Ok people, I need your help. After days spent with my nose inside Paris travel guides and endless evenings searching this forum I have come up with a loose idea of what may be a good idea for my trip to Paris for 3 days at the end of September. I'm now asking for your learned help, please, to fine tune and direct me to a completed itinery.

I am 31, he is 44. We are both foodies and love a drink. I want to soak up paris without having to walk miles but I don't want to miss anything thats unmissable... a big ask?

Arrive Eurostar from london 11am saturday. Depart 7pm Monday. Staying at Concorde st Lazare. Restaurants are all booked and are as follows: Laperouse saturday 8pm dinner. Tour d'argent sunday 8pm dinner. Jules verne monday 12.15pm lunch.

Heres where the help is needed...
MONMARTRE
Best at day or during the night? Was thinking sunday afternoon. Can we get our portraits done by a street artist here?

HEMINGWAY BAR AT THE RITZ
Pre or post dinner. I've read midnight on a Saturday is good?

BYO SEINE CRUISE AT NIGHT
Again, pre or post dinner. What companies will allow us to take a bottle or better still has a bar on board? We'll give dining a miss...

MOULES & FRITES
To be eaten on a pavement table with a nice white on Saturday afternoon but where? Would prefer typical paris, good value with atmosphere. I have read about Le Dome, Le Dome du marais and also Chez Janou? But am open to ideas...

MAN RAY or BUDDHA BAR
or neither?

LIVE JAZZ
Can I catch this somewhere in a smokey bar in St Germain or Monmartre?

ST GERMAIN
Really want to pay a visit but may be a squeze, should I?

DANCING ON THE LEFT BANK
I have read that on certain days there is somewhere that becomes an impromptu dance thing, has anyone heard of this?!

CHAMPS ELYSSES
How to do it and when?

AFTER DINNER DRINKS SAT AND SUN
We are night owls and would love some ideas on how to spend these hours.

Thank you people to all of those who post anything, your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks also if you managed to get to the end of my post without switching off!

Suz

Hi... I know you've received responses on your first post, so hopefully you don't mind if I copy them here, so we can have the 'history' all on one thread..
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Author: noe847
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:22 pm
Suz, "DH" is Dear Husband. Sweet, isn't it? ha ha. You might reach more of the people who know about Paris if you re-post this question with "Paris" in the title.
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Author: suz214
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:26 pm
Noe - thank you for that, I was just rereading it and wondered if that vital bit of info would make a difference, then you answered my question! I think its obvious I'm new to this... (Thanks for bringing me up to speed on DH)
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Author: Nina66
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:26 pm
Suz, DH is Darling Husband, Dear Husband or if he ticks you off, I guess Dumb Husband.

Also if repost (I know that's a pain because of the length), using a more specific title, ie: Suggestions For Paris, Help with Paris Agenda etc.. you'll get better and more specific replies....not a dumb post like this that sounds like a lecture

Eating, drinking, dancing and smoking ... you sound like a fun couple - and you will love Paris.

Nina
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Author: suz214
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:29 pm
Thanks Nina, I know it is a bit of an essay isn't it! Hopefully I won't lose too many people before the end... I think I've just descovered I can't edit my title, I'm now hoping i can cut and paste..
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Author: Nina66
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:30 pm
I guess 30 busy little fingers were responding at the same time, all saying the same thing.

Suz, you've made some fabulous choices already.

Nina
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Author: suz214
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:34 pm
thanks Nina. I'm very excited. Have just reposted, i thnk its in the right place! hope i get some responses... x
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Author: LoveItaly
Date: 09/07/2006, 06:51 pm
Hi suz, I agree with Nina, you two sound like a lot of fun!! Don't worry you will get answers! If not I will email this to SeaUrchin (who is soon returning to Paris). She is tons of fun also and she will be able to advise you. Have a wonderful time in Paris. Oh, just realized, several other Fodorites will be in Paris when you will be visiting there.
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Much more fun than my DH and me!
Just a thought... we just returned from Paris last Friday.. wanted to see alot without walking a ton. We used the Batobus.

