Paris for couples—what to do, eat and see in the City of Love

There’s a reason that the City of Light is also named the City of Love. Classic Haussmann buildings, cute cobbled streets and ornate gilded gold monuments make a stunning backdrop for a weekend of romancing. What’s more, the city offers plenty of places to do it. There are long lingering meals to take in intimate bistros and gourmet Michelin-star restaurants, followed by slow ambles in pristine parks and along the Seine, with the Eiffel Tower as your backdrop. All this beauty makes it easy to fall in love with Paris, or in Paris, but there’s a way to enjoy the most romantic city in the world without saccharine sweetness or tired cliches: elevating the everyday to something special is all part of the city’s eternal charm. 

Stroll and dine

One of the best ways to experience Paris is simply to stroll and admire its beauty, and the Île Saint-Louis, the tiny island that sits in the middle of the Seine, is the perfect spot to do so. In recent years, the island has become home to a number of great restaurants, meaning you can cap off an afternoon enjoying its elegant buildings and courtyards with a memorable dinner. Try addresses such as Poget & De Witte for oysters, Cypsèle for creative cooking, L'Escale for a classic French brasserie and Michelin-star dining at Le Sergent Recruteur. There’s also Tourbillon for pretty patisserie, chocolates and ice creams — or book a wine-tasting or pick up a bottle at natural wine shop L’Étiquette. It’s easy to cross over the bridge to its big sister next door, the Île de la Cité, to explore the lovely Place Dauphine, surrounded by 17th-century architecture, and the Square du Vert-Galant, which sits right on the edge of the island looking out across both banks of the Seine.

Cosy up in a historic bistro

Le Chardenoux is a beautiful 117-year-old listed bistro tucked away in the 11th. Original details, such as decorative mouldings and etched glass panels, give it a distinctly Parisian feel, and there’s a showstopping frescoed ceiling. It’s a buzzy place to enjoy the seafood-heavy menu — ask for table 20 or the chef’s table if you’d like more privacy. And don’t skip the wonderful desserts, including vanilla mille-feuille.

Cook up a storm

If food be the language of love, one way to your partner’s heart is to learn to cook together. La Cuisine school has a varied timetable of courses — from market visits and macaron-making to souffle masterclasses — giving you the tools to whip up a meal together long after your Parisian sojourn finishes. The friendly, small-group classes are led by English-speaking chefs in a central neighbourhood.

Get a drink at a converted pleasure house

During Paris’s decadent belle époque period, the city had as many as 224 pleasure houses, some so famous they were visited by royalty. One of these maisons closes is now the five-star Maison Souquet, formerly run by one Madame Souquet. The low-lit bar is an intimate place for cocktails. Ask staff about the hotel’s history and opulent decor, which hides cheeky references to its former life.

Slip into the cinema

Dinner and a film is perhaps the world’s most classic date night, but heading to the cinema in Paris is particularly special. As one of the birthplaces of cinema (Paris is where the Lumière brothers held the first ever paid public film screening), the city is home to a number of beautiful and historic theatres for a more memorable movie night, including Le Louxor, which has a terrace and a Sacré-Coeur view; Le Champo, filmmaker François Truffaut‘s favourite; the Cinéma du Panthéon, where you can stop for lunch or tea at the Catherine Deneuve-designed lounge; Studio 28, lit by chandeliers designed by Jean Cocteau; and Le Grand Rex, the largest cinema in Europe, crowned by its original 1932 celestial sky filled with twinkling lights. 

Retreat to a secluded den

Hôtel Providence Paris proves you don’t have to spend big on romance. Squirrelled away in the 10th arrondissement, it has just 18 rooms, each decorated in rich jewel shades, quirky House of Hackney fabrics and a mishmash of vintage treasures. Some have standalone clawfoot tubs in the bathroom; others wrought-iron balconies with space for two. All come with a bar for your very own private cocktail hour. From €202 (£178).

Spend a night at the opera

Built for Napoleon III and opened in 1875, the Palais Garnier opera house is a wonder: a frothy concoction of gilding, frescoes, colonnades and marble. If there’s one place in Paris to get dressed up for a night out, it’s here; architect Charles Garnier even designed the marble staircase so high society could pose in their finery upon it. The programme focuses on opera and ballet, and the building’s also open during the day for tours.