Paris - (Fall 2025) - Day 2

One full day in Paris before heading to Normandy.

Neighborhood by the Hotel

Le Pain Retrouve

Started the day finding a local bakery and getting the ham/butter baguette sandwich with little cornichon pickles. These wonderful sandwiches basically powered most of this trip for me.

Chouquette

I discovered these little treats in Paris bakeries. You can get a bag of them very cheaply. They are little pastry puffs with a bit of sugar on them and they make great little walking snacks.

Père-Lachaise Cemetery

Cemeteries are quite the thing in Paris. This one I believe is the largest and so many people come to see Jim Morrison’s grave that they have to fence it off and apparently there is a tree next to the grave where people stick and leave their gum. Haussmann, the architect of Paris also has his grave there along with many famous people.

We had to take the metro to get to this part of the city.

At the time we got there, a person was in front handing out free maps so that you can more easily find the graves that you may be looking for. Some graves are elaborate while some are just small plaques in the mausoleum.

It is a pleasant, peaceful, and beautiful walk inside the city and you can see the appeal of visiting here. There are often guided tour groups going through the cemetery.

Tabac le Ventedour

Headed back towards the 2nd arrondissement to stroll around after the visit to the cemetery. A coffee break was in order. An Asian family ran this tabac and it was warm enough to sit outside for a little mid-day cafe culture.

Harry’s New York Bar

One of my favorite bars in Paris not only because of the history but also because it doesn’t pretend to be anything else and is a proper bar. It’s not a cafe or restaurant, just a proper drinking establishment. Centrally located in the city, it makes for a great place to stop in between long walks.

Several drinks are claimed to have been invented here including the bloody mary.

This is one of the bars where Hemingway hung out in Paris along with other notable celebrities. The place still feels classically old with the textured roof and college pennants on the walls (some of which look pretty ancient). The storefront is pretty unassuming and the bartenders are dressed traditionally in all white.

The only food you can get here is a hot dog.

I tried it because why not? - but I wouldn’t recommend it. I like NYC pushcart style hot dogs and this is not that (The dijon mustard was good though).

Manteigaria / Delta Coffee House Experience

OK - it’s not French but anytime I see this Portuguese pastry I am stopping for it. They have a few locations in Paris now. This one was co-located with a coffee shop (even though they sell their own coffee at the counter).

Le 17.45

This charcuterie shop has a few locations in Paris. This one was in the Pigalle neighborhood. This is always a good choice if you are undecided on what to eat since they have a great selection of meats, cheeses and wine. Seems to be a very popular place for young folks to gather since it’s a casual and affordable place to meet rather than a more formal sit down dinner.

Le Justes

First stop while looking for cocktails around the Pigalle neighborhood. Sat across from the bar by the window so you can see the street activity while enjoying the drink.

Sister Midnight

Next stop on the cocktail tour of Pigalle. This was a fun little place. Seemed to be all female bartenders here. Creative drinks and friendly staff. The bar is pretty small and didn’t have too many tables that could accommodate more than two people.

South Pigalle

This was another of your standard party bars in the neighborhood. You can still get solid drinks if you stick to the basics - in this case a mojito and a negroni.

Surpriz Kebab

Another late night kebab stop. Tried the sandwich instead of the wrap this time.