It's a boat thing that you pay 11 euro for the day for and it stops off at most sites (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Champs,etc).. it takes about 10 minutes in between sites and was good when we got tired of walking...

After a full day of seeing things, we had drinks (about 5 or so) on the Champs and just relaxed.. it was really nice.

Have fun!

I will try to offer a little help with your numbered questions, but I can only respond to a few of them, because others are outside my experience. Here goes:

MONMARTRE
Best at day or during the night?
Was thinking sunday afternoon. Can we get our portraits done by a street artist here?

Best in the day, I think, especially if you want to have your portraits drawn. Go to the Place de Tertre for this. You will find willing artists. Maybe combine that with a walking tour of Montmartre, either self-directed or with a walking tour company. Rick Steves' has a decent walking tour in his Paris guidebook. Be aware that shops will be closed, for the most part, on Sunday afternoon.

HEMINGWAY BAR AT THE RITZ
Pre or post dinner. I've read midnight on a Saturday is good?

I have no idea on this, but since you are looking to fill your after-dinner hours, and since you've heard that it is good on Saturday night, why not go then?




ST GERMAIN
Really want to pay a visit but may be a squeze, should I?

Yes, go walking on Saturday afternoon for an hour or two.


CHAMPS ELYSSES
How to do it and when?

Tough question. The Champs is very very crowded in the evening. How to do it is of course on foot. But you will encounter crazy crowds. Maybe you should try this on Sunday afternoon? To me the crowds are always much worse at night. Why not choose a destination, then walk from there? I can't miss Sephora on the Champs, then I think you could walk up to the Arc de Triomphe. However, if you were going to give something a pass, I think the Champs might be it. Your time is short and it is very crowded there on weekends.

AFTER DINNER DRINKS SAT AND SUN
We are night owls and would love some ideas on how to spend these hours.

Lets say your going to the Hemingway Bar on Saturday night. Why not one of your other listed bars on Sunday night?

Hi S,

>LIVE JAZZ
Can I catch this somewhere in a smokey bar in St Germain...<

Bars aren't as smokey as they used to be.

From my trip report:

"Dinner at Le Petit Zinc (http://www.petit-zinc.com/) ...For an excellent dinner with wine, impeccably served in very pleasant surroundings - 145 E.

A few doors North on Rue Benoit is Le Jazz Club, where Swing style jazz is the order of the day. Marcelle Zanini (clarinet and vocal) and Ahmed Gülbay (piano) gave us an enjoyable presentation of old and not so old standards and a few original pieces - very enjoyable. 6E cover charge + 1 drink each - 28E.

It still being early (there were people on the streets), we walked up the street to Le Bilboquet for something entirely different. Hidegarde Wanzlawe, accompanied by a jazz combo, gave a lively performance of American and French songs. Her Eastern European accent (in both English and French) added a delightful layer to her scat singing.

Bobby Edwards, a local fellow with a great talent on the bass sax, sat in for a set of "Cherokee". The whole group swang and the crowd went wild. No cover charge. 36 E for one drink each.

Tired, but happy, we returned to the hotel.

And so to bed".

First, I have to tell you that my hubby and I spent our first trip to Paris together at the Concorde St. Lazare and loved it. You will probably not need lunch after their breafast, which was monumental. The lobby is French with a side of French, as we like to say, and our bathroom was nicer than ours at home.

Of course, you didn't ask about your hotel, but I had to mention that anyway.

