to California where I already had some family and fell in love with San Francisco's energy, It seemed like the perfect place for a new beginning. I quickly immersed myself into the history of the city through SF City Guides. I developed a new circle of friends and learned a new artform thanks to the Leela improv company which eventually led to my career shift into audiobooks.

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Fun fact: this year, I got to record a story for Tantor Media about Eleanor Dumont aka "Madame Moustache", a French woman who moved to San Francisco during the Gold Rush to reinvent herself. 
=> click here to hear an excerpt.


I left my heart in....
Paris will always be the city of my heart.,,, but I don't want to go back to living there full time. I actually love experiencing Paris as a tourist (check out my updated Paris restaurant list). I love going back to a whirlwind of joyful family and friends' reunions. And to be honest, I also love being French in San Francisco. I've always been in between two cultures and the more I start to meld into one of them the more I feel pulled in the opposite direction. Being different makes me happy and gives me room to grow. I am still in awe of San Francisco's nature and culture and I feel in a stronger position to advance my voice and audiobook career from the US. I do plan to spend more time in Paris in the coming years (if you have any tips on local recording studios, please let me know!) but I still have much to explore and learn from in San Francisco. In the meantime, I am fortunate to keep my connection to France alive through the magic of whatsapp and my audiobook projects. 

Have you moved far away from your hometown? Do you think you will ever move back one day?

Where to go and (especially) what to eat when you're in the "Ville Lumiere" (city of lights :)
People always ask me this question when they're planning a trip to Paris, so I thought it was about time I compiled a master list for easy sharing! Let me know if you would like me to add other recommendations. 
Note: I lived in the 5th arrondissement and worked in the 7th arrondissement for over 30 years so a lot of my addresses are concentrated in those areas.

Best drinks + people watching
Marais area (4th arrondissement) 

• La Buvette - drinks and light food in the courtyard of a public library!
• Peniche Marcounet - Drinks and jazz music on the Seine

Saint-Germain area (6th arrondissement)

• La Rhumerie - rhum cocktails just like Hemingway liked them.
• Les Deux Magots - quintessential Parisian terrass

Invalides area (7th arrondissement)

• Rosa Seine - Popular happy hour spot close to the musée d'Orsay. Wine and charcuterie boards on the riverbanks. Three other adresses throughout the city. 

Further afield

• La Felicità - Halle Freyssinet in the 13th arrondissement- great brunch option!
• 61 - 19th arrondissement - Bar with excellent charcuterie and veggie boards and themed expos.

Get your crêpe fix (7th and 14th arrondissement)

• Galette Café - 2 rue de l'Université
• Le Bac a Glace - 109 rue du Bac
• Rue d'Odessa and Rue de Montparnasse - creperie des cormorans, creperie Josselin, and more!

Sweets and chocolate

• Des gateaux et du pains - 89 rue du Bac
• Angelina - 108 rue du Bac
• Chocolat Chapon - 134 rue du Bac 
• Christian Constant - 40 rue des Ecoles - chocolates and mind-blowing ice-cream in Summer
• VG Patisserie - 123 Boulevard Voltaire (Vegan)

Restaurants and Take-out

• La Fourmi Ailée - delicious French food in a private library setting - 8 rue du Fouarre
• Auberge Bressane - Traditional French - 16 avenue de la Motte Piquet
• Aux Perches - Normandy cuisine close to the Luxembourg gardens - 25 rue Servandoni, 75006 Paris
• Mini Palais - dine under the colonnades.
• Auberge de la Reine Blanche - Traditional French - 30 rue saint Louis en l'Ile
• Pasta linea - Italian - 9 rue de Turenne. TIP: grab to go and find a spot on the grass Place des Vosges.
• Ciasa Mia - Italian - 19 rue Laplace 
• Le coq et l'elephant - French Thai fusion - 47 bis rue Poliveau

Best views

• Montmartre - view of Paris
• Pont de la Tournelle - view of Notre Dame (the cathedral is still under construction)
• Tour Montparnasse - view of Paris. TIP: don't buy the pass for the observation deck but go get a drink at the bar. Same view but with a cocktail in hand :)
• Pont Alexandre III - view of The Eiffel Tower

Where to daydream

• Ile de la Cite
• ​Jardin des plantes
• Jardin du Luxembourg
• Place des Vosges 
• Parc des Buttes Chaumont
• Boulevard Paris 13 - fantastic streetart

Fun museums

• Musee des Arts et Metiers - founded in 1794 as a repository for the preservation of scientific instruments and inventions.
• Galerie de Paleontologie - Paleontology and comparative anatomy gallery. The setting and beautiful displays are worth a visit alone. 
• Musee Carnavalet - dedicated to the history of Paris in a Renaissance setting.
• Musée des arts Forains - a collection of curiosity cabinets, carnivals, incredible gardens and Belle Epoque funfairs.
• La Villette - interactive science museum for all ages.

Theatre and Improv 

• Colors - Theatre des Mathurins 
• Theatre Gaiete Montparnasse