Insider Guide to Paris

This is my personal, objectively awesome, empiricaly tested, and peer-reviewed list of sensory experiences to live in Paris. These experiences are best practiced as a walking tour over one or more sunny days.

Take a chausson aux pommes from La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac. Cyril has a Michelin star and he also makes some of the best croissants. From there (if you are at the corner of rue Paul Bert and rue Chanzy) head directly to the Alain Ducasse Chocolat in rue de la Roquette. It is a chocolate factory made by the chef with the highest number of Michelin starts in the world. He gets chocolate in a whole new way. Take dark chocolate stuffed with praliné. Then head to the Marais district, and locate one of the Pierre Hermé boutiques. Take a few macarons. Optionally, you can also try macarons at La Durée, and then, at your own risk, try and compare the two but you may end up going back and forth. From there go to rue Rivoli and try one of the fruit-shaped desserts from Cedric Grolet, proclaimed the best pastry chef in the world. If you haven’t pre-ordered online, Hotel Le Maurice usually has few of them that you can eat at the bar. From there, head to Sébastien Gaudard to experience tastes of time lost. Anything you eat there will transport you to the innocence of a happy childhood. Conveniently, you can bring it to Jardin de Tuileries just across the street. Now go to Michel Cluizel in rue Saint-Honoré and take a few candied orange slices dipped in dark chocolate. Do not resist the temptation to try other things too.