Let me comment on the Montmartre portion of your itinerary since we live on the cusp of it currently. I would second the vote for Sunday afternoon. On your way up or way down, I would suggest walking rue de Martyrs, a great market street which is foodie heaven and pretty hopping on Sunday. It was featured in the New York Times in May 2005. You could either take the metro from St. Lazare to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and head up rue de Martyrs from there, or simply make the short walk from the hotel. (Or do it in reverse if you go to Montmartre first.) You could also consider doing a Paris Walks tour of Montmartre, costs 10E each and lasts about 2 hrs - I believe they always have one scheduled on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/


I could recommend a resto in Montmartre for you for lunch, but you will probably happen upon something that looks good and be happy with your choice. I am of the mind that there is nothing worse than arriving in Paris with a long list of restos you just feel guilty for never actually finding/eating at. Sounds like you've got your big guns lined up resto-wise, so I'd stick with what looks good in the moment for the rest. (Here I go again with the un-solicited commentary - sorry!)

Enjoy your trip!

Travelnut, kathryn, tuscan, ira and Lutece - thank you so much for your responses and tips, all have been added to my black book. (not forgetting my previous threaders)...

Lutece, thank you for your insight on Concorde - even though it is already booked it is nice to get reassurance that we have made the right decision! What kind of room did you have? We have booked through an unmissable offer with The Sunday Times in the UK and guess it is a standard room as we did not have any selection of choice. I am wondering if we can upgrade on arrival as I want my birthday trip to be faultless!

With regard to Monmartre, I understand what you are saying ref restaurants but you sound like you could possibly recommend a goodun! I desperately want to eat fine mussels and drink a good bottle of white on a street with a relaxed atmosphere, forget fancy, I want typical Paris cafe culture. I'll worry about the waistline the week after...

Although I don't know of any specific restaurant, I'm sure there must be one along rue des Abbesses, a very pleasant small street of cafes in western Montmartre...

Dear suz214,

For the hotel, I really do think you will enjoy it no matter what room you get. We went on a package deal with American Airlines, and I think our room was standard, and it was certainly nice. Mind you, this was the trip that started it all, and now we own a Paris apartment and live here. Not that I'm attributing that all to the hotel, but be careful of that dreamy, magical thing that seems to happen to people on vacations to Paris!!

As for restos, yes, rue des Abbesses has plenty of cafes/bistros/restos to choose from, and this is a fine place to just wander and look at menus. I will post a few thoughts below, but as for the mussels, I can't guarantee. Sundays, I also can't guarantee, but I'll give the phone numbers, too. And if it's a sunny day, get your outdoor table early because they will fill up.

My best thoughts food-wise are:

Bistro Lepicurien at 85 bis rue Lepic. We had a really nice meal there recently with a friend who eats there often. Owners are a couple, I think the hubby is French and the wife is an English speaker, but can't remember from where exactly. Tel. 01.42.51.25.51

Paul et Gwena, 34 rue Durantin, 01.42.23.97.05. It is on a side street off rue des Abbesses, so if you want to be facing the action, this may not be the one you are looking for, but I can vouch for the food being fresh and lovely, not to mention the owners are super sweet, although I believe the wife is not working there currently because she just had a baby. (I swear she was working until the very last minute!) It is open on Sunday.

Other simpler options
Un Zebre A Montmartre, 38 rue Lepic (where Lepic meets rue des Abbesses) - Can't go wrong at this neighborhood joint, but nothing fancy, and haven't seen mussels on the menu ever. But very friendly and comfortable. Outdoor tables that provide "good scene." Continual service everyday through 2 a.m.

Le Relais Gascon, 6 rue des Abbesses - Their gigantic, fattening salads are a must! Try the Bernaise - lots of goat cheese and lardons - yum!! All the salads are low on lettuce, high on fatteningly delicious, thinly-sliced, garlic-fried potatoes! Again, nothing fancy at all, but good people watching on the street.

Still, I think you should be open to just finding something that speaks to you, but I hope I've helped a bit.

Please wear comfy shoes and bring a good map with you - it's easy to get turned around on those tiny streets of Montmartre. I recommend the little map books they sell all over Paris that has the city broken down by arrondissement.

Let me know if I can be of further help and enjoy your trip!!!!